Benjamin Stark Papers, 1829-1894

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Stark, Benjamin, 1820-1898
Title
Benjamin Stark Papers
Dates
1829-1894 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 cubic feet (6 document cases)
Collection Number
Mss1155
Summary
Papers of a merchant, land proprietor, and U.S. Senator from Oregon who also lived in New London, Connecticut. Includes extensive correspondence relating to business, politics, and family matters. Correspondents include: John Adair, Asahel Bush, E.S. Kearney, Ladd & Tilton, David Logan, David McLoughlin, Simeon G. Reed, Sherman & Stark, William Strong, Clement L. Vallandingham, and members of the Stark family of New London, Ct. Also includes accounts, land claim papers, Masonic documents, speeches, and ephemera.
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
Englsih
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Benjamin Stark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 26, 1820, the eldest son of sea captain Benjamin Stark, of New London, Connecticut. Apparently his mother died when he was quite young and his father remarried; his step-mother, Charlotte Stark, was the mother of his three half-brothers, William, Richard, and Charles. Stark attended school at New London, then at age fifteen started his business career with a New York counting-house. In 1845, he sailed for the Oregon Territory with Capt. Nathaniel Crosby, Jr. aboard the bark Toulon. Stark represented the firm of A. G. & A. W. Benson of New York. The Toulon, a Benson ship, carried cargo destined for Francis W. Pettygrove who had come to Oregon with a consignment of goods from the Bensons in the spring of 1843.

In Oregon, Stark purchased an interest in the land claim of Asa Lawrence Lovejoy, owner of half the town site of Portland, Oregon. Much of Stark's future was to depend upon this fortunate acquisition. During the years 1846-1848 he sailed on the Toulon for China, having severed business connections with the Bensons. From China he took another ship to New York, arriving there in time to hear the first news of the gold discovery in California.

Using his Portland land claim as a good part of his equity, Stark entered into partnership with Edward and John Sherman of New York to ship merchandise to California and capitalize on the gold rush boom. Sherman & Stark sent a load of lumber and other goods to California on the Madonna, captained by John H. Couch, whom Stark had previously met in Oregon. Traveling out ahead of the Madonna via Panama, Stark set up two subsidiary companies: Stark & Co. at San Francisco, and Couch & Co. at Portland. Meanwhile the New York parent company went bankrupt due to the Shermans' unwise investments in an oar business, and Stark was able to salvage only the title to his Portland property. In 1850 Stark moved to Portland and became a prominent civic leader, businessman, builder, and land proprietor. In 1854 he married Elizabeth Molthrop, daughter of New England sea captain, William E. Molthrop.

Stark was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Oregon Senator Edward D. Baker, who was killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff. Stark served in the Senate from February through December, 1862. During this period his wife and son, Benjamin III, moved to New London, and Stark joined them there after his Senatorial term expired. In 1864 he was an Oregon delegate to the National Democratic Convention at Chicago, and in 1868 was a Connecticut delegate to the New York convention. He continued to make his home in New London, but retained his valuable property interests in Portland until his death in 1898.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Benjamin Stark papers, 1829-1894, include correspondence and subject files. Issues covered include both business and family matters. Correspondence, 1829-1894, includes family letters from Benjamin Stark's parents, Captain Benjamin and Charlotte Stark; his brothers, Richard, William, and Charles; his wife, Elizabeth (Molthrop) Stark; and his cousins. Other correspondents include: John Adair, James Nelson Burnes, Asahel Bush, Samuel Barlow, Samuel F. Butterworth, John H. Couch, George L. Curry, Matthew P. Deady, Thomas Jefferson Dryer, Charles T. Griffith, Edward Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin Harding, Edward S. Kearney, David Logan, S. P. McCurdy, David McLoughlin, James W. Nesmith, James O'Meara, John K. Osgood, Orville C. Pratt, Simeon G. Reed, Alonzo A. Skinner, Sabin Smith, Isaac I. Stevens, William Strong, Clement L. Vallandingham, John Whiteaker, and George W. Wylie.

Subject files contain lawsuit papers, business accounts, Masonic papers, papers of the Columbia River Steam Navigation Company, and papers of Couch & Company. Included are receipts, correspondence, newspaper clippings, notes, and account ledgers. There are also a number of letters and accounts from Ladd & Tilton, 1862-1878.

