Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Thomas M. Robins papers , 1912-1964
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Robins, Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew), 1881-1965
- Title
- Thomas M. Robins papers
- Dates
- 1912-1964 (inclusive)19131958
- Quantity
- 13.25 linear feet, (8 containers) : 5 record storage boxes, 1 small artifact box, 1 clamshell box, 1 oversize folder
- Collection Number
- Ax 278
- Summary
- Thomas Matthew Robins was a native of Maryland who graduated from West Point and served in Cuba in 1908 and in World War I. He later moved to Portland, Oregon where he was in charge of construction of the Bonneville Dam. Collection contains engineering project and research files, speeches, correspondence, personal information and photographs.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections and University Archives, Paulson Reading Room.
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Thomas Matthew Robins was born in Snow Hill, Maryland and graduated from West Point in 1904, as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. He served in Cuba in 1908, and in Manila from 1909 to 1912. During World War I he was the engineer officer at the Hoboken, New Jersey port of embarkation.
By 1929 he was the division engineer of the Southern Pacific Division, headquartered in San Francisco, California; he would later become the division engineer of the Northern Pacific Division in Portland, Oregon. While in Portland, he was in charge of all rivers, harbors, and flood control work, including construction of the Bonneville Dam. He was later stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and became Deputy Chief of Engineers. He retired in 1945, and did private consulting work.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection consists of engineering project and research files, which include correspondence, legislation, drawings, reports, and manuscripts. Projects include the Yale Dam, the Pelton hydroelectric development, and the dams of the Idaho Power Company. Also included are reports by commissions, corporations, and associations, including the National Water Conservation Conference, Pacific Northwest Development Association, National Reclamation Association, and Interstate Compact Commission. The correspondence is largely official in nature (1931-1945), except for an exchange of about three hundred letters, 1913-1919, between Robins and Eleanor Reifsnider, who would later become Mrs. Thomas M. Robins.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Description |
|---|
| Guide to the Thomas M. Robins papers |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Civil engineering--United States
- Dams, locks, and canals
- Dams--Northwest, Pacific
- Engineers--Oregon--Portland
- Engineers--United States
- Hydroelectric power plants--United States--Design and construction
Personal Names
Corporate Names
Form or Genre Terms
University of Oregon Libraries, Archivists' Toolkit Project Team and Tanya Parlet. Finding aid updated by Rachel Lilley, 2016.
2011
