Chemawa Prints Project Day 11

Today, I worked with the Charles E. Larsen Collection to find information on a former Chemawa student. I was unsuccessful in this endeavor, but I did piece together some answers to questions I have previously generated from the prints.

 I found a letter in the Collection discussing Chemawa's participation in the Portland Grand Floral Parade float from 1933. Another page describes the float and the affair of decorating it. CH 1399 and 1408 show a different floral parade float from 1961.  Perhaps this later float was part of Portland Rose Festival but at a later date. Is this evidence of Chemawa's continued participation in the parade? Do Chemawa staff and students still participate? How often have they participated?

In a past blog post I asked whether or not Chemawa students had been paid for their labor. I found evidence in annual reports showing that these students were supposed to get paid. There was also an article saying that one faculty member had not only whipped students, and made other students whip each other, but he had also been accused of withholding pay. In the reports, it also said that the produce they raised started around $2,000 when they started the school and in a few years following often exceeded $3,000. Many trades also had sums for the materials they created. The language used for justifying pay is interesting. It says that the students owe the government for their education, but they pay them anyways in order to learn how to manage money. Pay started at $0.00 for the first four months then eventually increased to $0.24. Students had to "...tell what they want to buy, and afterward show what they DID buy."