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

Benjamin Stark Papers, Mss1155, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Correspondence, 1829-1894
  • Series B: Accounts, legal papers, and general materials, 1848-1891
  • Series C: Ladd & Tilton correspondence and papers, 1862-1878

Acquisition Information

Origin of the bulk of the collection is unknown. Letters from John K. Osgood (1863 May 27) and Robert Owen (1863 Apr. 25) gifts of Robert J. Chandler, 1987 Sept. Photocopies of letter to William Stark (1853 Sept. 13) and photocopies of 23 letters (1845-186) to members of the Stark family, gifts of Dale Forster, 1986 Dec. 12 and 1989 June.

Location of Originals

Some letters in the collection are copies of originals in the Yale University Library, New Haven, Ct.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series A:  Correspondence, 1829-1894, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Letters to Benjamin Stark
Box/Folder
1/1
Abrams-Atlantic
  • Abrams & Bro., 1 item, May 1, 1860
  • Adair, John, 1808-1888, 1 item, November 24, 1861
  • Adams, C. C., 2 items, May 28, July 31, 1866
  • Adams, William Lysander, 1821-1906, 2 November 10, 1861
  • Ainsworth, John Commigers, 1822-1893, 2 October 10, 1864-November 16, 1867
  • Allan, McKinlay & Co., 1 item, May 28, 1852
  • Allen, G. Pomeroy, 2 items, August 2, October 21, 1862
  • Allen, Lucius H., 1 item, January 18, 1853
  • Ashmead, Lewis, 2 items, undated
  • Aspinwall, William Henry, 1807-1875, 1 March 31, 1849
  • Atlantic & Pacific Steamship Line, 1 item, May 5, 1862
1849-1867; undated
1/2
Babcock-Bassett
  • Babcock, C. B., 1 December 10, 1861
  • Bache, Allexander Dallas (1806-1867), 1 May 23, 1862
  • Banks & Bros., 1 April 18, 1864
  • Barclay, Forbes (1812-1873), 1 October 3, 1853
  • Barlow, Samuel L. Mitchell (1826-1889), 19 March 7, 1861-September 28, 1866
  • Barnum, E. M., 1 item, June 29, 1853
  • Bassett, R. S., 2 items, April 2, April 4, 1862
1853-1866
1/3
Bell-Boyd
  • Bell, Isaac, Jr., 1 item, May 21, 1862
  • Benchley, Mrs. H. W., 1 item, February 10, 1862
  • Benson, A. G., 1 item, January 8, 1848
  • Benson, Arthur W., 2 items, May 7, June 24, 1862
  • Berry, George W., 2 items, November 21, 1861-July 21, 1862
  • Bigelow, Windsor D., b. 1823, 3 items, January 10, 1861-June 17, 1862
  • Bishop, William Darius, 1827-1904, 1 item, December 6, 1866
  • Black, Jeremiah Sullivan, 1810-1883, 1 item, November 24, 1866
  • Blake, Mrs. Eli W., 2 items, August 12, 1849;April 11, 1850
  • Bonnell, Allison Clark, 1801-1875, 1 item, October 11, 1850
  • Boyd, Hamilton, 4 items, December 18, 1865-April 25, 1866
1849-1866
1/4
Bradley-Briggs
  • Bradley, W. T., 6 items, November 18, 1866-July 5, 1867
  • Brandegee, Augustus, 1828-1904, 3 items, February 22, 1865; undated
  • Briggs, John G., 7 items, April 19, October 5, 1862
1862-1867; undated
1/5
Brooke-Bryant
  • Brooke, Lloyd, 3 items, June 18, 1862-April 7, 1868
  • Brown, George W., 12 items, July 30, 1849-July 1, 1867
  • Bryant, Gridley J. F., 2 items, May 22, June 11, 1866
1849-1868
1/6
Buck-Butterworth
  • Buck, H., 1 item, 1854
  • Burnes, James Nelson, 1827-1889, 1 item, March 13, 1865
  • Burnes, Wolf & Burnes, 3 items, August 20, 1863-August 12, 1864
  • Burnhardt, C. A., 1 item, September 18, 1867
  • Bush, Asahel, 1824-1913, 5 items, August 25, 1858-November 19, 1864
  • Butterworth, Samuel F., 14 items, April 7, 1862-August 12, 1864
1854-1867
1/7
Cambell-Chenoweth
  • Campbell, A., 1 item, undated
  • Campbell, John Gill, 1817-1872, 3 items, May 12, 1852-October 30, 1854
  • Campbell, R. E., 1 item, July 22, 1851
  • Canfield, Charlotte A., 1 item, November 13, 1866
  • Case, May, 1 item, March 10, 1866
  • Catlin, John, 1832-1902, 8 items, February 27-August 5, 1862
  • Catlin, Robert, 1840-1903, 5 items, June 9, 1861-August 17, 1862
  • Catlin, Seth, 1792-1865, 4 items, September 16, 1859-July 20, 1862
  • Chenoweth, Francis A., 1819-1899, 4 items, May 28, 1855-Ja16, 1861
1852-1866
1/8
Cissna-Currin
  • Cissna, J. C., 2 items, Ap30, 1854-My31, 1858
  • Coe, Lawrence White, 1831-1897, 5 items, July 21, 1862-July 5, 1867
  • Coe, Nathaniel, 1788-1868, 1 item, January 1, 1853
  • Coit, A. J., 3 items, November 22, 1861-April 1, 1862
  • Coit, S. W., 1 item, July 15, 1864
  • Cole, F. R., 1 item, March 24, 1862
  • Coleman, DeWitt Clinton, b. 1828, 1 item, June 2, 1853
  • Comstock, C. B., 1 item, June 6, 1861
  • Cooke, Horatio, Sr., 1 item, June 2, 1866
