Margharete Ross Shotwell papers, 1863, 1891-1910

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Shotwell, Margharete Ross
Title
Margharete Ross Shotwell papers
Dates
1863, 1891-1910 (inclusive)
Quantity
.25 linear feet
Collection Number
4060 (Accession No. 4060-001)
Summary
Chiefly correspondence regarding gold prospecting in Oregon and the Yukon
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Margharete Ross Shotwell (December 1, 1869), was the daughter of John Ross, a Seattle pioneer who patented a land claim in 1877 upon land now occupied by Seattle Pacific University, formerly Ross, Washington. Prior to her marriage to James Hunter Shotwell on Christmas Day, 1891, J. H. Shotwell resided in Viora, Washington, previously called Little Rock, where he established, in 1891, a railway station known as Mima Station. As a miner, he panned for gold in 1894 at Foots Creek, Oregon, an endeavor which eventually took him to Alaska in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. J. H. Shotwell gives a noteworthy description of the 3000 mile journey by schooner that he took from Seattle to Kotzebue Sound, Alaska.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Letters, legal documents, photographs, ephemera, 1863, 1891-1910. Personal correspondence of Margharete Ross Shotwell, her fiancee (later her husband), and other family members. Her husband's letters describe panning for gold in Oregon and his experiences during the Klondike Gold Rush.

The letters have been subgrouped by family member, determined by the recipient of the letter. Ida, John, Rexie, Katherine, Sarah, and William Ross are all siblings of Margharete Ross Shotwell. Mrs. J. M. Ross is her mother, Jona her niece, and Mary Shotwell her sister-in-law. Thirty-seven of the eighty letters in this collection were written in 1891 and concern the courtship between the former Margharete Ross and her future husband James Hunter Shotwell. These letters lend insight into relations between the sexes at the turn of the 20th century. Shotwell's letters to his wife (in Seattle) are essentially of a personal nature, but of particular interest are his miner's descriptions of panning for gold in 1894, at Foots Creek Oregon, an endeavor which also took him to Alaska in 1898 during the Klondike Gold rush. A description of his 3000 mile journey by schooner from Seattle to Alaska is included. The remaining letters in this collection are from members of the Ross family to Margharete Ross Shotwell, and they concern births, the condition of crops, and the daily activities of rural and city life. Of particular note is a letter of M. R. Shotwell to a fellow graduate of Olympia Collegiate Institute, describing her up-bringing as a “pioneer” child.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged into 1 accession

  • Accession No. 4060-001, Margharete Ross Shotwell papers, 1891-1910

Acquisition Information

Donated by Donal Sparkman, 11/21/1989.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Series 1:  Incoming Letters, 1891-1899Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Ross, Ida
1895-1897
1/2
Ross, John
1899
1/3
Ross, Katherine E.
1895-1899
1/4
Ross, M. J.
1895
1/5
Ross, Rexie
1895
1/6
Ross, William and Sarah
1894
1/7-8
Ross, Shotwell, James Hunter
1891-1892, 1898-1899
1/9
[Shotwell?], Jona
1894
1/10
Shotwell, Mary
1894

Series 2:  Outgoing Letters, 1892Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/11
"Class Incomparable"
1892

Series 3:  Letters Collected by Marcharete Ross Shotwell, 1899Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/12
Ross, John to Ross, M. J. and Sparkman, John
1899

Series 4:  Personal Documents, 1890-1891Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/13
Personal Documents
College commencement program, wedding announcement, certificate of marriage
1890-1891

Series 5:  Documents, 1863, 1890, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
1/14
Documents
Daughters of the Pioneers applications from Ida Ross Sparkman and Margharete Ross Shotwell, warrenty deed, tax receipt and school count
1863, 1890, undated

Series 6:  Photographs, 1900-1910Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/15
Ross, John
Images of John Ross, Seattle home of M.J. Shotwell, Yukon Territory
undated

Series 7:  Shotwell, James Hunter, 1891-1898Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/16-17
Incoming Letters - Shotwell, Margharete Ross
1891-1898
1/18
Outgoing letter - Shotwell, Henry W.
1896

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Gold mines and mining--Yukon--Klondike River Valley
  • Gold panning--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Shotwell, Margharete Ross--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Klondike River Valley (Yukon)--Gold discoveries--Personal narratives

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Ross, James Hunter (creator)
    • Ross, John (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)