William T. Newby papers , 1843-1864

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Newby, William T., 1820-1884
Title
William T. Newby papers
Dates
1843-1864 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.1 linear feet, (2 containers)  :  2 folders
Collection Number
A 088
Summary
The William T. Newby Papers contain a variety of information about Newby's overland crossing from Missouri to Oregon on the Oregon Trial in 1843. Newby was a member of the wagon train made famous by Jesse Applegate. The collection provides weather observations, account summaries, and personal experiences of living in and journeying to Oregon from 1843-1864.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

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

William T. Newby was an Oregon pioneer of 1843. He settled on a donation land claim in Yamhill County, and founded the town of McMinnville, named after his home town of McMinnville, Tennessee.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The diary for May to November 1843 is an account of the plains crossing from Westport, Missouri, to the falls of the Willamette River. Newby came with the wagon train made famous by Jesse Applegate's "A Day with the Cow Column." The overland diary volume includes store accounts prior to 1843, ferriage and other expense accounts to 1857, and weather observations for 1852 to 1853 and 1856 to 1857. The account books for 1861-1864 include inventories, lists of income and expenses, occasional diary entries, and fairly complete weather observations.

The overland diary was published, as edited by Harry N.M. Winton, in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, September 1839.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Location of Collection

Collection is located with other small manuscript collections.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Frontier and pioneer life--West (U.S.)
  • Overland journeys to the Pacific

Geographical Names

  • McMinnville (Or.)
  • Yamhill County (Or.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Account books
  • Diaries
  • Overland journals