  • Couch, John Heard, 1811-1870, 2 items, September 3, 1848-October 20, 1849
  • Cox, William C., 3 items, April 8-December 31, 1862
  • Cranston, Hiram, 3 items, March 7-April 7, 1862
  • Crawford, M., 1 item, June 6, 1862
  • Cree, William, 3 items, April 26, 1864-January 29, 1865
  • Crittenden, A., 1 item, May 2, 1862
  • Currier, E., 1 item, April 13, 1862
  • Currin, John A., 1 item, March 7, 1862
1848-1867
1/9
Curry, George Law (1820-1878)
28 items
April 30 1848-March 6; 1867
1/10
Daboll-Duncan (except Matthew P. Deady)
  • Daboll, C. L., 1 item, June 16, 1842
  • [Daum?] John F., 1 item, September 22, 1855
  • Davis, L. A., 1 item, May 1, 1862
  • Davis, Thomas A., 1 item, January 29, 1867
  • Day, James I., 2 items, August 7, August 13, 1862
  • Denman, J. M., 1 item, July 11, 1862
  • Dennis, Samuel, 1 item, September 20, 1839
  • Dennison, Ami P., b. 1827, 9 items, November 18, 1861-February 3, 1869
  • Dennison, William A., 1 item, April 19, 1849
  • Douthitt, D. W., 1 item, April 13, 1867
  • Downs, David S., 1 item, April 2, 1862
  • Dryer, N. B., 1 item, undated
  • Dryer, Thomas Jefferson, 1808-1879, 2 items, January 1, June 28, 1853
  • Dunbar, Robert W., 1 item, November 22, 1861
  • Duncan, ?, 1 item, June 7, 1862
1839-1867
1/11
Deady, Matthew Paul (1824-1893)
7 items
October 22; 1862-August 14; 1866
1/12
Eastman-Fruit
  • Eastman, C. A., 1 item, April 30, 1862
  • Eaton, William Wallace, 1816-1898, 7 items, June 15, 1864-February 10, 1868
  • Eckerson, Theodore John, d. 1906, 1 item, September 20, 1865
  • English, James Edward, 1812-1890, 1 item, April 6, 1867
  • Farrar, William H., 1826-1873, 4 items, April 14, 1862-December 8, 1863
  • Feely, Michael M., 1 item, January 11, 1862
  • Files, Jackson C., 1 item, April 12, 1862
  • Finley, John H., 1 item, April 18, 1850
  • Fitch, William H., 3 items, December 16, 1862-October 31, 1865
  • Forbes & Babcock, 1 item, April 14, 1857
  • Forrest, Eliza, 1 item, October 1849
  • Forrest, George I., 2 items, July 1, August 15, 1862
  • French, R. P., 1 item, April 4, 1862
  • Fruit, James H., 1 item, January 24, 1862
1849-1868
1/13
Gallagher-Griffith
  • Gallagher, James, 3 items, September 5, 1865-May 19, 1866
  • Gilbert, S. P., 1 item, September 27, 1866
  • Gilman, Arthur Delevan, 1821-1882, 3 items, October 12, 1866-November 26, 1866
  • Goddard, James E., 2 items, May 8, 1852-September 24, 1862
  • Gonsuly, Oscar, 1 item, undated
  • Goodman, Alfred T., 1 item, June 9, 1862
  • Gordon, A. M., 2 items, April 2, April 10, 1867
  • Gorham, J. E., 1 item, September 20, 1862
  • Grahame, James Allan, d. 1905, 1 item, December 30, 1854
  • Graves, E., 1 item, November 24, 1861
  • Greene, Heath & Allen, 3 items, June 13, 1862; undated
  • Griffith, Charles T., 9 items, June 26, 1849-April 4, 1854
1849-1867
1/14
Haas-Hendricks
  • Haas Brothers, 1 item, November 24, 1863
  • Haft, E. E., 1 item, June 17, 1863
  • Haley, W. G., 1 item, November 11, 1861
  • Hamilton, Edward, 1801-1883, 11 items, April 13, 1853-September 12, 1862
  • Harding, Benjamin Franklin, 1823-1899, 1 item, December 23, 1863
  • [Harm?] Henry P., 1 item, August 17, 1865
  • Harris, Ira, 1802-1875, 1 item, December 9, 1862
  • Harris, J. J., 1 item, April 19, 1861
  • Hart, Charles A., 1 item, April 30, 1862
  • Hendricks, Thomas Andrew, 1819-1885, 1 item, June 25, 1866
1861-1866
1/15
Hodges-Hyland
  • Hodges, Henry C., 3 items, April 9-June 5, 1862
  • Holland, A., 1 item, September 13, 1851
  • Hollingshead, John S., 1 item, July 15, 1862
  • Holt, C. Strong, 1 item, June 12, 1862
  • Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879, 1 item, January 23, 1850
  • Hotchkiss, R. W., 3 items, November 28, 1842-December 1, 1843
  • Hough, Edward W., 1 item, November 23, 1865
  • Hough, James F., 2 items, March 23, May 14, 1850
  • Hough, Mary J., 1 item, March 27, 1867
  • Hovey, James A., 1 item, December 5, 1866
  • Howe, Amasa, b. 1805, 2 items, April 28, August 26, 1862
  • Hoyt, Richard, d. 1862, 1 item, August 8, 1859
  • Hubbell, William Spring, 1801-1873, 1 item, March 21, 1862
  • Hugh, P. R. M., 1 item, April 26, 1862
  • Hurlbut, John D., 2 items, March 1, July 5, 1862
  • Hyland, P. E., 1 item, November 11, 1863
1842-1867
1/16
Ingalls-Jones
  • Ingalls, Rufus, 1820-1893, 1 item, November 25, 1864
  • Ingersoll, C. R., 3 items, July 19, September 8, 1865
  • Ingersoll, Colin Macrea, 1819-1903, 2 items, May 16, December 16, 1866
