Oregon Governor Patterson and Holiday House

Governor Isaac Patterson died on December 21 1929 right before the holidays. He was considered a popular and well-respected figure by rivals and supporters alike. After his sudden and unexpected death at his farm in Eola, he was laid in state at the Oregon Capitol Building on December 23rd with a funeral service held in the House Chamber. The casket was taken down the front of the Capitol steps. Patterson’s widow sold their farmhouse in Eola soon after her husbands death to Agnes Schucking and her husband. Agnes had become famous as Salem’s first cherry queen in 1903. In 1938 Agnes opened a store on the farm property that featured flowers and fruit grown on the farm- which soon became Eola Acres Florist. The Christmas season was important to Agnes. She sold wreaths made of Scotch broom with snowberries and used 11 different kinds of native greens with juniper berries and tiny hemlock cones. In 1950 Agnes chose to open their home to share their Christmas decorations… and this soon became a beloved annual holiday tradition from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. In 1960 their Holiday House was featured in the Christmas issue of the national publication-the Florists Telegraph Daily news magazine. To learn more about the history of Holiday House and Governor Patterson, please visit willametteheritage.org