Oral History Interviews Collection, 1974-1990

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Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Item:

[Item 1: Camp Depression - Paul Benson and Raymond Rund],
[Item 2: Camp Depression - John Holodick, Ray Ness, and Ken Gulmon],
[Item 3: Camp Depression - Algot Johnson],
[Item 4: Camp Depression - Mel Johnson],
[Item 5: Camp Depression Interview - Ralph Johnson, Lawrence Johnson, O.A. Hove, Walt Styer, and Franklin Vecon],
[Item 6: Agnes Geelan],
[Item 7: Leroy Goodwater and Hilda Goodwater],
[Item 8: Harold Groth and Grace Groth],
[Item 9: UND History Department Faculty - John Parker, Elwyn B. Robinson, Robert Wilkins, and Louis Geiger],
[Item 10: Elsie Brown],
[Item 11: Marian Meyers],
[Item 12: Frank Kelly],
[Item 13: Merle Kidder],
[Item 14: William Koenker],
[Item 15: William Koenker],
[Item 16: Soren Kolstoe],
[Item 17: Charles Libby and Margaret Libby Barr],
[Item 18: Henry Martinson],
[Item 19: Henry Martinson],
[Item 20: S.W. Melzer],
[Item 21: Ken Porter],
[Item 22: Benjamin Ring],
[Item 23: Elwyn and Eva Robinson],
[Item 24: Clarence Sande],
[Item 25: Gerald Skogley],
[Item 26: O.A. Stevens],
[Item 27: Robert Wilkins],
[Item 28: John R. Salter, Jr.],
[Item 29: John R. Salter, Jr.],
[All]

Item 20: S.W. Melzer

Interviewed by John Davenport, May 25, 1976

S.W. Melzer grew up in Wisconsin and attended medical school at Northwestern University in Illinois. He moved to Woodworth, North Dakota, in 1915. He reported that Woodworth was prosperous in the early 1900s, because it was good farming country. Most of the surrounding land was homesteaded by 1906.

Melzer practiced medicine for fifty years. In his early years, before vaccinations become common, childhood diseases such as chicken pox, scarlet fever, and measles would be epidemic almost every year. Several doctors from surrounding towns left the area when the drought hit in the 1930s, and Melzer was the only one left in the area. He made calls 80 miles away. He said most people were honest and did what they could to pay him, sometimes years later.

Melzer hunted around Barnes Lake when it was still a marsh. He said when he first arrived at Woodworth, there were no grouse, fox, raccoons, or deer. Melzer said the Woodworth area was always largely Republican. He liked William Langer and voted for him until Langer became more radical in later years. Melzer was also in favor of Garrison Diversion, and coal mining in western North Dakota.

Most events discussed date from 1915 to the 1970s.

Interview: Audio Cassette Tape 836

Transcript: OGLMC 1213, Box 1, Folder 17 (28 pages)

Browse by Item:

[Item 1: Camp Depression - Paul Benson and Raymond Rund],
[Item 2: Camp Depression - John Holodick, Ray Ness, and Ken Gulmon],
[Item 3: Camp Depression - Algot Johnson],
[Item 4: Camp Depression - Mel Johnson],
[Item 5: Camp Depression Interview - Ralph Johnson, Lawrence Johnson, O.A. Hove, Walt Styer, and Franklin Vecon],
[Item 6: Agnes Geelan],
[Item 7: Leroy Goodwater and Hilda Goodwater],
[Item 8: Harold Groth and Grace Groth],
[Item 9: UND History Department Faculty - John Parker, Elwyn B. Robinson, Robert Wilkins, and Louis Geiger],
[Item 10: Elsie Brown],
[Item 11: Marian Meyers],
[Item 12: Frank Kelly],
[Item 13: Merle Kidder],
[Item 14: William Koenker],
[Item 15: William Koenker],
[Item 16: Soren Kolstoe],
[Item 17: Charles Libby and Margaret Libby Barr],
[Item 18: Henry Martinson],
[Item 19: Henry Martinson],
[Item 20: S.W. Melzer],
[Item 21: Ken Porter],
[Item 22: Benjamin Ring],
[Item 23: Elwyn and Eva Robinson],
[Item 24: Clarence Sande],
[Item 25: Gerald Skogley],
[Item 26: O.A. Stevens],
[Item 27: Robert Wilkins],
[Item 28: John R. Salter, Jr.],
[Item 29: John R. Salter, Jr.],
[All]