  • Jennings, J. W., 2 items, July 23, August 16, 1862
  • Jones, Frank, 1 item, July 13, 1862
  • Jones, Nathaniel, 3 items, March 2, -May 31, 1862
1862-1866
1/17
Kamm-Kraemer
  • Kamm, Jacob, 1823-1912, 1 item, June 9, 1862
  • Kearney, Edward Smith, b. 1831, 13 items, May 9, 1862-December 19, 1864
  • Keith, M., 1 item, April 2, 1862
  • Kelley, J. M., 1 item, August 13, 1862
  • Kelly (Eugene) & Co., 1 item, July 12, 1864
  • Kennedy, Anthony, 1810-1892, 1 item, December 17, 1862
  • Kinney, A., 1 item, August 15, 1863
  • Kirtland, Jared Potter, 1793-1877, 2 items, April, May 6, 1862
  • Knevals, Charles B., 2 items, June 30, September 3, 1862
  • Knight, H. Samuel, 1 item, February 6, 1868
  • Kraemer, J., 1 item, March 15, 1862
1862-1868
1/18
Lamson-Lyles
For William S. Ladd and Ladd & Tilton Bank, see Series C.
  • Lamson, Roswell H., 2 items, May 13, June 6, 1862
  • Lane, W. B., 2 items, June 9, September 22, 1843
  • Lanman, Charles James, 1 item, June 28, 1864
  • Laroques, Jeremiah, 1 item, May 11, 1862
  • Lawrence, Joseph J., 1 item, November 28, 1836
  • Learned, Joshua C., 2 items, November 9, 1838-October 23, 1839
  • Ledyard, William S., 2 items, April 23, June 22, 1843
  • [LeMerle?] A. E., 1 item, March 8, 1862
  • Leonard, H. C., 1823-1916, 1 item, December 19, 1864
  • Leonard, Scott & Co., 2 items, July 29, September 18, 1862
  • Lewis, Cicero Hunt, 1826-1897, 1 item, December 10, 1864
  • Little, Brown & Co., 2 items, October 22, October 24, 1863
  • Lockwood & Davenport, 1 item, June 19, 1869
  • Logan, David, 1824-1874, 2 items, February 1, 1867-January 3, 1868
  • Loryea, A. M., 1825-1893, 1 item, April 25, 1862
  • Lowry, William, 1 item, June 6, 1862
  • Lucas, J. Madison, 1 item, April 9, 1862
  • Lyles, T. W., 2 items, March 28, 1862-January 5, 1864
1836-1868
1/19
McCarty-McNaughton
  • McCarty, John, d. 1881, 1 item, January 5, 1864
  • McClintock, John, 1 item, October 12, 1844
  • McCoy, J. F., 1 item, March 10, 1862
  • McCracken, John, 1826-1915, 1 item, June 26, 1862
  • McCurdy, S. P., 8 items, March 22, 1862-July 26, 1865
  • McCurdy & Gilbert, 1 item, January 28, 1860
  • McGrew & Taylor, 1 item, July 11, 1854
  • McKeown, James, 2 items, January 11, February 24, 1862
  • McLoughlin, David, 1821-1903, 1 item, February 22, 1850
  • McMillen, William, 2 items, July 12, August 15, 1864
  • McNaughton, A. W., 1 item, July 23, 1863
1854-1864
1/20
Macy-Myers
  • Macy, Henry G., 1 item, August 19, 1863
  • Main, Hubert P., 1 item, May 7, 1862
  • Malone, Patrick John, 1822-1875, 3 items, June 8-August 16, 1862
  • Marble, Manton, 1 item, March 9, 1868
  • Marquam, D., 1 item, December 31, 1852
  • Marsh, Mulford, 1 item, December 20, 1844
  • Meeks, John, Jr., 2 items, April 27, May 27, 1864
  • Mercer, William, 2 items, March 4, March 25, 1862
  • Mitchell, Ira C., 1 item, April 4, 1862
  • Mollison, Gilbert, 1 item, August 21, 1862
  • Molson, Welina P. (Nesmith), 1 item, May 20, 1891
  • Molthrop, William E., 1800-1867, 2 items, April 20, July 21, 1862
  • Morris, T., 8 items, July 20, 1863-Mr6, 1865
  • Mullan, John, 1830-1909, 2 items, January 25, June 9, 1862
  • Mussey, T., 1 item, September 12, 1843
  • Myers, A. G., 1 item, December 3, 1862
  • Myers, Fred, 1 item, May 2, 1862
1843-1891
2/1
Nesmith-Norris
  • Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885, 28 items, June 30, 1859-February 26, 1867
  • Norris, Thomas, 1 item, November 9, 1861
1859-1861
2/2
Oakley-O'Neill
  • Oakley, Robert L., 1 item, April 12, 1850
  • Olmstead, Harrison, 4 items, May 3, 1864-October 28, 1865
  • Olmsted, John Howard, 1 item, January 18, 1844
  • O'Meara, James, 1825-1903, 5 items, March 29, 1862-April 20, 1864
  • O'Neill, Mrs. James, 1 item, May 25, 1862
1844-1865
2/3
Osgood-Owen
  • Osgood, John K., 15 items, August 5, 1850-July 22, 1864
  • Osgood, E. W., 2 items, February 7, February 19, 1850
  • Osgood, Mary A., 1 item, March 11, 1867
  • Owen, John, 1 item, January 21, 1862
  • Owen, Robert, 1 item, April 25, 1863
1850-1864
2/4
Page-Quenandon
  • Page, William Wilmer, 1834-1897, 3 items, September 19, 1863-July 20, 1864
  • Peck, Sharman, 2 items, June 29, 1849-Je13, 1850
  • Peele, Hubbell & Co., 1 item, April 13, 1850
  • Pendleton, George Hunt, 1825-1889, 7 items, March 9, 1866-March 14, 1868
  • Perkins, F. W., 1 item, July 11, 1858
  • Perkins & Smith, 2 items, February 6, 1845-May 20, 1847
  • Person, William, 1 item, undated
