Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Henry E. Reed Papers, 1855-1943
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Reed, Henry E., 1866-1947
- Title
- Henry E. Reed Papers
- Dates
- 1855-1943 (inclusive)18551953
1893-1943 (bulk) - Quantity
- 4 cubic feet, (8 document cases), (1 v.), (1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- Mss 383
- Summary
- Papers of a journalist, public official, and realtor of Portland, Oregon. Includes correspondence relating to his work as publicist for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition and for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. Also includes papers relating to taxation, real estate valuation, and the history of Portland.
- 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
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Henry E. Reed was born on September 14, 1866 in Brooklyn, New York, to Phillip and Catherine (Sexton) Reed. The Reed family left New York and, after a brief stay in San Francisco, settled in Portland, Oregon, on March 1, 1871. Henry Reed attended Portland public schools and in his final year of high school, he accepted work as a printer’s apprentice. This position served as a stepping stone into what would become a significant career in journalism. Reed was employed by the Northwest Daily News in 1883, and aggressively worked his way up through the ranks. In 1887, he brought attention to himself by scooping the Oregonian on a lead story. Subsequently, the Oregonian offered him a significant pay raise, and Reed accepted. He would stay with the paper until 1901.
After leaving journalism, Reed entered public service by becoming the Assistant Secretary of the Portland Chamber of Commerce (1901-1903). In 1903, he became Director of Exploitation (head of public relations) for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, and also served as Secretary of the fair corporation. This experience led to employment as director of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, from which Reed eventually resigned over a pay dispute in 1909. In 1906, he was a founding member of the Portland Realty Board, and would remain a member for the duration of his life. Reed also served two terms as the Multnomah County Assessor (1912 and 1916), a position which ultimately qualified him as a nationally recognized expert on taxation and real estate value assessment.
Other positions held by Reed included: manager of the Red Cross and Liberty Loans campaigns (1917-1919), director of the Portland Chamber of Commerce (1915-1917), director of the 1919 Rose Festival, and Vice President of the Portland City Planning Commission (1923-1933). He was also a life long lover of history and was considered a valuable resource on the history of regional development and geography. In his later years, he served as Secretary of the Oregon Historical Society from 1938-1945. Reed died of prostate cancer on September 22, 1947, at the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital. He was 81 years old.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection primarily documents Henry Reed's involvement with the expositions in Portland and Seattle, as well as his lifelong interests in taxation, real estate valuation, and regional history. The papers represent, in all probability, only a small fraction of the files accumulated by Reed in his lifetime. It is possible that the surviving materials were selected by Reed himself as somehow significant.
The General Correspondence is the most important portion of the collection. The bulk of the materials relate to Reed's work for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Of special interest is correspondence concerning Reed's dispute with the Seattle fair company and his eventual resignation. Also included are some materials relating to Reed's work at the Oregonian prior to 1902, and his position as Multnomah County Assessor. There is also an exchange regarding Reed's father's medical condition in the 1890s.
The series titled “Historical Notes” relates primarily to topics of Portland and Oregon history. Included are research notes and drafts of articles and speeches. The topics range from physical geography and natural disasters to transportation and municipal affairs. Of special note is a detailed report -- possibly by Reed -- on the methods used to change Portland house numbers between 1930 and 1933.
Two full-length works of Reed are contained in the collection. These are the manuscript to his historical novel Grinding the mill, a story of overland pioneers; and a typescript of his Official History of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, 1908, which provides a detailed look at all aspects of the fair's planning and production.
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 prior to any use of reproductions. 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
Henry E. Reed Papers, Mss 383, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Alternative Forms Available
Official History of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition also available on microfilm
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in seven series:
- Series 1: General Correspondence
- Series 2: Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
- Series 3: Multnomah County Assessor
- Series 4: Land Transaction Files
- Series 5: Taxation Files
- Series 6: Historical Notes
- Series 7: General Materials
Acquisition Information
Gift of the Henry E. Reed Estate, 1948 April 7 and July 1
Related Materials
Extensive correspondence files of Henry E. Reed as Secretary and Director of Exploitation of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition can be found in the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair Records, Mss 1609, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Additional papers of Henry E. Reed relating to his work with the Lewis and Clark Centennial Expostion can be found in the John Wilson Room, Multnomah County Central Library, Portland, Or.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series 1: General correspondence, 1855-1943, undatedReturn to Top
Correspondence primarily related to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Also includes some materials relating to Reed's work at the Oregonian and later as Multnomah County Assessor.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Correspondence |
1855-1899 |
| 1/2 | Correspondence |
1900-1903 |
| 1/3 | Correspondence |
1904-1905 |
| 1/4 | Correspondence |
1906 |
| 1/5 | Correspondence |
1907 |
| 1/6 | Correspondence |
1908 |
| 1/7 | Correspondence |
1909-1939 |
| 1/8 | Correspondence |
1940-1943 |
Series 2: Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, 1906-1909Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/9 | Articles of incorporation |
1906-1908 |
| 1/10 | Bond issue, contracts, estimates, and related
materials |
1906-1908 |
| Oversize Folder | Certificates to Henry E. Reed
Also includes commemorative diploma from the St. Louis
exposition, 1904.
