James Birnie papers, 1845-1916

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Birnie, James, -1864
Title
James Birnie papers
Dates
1845-1916 (inclusive)
1845-1864 (bulk)
Quantity
4 cubic feet, (3 document cases, 2 flat boxes)
Collection Number
Mss 920
Summary
Papers of a Hudson's Bay Company agent, justice of the peace, and early merchant of Cathlamet, Washington Territory. Includes Birnie & Co. accounts with Abernethy & Co.; Allan, Lowe & Co.; Henry W. Corbett; Ladd, Reed, & Co.; and other businesses in northwestern Oregon and California. Also includes fishery accounts; Cathlamet real estate records; estate papers of James A. Scarborough; and guardianship records of Edwin and Robert Scarborough.
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

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

A native of Scotland, James Birnie migrated to Canada in 1816. In 1818, he was employed by the Northwest Company and sent to Fort Spokane. After the consolidation of the Northwest Company with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, Birnie was sent to Fort George, near present-day Astoria, Oregon, where he performed the tasks of Indian trader and bookkeeper until 1831. He then went to Fort Simpson in British Columbia to assist in the completion of the fort; after two years there, he was sent back to Fort George, where he oversaw the trading post until 1845. In that year he left the Hudson's Bay Company and settled with his family in Cathlamet, Washington Territory, where he opened a store, which he ran until his death.

Birnie was married to Charlot Beaulieu, a Métis woman born in Red River, Manitoba, and they had 14 children, one of whom died in infancy. Birnie also became the legal guardian of the two young sons of James A. Scarborough, a ship captain and longtime employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, after Scarborough's death in 1855. Scarborough had taken a donation land claim on Chinook Point on the north shore of the Columbia River, and Birnie administered Scarborough's holdings until 1856, when he sold the property to another Hudson's Bay Company employee, Rocque Ducheney. James Birnie died in Cathlamet in 1864.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The materials in this collection of James Birnie's papers date mainly from 1845-1864 and relate primarily to his business ventures and real estate holdings in Cathlamet, Washington. Materials in Series 1, Financial statements, include tax statements, accounts, and a ledger, which covers a five-year period and provides detailed documentation of Birnie's investments. Also included is an extensive collection of bills and receipts related to Birnie's store.

Series 2, Correspondence, includes justice of the peace verifications and real estate manuscripts, as well as correspondence related to construction of a wharf in Cathlamet.

Series 3, Vendors, contains various documents from vendors to the Cathlamet store. These include the Hudson's Bay Co., Leonard & Green, and Allan, Lowe & Co. of San Francisco. Documents in this series include invoices, financial statements, letters regarding receipt of goods, and letters regarding shipments and payments. The letters from Allan, Lowe & Co. provide details of shipping and commerce between San Francisco and the Columbia River area.

Series 4, Bound volumes, consists primarily of accounts, but also includes Birnie's letterpress copy book, which contains copies of his outgoing correspondence from 1853 to 1858. Also in this series are two volumes detailing transactions of the estate of James Scarborough, including expenses for Scarborough's sons.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

James Birnie papers, Mss 920, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series 1: Financial records, 1846-1916
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1846-circa 1916, undated
  • Series 3: Vendors, 1852-1864
  • Sereis 4: Bound volumes, 1845-1864

Related Materials

Papers of Alexander D. Birnie, Mss 921, are also held by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1:  Financial records, 1846-1916Return to Top

Additional financial records are located in Series 4, Bound volumes.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Day book
1858 November 3-30; 1864
1 2
Ledger
1853 April 21-1858 November 1
1 3
Fishery accounts, including Pillar Rock Fishery Co.
1853
1 4
Fishery accounts
1854-1858
1 5
Bills receivable
1853-1858
1 6
Bills and receipts, A. D. Birnie
1898-1916
1 7
Bills and receipts, James D. Birnie
1846-1863
1 8-12
Bills and receipts, general
1851-1915
1 13
Steamship Lot Whitcomb - Accounts
1854
1 14
Steamship John H. Couch - Accounts
1863-1865
1 15
Steamship Multnomah - Accounts
1855-1862
1 16
Steamship Grasshopper - Accounts
1853
1 17
Shipping accounts
1853-1863

Series 2:  Correspondence, 1846-circa 1916, undatedReturn to Top

Also see additional correspondence in the letterpress copybook located in Series 4, Bound volumes.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 18-19
Business letters, general
1853-circa 1916; undated
1 20
Shipping letters
1853-1864
1 21
Personal, James D. Birnie
Includes short biography of Birnie, land claim for property, letter to Julie Birnie, and index to journal of "J. B. & Co."
1846-1858; undated
1 22
Cathlamet wharf records
1854
1 23
Cathlamet real estate
Contains register to lots in Cathlamet, Washington, owned by James Birnie.
undated
1 24
Cathlamet Territorial Road
1854-1862
1 25
Cathlamet Justice of the Peace records
1855-1858

Series 3:  Vendors, 1852-1864Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 1
Abernethy & Co. (Oak Point Mill, Abernethy & Clark)
1854-1858
2 2
Allan, Lowe & Co. (San Francisco) - Accounts
1853-1857
2 3
Allan, Lowe & Co. - Invoices
1853-1857
2 4
Allan, Lowe & Co. - Letters
1853-1858
2 5
Allan, McKinlay & Co. (Oregon City) - Accounts
1852-1858
2 6
Breck & Ogden (Portland, Or.) - Accounts
1853-1855
2 7
Breck & Ogden - Letters
1853-1854
2 8
Corbett, Henry W. (Portland, Or.) - Accounts
1861-1863
2 9
Hodge & Calef (Portland, Or.) - Receipts
1863
2 10
Hudson's Bay Co. (Vancouver, Wash.) - Accounts
1853-1855
2 11
Hudson's Bay Co. - Letters
1853-1858
2 12
Ladd, Reed & Co. (Portland, Or.) - Accounts
1854-1864
2 13
Leonard & Green (Portland, Or.) - Accounts
1853-1858
2 14
Leonard & Green - Letters
1853-1859
2 15
McKee & Co. (Portland, Or.) - Accounts
1858
2 16
Peterson, K.A. (Portland, Or.) - Letters and accounts
1855-1856
2 17
Trenchard & Hustler & Co. (Astoria, Or.) - Letters and accounts
1857-1864
2 18
Van Dussen & Brown (Astoria, Or.) - Accounts
1859-1864

Series 4:  Bound volumes, 1845-1864Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
3 1
Accounts
1852-1855
3 2
Accounts and inventories
1852-1853
3 3
Accounts
1854-1858
3 4
Day book
1858-1864
3 5
Letterpress copybook
1853-1858
4 1
Accounts
1853-1856
4 2
Accounts
1853-1855
5 1
Accounts
1845-1850
5 2
Accounts
1854-1856
5 3
Accounts and inventories
1855-1858
5 4
Ledger
1856-1857
5 5
Estate of James Scarborough - Ledger
1855
5 6
Estate of James Scarborough - Ledger
1855-1860

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Merchants--Washington (State)--Cathlamet
  • Trading posts--Washington (State)--Cathlamet

Personal Names

  • Birnie, James, -1864--Correspondence
  • Scarborough, James A. (James Allan), 1805-1855--Estate

Corporate Names

  • James Birnie & Co. (Cathlamet, Wash.)--Records and correspondence

Geographical Names

  • Cathlamet (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • correspondence
  • financial records
  • letterpress copybooks