Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen facts for kids
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Hurtis and Dorothy Hadley Sr, Owners/Operators Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen, 1977
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| Partnership (Bakery) | |
| Fate | Closed 1985 |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Area served
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Clackamas County |
| Products | Pastries, cakes, breads |
| Owner | Hurtis Mixon Hadley, Sr., Dorothy Butler-Bishop Hadley |
The Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen was a special bakery in Milwaukie, Oregon. It opened in the 1940s. In 1977, Hurtis Mixon Hadley, Sr., and his wife Dorothy Butler-Bishop Hadley bought it. This made it the first bakery in Oregon owned and run by Black people. At that time, very few African-Americans lived in Oregon. Even fewer owned businesses. The Oregon Historical Society Museum chose the Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen for a permanent display in 2014. This shows how important it was.
A Look at History
For a long time, Oregon had laws that made it hard for non-white people to live there. Even after these laws ended in 1926, not many African-Americans lived in Oregon. During World War II (1939-1945), many Black workers moved to Portland. They came to help build ships for the war effort. But even then, it was hard for Black people to own businesses. This was because of unfair rules about loans and housing.
Over time, things slowly started to change. In the 1950s, the Civil Rights Movement helped African-Americans get fairer treatment. New job opportunities opened up for them. In 1950, less than one percent of Oregon's population was African American. By 1990, it was about 1.7 percent.
In 1959, Oregon finally agreed to the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This important rule says that states cannot stop people from voting because of their race. The federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 also helped create more chances for all people. More than ten years later, Hurtis and Dorothy Hadley bought the Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen. The Portland Observer newspaper said it was the only Black-owned business in Milwaukie. It was also the first Black-owned bakery in all of Oregon.
Hurtis Hadley learned how to bake in a special program. He finished the three-year Baker's Technology and Apprenticeship program in just two years. This made him the first Black person in Oregon to become a state-certified journeyman baker. A journeyman baker is a skilled baker who has completed training. He also earned a degree in Baking Technology from Portland Community College. He worked at several grocery store bakeries. He wanted to become a manager, but was told Oregon wasn't ready for a person of color in that job.
Running the Bakery: 1977 to 1985
The Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen first opened in the 1940s. But it had been closed for several years when the Hadleys bought it in 1977. The previous owner had been sick.
Hurtis Hadley said that their first year owning the bakery was tough. Not everyone in the mostly white town was happy to have a Black couple running a business there. During that year, he was even wrongly accused of a crime at another business. But Hadley said that after that first year, things got better. Their business grew, and people in the town became more welcoming.
Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen was a full bakery. They made special breads, many kinds of pastries, and creative birthday and wedding cakes. One of their most popular things was "Cake On Wheels." Hurtis Hadley would deliver a special cake himself. He would dress in a top hat and tails. He would even sing a custom song for the person or event. Hurtis did the baking. Dorothy Hadley, who used to be a licensed cosmetologist, managed the front of the store. She also helped with their catering service. The bakery's slogan was "Put a Little Soul in Your Roll!"
A picture of the Hadleys in their bakery was in The Oregonian newspaper in 1979. It was part of an article about custom doormats. The Hadleys' doormat had their bakery slogan and a picture of a baker.
Bakery Closes in 1985
The bakery served the Milwaukie community for eight years. But the business closed in 1985. This was during a time when the country was going through a recession. A recession is when the economy slows down. In 2014, the Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen was chosen for a permanent exhibit. It is part of "Oregon Voices: Change and Challenge in Modern Oregon History" at the Oregon Historical Society Museum.