  • Phillips, Joseph C., 1 item, December 16, 1862
  • Phillips, Lester S., 1 item, September 18, 1849
  • Pickett, George Edward, 1825-1875, 2 items, March 16, 1866; undated
  • Pierce [?], James, 1 item, July 1, 1832
  • Pierce & Bacon, 1 item, June 23, 1862
  • Potter, G., Jr., 11 item, February 16, 1850-September 26, 1866
  • Pratt, Orville C., 1819-1891, 1 item, September 19, 1855
  • Prescott, Joseph N., 1807-1881, 1 item, April 17, 1862
  • Preston, John B., 1 item, January 30, 1855
  • Price, Rodman McCamley, 1816-1894, 1 item, July 7, 1851
  • Purdy, J.B., 1 item, June 16, 1852
  • Putnam, L. O., 1 item, May 2, 1850
  • Quenandon, D. V., 3 items, June 14, 1852-March 3, 1853
1845-1868
2/5
Raymond-Rutjis
  • Raymond, Curtis B., 1 item, May 13, 1850
  • Raymond, John Howard, 1814-1878, 1 item, May 16, 1862
  • Raymond, Lydia, 1 item, May 9, 1850
  • Reed, Simeon Gannett, 1830-1895, 4 items, December 12, 1863-April 29, 1864
  • Roche, James R., 1 item, July 1, 1862
  • Rodgers, Christopher Raymond, 1819-1892, 2 items, February 1, February 18, 1844
  • Rodgers, George Washington, 1822-1863, 1 item, March 6 [1862?]
  • Rodgers, John F., 1 item, August 5, 1865
  • Rogers, Louis P., 1 item, November 17, 1866
  • Roper, James C., 1 item, March 30, 1862
  • Rutjis, A. Z., 1 item, April 15, 1862
1844-1865
2/6
Sanborn-Skinner (except Sherman & Stark)
  • Sanborn, H. D., 2 items, December 9, [1864]-January 16, 1865
  • Savier, Thomas Andrew, d. 1876, 3 items, April 23, July 13, 1866
  • Scott, J. W., 1 item, January 4, 1864
  • Scott, Thomas Fielding, 1807-1867, 2 items, November 16, 1861-November 11, 1863
  • Scranton, George Whitfield, 1811-1861, 1 item, October 1, 1860
  • Scudder, Ephraim, 1 item, October 22, 1844
  • Scudder, Mary, 1 item, December 25, 1844
  • Shepherd, J. M., 1 item, November 19, 1860
  • Sherman, George, 2 items, February 21, 1850-April 1, 1851
  • Sherman & Stark, 59 items, April 19, 1849-July 29, 1865
  • Simpson, L. P., 1 item, October 24, 1850
  • Skinner, Alonzo A., 1814-1877, 1 item, April 25, 1853
1844-1866
2/7-8
Sherman & Stark
59 items
Includes letters from Edward Sherman, Frederick Sherman, and John S. Sherman.
April 19; 1849-July 29; 1865
2/9
Smith, Alfred-Smith, Volney
  • Smith, Alfred, 2 items, January 20, 1849-February 15, 1850
  • Smith, Gustavus Woodson, 6 items, May 15, 1866-January 11, 1867
  • Smith, James W., 1 item, June 24, 1864
  • Smith, Joseph, Jr., 2 items, May 14, May 28, 1843
  • Smith, Lewis W., 1 item, July 27, 1862
  • Smith, Lizzie R., 1 item, undated
  • Smith, Sabin, 16 items, May 14, 1843-June 3, 1864
  • Smith, Volney V., 1 item, March 8, [1862]
1843-1867
2/10
Southwick-Sulger
  • Southwick, Frank, 1 item, June 28, 1862
  • Spencer, J. J., 1 item, September 8, 1844
  • Spencer, William Valentine, 1 item, May 19, 1862
  • Stayner, George H., 5 items, December 6, 1866-March 13, 1867
  • Steinberger, Justus, 1 item, M 9, 1866
  • [Stette?], James T., 1 item, February 20, 1850
  • Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862, 1 item, May 13, 1862
  • Stevens, Oliver, 1 item, June 9, 1862
  • Stevens, T. H., 2 items, Mr, 7, March 21, 1867
  • Steward, George H., 1 item, March 7, 1858
  • Stockman [?], Chas., 1 item, 1829
  • Stone, H. B., 2 items, May 29, 1841-March 11, 1842
  • Strong, William, 1817-1887, 5 items, November 30, 1865-July 6, 1871
  • Stuart, W., 1 item, undated
  • Sulger, Abraham, 4 items, October 27, 1853-July 2, 1862
1842-1871
2/11
Taylor-Van Sice
  • Taylor, Julius, 1 item, July 8, 1864
  • Thayer, J. S., 1 item, September 19, 1864
  • Thompson, L. S., 1 item, May 27, 1853
  • Tilden, M. H., Jr., 2 items, June 12, June 17, 1862
  • Todd, Reuben J., 1 item, October 13, 1849
  • Tracy, E. W., 1 item, August 26, 1862
  • Tredd, Henry B., 1 item, March 26, 1861
  • U.S. Interior Dept., 3 items, September 22, 1862-May 11, 1868
  • U.S. Pension Office, 1 item, June 10, 1862
  • U.S. Post Office Dept., 1 item, March 1, 1862
  • U.S. Treasury Dept., 9 items, May 6, 1861-March 14, 1865
  • U.S. War Dept., 1 item, October 10, 1864
  • Usher, James, 1 item, March 28, 1862
  • Vallandigham, Clement Laird, 1820-1871, 7 items, April 29, 1866-February 3, 1868
  • Van Dusen, Adam, 2 items, March 10, July 23, 1862
  • Van Riper, B., 1 item, December 17, 1862
  • [Van Sice ?], Edward, 1 item, August 9, 1864
1849-1868
2/12
Wait-Whiteaker
  • Wait, Aaron E., 1813-1898, 3 items, April 25, 1864-October 5, 1865
  • Waldron, A. P., 2 items, September 28, 1844-Ap, 1850
