Autobiography of Myrta E Otterdale

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I was born in Clitherall, Ottertail County, MN on Sept. 23. 1901, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Butulf Otterdale. Shortly after I was born my father, who was in the general merchandise business, decided to move his stock to Annandale. MN, a summer resort about 50 miles from Minneapolis.

I started school at the age of five. When I was seven years old my father took ill with Bright's disease and anemia and died Dec. 31, 1908. Due to the cold severe winters, my mother decided to go to Seattle, WA, for a milder climate.

My recollection of the cold Minnesota weather was wearing long wool underwear, wool stockings, tights, high top laced shoes, and lined overshoes. In addition to this, I wore a wool knitted hood, heavy wool coat and mittens. What a contrast to our present-day dress!

Another reason my mother decided to go to Seattle was the World's Fair, which she had heard so much about. It took us five days by train to reach our destination. As I recall, all the food we ate during those five days came from a basket my mother packed before we left. This is a memory I shall never forget. We traveled tourist class and I remember clearly the fine, friendly people who traveled in the same car.

We arrived in Seattle at the end of October, and we were greeted by a pouring rain, which continued the entire time we were there. After 10 days of rain, my mother, having heard about the land boom in Medford, OR, decided to go down there. 

We arrived in Medford the first week of November and found beautiful, warm sunny weather. Mother went into ecstasy over the wonderful climate. Such a contrast to Seattle and Minnesota!

The boom my mother had heard about was in full swing when we arrived, and land was selling for $2,500 an acre. The boom was due in part to rich remittance men from the East and England. As a child I was very impressed with the stories about the joyful social life of the "Colony" group. We had a prominent restaurant on Front Street called the Louvre which was very expensive and was frequented by the elite of the town. Such stories about women dancing on tabletops made spicy gossip.

We lived in the country for a year or so, at which time I attended a typical one-room school for the third and fourth grades. In 1912 mother bought a lot at 845 Dakota Ave. in Medford and had our home built. After it was built, she went back to nursing and when she was on duty I was boarded out.

One of the families I boarded with was a Methodist minister and his family and another was a Presbyterian minister and his wife, who had no children. The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Shield, the Presbyterian minister, asked mother if I could stay with them when she was on duty. Mother said, "Myrta is not to work for her board, but she is to help you and I will reimburse you for her care.'' It was during this time I went to church five times on Sunday, prayer meeting on Thursday, and family worship on Saturday morning.

I attended Washington School from the fifth through the eighth grades. This school was located on the corner of West Main Street and South Oakdale Avenue, where the Jackson County Courthouse now stands. I finished the eighth grade in December. Due to the fact the high school was overcrowded we started our freshman year at the Washington School, going down to the Medford High School for a class once or twice a week. The high school was then located on the southeast corner of North Bartlett and Fifth streets. 

We entered World War I in April 1917, and the following summer high school students were encouraged to work in orchards, or at whatever they could do, as their patriotic duty. Mother objected to my working in the orchards because of carrying a 16-foot ladder, so I secured work as a waitress at The Shasta Confectionery Store for 25 cents an hour. It was in the Wilkinson Building, which was occupied by Swem's Gift Shop, then On the Wall. and most recently by Shirley's Fashion Boutique. Ed Wilkinson lived upstairs. The old quaint fireplace which was in his living room still remains on the upper level.

I acquired a number of nicknames while working at the Shasta, among them "Bright Eyes," and "Shasta Baby." During my junior year I worked there Saturdays and Sundays. The next summer I worked two months for the Independent Creamery wrapping butter for $45 a month. That fall I was asked to help out in the dining room of the Holland Hotel on Saturdays and Sundays. I was working there the day the Armistice was signed and I got a pie tin and a spoon and joined the crowd on Main Street in Medford to celebrate the victory.

The flu epidemic hit Medford schools in December 1918 and we were out of school for six weeks. In order to make up that time. the school administration decided we would go to school on Saturdays and they extended the graduation from the last of May to June 27, 1919. I graduated in three and a half years at the age of 17.

I took a business course in high school and did some practice work in the Principal's Office. All of the students who took a business course were given this opportunity. At the end of the year I was recommended for a permanent position in the principal's office as secretary. When the school budget was defeated two times by the voters, they eliminated the principal's secretary job, along with other items and it then passed.

On July 4, 1919. I started to work on a temporary basis for the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. in Ashland, Ore .. at $10 a week. After two weeks I was transferred to Medford, where I worked in the Toll Office of PT&T. At that time the Home Telephone and Telegraph Co. operated Medford's local service.

I lived at home with my mother, who retired about the time I graduated from high school. I bought all of my own clothes, took care of my dental bills and gave mother a small pittance, and saved $100, which seemed like a lot of money at that time.

