Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Devers Family collection, 1840-2000
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Devers Family
- Title
- Devers Family collection
- Dates
- 1840-2000 (inclusive)18402000
- Quantity
- 6.5 cubic feet, (11 document cases, 1 card file box and 4 flat boxes)
- Collection Number
- Coll 351
- Summary
- Papers and images relating to the family of Arthur H. Devers.
- 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, German
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Henry d’Evers left Germany for America during the Revolution of 1848, married Henriette E. Lampert, and lived in Chicago, Illinois, where his son Arthur H. was born in 1858.
After working several jobs in San Francisco, Arthur, who changed the spelling of his surname to Devers opened his own business of Devers, Koehncke & Co. In 1883 he moved to Portland and joined the Closset firm by purchasing Ameil Closset’s half interest, and became president of Closset & Devers, which specialized in coffee, tea, and spice. The firm was the first in the area to make use of a vacuum coffee can. Devers retired in 1929, selling the interest to A. E. Digman and R. B. Bain.
Devers was active in local businesses, charities and organizations, including the American Red Cross, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Mutual Life Insurance, and the Lang Syne Society. Devers was interested in water transportation, particularly on the Columbia River, and took part in the National Rivers and Harbors Congress in 1908.
Devers died in 1944. He bequeathed $1 million each to the University of Oregon Medical School and Good Samaritan Hospital. Good Samaritan’s Devers Memorial Eye Clinic is named in his honor.
Devers was married twice, first to Ellen H. (“Nellie”) Gollings in 1885. Nellie died in 1912, and later Devers married Nellie’s sister, Anne. His daughter Mabel Alice married John Philip Plagemann in 1908, and they had two daughters: Jean Elizabeth, who was the 1932 Oregon Women’s Golf Association champion; Patsy (“Petie”), who married Jack R. Brown.
Devers and his family traveled throughout the world, visiting Europe, South America, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and South Africa.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of documents and images related to the Devers and Plagemann families. Many of the documents from the 19th century are written in German. The collection holds Henry d’Evers’ correspondence and business papers, along with papers and ephemera related to Arthur H. Devers’ firm, Closset & Devers. There are also certificates and ephemera from some of the organizations with which Arthur Devers was associated.
In addition, the collection holds the diaries of Mabel and Anne Devers, and the correspondence and diaries of Jean Plagemann and Pasty Plagemann Brown. Among the diaries are ones written during trips to foreign countries. There are also newspaper clippings about the family, and clippings about the golf tournaments in which Jean Plagemann played.
The majority of the collection’s photographs are from the first half of the 20th century. However, there are some from the 19th century, including cartes de visite and 7 tintypes. There are also sketch and silhouette portraits of Devers family members.
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 the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
Devers Family Collection, Coll 351, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Devers Family Papers
- Series B: Photographs
- Series C: Other Images
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series A : Family Papers , 1840-2000 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries 1 : Henry d'Evers & Early Family Papers |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Henry d'Evers Business Papers |
1860-1879 |
16/1 | Henry d'Evers Business Papers; Membership
Certificate, American Parmaceutical Association |
1866; undated; 1865 September 5 |
1/2 | Correspondence |
1846-1866 |
1/3 | Documents |
1855 |
1/4 | Devers Coat of Arms |
|
1/5 | Poetry |
1841; undated |
1/6 | Analysen |
circa 1845 |
1/7 | Devers Family Papers |
1840-1879 |
Subseries 2 : Arthur Devers Papers |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/8 | Composition Book |
|
1/9 | Oregonian, "As We See 'Em" Book
Contains a cartoon of Arthur H. Devers.
|
1906 |
1/10 | Arthur Devers Will
Handwritten draft.
|
1916 |
1/11 | Passports |
1927; 1929 |
1/12 | Biographical Information on Arthur Devers & John
Plagemann.
