Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use.
Description
Key Words: Walter Harmsen, Raymond Soper, Eleanor Forbes Pierson; packing houses; citrus groves; pollution Enid Douglass led a panel discussion about Claremont’s citrus groves and packing houses. The speakers included Walter Harmsen, Raymond Soper, and Eleanor Forbes Pierson. Walter Harmsen moved to La Verne in 1966, and he worked in citrus for a few years. He recalled smudging the citrus groves during the freeze of 1967. Although he transitioned into working for Aerojet, he never really left the citrus industry. His father-in-law served as a superintendent in a packing house and owned a small citrus grove northwest of La Verne. Raymond Soper was born in La Verne in 1903 and moved to Claremont in 1944. Throughout his life, he owned five citrus groves, served as a director of College Heights Orange and Lemon Association, and owned an impressive collection of citrus labels. He describes the early years of smudging in 1912, 1913, and 1917, and the improvements in smudging equipment during those years. He added, “Actually, the citrus industry was responsible for the air pollution for our nation. We dirtied up this valley and the whole southern California . . . it was so dense of the smoke that your lights didn’t do much good.” Eleanor Forbes Pierson grew up on a citrus ranch. In the early 1900s her grandfather came to Claremont and cleared a lot of land in the Claremont area. She recalls memories of growing up on a lemon ranch as a little girl. She remembers staying home from school to help her father with the smudging. She commented that the smudging would pollute the air even worse than smog. She recalls a Mexican-American worker named Mecadio who worked for her father.
Type
sound
Format
Master Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Oral histories
Extent
1 Tape of 1
Identifier
caclah_000008
Language
English
Subject
Agriculture--Crops--Fruit--Oranges Citrus fruit industry--California Citrus fruit industry--California--History Fruit Packing Local history
Time Period
1900~/1970~
Place
Claremont (Calif.)
Provenance
Claremont Heritage California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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