Event Title
Faculty Sponsor
Michael Huntsberger
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Date
5-11-2012 3:00 PM
End Date
5-11-2012 4:30 PM
Subject Area
Mass Communication
Description
Our project is centered on civic life in McMinnville, Oregon 100 years ago. Our focus was to uncover the media’s representation of this topic. We had the option to choose to cover the local McMinnville government, Linfield College itself, public schools, leading businesses, and/or important civic leaders.
We decided to narrow our attention to a particularly prominent family in the McMinnville community at the time. The Wortman family is known for opening the first bank in McMinnville more than 100 years ago and was also influential in local politics and community development.
After selling farm and boat interests in 1865, Mr. Wortman bought a small grocery and merchandise store in Oregon City that he ran for ten years. In 1875 he sold this interest and started a similar business in Benton County. With these years of practical experience and the knowledge of local demand, he came to McMinnville in 1883 and established the Bank of McMinnville. When it was incorporated in 1885 it became the first bank in Yamhill County. Today the Wortman’s bank is known as Key Bank and stands in the same location as it did 100 years ago. A large number of photographs and newspaper clippings exist that define the Wortman family and where they stood in the community then and now, which were used in this project.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Samantha; Mixsell, Jordan; and Hellinger, Dan, "Civic Life in McMinnville - Wortman Family" (2012). Humanities and Creative Projects. Event. Submission 19.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/studsymp_cr/2012/all/19
Civic Life in McMinnville - Wortman Family
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Our project is centered on civic life in McMinnville, Oregon 100 years ago. Our focus was to uncover the media’s representation of this topic. We had the option to choose to cover the local McMinnville government, Linfield College itself, public schools, leading businesses, and/or important civic leaders.
We decided to narrow our attention to a particularly prominent family in the McMinnville community at the time. The Wortman family is known for opening the first bank in McMinnville more than 100 years ago and was also influential in local politics and community development.
After selling farm and boat interests in 1865, Mr. Wortman bought a small grocery and merchandise store in Oregon City that he ran for ten years. In 1875 he sold this interest and started a similar business in Benton County. With these years of practical experience and the knowledge of local demand, he came to McMinnville in 1883 and established the Bank of McMinnville. When it was incorporated in 1885 it became the first bank in Yamhill County. Today the Wortman’s bank is known as Key Bank and stands in the same location as it did 100 years ago. A large number of photographs and newspaper clippings exist that define the Wortman family and where they stood in the community then and now, which were used in this project.
