Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
James Bowles Stephens collection, 1852-1983
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Stephens, James Bowles, 1806-1889
- Title
- James Bowles Stephens collection
- Dates
- 1852-1983 (inclusive)18521983
1852-1862 (bulk)18521862 - Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (2 folders in shared box)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2029
- Summary
- James B. Stephens (1806-1889) was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1844, he traveled overland to Oregon. Settling first in Oregon City, he came to the new town of Portland in 1845. He operated the horse-powered Stark Street Ferry and laid out the townsite of East Portland. Collection includes a manuscript bond of James Bowles Stephens and Gideon Tibbetts, August 30, 1852, for Stephens to keep a ferry across the Willamette River opposite Portland; manuscript articles of agreement between Stephens and Joseph Knott, March 25, 1861, and January 24, 1862, for rights to Stephens' ferry franchise; and a typescript photocopy of "James B. Stephens: The Life and Times of Portland's First Ferryman" by Edmund G. Fisher, circa 1983.
- 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
James B. Stephens (1806-1889) was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He worked as a cooper, and in 1844, he traveled overland to Oregon. Settling first in Oregon City, he came to the new town of Portland in 1845 and built the first house opposite the townsite on the east side of the Willamette River. He operated the horse-powered Stark Street Ferry, contracted with the Hudson's Bay Company to supply barrels, transported soldiers during the Yakima Indian wars in the mid-1850s, and laid out the townsite of East Portland. He died in 1889 and is buried in Lone Fir Cemetery.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection includes a manuscript bond of James Bowles Stephens and Gideon Tibbetts, August 30, 1852, for Stephens to keep a ferry across the Willamette River opposite Portland; manuscript articles of agreement between Stephens and Joseph Knott, March 25, 1861, and January 24, 1862, for rights to Stephens' ferry franchise; and a typescript photocopy of "James B. Stephens: The Life and Times of Portland's First Ferryman" by Edmund G. Fisher, 42 pages, circa 1983.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
James Bowles Stephens collection, Mss 2029, 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
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Ferries--Oregon--Willamette River
- Pioneers--Oregon
Personal Names
- Knott, Joseph, 1809-1884
- Stephens, James Bowles, 1806-1889
- Tibbetts, Gideon, 1808-1887
Form or Genre Terms
- biographies (literary works)
- legal documents
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Fisher, Edmund G., 1957-
