Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Alfred Powers papers, 1834-1963
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Powers, Alfred
- Title
- Alfred Powers papers
- Dates
- 1834-1963 (inclusive)18341963
- Quantity
- 4 cubic feet, (8 document cases and 2 flat boxes)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2907
- Summary
- Collection of original historical materials relating to Oregon and Pacific northwest history, including business records, school records, scrapbooks, catalogs, and ephemera.
- 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
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Alfred Powers (1887-1983) was an author, journalist, teacher, book collector, and book binder. He was the author of 18 books and numerous articles; was a professor of journalism at the University of Oregon; served as the head of the Works Progress Administration's Writer's Project; and served as the dean of the SSHE Extension Service and Continuing Education.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains primary source materials relating to a wide variety of Western Americana, including Oregon and Northwest businesses, northwest authors, and other authors and organizations. Includes correspondence, business records, school records, diaries, printed materials, biographical and autobiographical materials, financial records, scrapbooks, and ephemera. Included are materials relating to: Richard Baird; Frederic Homer Balch; E. W. Ball; Charles Henry Carey; Eli Colter; Sabra Connor; Walter M. Cook; Belle W. Cooke; Robert Duniway; Daniel Giles; Sheldon Glover; Elwin G. Greer; Lafyette Grover; Bernard Hinshaw; Bruce LeRoy; Chester A. Lyon; Grace Marquam; John McCracken; Joaquin Miller; Joseph Ouper; Emil Peters; M. A. Pflug; George Pope; Dr. D. H. Rand; Oswald West; Auto Freight Company; Big Brother Farm (Lebanon, Oregon); Ladd & Tilton Bank; the Oregon Council for the Protection of Roadside Beauty; the Oregon Diamond Coal, Mining, and Developing Company; the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company; Portland Academy and Female Seminary; and the Vancouver Transportation Company.
Subjects include: Aumsville, Oregon; freemasonry; Japanese American internment; medical practice; mines and mining; Sitka, Alaska; statues; and steamboats.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Includes materials formerly designated Mss 2907-1.
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
Alfred Powers papers, Mss 2907, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in one series.
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Alfred Powers.
Separated Materials
Photographs received with the collection were separated to the photograph collections of the Oregon Historical Society.
Ledger of the Drake Brothers photograph studio was added to the June Drake papers, Mss 1617, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
The following ephemera items were separated to the Topical Collections of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library:
- "Constitution, by-laws, manual of the lodge of the Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Oregon" (booklet, 1911) -- to Mss 1511
- Donald Nursery Company, Donald, Oregon, catalog, 1916 -- to Mss 1510
- "In remembrance of the Midwinter International Exposition, San Francisco, Cal., 1894" (booklet) -- to Mss 1522
- "Lewis and Clark journal," May, 1904 -- to Serials Collection
- "Souvenir commemorating the gala opening of the Tebbets Oriental Theatre" (program booklet) -- To Mss 1510
- Souvenir menu of the Al Kadar A.A.O.N.M.S. pilgrimage," 1926 -- to Mss 1511
- "Souvenir programme, pilgrimage of the Al Kader Temple to Oasis of Coos Bay, October 4, 1919" (booklet) -- To Mss 1511
- Two menus from the Milwaukee Road -- To Mss 2942
- "The University of Oregon Summer Sessions, 1928, preliminary announcement" (booklet) -- to Mss 1504
- "Views of the PPIE Exposition, San Francisco, 1915" (booklet) -- to Mss 1522
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Alfred Powers CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Ajax Mine, Colorado--Correspondence and papers (bound
volume) |
1917 September-December |
1/2 | Albany Nurseries--Roses catalog |
1914 |
1/3 | "Around the Pacific : cruise of the S.S. Malolo" (loose
leaf notebook with hand written diary entries) |
1929 |
1/4 | Auto Freight Terminal Company, Portland,
Oregon--Shipments to Aurora |
1926 August |
2/1 | Aumsville, Oregon, Sunday school records (2
volumes) |
1905-1906; 1913 |
2/2 | Baird, Richard--North Yamhill, farmer's market account
book |
1876-1877 |
2/3 | Balch, Frderic Homer--Correspondence |
circa 1932 |
2/4 | Ball, E. W.--Cash book |
1886-1906 |
2/5 | Carey, Charles--Incoming correspondence |
1934-1936 |
2/6 | Celilo Canal and Columbia River Improvement
Association--Scrapbook of clippings and letters assembled by Levi W.
