Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
John Minto papers, 1864-1912
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Minto, John, 1822-1915
- Title
- John Minto papers
- Dates
- 1864-1912 (inclusive)18641912
- Quantity
- 2.5 cubic feet, (3 document cases, 1 flat box)
- Collection Number
- Mss 752
- Summary
- Papers of John Minto, Oregon pioneer of 1844, State legislator, and Secretary of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture. Materials include correspondence, memoirs, reports, notes, literary manuscripts, a diary, scrapbooks, and memorabilia. Correspondence from John Gill, George Himes, and F. G. Young are included, as are letters from T.C. Shaw and Jesse Applegate. A letter from William Tolmie describes his 1833 trip to the Oregon Country. Also included are writings on pioneer reminiscences, forestry, conservation, animal husbandry, and a history of the Oregon State Fair.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
John Minto was born in England and arrived in Oregon in 1844, settling south of Salem where he was a pioneer in the sheep industry. He served four terms in the State Legislature (1862, 1868, 1880, and 1890), organized the first Oregon State Fair, served as Secretary of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture, was active in Oregon forestry and conservation groups, and helped survey the Minto and Santiam mountain passes.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of correspondence, memoirs, reports, notes, literary manuscripts, a diary, scrapbooks, and memorabilia created or collected by John Minto. Correspondence from John Gill, George Himes, and F. G. Young are included, as are letters from T.C. Shaw and Jesse Applegate. A letter from William Tolmie describes his 1833 trip to the Oregon Country. Minto was a prolific writer on a variety of subjects, including in this collection: pioneer reminiscences, forestry, conservation, animal husbandry, higher education, Northwest Native Americans, and poet Robert Burns. His "Leaflet on Practical Conservation," and his speech for the presentation of an oil painting of John McLoughlin are included.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Also included is one microfilm reel of correspondence from 1883-1912. This microfilm contains the following materials:
- Folder 2: Letters from Minto, 1900-1912
- Folders 3-4: Family letters, 1905-1912
- Folders 5-6: General letters, 1883-1912
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
John Minto papers, Mss 752, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into the following series
- Series A: Correspondence, 1879-1912
- Series B: Writings and speeches, 1864-1912
Acquisition Information
Gift of Harold Gill, 1952 March and 1953 February
Related Materials
- Minto family photographs. In Oregon Historical Society Subject Photo Files.
- Rhymes on life in Oregon, 1909, by John Minto (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 811 M668r)
- John Minto, man of courage, 1822-1915 : a biography of an Oregon pioneer , 1980, by Beverly Elizabeth Lowe ; foreword by Victor Atiyeh (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 92 M667l )
- Rhymes of early life in Oregon and historical and biographical facts by John Minto, a pioneer of 1844, 1915?, by John Minto. (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 979.1 M668r 1915?)
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Correspondence, 1879-1912Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | 1879-1909 | |
| 1/2 | 1910-1912 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/3 | John Gill |
circa 1901-1912 |
| 1/4 | George Himes |
circa 1895-1912 |
| 1/5 | William
Tolmie
Includes letter of October 1, 1885 describing Tolmie's
1833 trip to the Oregon Country (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon)
|
1882-1885 |
| 1/6 | F. G. Young |
1897-1910 |
| 1/7 | Miscellaneous:
A-H
Includes December 12, 1883 letter from Jesse Applegate
describing his reasons for immigrating to Oregon. Typescript copy of letter
also included.
|
undated |
| 1/8 | Miscellaneous:
L-W
Includes December 28, 1883 letter from T.C. Shaw
describing the motivation behind the 1844 immigration to Oregon
|
undated |
| 1/9 | Wagon Roads |
1879-1910 |
| 1/10 | Port Orford
Cedar |
1906-1912 |
| 1/11 | Petition for Jefferson State Park |
undated |
| 1/12 | Indian War Pension Claim |
circa 1904-1909 |
Series B: Writings and speeches, 1864-1912Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 | Family history |
undated |
| 2/2 | Childhood |
undated |
| 2/3 | Childhood to Old Age
Typescript of "Recollections of Seventy Years from
Childhood to Old Age: A Story of Evolution. From a British Subject to
Citizenship of the United States and A Movement of a Life's Interests from the
East Coast of Britain to the West Coast of America. Dedicated to the Youth of
Oregon." Includes photographic reprints of John Minto
|
undated |
| 2/4 | Outfitting for Oregon
Typescript of "Outfitting for Oregon", including an
address to the "Members of the Western Brotherhood and Visiting Friends"
|
undated |
| 2/5 | From Pittsburgh to St. Louis
Typescript of "Starting West from Pittsburgh to St.
