Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
David L. Stearns collection, 1942-1971
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Stearns, David L.
- Title
- David L. Stearns collection
- Dates
- 1942-1971 (inclusive)19191970
- Quantity
- 6 cubic feet , (16 document boxes (containing 48 original volumes))
- Collection Number
- Mss 2099
- Summary
- The collection contains research notes, maps, plans, photographs, and memorabilia regarding railroading and steamboating in the West.
- 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.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
David Lloyd Stearns was a collector of railroad and streetcar memorabilia and active in the National Model Railway Association. He was a resident of Portland, Oregon and was involved in several businesses there, including the Tux-Away gravestone company.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains research notes, maps, plans, photographs, and memorabilia regarding railroading and steamboating in the U.S. West. Included is information on logging railroads, narrow gauge railroads, electric railways, including the Oregon Electric Railway Company, and electric railways in Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and California; plus data regarding steamship and navigation companies in the West.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
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
David L. Stearns papers, Mss 2099, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series:
- Series A: Personal memorabilia
- Series B: General papers
Arrangement
The collection was originally housed in 49 3-ring binders, labeled as volumes. The contents of the binders have been placed into corresponding folders and boxes. The original order of the binders/volumes is preserved in the current arrangement.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Personal memorabilia, 1947-1969Return to Top
Arranged in volume order.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1-1/2 | Volume 1: N.M.R.A. and P.N.R. memories |
1951-1952 |
| 1/3-1/4 | Volume 2: Travel
Including Boring to Oregon City excursions and Seattle to Skagit
River Railway excursion.
|
1953 |
| 2/1 | Volume 3: Travel
Including Eastern Oregon and Washington (UP MAW Line),
Lewiston, and British Columbia.
|
1954 |
| 2/2-2/3 | Volume 4: Memories
Including Pacific Great Eastern Railway.
|
1954-1956 |
| 2/4 | Volume 5: Memories
Including Long Beach, California and Phoenix, Arizona.
|
1957-1958 |
| 3/1 | Volume 6: Personal memorabilia
Including logging camps.
|
1957-1960 |
| 3/2-3/3 | Volume 7: Memories
Including Idaho; University of Oregon; Sacramento River; Eureka,
California; Idaho; Washington; Portland Zoo; Sumpter Valley, Oregon.
|
1962-1966 |
| 4/1 | Volume 8: Memories
Including Eastern Oregon; Roaring Camp and Big Trees; and
Branford Trolley Museum.
|
1967-1969 |
| 4/2 | Volume 9: Overseas friends and railways |
1948-1953 |
| 5/3 | Volume 13: Foreign railways and tramways
Including trips to Mexico, Cuba, and overseas.
|
circa 1947-1967 |
| 15/4 | Volume 47: 17th N.M.R.A. Convention, Portland, Oregon,
August 21 to 24, 1952
Includes photographs of event and outing.
|
1952 |
| 16/1 | Volume 48: Memories and memberships
Including membership cards for N.M.R.A., railroad, and history
organizations. Also includes personal photos.
|
circa 1950-1969 |
Series B: General papers, 1942-1971Return to Top
Arranged in volume order.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/3 | Volume 10: V & S, The Cordwood Limited (railway
modeling) |
circa 1956-1971 |
| 4/4 | Volume 11: N.M.R.A manual (National Model Railroad
Association) |
circa 1961 |
| 5/2 | Volume 12: Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway and Locomotive
Historical Society -- restorations and events
Includes historical photographs.
|
1966-1968 |
| 5/4 | Volume 14: Logging and miscellaneous railways
Includes historical photographs.
|
undated |
| 5/5 | Volume 15: Photograph album
Includes historical photographs.
|
undated |
| 6/1 | Volume 16: Miscellaneous railroad
photographs
Includes historical photographs.
|
undated |
| 6/2 | Volume 17: Photographs by Henry R. Griffiths |
1966-1969 |
| 6/3-6/4 | Volume 18: Basic data I -- Short-Line Railways of the
West
From contents: "The Iron Pioneers. The Slim Gaugers: a record of
the narow gauge railroads of the West -- before the days of Challengers, Chiefs
and Champions!"
