Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
William Barnhart papers, 1850-1878
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Barnhart, William, ca. 1827-1909
- Title
- William Barnhart papers
- Dates
- 1850-1878 (inclusive)
- Quantity
- 1 cubic foot, (3 document cases, 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- Mss 918
- Summary
- Papers of a pioneer merchant of Portland, Oregon, including business letters of the early 1850s, mostly from San Francisco merchants, including Wells, Fargo, & Company, to W. C. Barnhart and Co.; and business account books, 1851-1854.
- 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
William Barnhart, pioneer merchant of Portland, Oregon, was the first Portland agent of Wells, Fargo and Company in the early 1850s. He later served as the state land agent in Salem and Indian agent in Umatilla. In 1854 he married Mary Campbell of Corvallis, a daughter of pioneer missionaries. The Barnharts returned to Portland in the 1880s, where they died in 1909 and 1910.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains business letters of the early 1850s sent to W. H. Barnhart and Company, mostly from San Francisco merchants, including Wells, Fargo, & Company, and Neal & Smiley; and business account books, 1851-1854. Also included is a report on a speech given by Bob McLaren in Portland, regarding fighting with Indians, 1856 March 29.
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
William Barnhart papers, Mss 918, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series A: Business papers, 1850-1878
- Series B: Financial ledgers, 1851-1854
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Business papers, 1850-1878Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Account book (unbound) |
1851-1854 |
| 1/2 | Letters received, A-B |
1851-1853 |
| 1/3 | Letters received, C-G |
1851-1853 |
| 1/4 | Letters received, H-M |
1853 |
| 1/5 | Letters from Neal & Smiley, San
Francisco |
1851-1853 |
| 1/6 | Letters received, N-W |
1851-1853 |
| 1/7 | Letters from Wells, Fargo & Company |
1853-1854 |
| 1/8 | Receipts and other papers, including account of
speech of Bob McLaren, 1856 |
1851-1878 |
Series B: Financial ledgers of W. H. Barnhart & Company, 1851-1854Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/9 | Accounts |
1851 |
| 1/10 | Cash book |
1851 June 2-1852 December 31 |
| 2/1 | Day book |
1851 June-1853 April |
| 2/2 | Day book |
1853-1854 |
| 2/3 | Invoices of consignments |
1851-1854 |
| 2/4 | Sales ledger |
1851-1852 |
| 3/1 | Sales ledger (spine title: "Invoices") |
1852-1853 |
| Oversize folder | Stock book |
1853 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Merchants--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Barnhart, William, ca. 1827-1909--Archives
Corporate Names
- Barnhart & Company (Portland, Or.)
- Wells, Fargo & Company
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Ledgers (accounts)
- Letters (correspondence)
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Neal & Smiley (San Francisco, Calif.) (creator)