Myers |
1903 |
2/7 | "Chief Joseph" by Robert Duniway--Typescript of
essay |
1954 |
2/8 | Colter, Eli (author)--Autobiography
(typescript) |
1955 |
2/9 | Connor, Sabra--Fragments of diary |
1930-1931 |
3/1 | Cook, Walter M.--Portland to San Francisco motor trip
log book |
1909 |
3/2 | Cooke, Belle W. (author of
Tears and victory)--Biographical
data from her daughter |
1834-1935 |
3/3 | Corvallis Chamber of Commerce, Forum Songs
booklet |
undate |
3/4 | Giles, Daniel--Autobiography, copied by Emil R.
Peterson |
1946 |
3/5 | Glover, Eli Sheldon--Diary (WPA transcription,
typescript) |
1875 |
3/6 | Greer, Edwin G., "Historical value of Astoria"
(manuscript) |
1875 |
3/7 | Herneau [Herman?], S., Portland--Cash book |
1876 |
3/8 | Hinshaw, Bernard--Drawing for the "History of Oregon
literature" (pencil drawings of Harvey Scott and Ella Rhoads
Higginson) |
undated |
3/9 | Historical Records Survey (WPA), Eastern Oregon
counties |
1937 |
4/1 | Holt, U. L.--Invoices from merchants in Sitka,
Alaska |
1906-1909 |
4/2 | "Japanese concentration camp"--Papers found at
internment camp at Tule Lake |
1944 |
4/3-4 | Journal of the Oregon Diamond Coal, Mining, and
Developing Company, volumes 1-2 |
1906-1909 |
4/5 | Keikhoven, E. K.--Naval diary |
1917-1921 |
5/1 | Ladd & Tilton Bank--Account books of depositors (4
volumes) |
circa 1890-1899 |
5/2 | Ladd & Tilton Bank--Advertising and
brochures |
1911; 1921-1922 |
5/3 | Ladd & Tilton Bank--"63 years : then, and now"
(booklet of advertisements used in 50th anniversary campaign) |
circa 1921 |
5/4 | LeRoy, Bruce, "The history of Fort Vancouver"
(typescript) |
1958 |
5/5 | Lyon, Chester A., "Big Brother Farm, Lebanon, Oregon"
(papers and photographs) |
circa 1935 |
5/6 | McCracken, John--Port of Portland time book |
1915-1916 |
5/7 | Miller, Joaquin--Article and other materials
regarding |
circa 1925 |
5/8 | "Mission of Dolores of San Francisco, A.D. 1830"
(lithograph) |
undated |
5/9 | Motor boat correspondence (letters to Alfred
Powers) |
1916-1922 |
5/10 | Oregon Council for the Protection of Roadside
Beauty--Year book |
1940 |
5/11 | Oregon Fruit Drier (H. S. Jory &
Son)--Catalog |
1893 |
5/12 | "Oregon : name of mystery," by Alfred Powers (bound
typescript) |
1940 |
6/1 | Oregon Pioneer Mother Statue (Eugene)--Origin and
unveiling |
1932-1933 |
6/2 | Oregon politics--Scrapbook |
1882 |
6/3 | Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company--Bills of lading
of Wing Sing Long Kee & Co. to Seufert Brothers Packing Company |
1906-1909 |
6/4 | "Oregon roses and other beautiful flowers"--Catalog,
Clarke Brothers, Portland |
1922-1923 |
10/1 | "Oregon's imported song birds from Germany and England :
contemporary records, 1890-1907," from the scrapbooks of C. F. Pfluger
(scrapbook of clippings) Records of the Oregon Song Bird Society, which this scrapbook concerns, are housed in the Audubon Society of Portland records, Mss 2990, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
|
1890-1907 |
6/5 | Ouper, Joseph--Financial journal, Scio,
Oregon |
1912-1922 |
6/6 | Pack train trade--Copy of article from
