| Summary: | Preston, Washington, United States Olga Elkins Fritzberg was born in 1898 in Preston, Washington. Her father and uncle were Swedish immigrants who established Preston as a shingle mill and became prominent citizens in the town. Mrs. Fritzberg speaks about her childhood, Swedish customs in her home, and describes town life in Preston. She speaks about her education at Washington State University and her teaching career. She also dicusses the 1918 flu epidemic and the Depression. The transcript contains excerpts from the interview. The order of the excerpts does not reflect the order of subjects discussed in the interview. Subject timestamps: (0:30) Early family history, father beginning shingle mill, (2:00) Family’s emigration from Sweden, (3:35) Building mills and houses in Preston, (4:22) Importance of railroad stop, naming of Preston, (6:14) Collection of old photographs, (7:57) Speaking Swedish and English, (9:00) Swedish Christmas customs, church service, (10:36) Swedish church, Sunday school in Preston, (12:03) Gift opening, dinner, decor for Christmas Eve, (13:20) Getting new hats and dresses for Easter, (13:50) Description of Preston’s 4th of July parades, (15:25) Train route to Seattle, (17:25) Father walking to catch boats to Seattle, (18:20) The Company Store in Preston, making clothes, (19:47) Buying meat, groceries at the Company Store, (21:28) Keeping chickens and cows, buying milk from neighbors, (22:57) Playing games in the school yard, (24:38) Climbing trees, going barefoot in the summer, (26:29) Swimming in the river, (27:25) Hall with swimming pool, library, (28:10) Ban on liquor in Preston, (29:25) Differences between residents of upper and lower Preston, (33:37) Letters from her mother in Swedish, (35:36) Family meals, timing of breakfast and dinner, (36:59) Recitation of Swedish recipe, (39:54) Different homelands of Swedish population in Preston, (41:10) Lack of high school in Preston, cousins attending prep school in Vashon, (44:04) Attending school in Pullman, (45:12) Room at Stevens Hall, (46:51) Taking exams to complete credits, (48:56) Formation of sorority, pledging, (50:27) Tutoring 8th grade class in Preston, (52:14) Passing teaching certification, work as a teacher, (53:52) Flu epidemic of 1918, lack of doctors, (54:55) School closure due to outbreaks, death of principal, (56:47) Fear of tuberculosis, regaining strength after illness, (57:49) Return to school in Pullman, (58:39) Attending 50th anniversary of sorority charter, (1:01:26) Moving with family to Seattle during Depression, (1:02:09) Teaching WPA sewing classes at Ballard High School, (1:03:20) Return to Preston, teaching various community classes, (1:08:54) Attending Alaska Yukon Exposition in Seattle as a child, (1:11:00) Social custom of wearing hats, gloves, (1:12:38) Father’s friends in Seattle, (1:14:29) Staying with friends in Seattle, (1:15:21) Playing in the carriage houses, “hackhouses”, (1:17:11) Move to Seattle in 1931, husband’s illness while in San Francisco, (1:18:36) Start of the Depression, losing husband’s job as salesman, (1:19:49) Husband’s next job as car salesman, moving to country, (1:20:51) Friends suffering during Depression, (1:21:23) Husband’s military service in WWI, (1:22:47) Meeting husband, husband’s emigration from Sweden, (1:24:31) Husband attending business college, managing local store and post office, (1:25:16) Description of large wedding, wedding gifts, (1:28:16) Traveling to Ovington for honeymoon, (1:30:11) Learning to drive in 1911, taking families into town, (1:31:27) Father’s relationship with workers, labor movement, (1:33:24) Establishment of Swedish Hospital by local families, (1:36:10) Mother’s church activities, nursing and midwifery, (1:38:46) Mother’s role as leader of women’s church conference, (1:40:09) Mother’s illness, hysterectomy and radium treatments, (1:43:51) Mother’s positive attitude while being ill, (1:45:11) Facing hardships in life, Christian attitudes, (1:47:12) Feelings about changing role of women, (1:49:57) Raising her children, relationships between siblings, (1:53:08) Future activities in North Bend- crafts, reading, (1:54:09) Volunteer work at historical museum, (1:55:11) Car ownership, driving, (1:56:27) Having friends of all ages, (1:57:18) Involvement in politics, party affiliations, (1:59:21) Adjusting to new technologies- cars, telephones, radio, (2:00:11) Description of first plane ride in 1920, (2:01:24) Trip to Chicago, Washington D.C. with father in 1927, (2:03:56) Traveling to various national parks, Alaska, (2:07:31) Sharing items with local American Indian family in Preston, (2:10:52) Singing at church, weddings, (2:12:09) Taking piano and voice lessons, (2:14:19) Attending many concerts This accession is part of the Washington Women's Heritage Project. To request a high resolution or uncompressed reproduction, or to obtain permission to use any portion of this item, contact the University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections. Email: photos@uw.edu. Please reference the Digital ID Number.
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