From History of the Columbia River Valley, vol. 2.
|
1928 |
1/13 | Memberships, Memorial |
1933-1941 |
13/1 | Ceritifcate From National Rivers & Harbors
Congress |
1931 |
16/1 | Memorial Certificate, Portland Remedial Loan
Association |
1944 October 10 |
1/14 | Auld Lang Syne Society Banquet Program
Includes panoramic photograph of Portland.
|
1937 February 17 |
1/15 | Oregon Mutual Life Insurance Memorial |
1944 |
1/16 | Eulogy for Arthur Devers by E. B. McNaughton
|
1944 September |
1/17 | Newspaper Clippings re Arthur Devers' Death, Devers
Eye Clinic |
1944-1959 |
2/1 | Closset & Devers Ownership Transfer |
1883 |
2/2 | Closset & Devers Advertising |
|
2/3 | Authur Devers Cash Books |
1916-1924; 1926-1930 |
2/4 | Arthur Devers Cash Books |
1931-1940 |
2/5 | Arthur Devers Charitable Contributions |
1942; undated |
3/1 | Closset & Devers "Golden West" Leather Coin Purse
|
|
Subseries 3 : Arthur H. Devers Scrapbook
Created by for Patsy Plagemann Brown by her friend Corinne
Paulson. Includes both written material and photographs. Materials removed from
binder for preservation purposes. Kept in original order as it appeared in the
binder.
|
circa 1865-1988 | |
Box/Folder | ||
3/2 | Photocopies Found in Scrapbook |
|
3/3 | Original Album Pages |
|
3/4 | Original Album Pages |
|
3/5 | Original Album Pages |
|
3/6 | Original Album Pages |
|
3/7 | Preservation Photocopy of Entire Scrapbook
|
|
Subseries 4 : Jean Plagemann Papers |
||
Box/Folder | ||
6/1 | Baby Book #1 |
1909-1915 |
6/2 | Baby Book #2 |
1909-1917 |
6/3 | Childhood Art |
|
6/4 | Childhood Memorabilia
Includes photographs.
|
1909-1912 |
6/5 | Letters to Parents; Telegram to Jean Plagemann from
Manila, Philippines |
1919; undated; 1936 December 24 |
6/6 | Diary - World Travels
Pencil attached. Includes clipping regarding family's world
tour.
|
1923 January 8 - 1928 June 1 |
6/7 | Diary |
1925 May 26 - 1925 October 1 |
7/1 | Documents |
1945-1960; undated |
7/2 | Golf Clippings & Ephemera |
1928-1933; undated |
Subseries 5 : Patsy ("Petie") Plagemann Brown Papers |
||
Box/Folder | ||
7/3 | Biographical & Personal Ephemera |
1919-2000; undated |
7/4 | Diary |
1927 June 2 - 1927 July 13 |
7/5 | Young Adult Memorabilia |
1939-1944 |
16/1 | High School Diploma
From Catlin Gable School in Portland.
|
1938 June 10 |
7/6 | Diplomas & Cerficiate |
1948-1949 |
7/7 | Estate of Ann Devers |
1959-1960 |
7/8 | Travel Diary - Guatemala & Mexico
Companion to photograph album.
|
1948-1951 |
8/1 | Letters from Arthur H. Devers |
1938-1942 |
8/2 | Letters from Jean Plagemann During Europe Trip
|
1955 February - 1955 June |
8/3 | Letters from Patsy Plagemann |
1926-1937; undated |
8/4 | Letters to Patry Plagemann Brown |
1953-1970; undated |
8/5 | Letters from J. R. Brown
Includes 30 photographs.
|
1960 May 23 - 1960 November 30 |
8/6 | Letters to Patsy Plagemann
Letters regarding Plagemann's engagement to Jack Brown
|
1960 October - 1960 December |
Subseries 6 : Other Materials |
||
Box/Folder | ||
4/1 | Recipies |
1866; undated |
4/2 | Handwritten Recipe Book; "Mrs. Wheelock's Choice
Recipes" |
circa 1904 |
4/3 | Calling Cards |
|
4/4 | Hanwriting Sample
Probably by Henrietta Lampert d'Evers.
|
|
4/5 | Address Books
7 books.
|
|
4/6 | Mabel Devers - Pamphlet - St. Helen's Hall
|
1900 |
4/7 | Mabel Devers Diary & Associated Materials
|
1904 February 6 - 1931 December |
4/8 | Mabel Devers Diaries |
1908 June 15 - 1908 August 8; undated |
4/9 | Anne Devers Diary, Trip to Asia, Portland
|
1923 June 2 - 1923 December 21 |
4/10 | Notes of Itinerary for World Tour
Author unknown.