  • Wales, Dexter T., 1 item, March 18, 1839
  • Wall, Isaac B., 1 item, March 16, 1850
  • Wallen, Henry Davies, 2 items, February 8, February 16, 1862
  • Ward, M. T., 1 item, February 1, 1860
  • Ward, Samuel, 1814-1884, 3 items, April 9-April 12, 1862
  • Weed, Edward C., 2 items, May 4-May 21, 1866
  • Weller, William B., 1 item, October 22, 1864
  • White, Charles W., 4 items, February 21, 1850-Mr23, 1852
  • White, Henry, 1 item, April 24, 1862
  • White, Mrs. R. A., 1 item, October 8, 1871
  • Whiteaker, John, 1820-1902, 6 items, September 25, 1861-August 3, 1862
1839-1871
2/13
Wilcox-Zachain
  • Wilcox, Ralph, 1818-1877, 1 item, July 6, 1854
  • Williams, George Henry, 1823-1910, 3 items, March 11, 1865-October 6, 1866
  • Woodruff, Smith, 3 items, May 2-July 16, 1862
  • Wylie, George W., 16 items, February 28, 1862-December 19, 1866
  • Wylie & Knevals, 1 item, January 21, 1862
  • Wylie, Knevals & Co., 1 item, December 27, 1866
  • Zachain, John A., 1 item, April 24, 1840
1840-1866
2/14
Unidentified letters
1844-1870; undated
Family Correspondence
Box/Folder
2/15
Letters to Elizabeth (Molthrop) Stark
1860-1870
2/16
Letters to his parents & brothers
1835-1844
3/1
Letters to his parents & brothers
1845-1849
3/2
Letters to his parents, brothers & son
1850-1891
3/3
Miscellaneous letters from
1843-1866
3/4
Letter copy book
1847-1849
3/5
Letters to Stark from Captain Benjamin Stark
1836-1837
3/6
Letters to Stark from Captain Benjamin Stark
1838
3/7
Letters to Stark from Captain Benjamin Stark
1839
3/8
Letters to, from Captain Benjamin Stark
1840-1844
3/9
Letters to Stark from Charles Stark
1850; 1862
3/10
Letters to Stark from Charlotte Stark
1836-1849
3/11
Letters to Stark from William Stark
1837-1845
3/12
Letters to Stark from William Stark
1849-1850
3/13
Letters to Stark from his cousins
1836-1867
3/14
Letters to Stark from his cousins, Watson
1849-1866
3/15
Letters to Benjamin & other family, from Richard Stark
1849-1868
3/16
Letters to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1829-1844
3/17
Letters to Elizabeth (Molthrop) Stark from her family
1852-1871
3/18
Miscellaneous Stark family letters
1847-1894
6/1
Letters, family and business
Photocopies of letters that were sold at auction by Christie's, London, 1986. Formerly designated as Mss 1155-1.
1845-1859
Additional family letters
Collection of letters formerly designated as Mss 1155-2. Includes letters, 1829-1859, from Benjamin Stark to his parents, Charlotte and Captain Benjamin Stark as well as letters from Jane Hogart, William Stark, William C. Crump, Claudius Monell,and Charles Griffith.
Box/Folder
6/2
Letter from Jane Hogart to Charlotte Stark
1843
6/3
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
circa 1835-1840
6/4
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
1840-1841
6/5
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
1842
6/6
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
1843-1847
6/7
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
1849
6/8
Letters from Benjamin Stark to Charlotte Stark
1859
6/9
Letters from William Stark to Charlotte Stark
1849
6/10
Letter from William C. Crump to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1844
6/11
Letter from Claudius Monell to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1840
6/12
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr., to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1836-1838
6/13
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr. to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1839
6/14
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr. to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1840
6/15
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr. to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1841
6/16
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr. to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1842
6/17
Letters from Benjamin Stark, Jr. to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
Includes letter of November 15, 1845, written from Oregon City and discussing the issue of U.S. sovereignty over the Oregon Territory.
1843-1846
6/18
Letter from Lyman Strong to Captain Benjamin Stark, Sr.
1829
6/19
Letters to Benjamin Stark from Charles Griffith
1853
6/20
Correspondence--William & Benjamin Stark
1834-1858
6/21
Letters to Benjamin & Charles Stark from Richard Stark
1853-1859
6/22
General correspondence (4 items)
1844-1878; undated

