Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Couch Family Papers, 1839-1948
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Couch family
- Title
- Couch Family Papers
- Dates
- 1839-1948 (inclusive)18391948
1870-1890 (bulk)18701890 - Quantity
- 1.5 cu. ft., (2 document boxes, 1 card file box, 1 flat box, and 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- Mss 952
- Summary
- Papers of the family of John Heard Couch, one of the original developers of the townsite of Portland, Oregon, and his descendents, including members of the Glisan and Robertson families. Papers include correspondence, legal papers, land ownership records, clippings, family Bibles, journals of John Heard Couch, and papers concerning Couch's wife Caroline and their descendants Caroline Wilson, Clementine Lewis, and Elizabeth and Rodney Glisan. Of special note is John Heard Couch's logbook, 1853-1858, for voyages on the ships Chenamus and Madonna; and the travel diary of Nan Robertson, 1911-1912, written during a trip to San Francisco and Southern Asia.
- 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
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
John Heard Couch (1811-1870) was an Oregon pioneer, sea captain, merchant, a founder of the city of Portland and founder of an important and influential Oregon family. During the 1840s he sailed ships financed by John Cushing from his home town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, with supplies for establishing a dry goods business in Oregon. In 1845 he claimed a square mile of land on the Willamette River, known as Couch's Addition, in the heart of what became Portland.
Well regarded among his fellow citizens as a fair and knowledgeable man, Couch was rewarded by several public positions, including Oregon Territorial Treasurer, Multnomah County Commissioner, Oregon Port Commissioner, Oregon Port Warden, and U. S. Inspector of Hulls for Oregon. He married Caroline Flanders (1807-1885), sister of his first mate George Flanders, in 1832. Flanders was also an Oregon pioneer, merchant and Portland founder, becoming a partner in Couch's Portland land claim in 1850.
John and Caroline Couch had four daughters, three of whom married influential Portland men. Caroline Elizabeth Couch (1833-1917) married Dr. Robert Bruce Wilson, while Clementine Couch (1838-1914) started a family with prominent Portland merchant Cicero Hunt Lewis (1826-1897). Elizabeth Raines Couch's (1842-1926) husband, Dr. Rodney L. Glisan (1827-1890), the first physician in Oregon Territory, was also an early Portland land owner and was active in Couch's Addition's real estate activities after John Couch's death.
Among Couch's descendants and relatives was Nan Robertson (1885-1928). She was a sister of Thomas Robertson (1881-1924), who married Kathleen Burns (1883-1970), a great-granddaughter of John Heard Couch.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers include: Legal documents (1850-1946) such as deeds, warranty deeds, quit-claims, passport, wedding certificate, title abstracts, maps, receipts, water right certificate, tax sale; correspondence (1846-1945) to John H. Couch and others regarding property holdings; personal items, consisting of memorabilia, a Bible from the ship Chenamus, notes, newspaper clippings, and a prayer book. Also included is the travel journal (1911-1912) of Nan Robertson, an in-law of John H. Couch's great-granddaughter, documenting Robertson's trip to Australia, New Zealand, India, and Indonesia via San Francsisco.
The journal or log book (1843-1858) kept by John H. Couch includes records of his voyages on the ships Chenamus (1843-1844) and Madonna (1849). Included is information on weather, nautical position, and daily events on board. The book also contains poems and water color illustrations of vessels.
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 reproduction 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
Couch family papers, 1839-1948, Mss 952, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series as follows
- Series A: Land records, 1854-1935
- Series B: Correspondence and ephemera, 1849-1948
- Series C: Diaries and journals, 1843-1912
- Series D: Publications, 1828, 1860
Acquisition Information
The collection is composed of materials assembled by the Oregon Historical Society from many sources over a long period of time
Three title abstracts for Couch's Addition: gift of Mrs. Harry Couch, Aug. 9, 1976, Library Accession 13801
Prayer book of Mary Caroline Wilson, and Nan Robertson diary and memorabila: gift of Mrs. Donald E. Butler, Aug. 23, 1988, Library Accession 18949
Processing Note
Restoration and custom boxing were provided for the John Heard Couch journal, the Bible, and Nan Robertson's diary
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Land records, 1854-1935Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1-3 | Glisan and Couch
properties—deeds, land claims, titles, general |
1854-1933 |
| 1/4 | Deed of property from Couch and
Hastings families to Battlen |
1862 |
| 1/5 | Rodney L. Glisan—indexes to deeds
and other title documents |
ca. 1892 |
| 1/6 | Deed of blocks 82 and 93 in
Couch's addition to Henry Weinhard
Photographic copies filed as negatives OrHi 73672 and 73673,
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
|
1873 |
| 1/7 | Description of blocks on the
north and west part of Couch's addition to the City of Portland
Bound notebook, property of R. L. Glisan, including details of
survey and prices for lots
|
ca. 1872 |
Abstracts of title |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 | Lot 8, block 140, Couch's Addition |
ca. 1912 |
| 2/2 | Block 149, Couch's addition |
ca. 1935 |
| 2/3 | Part of lots 2, 3, 6, block 149, Couch's Addition (now
NE corner of NW 17th Avenue and Burnside) |
ca. 1934 |
| 2/4 | Part of lots 2, 3, 6, Block 149, Couch's Addition (now
NE corner of NW 17th Avenue and Burnside) |
ca. 1935 |
| folder-item | ||
| Oversize/1 |
Plat of Couch's addition to the City of
Portland (map) |
undated |
| Oversize/2 | "Notes of survey of part of John H. Couch's land claim
to be conveyed by Mssrs. Couch & Flanders to the Oregon Steam Navigation
Co."
