Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Joseph L. Miller photographs collection, 1909-1995
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Miller, Joseph L., 1910-
- Title
- Joseph L. Miller photographs collection
- Dates
- 1909-1995 (inclusive)19091995
1971-1995 (bulk)19711995 - Quantity
- 0.84 cubic feet, (502 photographs, 33 slides, 67 film negatives, 2 postcards, and other printed material in 1 document box and 3 oversize folders)
- Collection Number
- Org. Lot 1021
- Summary
- Photographs document Joseph L. Miller's crusade to protect the Bull Run Reserve and watershed from logging and recreation damage and to expand public awareness of the threat to its famed pristine water, which is the main source of water for Portland, Or., and other smaller communities in the area. The bulk of the photographs show the impact of logging on the watershed.
- 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
Joseph L. Miller (1910- ), a native of Chicago, trained as a medical doctor. He moved to Oregon in 1940 with his wife, Amy, and he opened a medical practice in Portland, Or. In 1948, the family bought 94 acres near the Bull Run Reserve, in the vicinity of Marmot, Clackamas County, Oregon. There they built a small cabin, mostly for summer camping, and in 1975 established a permanent home on three acres. They donated the remaining 91 acres to the Portland Audubon Society in 1977.
In 1971, Miller discovered that the United States Forest Service (USFS) had, since 1958, allowed commercial logging in the watershed in spite of a 1904 Trespass Act and planned to open a 30,000-acre area for recreational purposes. Such strong opposition was expressed at a public meeting, which Miller attended, that the USFS and the Portland Water Bureau withdrew the plan. Miller then began a systematic effort to collect and disseminate information on the Bull Run Reserve to focus public attention on the need for watershed protection. In 1974, he organized the Bull Run Citizens' Advisory Committee, which evolved into the Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) by 1975. BRIG was active at varying levels until about 1993. Miller was most concerned about the secrecy and lack of public information and input that he believed characterized the activities of the USFS and Portland Water Bureau, which managed the Bull Run Watershed.
In 1975, Miller and two co-plaintiffs initiated a class-action lawsuit against the USFS for allowing public access and logging in violation of the Trespass Act and won their case. However, in 1977 Congress nullified the act, and new legislation, introduced by Rep. Robert Duncan and Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon, specified that the Bull Run Reserve could be managed by the Forest Service according to prevailing multiple-use principles. Use of the watershed need not be confined to water production, though that use should be primary.
Miller's crusade to restore the protections of the Trespass Act continued after 1977, and, with the public scrutiny that he inspired, serious degradation of the watershed diminished. His efforts included further litigation and stays to stop what he considered to be dubious timber sales after “blowdowns.”
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Images document Joseph L. Miller's crusade to protect the Bull Run Reserve and watershed from logging and recreation damage and to expand public awareness of the threat to its famed pristine water through formation of the Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) and lawsuits he initiated against the U.S. Forest Service. Bull Run is the main source of water for Portland, Or., and other smaller communities in the area. Photographs showing the impact of logging on the Bull Run Watershed make up the bulk of the collection. Primary formats represented are black-and-white and color photographic prints, ranging from snapshot size to 8x10 (some with negatives), black-and-white and color aerial photographs, and 35 mm color slides. Some prints are attached to two posters, and the collection also includes two color postcards and related papers.
Miller made some of the photographs himself and obtained the remainder from other photographers and sources, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service. Many of the black-and-white and color images were used to illustrate publications produced by BRIG and by Miller personally, and two groups are marked as exhibits in class action lawsuits that Miller and others brought against the U.S. Forest Service.
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
Joseph L. Miller photographs collection, Org. Lot 1021, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The photographs are organized into the following series :
- Series A: Joseph L. Miller: Background and Portraits, 1990-2004
- Series B: Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) Open Files, 1972-1986
- Series C: Lawsuit Exhibits, 1974-1978
- Series D: Forest Service Management and Timber Sales, 1927-1991
- Subseries 1: Bull Run Watershed, 1927-1981
- Subseries 2: Little Sandy River Watershed, 1987-1991
- Series E: Images Used in Publications, 1975-1986
- Series F: Other Images, ca. 1980-1982; undated
Custodial History
Joseph L. Miller gave his photographs and papers to the Oregon Historical Society in two parts, 1997 and 1998, with annotations added for clarification shortly before his final donation.
Acquisition Information
Library accession nos. 23189 and 23563.
Separated Materials
Manuscript materials were separated to the Joseph L. Miller Papers, Mss 6022, in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Manuscripts Collection. Copies of the Bull Run Open Newsletter are available in the Research Library Serials Collection.
Bibliography
Bull Run Interest Group and Miller, Joseph L., comp. Bull Run: A World Treasure:Portland: Bull Run Interest Group, 1998.
Harmon, Rick. "The Bull Run Watershed: Portland's Enduring Jewel." Oregon Historical Quarterly 96 (1995): 242-270.
Miller, Joseph L., Jr. How to Destroy God's Kingdom and Democracy at the Same Time: Case Study, Water Supply of Portland, Oregon. Portland: J.L. Miller, 1989.
