Humiston, Wilson and Company records

Humiston, Wilson and Company records, 1859-1864

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Humiston, Wilson and Company (Portland, Or.)
Title: Humiston, Wilson and Company records
Dates: 1859-1864 (inclusive)
18591864
Quantity: 0.9 cubic feet, (2 document cases)
Collection Number: Mss 862
Summary: Business papers of a wholesale liquor company in Portland, Oregon, including saloon orders (1862-1864) from mining camps and towns in eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, which include news of the mines and business conditions in those areas. Also included are records and correspondence of the company's predecessor, Humiston and Ma'Dan (1859-1862).
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

Humiston, Wilson and Company was a wholesale liquor dealer in Portland, Oregon, with premises on Front Street. The firm's predecessor was Humiston and Ma'Dan, but the name was changed to Humiston, Wilson and Company after reorganization in 1862. The company did business with saloons in the mining districts of eastern Oregon and received most of its stock from San Francisco. The principal partner was C. N. Humiston, who went on to become a money and stock broker in Portland and died in San Francisco in 1866.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Records of the liquor wholesale dealer Humiston, Wilson, and Company in Portland, Oregon, and its predecessor firm, Humiston and Ma'Dan. Materials include saloon orders (1862-1864) from mining camps and towns in eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, which include news of the mines and business conditions in those areas. Also included are correspondence and a ledger book (1859-1862) of Humiston and Ma'Dan. The ledger contains names of the firm's customers, among them prominent citizens of Portland.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Humiston, Wilson and Company records, Mss 862, 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

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series:

Series 1: General correspondence, Humiston and Ma'Dan, 1859-1862
Series 2: Saloon orders and other papers, 1862-1864
Series 3: Ledger and general materials, 1859-1864

Processing Note

Collection guide was revised in October 2023 to conform to current standard.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: General correspondence, Humiston and Ma'Dan, 1859-1862Return to Top

Container(s)		Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	1859-1860
1	2	1861 January-March
1	3	1861 April-June
1	4	1861 July-September
1	5	1861 October-December
1	6	1862 January-March
1	7	1862 April-June
1	8	1862 July-August; undated

Series 2: Saloon orders and other papers, 1862-1864Return to Top

Arranged alphabetically by town or city.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	9	Albany through Butteville	1862-1864
1	10	Canyon City through Collins Landing	1862-1864
2	1	Corvallis	1862-1864
2	2	Dalles City	1862-1864
2	3	Eugene City	1862-1864
2	4-5	Lewiston through Salem	1862-1864
2	6	San Francisco	1862-1864
2	7	Scio through Umatilla Landing	1862-1864
2	8	Vancouver, Washington	1862-1864

Series 3: Ledger and general materials, 1859-1864Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	9	Letters from William Barlow and W. L. Harper, LaFayette, Oregon	1862-1864
2	10	General papers	1862-1864
2	11	Ledger book, Humiston and Ma'Dan	1859-1860

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Liquor industry--Northwest, Pacific--19th century
Mines and mineral resources--Northwest, Pacific--19th century
Mining camps--Idaho--19th century
Mining camps--Oregon--19th century
Mining camps--Washington (State)--19th century
Wholesale trade--Northwest, Pacific--19th century

Corporate Names

Humiston and Ma'Dan (Portland, Or.)--Records and correspondence
Humiston, Wilson and Company (Portland, Or.)--Records and correspondence

Form or Genre Terms

correspondence
ledgers (account books)

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- Humiston and Ma'Dan (Portland, Or.)

Archives West Finding Aid

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