Name/Title
Gordon Durham Basket Factory notesEntry/Object ID
2021.41.76Scope and Content
Two pages of typewritten notes from a March 1995 interview with Gordon and Roselia Durham at the SDHS Museum. Marsha Kontio conducted the interview. No additional maps or diagrams found.Context
First hand account of the Douglas Basket Factory, a major employer. Gordon Durham was born on 8 April 1919 and was the son of George W. and Maude [Freyer] Durham of Douglas, Michigan.Collection
1870 Fruit growing, farming, agriculture, 1875 Basket factoriesCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2021.41Source or Donor
Schmiechen, James A.Acquisition Method
DonationOral History Details
Interviewee
Durham, Gordon William 1919-1997, Durham, Roselia Josephine 1925-2017Interviewer
Kontio, MarshaInterview Date
Mar 1995Location
Box
024 Basket Factory, Fruit Exchange, Fruit GrowingRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Durham, Leonard, Basket Factories in Douglas circa 1851-1927, Freyer, Judson S. 1854-1925, Devine, Joseph E. "Joe" 1868-1954, Bon Ami (ship) 1894 / Northshore 1920-1945General Notes
Note
OCR scan of the pages:
Notes (transcribed from pen) on interview with Gordon [b. 8 April 1919, son of George W. and Maude [Freyer] Durham (and wife Roselia) Durham, Douglas, Michigan —March 1995; at the Museum, with Marsha Kontio. [their residence is at Chestnut and Water Street, Douglas]
His grandfather was part owner and manager of the factory ca. 1907-1927; his father worked there as a young man; his uncle Leonard [see WACH 221] was a millwright at the factory—full time machinist to run/repair machines; his father (or grandfather?) sharpened the knives for the peeler machine.
As a boy he recalls small wagon team which drove around basket factory grounds—carrying on factory work;
On the process of making baskets: first the logs were brought down river from the basket factory land up stream at a place next to Griswald's farm just above New Richmond; this basket factory farm was managed by Gus Moeller.
The logs were transported via water and a “chain dogspike” system by which chains and spikes were attached to the logs to keep them together in loads called “boom of logs”. They were towed down by his grandfather (or was it father) in a tugboat called “Little Joe,” which was replaced by a flat bottom paddle wheeler boat when the river level went down.
The logs were tied up to the shore at the factory site (see map); they were loaded onto the chain conveyor belt and pushed up to the factory—some going to the mill to be used as basket bottoms (and tops?) and others to be made into basket staves. These would be attached to a “peeler" to remove the bark and then make thin strips; these would then set in vats (of water?) for soaking.
The “Bottoms” were cut indoors (in the mill?) and seasoned outdoors. His grandfather Freyer (after his stroke) worked outdoors stacking these bottoms.
The factory had an overhead "tram" which hauled the baskets from the factory out-side and into the warehouses, [see diagram]
There was a nailing room for assembling Climax Boxes.
He still has the lunch box he used as a child for when he went to the factory to have lunch with his grandfather.
[His grandfather (a stockholder in the Weed Co.) patented, with Joseph Devine, a "Fifth basket machine" (according to Ruth Pershing, WACH 220) "which turned oblong baskets automatically by machine instead of by hand, stapling or "sewing" wooden strips as it turned. These baskets were used for peaches, grapes and plums." (WACH 220) ]
Factory power came from a steam boiler—which ran a system of pulleys throughout the factory (with gears).
"Jumbo" baskets were for peaches. They had wood bottoms, and stapled (?) by his grandpa Durham's machine. [Gordon did not recognize the basket we had at hand at the Museum]; Staples were fastened from the bottom. He mentioned berry boxes, but I forgot to follow up on this.
The 7 am factory whistle was an important part of Douglas life. Factory time was Douglas time. "I will pay you when the factory opens in spring" was a common way of accounting for debts.
On the Fruit Exchange: fruit was put in crates in the orchards then hauled to town via wagon by the farmers; later is picked up in orchard by teams of workers by a trucking company—Gordon worked on this at one time.
Two ships which carried out the fruit were the "Bon Ami" and the "Henry C. Wilson"—both docked at the Wall Street dock (by Naughtons marinia);
Note: he told me on the phone that his grandparents had two girls which they took in and they got to know much more about the factory and its operations. Perhaps we should talk to Ruth Pershing (see her article in WACH 220, and Alice Lundgren)Create Date
November 7, 2025Update Date
November 7, 2025