My ambition had always been to be a private secretary. I had planned to go away to the Munson Secretarial School in San Francisco. However, as I had lived a very sheltered life, Mother felt I was too young to go that year. Plans for further education in this field were dropped when I received a promotion in October 1920 to chief operator for the company in Ashland. My salary was then raised to $85 a month. I commuted daily between Medford and Ashland.  Thus, at the age of 19, I was in charge of an office with eight employees. all of whom were older than I. I really had no formal training for this job. It presented a challenge, which I took in stride by studying long hours at night.

In 1922 we decided to buy a car. This was really a great event. Mother bought a Dodge Touring car, and I gave her five shares of American Telephone & Telegraph stock which I had purchased through the company subscription plan. (Worth $500). As I remember, the price of the car was something over $900. As soon as I could, I paid her the balance of the $900. This was the only time in my life that I bought anything on the installment plan.

ln 1924, I was promoted to manager and chief operator, and at that time was the only woman manager in the State of Oregon and held this distinction until April 1929, when I was transferred back to Medford.

In July 1929, l bought a Dodge Deluxe Sport Coupe, which cost $1,435. (There were only two of this model in the state of Oregon). The car was a two-tone gunmetal gray, separated by a maroon colored stripe, black fenders, Chinese red colored wire wheels, with two complete wheels in the fender wells, and, of course, a rumble seat. The car was quite the talk of the town!

Following the 1929 stock market crash, the company sent me to Corvallis, OR. in 1930 to take charge of the Traffic Department, where I remained until April 1935. When business conditions began to improve. I requested a transfer back to Medford. During these four and a half years in Corvallis, I was working at the same rate of pay: $135 a month. It was also during this time that I began investing my money in securities, which turned out to be the foundation of my estate. Among my first investments were: American Telephone & Telegraph, Investors Syndicate, Medford Water Bonds and the Massachusetts Investors Trust.

Returning to Medford I resumed my position as Toll Chief Operator. Between 1935 and 1939 I traveled extensively, taking extra-long vacations.

In the fall of 1939, I ordered a 1940 Buick Coupe, which I picked up in Flint, Mich. This car cost $878. The car even after more than 200,000 miles, was in excellent condition and I sold it in 1991 for $9.000. While still driving it, every day I was often asked, "What year is your car?" or "Will you sell it?" Since World War II, my traveling has been done on commercial airlines. My Buick takes care of short trips and local transportation. I have never felt the need for another car just for the sake of owning a newer model.

I give my mother the credit for teaching me the value of money and the philosophy that it is better to buy the best as it is cheaper in the long run. She also said, "Secure the top medical assistance regardless of cost." Along with this background and good financial advice from a financial counselor, I was able to accumulate a substantial estate as a "working girl." I am sooner or later confronted with the question, "Why haven't you married?" The best way to answer this is that I have had opportunities to get married, but I always found my work stimulating and fascinating and this in addition to the wonderful companionship of my mother, made me reluctant to change my way of life.

I have been fortunate since childhood to have good health. However, I had some uncommon illnesses which prompted me to seek the top medical men. I have had the services of some of the world's finest physicians. For this reason, I am most grateful and hold the highest respect for the medical profession. To name a few: Dr. Thomas Joyce of Portland. Ore., and Dr. Dorman Pischel and Dr. Robert Pollock, both of San Francisco.

I was with the Pacific Northwest Bell (formerly Pacific Telephone & Telegraph) 46 years and 7 months, of which 45 years and 3 months were spent in management positions. This was the longest service of anyone in the Traffic Department of the entire Bell System. 

During this time, I saw the telephone system advance from the No. 9 magneto type switchboard to the more modern No. 3 Toll Switchboard. I also saw the consolidation of the company's Rogue Valley offices from Rogue River to Ashland into the Medford office. The employees under my supervision increased from 8 to 130 and my salary from $10 a week to $9,800 a year.

Prior to my retirement I saw the plans for the installation of a completely new electronic and computerized call handling system to be installed in the Communications Center in Portland. The console desk will in time replace the present-day type of switchboard.

I am a charter member of Altrusa Club of Medford- a professional women's service club- and served as president for two terms. I also was president of Telephone Pioneers of America. While I was working I was a member of the Medford Chamber of Commerce. 

I closed my career with the Bell System on Feb. 28, 1966, and have since spent my time traveling, gardening, and doing volunteer work for the American Red Cross. 

EPILOGUE: Myrta Otterdale sold her home on Dakota Street in July 1992 and moved to The Heritage at Rogue Valley in Medford, a retirement apartment complex. She lived there until poor health forced her to enter Hillhaven Rehabilitation Center, where she died June 24, 1995.