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Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME: Victor Ansotegui TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Tape 1 Side 1 0-11:30 Victor was born in Oregon Canyon, Oregon, on October 15, 1923. His father was Victorio, from Gernika, and his mother was Victoria, from Ibarranguelua. From the age of 13, his father worked on a cargo ship that regularly went to America, and he came to Oregon from the ship when he had finished (around 1908), even though he had no family here at the time. His mother and her sister came around the same time. Victor’s father worked as a sheepherder for the Echave ranch for a while before starting with his own band of sheep (after he was married). His mother had been an au pair in England for a while before she came, and so unlike Victor’s father, she was able to speak a little English. The two had dated in the Basque country, and she came to join Victorio when he had made enough to support them. They were married around 1910 in Winnemucca. His parents then moved to the Oregon Canyon Ranch (owned by the Echaves), where they homesteaded, acquired land, and built a stone house. Victor’s siblings are: Santi, Juanita, Candida, Tomasa, Josephine, Ray, and Robert (Victor is the 2nd youngest). He remembers going to school at the little schoolhouse near the ranch, where he, his siblings, and the children of 4 neighboring families (all Basque) attended classes. There were about 9 kids in his class, and he went through the 8th grade there. When it snowed, he had to take a horse and buggy over the frozen snow, and recalls being very cold. 10-23:00 Victor recalls his early school days, when he and the other children were told not to speak Basque at school so they could learn English. His teacher was married to a Basque, and he recalls an episode where she thought they were calling her a bear when they were actually calling her a woman. He spoke Basque at home, as did most of the neighbor children. His mother used to sing a few English songs she had learned abroad, and his father spoke pretty decent English. Victor’s oldest siblings had a hard time adjusting to the English language school. When Basque area residents needed help deciphering letters or taking care of official business, they often turned to the teacher for help, and the town’s 2nd teacher enjoyed a mayor-like popularity. Victor talks about the limited Basque socializing at the time; there were no organized groups, but families got together all the time to enjoy each other’s company, going everywhere by wagon. In McDermitt, 25 miles away, the family frequently went to celebrations—including the 4th of July—and he reminisces about the trips in his father’s Model T. There were several parties and festivals. 23-30:00 Victor remembers that part of his father’s wages included a few sheep, and even though he had amassed enough to work on his own, during the Depression, he discovered his sheep had a mortgage from the previous owner that his dad never knew about. He lost them all to the bank, but kept his ranch and a few cattle, so he started full-time with cattle ranching until his retirement. A lot of Basque people lost more than that. Victor’s father was gone a lot trying to make money while his family was growing up. Victor himself began to work with sheep right after he finished the 8th grade, and even though he was supposed to be a camp tender, many things went wrong (including the loss of the horses and mule), and he ended up doing a lot of extra work. He had to move all the camp with the 1 little donkey that was left; it took 3 loads every day. Side 2 0-13:00 Victor continues talking about his first experience shepherding. The herder’s sheep dog kept disappearing and disobeying, making life much more difficult for them. He wore his shoes out chasing after the dog! Victor had to go at night with no light and help the herder make do without the dog. The ranch foreman finally came and brought Victor and the herder new shoes, which made life much easier. He continues talking about how difficult shepherding was, and describes his experiences. He was usually about 40 miles away from home. He had to walk a lot. Victor worked with the sheep for 1 summer, then worked at the Crooked Creek Ranch for a while, doing general farm work. He describes feeding the sheep hay there. He remembers learning how to cook: the older man he worked with always made the bread, but Victor beat him to it one day. The bread he made was quite flat; he describes how to make sheepherder’s bread with sagebrush and a hole in the ground. He eventually learned how to make good bread. 13-20:00 Victor worked at Crooked Creek for 1 winter, much of which he spent alone. He describes 1 night when a rabid coyote tried to attack his dog and her pups. It was dark, and he was young and afraid, but he bravely went out with his gun and scared it away. He mentions having to shoot pigs with rabies, since they went a little crazy. Victor also helped with lambing for 2 seasons. In between these different stints, he came home to help on the family ranch. He talks about cattle and how they were cared for and branded. 20-30:00 Victor also helped out at the White Horse Ranch, which belonged to a neighbor. He stayed around his home ranch until he joined the service at the age of 23. Victor was a PFC in Japan, and was in ordinance, working on engines and doing guard duty. He was in Japan about a year. He retuned to Oregon Canyon Ranch for a very short time before marrying his wife Neva, who has no Basque heritage and was from Oklahoma. The couple met south of Jordan Valley, Oregon, where Victor used to drive to rodeos and dances. They were married in 1948 in Elko; his parents weren’t upset that he had married out of the culture. He remarks that most Basques he knew were very hard workers and were very well respected. When he married, Victor and his wife moved to a different town in Oregon, where he became a ditch rider (at a recent reunion, a young man approached him and remembered him riding his horse along the canal). In a short while, he was the water master. Tape 2 0-10:00 Victor was a water master for about 5 or 6 years. He describes the experience, and his old gray horse. After that, he moved on to the Cordero mines, where mercury was processed, and then from there to Winnemucca, where he managed a feed store and lumber yard. He moved to Fallon, Nevada around 1964, where he has lived ever since, retiring in 1989. Victor has 3 children: Beth (52), Christina (50), and Dean (41). He didn’t speak Basque at home much with his kids because it was hard to do so with an American wife. His daughters, however, have involved themselves in the culture extensively, dancing and attempting to learn Euskera. There are not many Basques in Fallon (and the ones there don’t really speak Basque), so there are few organized social events in the area. Victor does try to go to major Basque festivals and events within driving range. 10-15:00 Victor has never visited the Basque country, but his brother did about 20 years ago and enjoyed it. He has no close relatives in Euskadi now, and so has little family incentive to go visit, and he hates to fly. He rarely even speaks Basque with his brothers when they visit, but enjoys doing so when a Basque visitor comes to town. He quips that maybe his teacher taught him too well. Victor considers himself primarily American, and then Basque. He is proud of his heritage, and wants to see the Basque culture preserved.
NAMES AND PLACES NAMES: Ansotegui, Beth: Victor’s daughter PLACES: Cordero mines: employed Victor THEMES: Agriculture |
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