Louis", including a manuscript of "The causes which brought me to Oregon"
|
undated |
| 2/6 | Beginning Life in Oregon
Manuscripts of "Beginning Life in Oregon," "Working for
Myself," and "Learning to Live from the Land." Typescript of "Canoeing on the
Columbia." Also unnamed chapters.
|
undated |
| 2/7 | Captain Levi Scott's Company
Manuscript of "Captain Levi Scott's Company in the
Cayuse War"
|
undated |
| 2/8 | Middle Life in Oregon
Manuscripts of "The Years of My Middle Life in Oregon,"
"Our Mountains Preserved as Resources of Life as Well as of Health and
Recreation." Manuscript and typescript copy of Letter to the Editor regarding
David McLoughlin, and a typescript of "The Confilcts Between Dr. John
McLoughlin and American Democracy for Rule in Oregon." Also unnamed
chapters.
|
undated |
Speeches and addresses |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/9 | Speeches and
addresses
Speeches, addresses, including "Speeches of presentation
and acceptance of the oil painting of Dr. John McLoughlin, delivered by Hon.
John Minto, and his excellency, Sylvester Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon, in the
House of Representatives, Feb. 6, 1889," Salem, 1889; speech before Fifteenth
Annual Session of Oregon State Grange, May 22, 1888; an 1864 Independence Day
speech; a talk on "The History of Money in Oregon;" and a history of the State
Fair of Oregon.
|
circa 1864-1911 |
| 2/10 | Motives of Oregon
Pioneers |
undated |
| 2/11 | Motives of Oregon
Pioneers |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/12 | Reports |
1896-1899 |
| 2/13 | Miscellaneous |
1896-1899 |
| 2/14 | Miscellaneous |
1896-1899 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/15 | Animal husbandry and
horticulture, including a report on the beginnings of agriculture in
Oregon |
undated |
| 3/1 | Animal husbandry and
horticulture. Mostly typescript reports on agriculture and cattle/sheep
ranching |
undated |
| 3/2 | Care of old
orchards |
undated |
| 3/3 | Forestry and conservation
Correspondence and materials relating to the Oregon
Conservation Association, the Oregon State Board of Forestry, the Oregon
Forestry Association. Includes 1906 correspondence with Oswald West, State Land
Agent, regarding forest reserves
|
circa 1905-1909 |
| 3/4 | Leaflet on Practical Conservation |
circa 1909 |
| 3/5 | Manuscript notes: "The
Question of Sufficient Timber" |
undated |
| 3/6 | Newspaper clippings:
Forestry reserves |
circa 1903 |
| 3/7 | Letter to Governor Lord
regarding forestry |
1897 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/8 | Portion of "Cullaby: A
Tale of the Oregon Coast," and a copy of
Oregon Teachers Monthly,
containing a published section of the manuscript, with an introduction by H.S.
Lyman |
undated |
| 3/9 | Portion of "Cullaby: A
Tale of the Oregon Coast" |
undated |
| 3/10 | "Rhymes on Life in
Oregon" |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/11 | Poems, Songs |
undated |
| 3/12 | Robert Burns (the
Scottish poet) |
undated |
| 3/13 | Indians of the
Northwest |
undated |
| 3/14 | Miscellaneous papers,
clippings |
undated |
| 3/15 | Miscellaneous
Subjects |
undated |
| 3/16 | Miscellaneous
Subjects |
undated |
| 3/17 | Miscellaneous papers
regarding higher education, some genealogy. |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1 | Diary (1), scrapbooks
(2) |
1894; 1908; 1910-1912 |
| 4/2 | Scrapbooks
(2) |
1911; 1911-1912 |
| 5/1 | Scrapbook, includes photo
of John Minto |
undated |
| 5/2 | Scrapbook |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Fairs--Oregon--History
- Forestry--Oregon
- Horticulture--Oregon
- Overland journeys to the Pacific
- Pioneers--Oregon
Personal Names
- Applegate, Jesse A. (Jesse Applegate), 1835-1919
- Gill, John
- Himes, George H., 1844-1940
- Shaw, T. C.
- Tolmie, William Fraser
- Young, Frederic G.
Corporate Names
- Oregon Conservation Associaton
- Oregon Forestry Association
- Oregon State Fair
- Oregon. State Board of Forestry
- Oregon. State Board of Horticulture
Family Names
- Minto family
Geographical Names
- Salem (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Diaries
- Letters (Correspondence)
- Manuscripts
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Minto, John, 1822-1915--Archives (creator)