|
1927 |
4/11 | Devers Family Clippings |
1926-1958; undated |
5/1 | Ephemera, Japan & China |
1937; undated |
5/2 | Ephemera, Europe |
1904-1959; undated |
Box 15 | Scrapbook of Letters During World Trip
Contains letters to John Plagemann, possibly from Mabel
Devers
|
1908 |
Series B : Photographs , circa 1865-1961 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
9/1 | Arthur H. Devers |
|
9/2 | Closset & Devers (?) |
|
9/3 | Businesses - Closset & Devers |
|
9/4 | Steamer Joseph Closset in Yukon |
|
9/5 | Annie Devers |
|
9/6 | Mabel Devers Plagemann |
|
9/7 | Devers House Interior |
|
9/8 | Devers House & Plagemann Children |
1910; 1925 |
9/9 | Family Photographs |
|
9/10 | Photographs From Envelope Marked "Plagemann"
|
circa 1925 |
9/11 | Photographs Found in "Family & Friends" Album
|
|
9/12 | Duplicates of John Plagemann Family Album Photographs
|
|
9/13 | Cartes de Visite |
|
9/14 | Businesses |
|
10/1 | John Plagemann |
|
10/2 | Jean Plagemann in Manila |
1937-1938 |
10/3 | Devers & Plagemann Families |
|
10/4 | H. Liebes & Co. |
circa 1900-1913 |
10/5 | Photographs Found in Box |
1900-1925 |
10/6 | Photographs From Envelope Marked "Kavanuth"
|
circa 1925 |
10/7 | Oregon Volunteers, 14th Regiment Regulars En Route to
Manila |
1898 May 24 |
10/8 | Jean Plagemann |
|
11/1 | Photographs From Envelope Labeled "Jean Plagemann"
|
circa 1940 |
11/2 | Theater Company |
|
11/3 | Patsy Plagemann |
|
11/4 | Pets |
|
11/5 | Patsy Plagemann's School Friends |
|
11/6 | Patsy Plagemann & Postcards |
|
11/7 | Photographs from Hospital Paharmacy Envelope No. 35892
|
|
11/8 | Photographs from Hospital Paharmacy Envelope No. 33880
|
|
11/9 | Photographs from Sawyer's Cerfitied Envelope
|
1937-1942; undated |
11/10 | Photographs from Bartell's Envelope |
1938-1941; undated |
11/11 | Photographs from Paul's Camera Supply Envelope
|
1938-1941; undated |
11/12 | "U. S. C. Pictures" |
1945-1946; undated |
11/13 | Photographs from Royaltone Print Folder |
1960 March |
11/14 | Slides from "Jack & Petie" Envelope |
1961 April |
11/15 | Unidentified Negatives |
circa 1960 |
Box 12 | Tintypes
Seven images in six casings (one casing holds two images).
|
|
13/3 | Mabel, Jean, & Patsy Plagemann |
circa 1930 |
13/4 | Plagemann Family (Oversize) |
|
13/5 | Henry d'Evers Family (Oversize) |
|
Box 14 | "Family & Friends" Album |
|
Box 15 | Album, Guatemala & Mexico. |
|
16/3 | Photographs of Plagemann (?) Family (Oversize)
|
|
16/4 | Officers of Oregon Life Insurance Co. |
|
16/5 | Arthur Devers House & Garden |
Series C : Other Images, 1844 - circa 1920 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5/3 | 19th century Portraits |
|
5/4 | Silhouette |
1844 |
5/5 | Silhouettes of Devers Family |
1915 |
13/2 | Cartoon of Arthur Devers Golfing |
circa 1920 |
16/2 | Sketch of Henry d'Evers |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Business Enterprises - Portland (Or.)
- Coffee Industry - Portland (Or.)
- Women Golfers - Oregon
Personal Names
- Brown, Patsy ("Petie") Plagemann, 1919-2011
- Devers, Anne Gollings
- Devers, Arthur H., 1858-1944--Archives
- Devers, Mabel Alice, 1886-1933
- Plagemann, Jean Elizabeth, 1909-1978
- d'Evers, Henry
Corporate Names
- "Lang Syne" Society (Portland, Or.)
- American Red Cross
- Oregon Mutual Life Insurance
Family Names
- Devers Family - Archives
- Devers Family - Photographs
- Plagemann Family - Archives
- Plagemann Family - Photographs
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.) - Business Enterprises
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Photographs
- Tintypes (prints)
- cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
Other Creators
-
Family Names
- Plagemann Family (creator)