Newspaper for Hops Pickers

The Hop Vine Scratch was a newspaper produced by the Health and Recreation Service of the Lake Brook Hops Ranch in Salem, Oregon.  The Willamette Heritage Center has a collection encompassing four editions of this paper during the picking season of 1925.  The numbering on these extant copies (Vol. 2, No.s 7, 11, 12, 13) suggest the paper was started in 1924 and published every other day during the short September picking season.  The mastheads of the extant versions declares that the paper was “Free to Hop Pickers.”

Lake Brook Ranch

2010.034.0001 (2)

Postcard announcing the 1932 Hops Picking Season at Brook Lake Ranch north of Salem from the T.A. Livesley Company. Card is addressed to William Waing. WHC 2010.034.0001

A postcard announcing the 1932 hops picking season in the Heritage Center’s collections (2010.034.0001) describes the Lake Brook Ranch as being “9 miles North of Salem, on the River Road.”  The 1932 season, at least, was organized by Thomas Albert Livesley and Company.  During the time of the publication of the Hop Vine Scratch in the WHC Collections, Claude Settlemier was Ranch Superintendent and Mrs. G. A. Robinson and J.B. Crary were in charge of the Health and Recreation Department.

Digitized Hop Vine Scratch Issues from WHC Collections

Vol. 2, No. 7.  September 4, 1925

Issue Staff:
Ruth Miller
Rebecca Laughmiller
Jim Matney
Lena Baker
Dorothy Laughmiller

Key Terms:
Albina Aces Baseball Team
-Henry Henkel, Mike Ragan, Albert Becker, George Bloom, Al Henkelman, Henry Steimetz, Lewis Henkel, Jake Miller, Grant Georgeson
Salem YMCA
Bill Lang
Ladies Boxing
Ida Doering
Dorothy Johnson
State Training School Band
Bag Pipers
Virginia Shannon
J.W. Jones
Rex Ryan
Salem Fire Department
James Matney, Frank Patterson, Terry Matney, Kola McClellan, L. Carpenter, Bill Keeney

Vol. 2, No. 11.  September 15, 1925

Issue Staff:
Jim Matney
Jack Kargman
Ben Lentz

Key Terms:
Grant Powers
Granville Garnes
John Gurett
Wedding
Movies
Lost and Found
Sunday School
Pauline Patterson
Pie Eating Contest
Harmonica Contest
Mike Ragan
Baseball
Slim Hassler
J.B. Crary
Ben Kimber
YMCA
Louis Carpenter

Vol. 2, No. 12.  September 17, 1925

Issue Staff:
Jack Kargman
Ben Lentz
Ina Holm

Key Terms:
Wienie Roast
Wildwood Park
Lost and Found
Bill Land
Leatha Handel
Helen Turner
C.A. Ryan
Harmonica Contest
Clarence Wilson
Reugen McCall
Pauline Patterson
Dallas Baker
Moore Music House
Laura Kinsey
Bernard Nash

Vol. 2, No. 13.  September 19, 1925

Issue Staff:
None listed

Key Terms:
Holmes Hop Yard
Williams Yard
Jack Kargman
Boxing
Terriers
Dance
Hilma Anderson
Clarence Wilson
Jerry Finnegan
Dallas Baker
Lena Baker
Silas Smith
J.B. Crary
C.A. Ryan
Laura Kenzy
Otto Paulus
Hop Yard Ball
Helen Rich
F.W. Jones
Peggy Jones
Andrew Kraley