Huntchings' California
Magazine
|
1856 December |
6/7 | Peterson & Dering, Rose Growers--Catalog of
roses |
1962 |
6/8 | Pflug, M. A.--Cash book |
1888-1889 |
7/1 | Pioneer reminiscences re: wildlife, especially cougars
(bound typescript) |
undated |
7/2 | Pope, George--Correspondence |
1886-1888 |
7/3 | Portland Academy--Autograph Album of student Josie
DeVore |
1865 |
7/4 | Portland physician's call book and record (printed
record book with hand written entries by an unknown physician) |
circa 1891 |
7/5 | Powers, Alfred--General correspondence |
1935-1949 |
7/6 | Powers, Alfred, "Oregon petroglyphs" (manuscript and
clippings) |
circa 1963 |
7/7 | "Prairie fires : notes gathered by Alfred Powers,
assisted by Dorothy Schrader, for a prairie fire adventure in the chapter
'Three Dangers of Kit Carson' in the book 'True adventures on westward trails'"
(bound typescript) |
undated |
7/8 | Rand, D. H., Dr.--Ledger |
1891-1894 |
8/1 | "Secretary's helper" (manual, Grand Lodge) |
1872 |
8/2 | "The typewriters used in Portland offices in 1891, as
advertised in seven 1891 numbers of the
Century magazine"
(scrapbook) |
1891 |
9/1-2 | Vancouver Transportation Company--Records of the steamer
Undine (2 volumes in custom
box) |
1888-1894 |
8/3 | Vancouver Transportation Company--Profit and loss
records of steamships
Undine,
Lurline, and
Governor Newell
|
1874-1894 |
8/4 | "Was Governor Lafayette Grover elected U.S. Senator by
fraud?"--Clippings from the
Congressional record
|
1877 March |
8/5 | West, Oswald, "The battle of life" (memoirs)--Clippings
from the
Sunday Oregonian
|
1937 |
8/6 |
Who's who of Oregon authors
(pamphlet), published by the Oregon State Library |
1951 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Business enterprises--Northwest, Pacific
- Freemasonry--Oregon
- Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
- Mines and mining--Northwest, Pacific
- Statues--Oregon--Eugene
- Steamboats--Columbia River
Personal Names
- Baird, Richard
- Balch, F. H. (Frederic Homer), 1861-1891
- Ball, E. W.
- Carey, Charles Henry
- Colter, Eli
- Conner, Sabra
- Cook, Walter M.
- Cooke, Belle
- Duniway, Robert
- Giles, Daniel
- Glover, Sheldon
- Greer, Elwin G.
- Grover, La Fayette, 1823-1911
- Hinshaw, Bernard
- LeRoy, Bruce
- Lyon, Chester A.
- Marquam, Grace
- Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913
- Ouper, Joseph
- Peter, Emil
- Pflug, M. A.
- Pope, George
- Powers, Alfred--Archives
- West, Oswald, 1873-1960
Corporate Names
- Auto Freight Company
- Ladd & Tilton Bank (Portland, Or.)
- Oregon Council for the Protection of Roadside Beauty
- Oregon Diamond Coal, Mining, and Developing Company
- Oregon Railway and Navigation Company
- Portland Academy and Female Seminary (Portland, Or.)
- Vancouver Transportation Company (Vancouver, Wash.)
- Big Brother Farm (Lebanon, Or.)
Geographical Names
- Aumsville (Or.)--History
- Portland (Or.)--History
- Sitka (Alaska)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Autograph albums
- Cash books
- Diaries
- Ledgers
- Letters (correspondence)
- Photographs
- Printed ephemera
- Scrapbooks