Blossom family papers, 1853-1929 PDF
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Blossom family
- Title
- Blossom family papers
- Dates
- 1853-1929 (inclusive)18531929
- Quantity
- 1.2 cubic feet, (3 document cases, 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- Mss 746
- Summary
- The collection includes: account books of James Monroe Blossom from a general mercantile store at Boise, Idaho, 1864-1866; account books of James Monroe Blossom, Jr., relating to grocery and clothing sales in Douglas County, Oregon, 1871-1873; docket books from the Douglas County, Oregon Circuit Court, 1861-1881; and ledger of mining claims in Jackson County, Oregon, 1853-1856.
- 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
James Monroe Blossom (1817-1891) was a native of Monmouth, Maine and a descendant of passengers in the Mayflower. After living in Ohio, he came overland to Oregon with his wife and children in 1852 or 1853, settling in Portland and eventually entering the hardware business with E. J. Northrup. He servied on the City Council in 1857. In 1864 he moved to Boise, Idaho, where he ran a general mercantile store. He died in Portland in 1891.
Blossom's son, James Monroe Blossom, Jr., was born in 1853 and came overland to Oregon from Indiana with his parents. Growing up in Portland, he attended law school and worked as a law clerk. Due to a lung condition he moved to Hood River, Oregon, in 1891, then farmed a 40-acre tract nearby until 1910. He accumulated a substantial book collection which was left to the city of Hood River after his death in 1918.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of four sets of records: account books of the senior Blossom's store at Boise, 1864-1866; account books of the younger Blossom detailing grocery and clothing sales in Douglas County, Oregon, 1871-1873; ledger of mining claims in Jackson County, Oregon, 1853-1856; and docket books from an unidentified Oregon circuit court, probably that of Douglas County, dating from 1861-1881. The connection between the court records and the Blossom family is unclear, but they may have been kept by James Monroe Blossom, Jr. when he served as a law clerk. Also included are: an account book of 1855-1857 that includes details on the sale of apples; various membership certificates; and letters of recommendation for Robert Blossom, 1896-1897.
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
Blossom family papers, Mss 746, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Circuit Court records, 1861-1881Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 |
Judge's docket
|
1861-1862 |
| 1/2 |
Clerk's docket
|
1864 February-1869 June |
| 1/3 |
Judge's docket
|
1868-1881 |
| 1/4 |
Bar docket
|
1871 November-1881 February |
Series B: Financial, 1855-1873Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 |
Account book
|
circa 1855-1857 |
| 2/2 |
Account ledger
|
1861-1872 |
| 2/3 |
Papers found in above account ledger
|
1861-1872 |
| 2/4 |
Cash book
|
1861; 1871-1872 |
| 2/5 |
Financial journal
|
1861; 1871-1873 |
| 2/6 |
Day book
|
1866 |
| 2/7 |
Cash book
|
1864-1866 |
| 2/8 |
Financial journal
|
1864-1866 |
| 3/1 |
Ledger
|
1864-1866 |
| 3/2 |
Day book
|
1865-1866 |
| 3/3 |
Day book
|
1866 |
| 3/4 |
Day book
|
1871-1873 |
Series C: General materials, 1853-1929Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| Oversize folder |
Certificates
Includes certificates for: membership in the Pilgrim
Society; Ancient Order of United Workmen Memoriam; Oregon Charter of the Grand
Army of the Republic; charter of the Native Daughters of Oregon; charter,
Oregon United Spanish War Veterans.
|
1883-1929 |
| 3/5 |
Letters of recommendation for Robert
Blossom
|
1896-1897 |
| 3/6 |
Jackson County--record of mining claims
|
1853 July-1856 September |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
- Subject Terms :
- Courts--Oregon
- Merchants--Idaho--Boise.
- Merchants--Oregon--Douglas County.
- Mines and mineral resources--Oregon--Jackson County.
- Personal Names :
- Blossom, James Monroe, Jr.--Archives
- Blossom, James Monroe--Archives
- Corporate Names :
- Oregon. Circuit Court (Douglas County)
- Geographical Names :
- Boise (Idaho)--History.
- Douglas County (Or.)--History.
- Jackson County (Or.)--History.
- Form or Genre Terms :
- Account books
- Certificates
- Judicial records
- Ledgers (account books)
- Other Creators :
-
- Family Names :
- Blossom family (creator)
Finding aid created by Geoffrey B.
Wexler
2007
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