The Museum Garden
The Minthorn house is on the far left. Photo courtesy of The Oregonian.
In the 1880s, when the Minthorn family lived in Newberg, the yard around the house reflected the necessities of a family in a young settlement: an orchard with young fruit trees.
Apple, damson plum, and the pear tree that Hoover remembered so vividly were planted in the yard to provide the family with fresh fruit during the summer. The fruit would preserve well for winter eating. Vegetable patches provided fresh produce and herbs, some of which were dried for later use.
In sunny weather, clotheslines held the family’s wash to dry. Other structures included a stable, a well, and an outhouse. The only early evidence of the yard is in a photograph (black and white, above) taken in 1887 that shows the house on flat cleared land above the bank of Hess Creek.
Researched and written by Diann Conser, Chehalem Garden Club.
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