Surveyed by Charles W. Burrage; includes map of property
|
Oct. 6, 1864 |
Series B: Correspondence and ephemera, 1849-1948Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/8 | Letters and poem
Contains: letter from John McLoughlin to John Heard Couch, Oct.
21, 1849; poem titled "A school-boy's ryme [sic] on Capt. J.H.C. [John Heard
Couch]"; autographed letter, signed, from C. E. S. Wood to John Lewis, Oct. 31,
1885, stating a legal opinion regarding a dispute over property on Front
Avenue, Portland
|
1849-1885 |
| 1/9 | Letters concerning the estate of Mary H.
Couch |
1945-1946 |
| folder-item | ||
| Oversize/3-6 | Letters to John Heard Couch |
1846-1850 |
Letter from John M. Cushing, regarding the voyage of
the ship
Chenamus
|
July 14, 1846 | |
Letter from Benjamin Stark, New York, regarding the
barque
Hyperion
|
Oct. 30, 1848 | |
Letter from Benjamin Stark, New York, regarding the
barque
Madonna
|
Jan. 15, 1849 | |
Letter from Benjamin Stark, San Francisco, regarding
business matters |
March 13, 1850 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/10 | Notes and memorabilia from Nan Robertson's travels in
South Asia
Materials relate to diary of Nan Robertson, box 4
|
1911-1912 |
| 1/11 | Rodney L. Glisan: papers and clippings
Includes marriage license for Rodney L. Glisan and Elizabeth
Raines Couch, 1863; Couch family genealogy, 1948; memorial book for Rodney L.
Glisan, Trinity Parrish, Portland, 1890
|
1860-1890 |
| folder-item | ||
| Oversize/7 | Marriage certificate of Rodney L. Glisan and Elizabeth
Raines Couch |
1863 |
| Oversize/8 | Passport of John Heard Couch
Includes physical description of Couch, age 29. Orignal and
photostatic copy
|
Nov. 30, 1839 |
Series C: Diaries and journals, 1843-1849, 1911-1912Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | Logbook of John Heard Couch
Logbook kept by John H. Couch during his voyages on the
Chenamus (1843-1844) and
Madonna (1849). Information recorded
includes date, weather, nautical position, and daily events on board. Logbook
also includes poems and several watercolor illustrations of vessels
|
1843-1858; 1843-1849 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1 | Diary of Nan Robertson
Nan Robertson travelled with her family from Portland to San
Francisco via train, then by ship to Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and
India. Entries are detailed and descriptive
|
1911-1912 |
Series D: Publications, 1828, 1860-1865Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 4/2 | Bible from the ship
Chenamus
Bible published by Nahum Haskell and Timothy Bedlington, Boston,
1828; used on ship commanded by John Heard Couch on trip from Newburyport,
Mass., to the Hawaiian Islands, 1847. Contains historical references on fly
leaf.
|
1828 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/3 | Prayer book of Mary Caroline Wilson Burns
The book of common prayer of the
Protesant Episcopal Church in the United States, published by D. Appleton &
Co., New York, 1860. Gift to Mary Caroline Wilson Burns (1857-1950) from her
mother, Caroline Elizabeth Couch Wilson (1833-1917). Inscribed "Ma. Carrie from
her Mother, Dec. 25th 1863"
|
1860 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Chenamus (Brig)
- Frontier and pioneer life--Oregon--Portland
- Madonna (Bark)
- Pioneers--Oregon--Portland--Diaries
- Real property--Oregon--Portland
- Ship captains--Diaries
- Voyages to the Pacific coast
Family Names
- Couch family--Archives
- Glisan family--Archives
Geographical Names
- Australia--Description and travel
- Couch's Addition (Portland, Or.)
- India--Description and travel
- Indonesia--Description and travel
- New Zealand--Description and travel
- Oregon--History--To 1859
- Portland (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Deeds
- Estate records
- Journals
- Journals
- Legal documents
- Letters
- Maps
- Passports
- Receipts
- Ships' logs
- Watercolors
Occupations
- Ship captains
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Couch, John Heard, 1911-1870--Archives (creator)
- Couch, John Heard, 1911-1870--Diaries (creator)
- Couch, Mary H. (creator)
- Flanders, George H., 1821-1892 (creator)
- Glisan, Elizabeth Raines, 1842-1926 (creator)
- Glisan, Rodney, 1827-1890 (creator)
- Lewis, Clementine, 1838-1914 (creator)
- McLoughlin, John, 1784-1857 (creator)
- Robertson, Nan, 1885-1928--Diaries (creator)
- Stark, Benjamin, 1820-1898--Correspondence (creator)
- Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944--Correspondence (creator)
