James Judge Papers, 1894-1907

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Judge, James, b. 1866
Title
James Judge Papers
Dates
1894-1907 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.5 cu. ft. (3 document cases, 1 card file box)
Collection Number
Mss230
Summary
Papers of an Assistant United State Treasury Agent to the seal fisheries at St. George, Pribilof Islands, Alaska. Includes detailed notebooks and diaries containing observations on seals, foxes, coal, and other matters; fox and seal reports; census of St. Paul and St. George Islands; letters from U.S. Treasury agent Joseph Murray; and a diary of Judge's wife, Helen.
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 Judge (b. 1866) was the Assistant United States Treasury Agent to the Seal Fisheries at Pribilof Islands. Along with his wife Helen, he was stationed at St. George, Pribilof Group, from 1894 to about 1910.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection includes 28 pocket notebooks of James Judge dating between 1897 and 1907, and two kept by Helen Judge in around 1894. These record daily happenings, observations on foxes, seals, coals, and other matters. Among the papers are Judge's reports for the years 1895, 1897, 1900, 1901, 1903, and 1905; seal reports, 1896-1904; fox reports, 1900, 1901, 1903-1904; journals kept in 1896-1897, 1900, 1901; census of St. Paul and St. George Islands, Pribilof Group, 1900; personal and business correspondence, 1894-1903, including letters from Joseph Murray, Special United States Treasury Agent stationed at St. Paul Island, Pribilof Group; and miscellaneous documents, receipts, and ephemera.

Notable among the correspondence is a letter from Thomas O'Hare, Sept. 16 1896, describing the U.S. presidential campaign. Letters from Joseph Murray provide details of life on St. Paul Island. Murray also traveled to Washington, D.C. and wrote of the political situation in the capital in 1896. Among the diaries, of particular interest are Judge's notes from interviews with elderly natives, dated July 28, 1899 (box 4, folder 2), and a diary of Helen Judge.

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 before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

James Judge Papers, Mss230, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Correspondence, 1894-1903
  • Series B: General materials, 1894-1900, undated
  • Series C: Reports, 1895-1905
  • Series D: Diaries, journals, and notebooks, 1896-1907

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Judge K. McBride, 1959 November 1.

Bibliography

Jean Van Nostrand, "The seals are about goneà" in American Heritage, Vol. XIV, No. 4 (June, 1963), p. 11.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series A:  Correspondence, 1894-1903Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/1
Correspondence
1894-1896
1/2
Correspondence
1897-1899
1/3
Correspondence
1900-1903
1/4-8
Letters from Joseph Murray
1895-1898; undated

Series B:  General Materials, 1894-1900, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/9
Census of St. Paul Island
1900
1/10
Historical notes on Alaska and the Irish people
undated
1/11
General materials
  • "The lady of the lake" (manuscript) by William J. Judge
  • Ticket sales for Ladies Auxiliary of the AOH, 1895
  • Report on sea otter and other pelts (manuscript), Circa 1896
  • Indenture contract between U.S. Government and North American Commercial Company for lease of property in St. Paul and St. George Islands (typescript copy), undated
  • Sample insurance policy, undated
1/12
Receipts
1894-1896

Series C:  Reports, 1895-1905Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/1
Report
1895
2/2
Report
1897
2/3
Report
1900
2/4
Report
1901
2/5
Report (copy of above)
1901
2/6
Report
1903
2/7
Report
1905
2/8
Seal reports
1897-1904
2/9
Fox reports
1900-1904

Series D:  Diaries, journals, and notebooks, 1896-1907Return to Top

All items are by James Judge unless otherwise noted

Container(s) Description Dates
Loose-leaf journals
Box/Folder
3/1
1896 December 9-1897 May 9
3/2
1900 June 11-July 29
3/3
1900 June 11-August 25
3/4
1901 June 8-August 7
Pocket diaries and notebooks
Box/Folder
4/1
Account book
circa 1896
4/2
Notes, tallies, and other information
Includes notes on interviews with elderly natives, 1899 July 28.
circa 1896-1899
4/3
Diary
1897 January 10-September 10
4/4
Diary
1897 December-1898 January 4
4/5
"Clarke: journal on foxes"
Also includes "Summary of year foxing", 1899 April 1; and "Seal Notes", 1899 November 28.
1898 October 16-1899 May 28
4/6
Diary and notebook
1899 June 25-August 10
4/7
Diary, notes and tallies
1899 July 13-August 14
4/8
Coal record
1899 August 9-1900 July 25
4/9
Diary
1900 June 25-July 21
4/10
Diary
1900 July 29-November 7
4/11
Diary
1901 June 3-19
4/12
"Journal of observation"
1901 June 20-July 9
4/13
Diary
1901 July 10-August 6
4/14
Diary, inventories and accounts
1901 August 7-17
4/15
Diary
1902 June 8-July 24
4/16
Coal tallies
1902 July 9-1904 July 27
4/17
Fox record
1902 November 20-December 12
4/18
Diary
1902 December 30-1903 March 23
4/19
Diary
1903 March 17-August 28
4/20
Diary
1904 May 4-August 8
4/21
Diary
Also includes list of seal legislation, 1903-1904; and accounts, 1904 June-November
1904 August 9-December 29
4/22
Diary
1904 December 30-1905 June 27
4/23
Diary
1906 July 8-August 2
4/24
Diary titled "Pencil memo"
1906 August 2-4; October 20-23
4/25
Diary
1906 August 3-1907 January 18
4/26
Coal weights and accounts
1906
4/27
Diary
Includes some data for 1905
1907 January 19-September 11
4/28
Helen Judge diary
1894 August 29-September 15
4/29
Helen Judge notebook
Includes lists of letter received and answered, books read, recipes, and souvenir spoons.
1902-1907

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Eskimos--Alaska--History
  • Fox trapping--Alaska--Pribilof Islands
  • Foxes--Alaska--Pribilof Islands
  • Seals (Animals)--Alaska--Pribilof Islands
  • Women--Alaska--Pribilof Islands

Personal Names

  • Judge, Helen (creator)
  • Judge, James, 1866-1910--Correspondence (creator)
  • Murray, Joseph, fl. 1895-1898--Correspondence (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Alaska--Description and travel
  • Pribilof Islands (Alaska)--History
  • St. George (Alaska)--History
  • St. Paul Island (Alaska)--History

Form or Genre Terms

  • Diaries
  • Letters
  • Notebooks