Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
James M. Brown Papers, circa 1851-1925
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Brown, James M., 1844-1922
- Title
- James M. Brown Papers
- Dates
- circa 1851-1925 (inclusive)
- Quantity
- 1.5 linear feet (3 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Mss 575
- Summary
- Papers of James M. Brown, including manuscripts, financial records, and ephemera. Included are materials relating to the Brown family of Silverton, Oregon. Most of the material deals with the education, business, and social activities of Percy L. Brown.
- 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.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
James M. Brown (1844-1922) was born in Lincoln County, Missouri, on January 6, 1844. He was the son of James Brown (1814-1887) and Lucinda Davis (died 1872). In 1846, the Brown family traveled with members of the Donner Party. The Donner Party eventually took the route to the California Trail while the Brown family continued along the Oregon Trail. Once in Oregon, the Brown family received 640 acres near Silverton under a donation land claim in 1846. James was married to Edna Eastham (1850-1936), and they had four children. He was a notary public and justice of the peace. After the Interurban Telephone Company was incorporated in 1908, he was elected president while his son Percy served as the secretary and manager.
Percy L. Brown (1876-1934) attended Willamette University and graduated from the Oregon Institute in 1896. Percy and his brother Carl M. Brown (1879-1903) were partners in the electric light plant and the Silverton waterworks. Percy was married in 1906 and was a member of the Independent Order of Odd fellows and the mayor of Silverton from 1911-1912.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers of James M. Brown (circa 1851-1925), including manuscripts, financial records, and ephemera. Included are materials relating to the Brown family of Silverton, Oregon. Most of the material deals with the education, business, and social activities of Percy L. Brown.
There are ledgers relating to the family's involvement in many organizations around Silverton. Several of the ledgers contain the membership and dues lists of the Silver Lodge No. 36, Independent Order of Good Templars. Other ledgers probably belonged to James M. Brown and contain detailed financial accounts. Business papers and family letters are included in the collection.
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 publication 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
James M. Brown Papers, Mss575, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series:
- Series A: Family Papers, circa 1851-1925
- Series B: Ledgers, circa 1862-1914
Acquisition Information
The origin of the collection is unknown.
Bibliography
Portrait and Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon (Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company), 1903. History of the Willamette Valley Oregon Volume II (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing), 1927. Genealogy file: Brown, James Family (Silverton, Ore.), Oregon Historical Society Research Library Genealogy file: Brown Family-Silverton, Oregon Historical Society Research Library Scrapbook 132, page 68, Oregon Historical Society Research LibraryDetailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series A: Family Papers, circa 1851-1925Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Brown Electric
Company
Account ledger, correspondence, school certificates, and
documents related to Brown Electric Company
|
circa 1853-1904 |
| 1/2 | Receipts
School, business, and tax receipts
|
circa 1868-1904 |
| 1/3 | Family
correspondence
Includes genealogical information
|
circa 1853-1925 |
| 1/4 | Ephemera
Teaching certificates, report cards, legal documents, and
wedding invitations
|
circa 1862-1923 |
| 1/5 | Correspondence of Percy L.
Brown
Family, friends, and business correspondence
|
circa 1889-1924 |
| 1/6 | Order of Good
Templars
Roll of members of Silver Lodge No. 36, Independent Order of
Good Templars, and related documents
|
1870-1913 |
| 1/7 | Abstracts and warranty
deeds
Marion County abstracts of title and warranty deeds
|
circa 1893-1909 |
| 1/8 | Philodosian
Documents related to Philodosian Society of Willamette
University, Salem, Oregon
|
circa 1898 |
Series B: Ledgers, circa 1862-1914Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/9 | Dues ledger |
circa 1877-1888 |
| 1/10 | Account ledger |
1885-1892 |
| 1/11 | Account ledger |
1885-1892 |
| 2/1 | Ledger
Silver Lodge No. 36, Independent Order of Good Templars
|
1883-1900 |
| 2/2 | Ledger, Fair Mount Park
Company, Salem, Oregon
Articles of incorporation and minutes
|
1889-1891 |
| 2/3 | Silver Lodge ledger,
minutes |
1900-1914 |
| 2/4 | Silver Lodge
ledger |
circa 1872-1886 |
| 2/5 | Silverton Trombone Band
Treasurer's ledger |
1877-1911 |
| 2/6 | Ledger, drawings of
Davidson's Steam Pump Boiler |
circa 1900 |
| 2/7 | Silver Lodge
ledger |
1883-1896 |
| 2/8 | Butte Creek Library
Association, Silverton, Oregon, ledger |
1866-1874 |
| 3/1 | Silver Lodge
ledger |
1866-1874 |
| 3/2 | Account ledger |
1892-1905 |
| 3/3 | Silver Lodge ledger and legal
document |
1880-1900; 1910 |
| 3/4 | Carl Brown
notebook |
circa 1895 |
| 3/5 | Autograph book of Florence
Brown |
1892-1894 |
| 3/6 | Autograph book of Florence
Brown |
1888-1891 |
| 3/7 | Autograph book of Percy L.
Brown |
1887-1891 |
| 3/8 | Account ledger |
1885-1903 |
| 3/9 | Silverton Board of Trade
meeting minutes |
1901-1906 |
| 3/10 | Percy L. Brown account
book |
circa 1894-1910 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Brown, Florence.
- Brown, James M., 1844-1922. (creator)
- Brown, Percy Lewis (creator)
- Brown, Carl M.
Corporate Names
- Independent Order of Good Templars.
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
- International Order of Good Templars.
Geographical Names
- Silverton (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Ledgers (account books).
- Letters (correspondence)
Collection processed by Todd
Sulloway, 2005 November
2006