Miller, Joseph L. and John Eliot Allen. What Good Is Free Speech in a Closet?: A Story of Cover-up in Planning for Our Grandchildren's Drinking Water. Porland, Or.: DRC Graphics Services, 1985.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Joseph L. Miller: Background and Portraits, 1990-2004Return to Top
Includes black-and-white and color photographic prints.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Background |
2004 |
| 1/2 | Portraits
Black-and-white mages by Jeanne Fromuth and Alberta
Gerould
|
ca. 1991-1992 |
| 1/3 | At the Stand for Ancient
Forests Earth Day event |
April 21, 1990 |
| 1/4 | At Portland City Council
hearings
35mm slides by Brad Yazzolino. People pictured in addition
at Miller are Bob Robinson, Doug Christie, and Alberta [?]
|
1992 or 1993 |
Series B: Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) Open Files, 1972-1986Return to Top
Includes photographic prints, aerial photographs, and slides that are part of Joseph Miller’s version of the BRIG Open File of background materials established at the Multnomah County Library, where they were indexed and are available to the public. Miller’s idea was that the Open File would be “a live, growing source of information on all sides of Bull Run issues. The file is open for anyone to add information or views; for anyone to help seek and index new material; for anyone to study.” The primary version of the file remains available in the Multnomah County Central Library (Portland, Or.) Government Documents Room (2004).
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/5 | BRIG Open File
poster
Includes two color prints on 8-in. x 8-in. cardboard,
advertising availability of the Open File at the Multnomah County Central
Library (Portland, Or)
|
ca. 1975 |
| 1/6 | No. 61--Helicopter logging in
Bull Run Reserve
Color images by Spencer Beebe, printed four to an 8 x 10-in.
sheet, with captions. Includes some duplicates.
|
Aug. 29, 1975 |
| 1/7 | No. 67--Slide
show
One slide only, no slide show. Color slide No. 2 shows Bull
Run Reserve boundaries. File includes related correspondence and notes.
Location of the slide show is unknown. It is not with the BRIG Open File at the
Multnomah County Central Library.
|
undated |
| 1/8 | No. 117--maps reproduced from
Bull Run Draft Environmental Impact Statement (U.S. Forest Service) |
1976 |
| 1/9 | No. 126--images of logging
impacts on Bull Run Watershed
Color prints and list, including images of Goodfellow Lakes
and Little Sandy River Watershed.
|
1976 |
| 1/10 | No. 126--maps reproduced from
Bull Run Draft Environmental Impact Statement (U.S. Forest Service) |
1976 |
| 1/11 | No. 126--aerial photographs
of Bull Run Watershed (Oregon State Department of Forestry)
Color prints and list, including images of Goodfellow Lakes
and Little Sandy River Watershed.
|
June 28, 1972 |
| 1/12 | No. 139--color photographic
reproductions of hand annotated maps, Bull Run Watershed |
undated |
| Over A/1 | No. 139--Bull Run Reserve
black-and-white aerials
Some annotated with boundaries in plastic tape and felt tip
marker
|
1974 |
| 1/13 | No. 257d-i--Bull Run
Watershed clearcuts
Color prints by Douglas Larson. Includes notation that
Joseph L. Miller sent copies of the photographs to the mayor of Portland in
1985.
|
1978 |
| 1/14 | No. 275--tour to select sites
for proposed Bull Run Monitoring by citizens group--color prints |
May 6, 1986 |
| 1/15 | No. 275.2--tour to select
sites for proposed Bull Run Monitoring by citizens group--color
prints |
July 14, 1986 |
| 1/16 | No. 275-275.2--tour to select
sites for proposed Bull Run Monitoring by citizens group--35 mm color
slides |
May-July 1986 |
| 1/17 | No. 277--color prints used in
Free Speech Out of the
Closet
Nanny Creek Blowdown timber sale.
|
Aug. 7, 1986 |
| 1/18 | No. 307e--color image on
information sheet, Little Sandy River Drainage
Nanny Creek Blowdown timber sale.
|
1987 |
| 1/19 | BRIG Open Files--maps of
roadless areas, Bull Run Watershed
Color photographic reproductions of hand annotated maps.
|
undated |
| 1/120 | BRIG Open Files--maps
collected for use, Bull Run Watershed
Photographic reproductions and photocopies.
|
undated |
| 1/21 | BRIG Open Files--maps--notes
and orders |
1974-1984 |
Series C: Photographic Exhibits for Lawsuits, (bulk 1974-1978) Return to Top
Includes color and black-and-white photographic prints marked as exhibits for two class action lawsuits that Joseph L. Miller and others initiated against U.S. Forest Service management practices on the Mount Hood National Forest. This included Miller vs. Mallory, charging the U.S. Forest Service was in violation of the Trespass Act, and Miller vs. Robertson, asking a U.S. District Court Judge to halt several "blowdown" timber sales offered by the Forest Service. Dates listed for folders are dates the photographs were made, if known, or dates they were entered as exhibits.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/22 | Miller vs.