Series B:  Accounts, legal papers, and general materials, 1848-1891Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
4/1
Accounts--Diary for 1858
4/2
Bills & receipts
1857-1876
4/3
Business Accounts
1842-1862
4/4
Columbia River Steam Navigation Co.
1862
4/5
Couch & Co.
circa 1851-1852
4/6
Land claims
Includes land ownership map of a block in Portland bounded by Oak, Pine, Front and First Streets, circa 1878.
1856-1878
4/7
Law suit, vs. Starr, for title to land in Portland (Block 81?)
circa 1891
4/8
Law suits
1852-1882
4/9
Masonic
1850-1868
4/10
Miscellaneous--letters, notes, receipts, wills, etc.
circa 1849-1885
4/11
Newspaper clippings regarding San Francisco (3 items)
1848-1849
4/12
Seeches
Manuscripts. Includes speech for July 4, 1854; speech on internal improvements; and speech on Ben Butler.
1854; undated
4/13
Stark & Co. accounts
4 items
1849-1852

Series C:  Ladd & Tilton correspondence and papers, 1862-1878Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/1
Letterbook, from Ladd & Tilton
1864-1868
5/2
Letters & accounts from Ladd & Tilton
1862
5/3
Letters & accounts from Ladd & Tilton
1862-1876
5/4
Letters & accounts from Ladd & Tilton
1862-1878
5/5
Letters & accounts from Ladd & Tilton [from letterbook]
1863-1878