|
1904-1909 |
Series 3: Multnomah County Assessor, 1907-1928Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1-3 | Correspondence |
1907-1928 |
| 2/4 | Campaigns |
1912; 1916 |
| 2/5-10 | Estate appraisals |
1913-1924 |
| 3/1-2 | Estate appraisals |
1925 |
Series 4: Land transaction files, 1855-1947Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/5 | Caruthers Court Case of 1869
Includes typed transcripts of documents and Reed's notes
|
undated |
| 3/6 | Industrial taxes in Bonneville area |
circa 1940 |
| 3/7-9 | Land holding systems, data on |
1930; undated |
| 3/10-11 | Land leases book |
circa 1930 |
Series 5: Taxation files, 1855-1947Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1 | Portland land assessments, study of
Includes undated report on Portland assessments, 1860-1908.
|
1910; 1935; undated |
| 4/2-4 | Multnomah County data, 1853-1943 |
circa 1913-1943 |
| 4/5-6 | Oregon data, 1853-1933 |
circa 1911-1933 |
| 4/7-8 | Oregon data, 1935-1943 |
1935-1943 |
| 5/1-2 | Lawsuits—notes and transcripts |
undated |
| 5/3 | Speeches by Henry Reed on taxation |
1929-1940; undated |
| 5/4 | Valuation procedures
Includes text of papers by Henry Reed titled "City land
values."
|
circa 1910-1940 |
| 5/5 | Other states |
circa 1914-1932 |
| 5/6-7 | Single tax issue |
1911-1912 |
| 5/8 | Sales tax issue |
1932-1933 |
Series 6: Historical notes, 1855-1947Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6/1 | British Columbia |
1903; undated |
| 6/2 | Expositions, general |
undated |
| 6/3 | Champoeg—Clippings |
1901 |
| 6/4 | Chinese |
undated |
| 6/5 | Columbia River |
1899-1932; undated |
| 6/6 | French Prairie, Red River, and Whitman
controversy |
1909; undated |
| 6/7 | Population |
undated |
| 6/8 | Railroads |
undated |
Portland |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6/9 | Boundaries, house numbers, business
Includes detailed report on process of re-numbering Portland
houses and manufacture of house numbers.
|
1932-1933; undated |
| 6/10 | Bridges |
1933; undated |
| 6/11 | Census, first |
1929; undated |
| 6/12 | Climate |
1938; undated |
| 6/13 | Earthquakes |
1910; undated |
| 6/14 | Fires and Fire Department |
1915; 1917; undated |
| 6/15 | Floods |
1923; 1931; undated |
| 7/1 | Floods |
undated |
| 7/2-3 | History |
1905; 1941; undated |
| 7/4 | History (2 notebooks) |
1936; undated |
| 7/5 | Housing |
1918 |
| 7/6 | Incorporation |
circa 1911-1930 |
| 7/7 | Land claims |
1911; undated |
| 7/8 | Mayors
Includes flyer for campaign against mayoral bid of Earl
Riley
|
1912; undated |
| 7/9 | Post Office |
1915; undated |
| 7/10 | Real estate |
1933; undated |
| 7/11 | Settlers |
1898; 1929; undated |
| 8/1 | Transportation |
1910-1931; undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8/2 | Puget Sound |
1900; 1903; undated |
Series 7: General materials, 1855-1947Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8/3 | Historical novel,
Grinding the mill—Typescript and
manuscripts |
undated |
| 8/4 | Ephemera and general materials |
1909-1942; undated |
| 8/5-6 | Speeches, general |
1915-1947; undated |
| 8/7 | Personal financial papers |
1893-1947 |
| 8/8 | Valuation notes |
undated |
| 8/9-10 | Real estate assessment and valuation writings (2 bound
vols.) |
1925; undated |
| Box | ||
| 9 |
Official history, Lewis & Clark
Centennial Exposition—Typescript (bound vol.) |
1908 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Real property—Oregon—Portland—Valuation
- Street addresses—Oregon—Portland
- Taxation—Oregon—Portland—History.
Personal Names
- Reed, Henry E., 1866-1947--Archives (creator)
Corporate Names
- Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (1909 : Seattle, Wash.)
- Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition (1905 : Portland, Or.)
- Multnomah County (Or.) Assessor's Office
- Oregonian (Firm)
Geographical Names
- Oregon—History
- Portland (Or.)—History
Form or Genre Terms
- Notes
- Typescripts
Titles within the Collection
- Official History of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
