Toward a New Century

Toward a New Century. . As American life modernized in the early 1900s, the Hughes family adapted by making improvements to their farm., When their father, Patrick Hughes, died from a tragic horse accident in 1901, the three bachelor sons took over the farm. The quiet, serious eldest son, Edward, acted as the manager. Francis, who later married, became the farm's bookkeeper., Some new farming inventions were successful, others were not. A gas-powered milking machine was tried, but was discarded in favor of the old hand-milking methods. A steam-driven paddle churned the butter, which was then shipped to San Francisco. Some of the milk was sold to the growing Oregon cheese industry., The profits from the prosperous farm were divided among the seven Hughes children each winter. There was always money left for education and church and community projects. They were able to build a huge, modern barn on the slope below where you stand., By the early 1940s, it became hard to find good dairy hands, when World War II called up the men of Port Orford. The sons decided to focus on sheep and cattle ranching instead.