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Business enterprises--Oregon
  • Businessmen--Oregon--Correspondence

Personal Names

  • Barlow, Samuel Kimbrough, 1795-1867--Correspondence
  • Bush, Asahel, 1824-1913--Correspondence
  • Couch, John Heard, 1811-1870--Correspondence
  • Curry, Geo. L. (George Law), 1820-1878--Correspondence
  • Deady, Matthew P. (Matthew Paul), 1824-1893--Correspondence
  • Dryer, Thomas Jefferson, 1808-1879--Correspondence
  • Harding, Benjamin F., 1832-1899--Correspondence
  • Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885--Correspondence
  • O'Meara, James, 1825-1903--Correspondence
  • Pratt, Orville C., 1819-1891--Correspondence
  • Stark family--Correspondence
  • Stark, Benjamin, 1820-1898--Correspondence (creator)
  • Stark, Charlotte--Correspondence
  • Stark, Elizabeth--Correspondence
  • Stark, Banjamin, Captain--Correspondence
  • Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862--Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Columbia River Steam Navigation Company--Archives
  • Couch and Company--Archives
  • Ladd & Tilton Bank (Portland, Or.)
  • Stark and Company--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Oregon--History--1859-
  • Oregon--History--To 1859
  • Oregon--Politics and government--1859-1950
  • Oregon--Politics and government--To 1859

Form or Genre Terms

  • Accounts
  • Business records
  • Letters
  • Speeches