Mallory
Color prints of helicopter logging in Bull Run Watershed,
made by Spencer Beebe (see also folder 1/6 in this collection). Includes
photocopy of Beebe's brief diary of the trip and list of images he made.
|
Aug. 29, 1974 |
| 1/23 | Miller vs.
Mallory
Color prints showing logging impacts on the Bull Run
Watershed.
|
February 1974 |
| 1/24 | Miller vs.
Robertson--photographic prints from U.S. Forest Service brief
Includes color prints (some assembled as glued-up composites
to form panoramas) and black-and-white photographic prints. Removed from Miller
Papers, Mss 6022, 31/6.
|
1978 |
Series D: Forest Service Management and Timber Sales, 1927-1991, (bulk 1973-1987) Return to Top
Consists primarily of color prints and slides illustrating the impacts of logging on the Bull Run and Little Sandy River watersheds. One 1927 black-and-white image shows the site of a dam built on the Bull Run River to create the reservoir from which Portland draws its water supply.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Subseries 1:
Bull Run
Watershed
115
items
|
1927-ca. 1981; 1973-1977 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/25 | Bull Run dam
site
Black-and-white print by David B. Charlton.
|
1927 |
| 1/26 | Forest Service closure
notices for Bull Run Watershed
Color prints of notice tacked to trees that cites the
1904 Trespass Act.
|
1973-1974 |
| 1/27 | Logging impacts--color
prints
Notation indicates copies of these were sent to
"Charley" [Charles Merten, attorney in class action lawsuits].
|
January 1974 |
| 1/28 | Logging impacts--color
prints |
February 1974 |
| 1/29 | Logging impacts--color
prints |
1974 |
| Over B-1/1 | "Petition to Protect Our
Bull Run Water from Commercial Logging and Public Recreation"--poster with neck
cord
Includes copies of two color prints by Spencer Beebe,
Aug. 29, 1974--see 1/6 for originals.
|
ca. 1974 |
| 1/30 | Infrared views of Bull
Run Watershed from U-2 plane at 65,000 feet--35mm color slides
By U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
|
1974 |
| 1/31 | Logging on Barium and
Uranium timber sales (U.S. Forest Service)--color prints |
1977 |
| 1/32 | Logging on Swampy timber
sale (U.S. Forest Service)--color prints |
1977 |
| 1/33 | Blowdown sale areas areas
planned by U.S. Forest Service--35 mm color slides |
ca. 1977 |
| 1/34 | Blowdown--color
print |
undated |
Subseries 2:
Little Sandy River
Watershed
17
items
|
1987-1991 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/35 | Views--color
prints |
Sept. 30, 1987 |
| 1/36 | Views--black-and-white
prints |
Oct. 30, 1987 |
| 1/37 | Proposed logging
areas--Cowboy, Olive and Quiver timber sales
Two color prints on two-sided bulletin paste-up used for
photocopying.
|
1987 |
| 1/38 | Circle and Pica timber
sales, Zigzag Ranger District
Two black-and-white prints on two-sided paste-up used
for photocopying
Free Speech Out of the
Closet, No. 67, April 21, 1988.
|
April 1988 |
| Over A/2 | Olive Planning Unit, U.S.
Forest Service--color photo sheet with captions |
May 1990 |
| 1/39 | Olive Planning Unit, U.S.
Forest Service--color prints |
October-November 1991 |
Series E: Images Used in Publications, (bulk 1975-1986) Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/40 |
Bull Run Open
Newsletter
Four color prints on paste-up used for photocopying.
|
Oct. 1, 1975 |
| 1/41 |
Free Speech Out of the
Closetcolor print |
July 14, 1986 |
| 1/42 |
Free Speech Out of the
Closet--color prints
See Joseph L. Miller Papers, Mss 6022, 50/6 and 7.
|
Aug. 7, 1986 |
Series F: Other Images, ca. 1980, 1982, undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/43 | Breitenbush River Drainage
(Or.), Devil's Ridge section--color aerial photograph |
1982 |
Other images |
ca. 1980; undated | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/44 |
Publick Occurrences (first newspaper in
America)--color print of exhibit panel |
ca. 1980 |
| 1/44 | Douglas fir display,
Robert B. Pamplin Forest Research Center (Mosby Creek, Or.)--color postcard [2
copies] |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Drinking water--Oregon--Portland.
- Logging--Oregon--Mount Hood National Forest--Photographs.
- Public works--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
- Water supply--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
- Water quality--Oregon--Bull Run River Watershed.
- Watershed management--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
Personal Names
- Miller, Joseph L., 1910- --Photographs.
Corporate Names
- Portland (Or.). Water Bureau--Photographs.
- United States. Forest Service--Photographs.
Geographical Names
- Bull Run River Watershed (Or.)--Photographs.
- Little Sandy River Watershed (Or.)--Photographs.
- Mount Hood National Forest (Or.)--Photographs.
Form or Genre Terms
- Aerial photographs.
- Film negatives.
- Photographic prints.
- Slides.
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. (photographer)
- United States. Forest Service. (photographer)
Finding aid prepared by Sharon M.
Howe, 2004, as part of the Northwest Archival Processing Initiative, funded by
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
2001
