Archives West Finding Aid
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Joseph Paquet papers, 1856-1951
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Paquet, Joseph, 1841-1924
- Title
- Joseph Paquet papers
- Dates
- 1856-1951 (inclusive)18561951
1856-1923 (bulk)18561923 - Quantity
- 2 cubic feet, (4 card file boxes, 1 document case)
- Collection Number
- Mss 997
- Summary
- Diaries, notebooks, and other papers of Joseph Paquet (1841-1924), an Oregon shipbuilder and construction contractor. Includes notes and specifications on steamboats active on the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- 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
Construction contractor and shipbuilder Joseph Paquet was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1841, the son of a ship carpenter. The family came overland to Oregon in 1852 and eventually settled on a ranch near Oregon City. After learning his father's trade, Paquet pursued a career in ship and dam building. He was credited with constructing the first steam ferry that ran across the Willamette River at Salem, as well as a number of dams and dikes. He lived in Canemah, Oregon, from 1870 until moving to Portland in 1879. He continued building steamboats, as well as sewer systems, bridges, roads, and railroads. He served as president of many companies, including the St. John Shipbuilding Company, the Portland Sand Company, and the contracting firm of Paquet, Giebisch & Joplin. He owned multiple parcels of property in Portland, as well as an 800-acre ranch near the city, and he served as school director of East Portland for six years. He married Mary Elizabeth Blottenberger in 1870, and the couple had three children. Paquet died in 1924.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Joseph Paquet papers primarily consist of diaries (1856; 1870; 1874-1923) and of notebooks and memo books. Among these are notebooks with specifications for the steamers Arrow No. 2, Astorian, Bailey Gatzert, Heather, Tahoma, and Telephone No. 2, the Albina ferry boat, and others; a ledger; and books with bid estimates and construction notes on ships, barges, fishwheels, docks, and other projects. The collection also includes general letters, notes, bills and receipts.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Joseph Paquet papers, Mss 997, 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
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series:
- Series 1: Diaries, 1856-1923
- Series 2: Memo books, 1893-1899
- Series 3: Notebooks, 1888-1920
- Series 4: General papers, 1868-1951
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Diaries, 1856-1923Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1856 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1870 | |
| 1 | 3 | 1874 | |
| 1 | 4 | 1875 | |
| 1 | 5 | 1877 | |
| 1 | 6 | 1877 | |
| 1 | 7 | 1878 | |
| 1 | 8 | 1879 | |
| 1 | 9 | 1880 | |
| 1 | 10 | 1882 | |
| 1 | 11 | 1883 | |
| 1 | 12 | 1884 | |
| 1 | 13 | 1885 | |
| 1 | 14 | 1885 | |
| 1 | 15 | 1886 | |
| 1 | 16 | 1887 | |
| 1 | 17 | 1888 | |
| 1 | 18 | 1889 | |
| 1 | 19 | 1890 | |
| 1 | 20 | 1891 | |
| 1 | 21 | 1892 | |
| 1 | 22 | 1893 | |
| 1 | 23 | 1893-1894 | |
| 1 | 24 | 1894 | |
| 2 | 1 | 1896 | |
| 2 | 2 | 1897 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1898 | |
| 2 | 4 | 1899 | |
| 2 | 5 | 1900 | |
| 2 | 6 | 1901 | |
| 2 | 7 | 1902 | |
| 2 | 8 | 1903 | |
| 2 | 9 | 1904 | |
| 2 | 10 | 1905 | |
| 2 | 11 | 1906 | |
| 2 | 12 | 1907 | |
| 2 | 13 | 1908 | |
| 2 | 14 | 1909 | |
| 2 | 15 | 1910 | |
| 2 | 16 | 1911 | |
| 2 | 17 | 1912 | |
| 2 | 18 | 1913 | |
| 2 | 19 | 1914 | |
| 2 | 20 | 1915 | |
| 2 | 21 | 1915 | |
| 2 | 22 | 1916 | |
| 2 | 23 | 1916 | |
| 3 | 1 | 1917 | |
| 3 | 2 | 1918 | |
| 3 | 3 | 1919 | |
| 3 | 4 | 1920 | |
| 3 | 5 | 1921 | |
| 3 | 6 | 1922 | |
| 3 | 7 | 1923 |
Series 2: Memo books, 1893-1899, undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 8 | 1893 | |
| 3 | 9 | 1894 | |
| 3 | 10 | 1895 | |
| 3 | 11 | 1896 | |
| 3 | 12 | Gray's Harbor bids |
1897 |
| 3 | 13 | 1898 | |
| 3 | 14 | Vancouver dyke [sic] |
1898 |
| 3 | 15 | 1899 | |
| 3 | 16 | undated | |
| 3 | 17 | undated | |
| 3 | 18 | undated |
Series 3: Notebooks, 1888-1920, undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 19 | 1890 | |
| 3 | 20 | 1890 | |
| 3 | 21 | 1891 | |
| 3 | 22 | 1893 | |
| 3 | 23 | 1895 | |
| 3 | 24 | 1898 | |
| 3 | 25 | 1899 | |
| 3 | 26 | 1899 | |
| 3 | 27 | 1900 | |
| 3 | 28 | 1901 | |
| 3 | 29 | 1902 | |
| 3 | 30 | 1903 | |
| 3 | 31 | 1905 | |
| 3 | 32 | 1907 | |
| 3 | 33 | 1909 | |
| 3 | 34 | 1919 December-1920 January | |
| 3 | 35 | 1920 | |
| 4 | 1 | undated | |
| 4 | 2 | undated | |
Subseries 3.1: Notebooks for specific purposes |
1888-1918; undated | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 3 | Barge construction |
1888-1889 |
| 4 | 4 | Boat sails |
undated |
| 4 | 5 | Book slate notebook |
1895-1899 |
| 4 | 6 | Estimates |
undated |
| 4 | 7 | Ledger |
1910-1918 |
Subseries 3.2: Notebooks for ships |
1901; 1903; undated | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 8 | Albina ferry |
undated |
| 4 | 9 | Bailey Gatzert |
undated |
| 4 | 10 | Steamer Arrow #2 |
undated |
| 4 | 11 | Astorian |
undated |
| 4 | 12 | Tahoma |
1901 |
| 4 | 13 | Steamer Telephone #2 |
undated |
| 4 | 14 | Steamer Telephone #2, Heather |
1903 |
Series 4: General papers, 1868-1951, undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 1 | Business cards and general ephemera |
1868; undated |
| 5 | 2 | Business notes, deposits, receipts |
circa 1900 |
| 5 | 3 | Family notes |
circa 1951 |
| 5 | 4 | Jury summons |
circa 1870 |
| 5 | 5 | Metropolitan Street Railway stock certificate |
1883 |
| 5 | 6 | Receipts |
1878; undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Construction industry--Oregon
- Construction projects--Oregon
- Contractors--Oregon--Portland
- Shipbuilding--Oregon
- Steamboats--Oregon
Personal Names
- Paquet, Joseph, 1841-1924--Diaries
Corporate Names
- Paquet, Giebisch & Joplin (Firm)
Form or Genre Terms
- diaries
- notebooks
- specifications
