Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
French and Company records, 1868-1878
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- French and Company (Dalles, Or.)
- Title
- French and Company records
- Dates
- 1868-1878 (inclusive)18681878
- Quantity
- 0.7 cubic feet, (2 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Mss 999
- Summary
- Records of a mercantile business and banking firm headed by Daniel M. French in The Dalles, Oregon. Includes correspondence (1876-1878) from Breyman & Summerville, French & Gilman, Heppner & Maddock, Ladd & Tilton, Marshall Johnson Kinney, Henry R. Sels, and others relating to cattle, the wool and hide trade, and banking. Also includes records of shipments to Camps Harney, Logan, and Watson in 1868.
- 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
Historical NoteReturn to Top
French and Company began as a mercantile business in the mid-1860s in The Dalles, Oregon. Its founder was Daniel M. French (1828-1902), a native of Holland, Vermont. He lived in Massachusetts and Louisiana and came to California via Panama during the gold rush. After working at various trades, he traveled to The Dalles in 1862, and there he opened a general merchandise business in partnership with Granville B. Gilman -- a firm known as Gilman, French & Company. After Daniel French's brother Joshua joined the outfit, the brothers bought out Gilman and established French and Company. In 1875, they sold out to Brooks and McFarland, and in 1877, the French brothers started a banking house called French and Company. Daniel French was also involved in other local enterprises, including the Gilman French Land and Live Stock Company and the Arlington National Bank.
Sources: "An illustrated history of central Oregon" (Spokane: Western Historical Publishing Co., 1905), pages 425-426; Harold L. Edmunds, "Pioneer banking houses of The Dalles, Oregon, 1867-1933: the story of French & Company and its competitors" (1979).
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Materials in the collection date mainly from the late 1870s and pertain primarily to banking transactions, although some mercantile records are included. The records consist of correspondence (1876-1878) from Breyman & Summerville, French & Gilman, Heppner & Maddock, Ladd & Tilton, Marshall Johnson Kinney, Henry R. Sels, and others, relating to cattle, the wool and hide trade, and banking. Also included are records of shipments to Camp Harney, Camp Logan, and Camp Watson in 1868.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
French and Company records, Mss 999, 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 owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | General papers and correspondence, A-B | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 2 | Bank of California | 1878 |
| 1 | 3 | Breyman and Sommerville | 1877-1878 |
| 1 | 4 | General papers, C-D | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 5 | General papers, E-F | 1876-1879 |
| 1 | 6 | French and Gilman | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 7 | General papers, G-H | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 8 | Camp Harney receipts | 1874 |
| 1 | 9 | Camp Harney ledger
On flyleaf: "C.M. Lockwood / Dalles City / Oregon / June 5th, 1868."
|
1868 |
| 1 | 10 | Heppner & Maddock | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 11 | General papers, I-K | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 12 | Kinney, Marshall Johnson and William S. | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 13 | General papers, L | 1876-1878 |
| 1 | 14 | Ladd & Tilton | 1876 |
| 1 | 15 | Ladd & Tilton | 1877 |
| 1 | 16 | Ladd & Tilton | 1878 |
| 2 | 1 | General papers, M-O | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 2 | Malheur Indian Agency | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 3 | Overholt and Muldrick | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 4 | General papers, P-Q | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 5 | General papers, R-S | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 6 | Sels, Henry R. | 1876-1878 |
| 2 | 7 | General papers, T-Z | 1874-1878 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Banks and banking--Oregon--19th century
- Business enterprises--Oregon--19th century
Corporate Names
- French and Company (Dalles, Or.)--Records and correspondence
- Ladd & Tilton Bank (Portland, Or.)--Records and correspondence
Form or Genre Terms
- business records
- correspondence
- ledgers (account books)
Collection processed by Erica Goodwin and Geoff Wexler
2006
