Dad- Theodore E Durgan

* Theodore-{dad}-Ernest Durgan was born in 1904 in Clackamas Oregon Family Farm Sunnyside District. He died in 1988 in Clackamas, Oregon .Born on 122 Ave And Mather Road At Talbert Creek, in the old house that was built in the 1880's house torn down 1946 ..We moved into another house on Property that Fay Durgan lived in when she got Married in 1925 she moved to Alaska And then to Lake Bay Washington.
I lived There For 30 yrs.My First Child Fred also lived there when young. . then moved on...

Social Security DeathIndex: U.S., ,
Individual: Durgan, Theodore Social Security #: 543-14-7051 Issued in: Oregon
Birth date: May 27, 1904:Death date: Dec 29, 1988
ZIP Code of last known residence: 97015 ..Primary location associated with this ZIP Code: Clackamas , Oregon ;*****************

Clackamas Oregon Febuary 1917 : " The plow digs deep" It a cold morning but no rain in fact the weather has been good for this time of year.Its 5AM in the Morning A boy of 14 rolls out of bed eager to get the day started ,There is no hot water untill the kitchen stove heats the copper coils going to the water tank .There is no electricity. There is Running water though for there is a 1915 Fairbanks Morse hit and miss Engine running a Milwaukee air powered pump in a hand dug well one of the first running water systems in Clackamas, , the pump was shipped around the Horn from Milwaukee Wisconsin, the only one like it on the west Coast
. .
For today he and his father will start plowing the 80 Acres ,what is Now the Clackamas Town Center,, The chores are done, and the boy harnesses the horses . He brings The horses around to the wagon that has a plow loaded on it, He shouts a command " BACK" and gives a slight tug on the rein.

The horses are well trained and back into a double tree on the wagon, the snaps are hooked and the boy climbs aboard.
He Clicks to the horses " " and sends a sleight quiver down the reins., He is on his way to 92 and Sunnyside road:- My Father was one of the best teamster's in the Country. He started working horses when he was big enough to walk.. he learned from his father who learned from his father who drove an ox team across the prairie with a switch and GEE and a HAW.

At The field The plow is Unloaded and hooked up to the horses . The boys eyes scan the field an his mind records everything he sees For he is picking out a target at the other end of field over 1/4 mile away .When he gets there the furrow will be as straight as an arrow ,
He clicks to the horses, Quivers the reins And "THE PLOW DIGS DEEP" . He shouts''WHOA''horses stop,he walks over and picks up a hand full of dirt he rolls it into a ball flattens it into a pancake ,,crushes it between his fingers, ( Very scientific) the moisture is perfect.

,," GITTYUP" Shouts the boy and quivers the reins the horses feel the tickle on there backs and they fight and chomp the bit in there mouth .
They lean hard into the big collars around there neck with all there weight and muscle and with a jerk "The Plow digs deep " untill it hits a hack berry root the plow Jumps, the handles smack the boys ribcage turning it black and blue for months .
He comes to the end of the field,

'HAW' shouts the boy and throws the plow on its side the horses side step to the left making a perfectly square corner , He crosses the end of the field and starts back again.
"The plow digs deep" This will be repeated day after day all spring. for the next 10 Years.
They will sow spring grain for a goverment contract to feed the Troops In World War 1, And father will make enough Money tobuy his first Model T Ford 1918 With electric starter.. A car that I learned to drive in,,

He Owned a cord Woodaw with his brother inlaw Sherwood Michael for many years . Ever winter they traveled all over Portland Cutting slabwood for people for there winter heat . Its a lot of hard work throwing wood all day long.. I Know I ran that saw untill 1978 the only left in Portland.. As much as 20 cords in one day .. it was mounted on a trailer so it could be moved from job to job

It was powered with an old T engine with a flat belt and a 48 inch saw mill blade resharpened (gummed out) for a crosscut . it had a flyball governor that kept the blade at a constant speed.. with that big blade seldom was there anything that it could not cut in one pass. Some of the old growth slabs from big trees .. or hand split cordwood that was big and heavy would make that old T git right down and bark . what a sound !! The only thing that sounds better is a steam engine under full load ..

It was a great day when the Durgan & Michael wood saw would show up at your house,, every body in the neighborhood would turn out to watch .. some would even offer to help stack wood . if you were lucky.. you ought try it some time its lots of fun .. you get lots of slivers, sawdust and an aching back.. along with the noise..

He worked on a threshing machine with my grandfather as a bundle pitcher .They were very good at it two of the best in the country.. They forgot more about threshing grain than most people ever new.. One on each side of the Header a left hander and a right hander . bundles head first end to end no gaps all day long . day afer day , get a bundle backward and the old Rumly Engine would bark Loud and the old thresher would groan and almost throw the belt .. made me sweat just to watch them.. when I was Little I learned to sew sacks with them .. We owned all kind of tractors that I played on when I was a little fellow.. I learned to drive one very early in life about the same time I started grade school..

Those old timers were tough , If you ever plowed with horses and had to wrestle a plow you know what I mean. I plowed many a day with a tractor and even that was to much work for me 12 hours a day over rough ground really beats you up,, There had to be a better way to make a living, so I left the Farm and went to work in town,, Ted his son
***************** ~ Parents: George Durgan and Grandmother Maggie Collins.

He was married to (Mom}-Ethelwynn Grant Michael in 1929 in Portland Oregon By Rev William Owens. Children were: Collin Grant Durgan , Theodore Leland Durgan , Wynona Durgan.

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