|
|
| 6/5 | Volume 19: Basic data II -- Miscellaneous railway
data
Including Portland, Oregon streetcar lines and routes
|
circa 1960 |
| 7/1 | Volume 20: Narrow Gauges
Including Oregonian Railway Company, P&W.V., D.S. &
G.R., Pedro Valley & Alverado, Ilwaco R&N, Walla Walla & Columbia
River, and Kaslo & Slocan.
|
1942-1964 |
| 7/2 | Volume 21: Storage Battery Lines in the West |
circa 1960-1967 |
| 7/3 | Volume 22: Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Company, "The
Clamshell Railroad"
Manuscript and notes "being a few memories of the late lamented
Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Company" (1888-1930).
|
undated |
| 7/4 | Volume 23: Detail parts -- car builders in the
Northwest |
circa 1957-1961 |
| 7/5 | Volume 24: Miscellaneous photographs and research notes
& letters |
1962-1967 |
| 7/6 | Volume 25: Official railroad timetables
Alphabetical from Albuquerque to Pacific Great Eastern Railway
Company.
|
1948-1958 |
| 8/1 | Volume 26: Portland Zoo Railroad and Transportation
Museum |
1958-1966 |
| 8/2 | Volume 27: Annual data, Portland street railways,
1888-1902 |
circa 1955-1958 |
| 8/3 | Volume 28: Portland street railways -- Franchises and
Projected Railways in and around Portland, Oregon
Including trucks identification list; early franchise data; "My
Trolley Book, Everything BUT Portland, Oregon."
|
circa 1954 |
| 8/4-8/5 | Volume 29: Portland street railways
Including horse drawn days, steam dummies, the cable lines, and
the nondescripts in Portland
|
1955-1970 |
| 9/1-9/2 | Volume 30: Portland street railways -- early electric
line, 42" gauge |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 9/3-9/4 | Volume 31: Portland street railways -- P.R.L. & P.
company, 42" gauge |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 10/1-10/2 | Volume 32: Portland street railways -- P.R.L. & P.
company, 56 1/2" gauge, Volume 1 |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 10/3-10/4 | Volume 33: Portland street railways -- P.R.L. & P.
company, 56 1/2" gauge, Volume 2 |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 11/1 | Volume 34: O.E. & U. Railways (Oregon Electric &
United Railways) |
circa 1958-1961 |
| 11/2 | Volume 35: S.P. in Oregon (Southern Pacific) |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 11/3-12/1 | Volume 36: Other cities (Oregon streetcars) |
circa 1958 |
| 12/2 | Volume 37: Affiliates, Southern Washington electric
roads
Includes Centralia, Chehalis, Vancouver, Walla Walla,
Yakima.
|
circa 1958 |
| 12/3-12/4 | Volume 38: Washington, British Columbia, Alaska,
Montana, Miscellaneous |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 12/5-13/1 | Volume 39: Boise area photographs |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 13/2 | Volume 40: Idaho -- Lewiston-Clarkston, Camus Prairie,
Craig Mountain, and Nez Perce.
From contents: "The Snake, the Lokeys and the Paddlewheels: A
story of transportation in the Inland Empire by Ivan Ergish and David L.
Stearns."
|
undated |
| 14/1 | Volume 41: Electric railways -- California, the East,
and overseas |
circa 1955-1968 |
| 14/2 | Volume 42: Photographs |
1967-1968 |
| 14/3 | Volume 43: Photograph album
Includes historical photographs.
|
undated |
| 14/4 | Volume 44: Photographs
Includes historical photographs.
|
undated |
| 15/1-15/2 | Volume 45: The Rivers
Mainly photographs
|
circa 1955-1968 |
| 15/3 | Volume 46: River -- Steamer and navigation
Includes notes on the Columbia, Willamette, Snake, and Okanogan,
etc.
|
circa 1966-1968 |
| 16/2 | Volume 49: Steam on the Shasta Route |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Railroads--Northwest, Pacific--History.
- Railroads--Oregon--History.
- Steam navigation--California.
- Steam navigation--Northwest, Pacific.
- Street-railroads--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
- Street-railroads--Oregon--Portland.
- Street-railroads--Oregon.
Personal Names
- Stearns, David L.--Archives
Corporate Names
- Oregon Electric Railway Company.
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--History.
Form or Genre Terms
- Blueprints
- Letters (Correspondence)
- Maps.
- Photographs.
Finding aid prepared by Philip
Ratliff and Diane Couture
2007
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