Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Stephen Rigdon papers, 1852-1965
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Rigdon, Stephen
- Title
- Stephen Rigdon papers
- Dates
- 1852-1965 (inclusive)18521965
1852-1927 (bulk)18521927 - Quantity
- 1.05 cubic feet, (2 legal document cases; 1 custom box (16.5x11x1.5))
- Collection Number
- Mss 1093
- Summary
- Papers of Stephen Rigdon (1829-1904), and his family, including Rigdon's counts of people traveling on the Oregon Central Military Road. Rigdon grazed cattle at a point along the road, where he operated a station and offered food, lodging, and repairs for travelers.
- 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
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Stephen Rigdon (1829-1904) was an officer in the Oregon Volunteer Militia during the 1860s. He married Zilphia Bristow in 1854. Starting in the 1870s, the Rigdons grazed cattle at a spot along the Oregon Central Military Road that would later be named Rigdon Meadows. There, they offered food, lodging, repairs, and items for sale to travelers.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Oregon Central Military Road was constructed in the 1860s following an 1864 act of Congress that provided funds for a road from Eugene, Oregon, to the Cascade Mountains by way of the middle fork of the Willamette River. Starting in the 1870s, travelers on the road passed by a station operated by Stephen Rigdon, where they could obtain food, lodging, and repairs.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of papers of and relating to Stephen Rigdon and his family. A substantial portion of the collection consists of loose papers and bound journals in which Rigdon noted information about travelers on the Oregon Central Military Road, including the number of travelers, their names, their intended destinations, and any horses or livestock they had with them. Other materials in the collection include letters sent to Rigdon's wife, Zilphia Bristow Rigdon (the letters address her as Zilpha); genealogical materials concerning the Bristow family; Rigdon's diary from his 1855 trip to mines in Colville, Washington; a record of furniture that Rigdon sold to Joseph Cleaver and Horatio Cook; a scrapbook with genealogical information, correspondence, and newspaper articles; a brief biographical sketch by Irene Holcomb; and two maps of the Willamette National Forest, including one showing the Rigdon Ranger District, presumably named for Rigdon.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Stephen Rigdon papers, Mss 1093, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright holders.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Acquired prior to 1971 (RL2019-115-RETRO).
Preservation Note
Patrons are asked to use preservation copies of the Oregon Central Military Road counts, housed in Box 2. See library staff for assistance.
Related Materials
Additional papers of Stephen and Zilphia Rigdon are located at the Lane County History Museum, Eugene, Oregon.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Accounts of furniture sales | 1853-1854 |
| 1 | 2 | Chronology of trip to Colville mines; diary of trip to Colville mines and other notes | 1855; 1855-1865 |
| 1 | 3 | Letters sent to Zilpha Rigdon | 1852-1857 |
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence, genealogical materials, and ephemera of the Bristow family | circa 1869-1902 |
| 1 | 5-10 | Oregon Central Military Road counts | 1871-1885 |
| 1 | 11-15 | Oregon Central Military Road counts | 1891-1896 |
| 2 | 1-11 | Preservation copies of Oregon Central Military Road counts | 1873-1896 |
| 1 | 16 | Biographical sketch by Irene Holcomb | undated |
| 1 | 17 | Maps of Willamette National Forest, including Rigdon Ranger District | 1961; 1965 |
| 3 | Scrapbook | 1877-1927 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Roads--Oregon--19th century
- Travelers--Oregon--19th century
Personal Names
- Rigdon, Stephen
Family Names
- Bristow family
- Rigdon family
Geographical Names
- Oregon Central Military Wagon Road
Form or Genre Terms
- Genealogies
