Archives West Finding Aid

The correspondence included in the Ross papers contains original incoming letters, carbon copies of outgoing letters and copies of correspondence between third parties with a copy sent to Ross for his information.

Letters written in election years deal with campaign arrangements, election results, and include many letters or telegrams of congratulations, or, as in 1936 and 1938, condolence. Throughout this series are letters from people wanting jobs. Some letters can be called "tattle-tale letters," others are responding to specific questions concerning individuals in government work. There are a number of letters from A.A. Steel which deal with Ross's farm in Parma. Some letters deal with Pocatello politics, some with national policies which will affect Idaho. Beginning in 1933, Ross's friends were urging him to run against Senator W.E. Borah, and these continue through Ross's unsuccessful campaign to "retire Borah to private life" in 1936.

In the 1935 file there is a 103 page typed manuscript by Paul Davis entitled "Sales Tax."

Following the folder of undated correspondence is one labeled "J.C. White." White was maintenance engineer in highway district #5 (Coeur d'Alene) and the correspondence in this file, dated 1932-33, deals with the excessive cost of maintaining the roads in the district.

Most years have a miscellaneous folder, the contents of which are described following the alphabetical list of correspondents. There are also, for several years, extra folders with specific labels, the contents of which are included in the following list and are identified by the following codes: RP - Ross Plan (1933), NP - Nominating Petition (1934), CP - Candidacy Petition (1936), CAEG - Campaign Advertising Expenses (Governor, 1934), CAES - Campaign Advertising Expenses (Senate, 1936).

The reports contained in Series IV represent a great diversity of subject matter. Some reports are published in the form of booklets, some are mimeographed sheets and others are typescripts. Some of the reports are contained in notebooks which appear to have been used by Ross in his campaign speeches. These are usually single sheets and are not listed separately in the following list.

The clippings deal with Ross's activities as governor and also include both political reports of campaigns and paid political advertising. In 1932 there is a series of clippings on Byron Defenbach. The two folders for 1934 contain articles on prayers for rain, the State Board of Equalization, the Highway Department, state finances state Automobile Association, Pardon Board, relief, IERA, FERA, CWA, NRA, and Idaho Wool Growers in addition to articles on Ross's bid for a third term as governor.

Ross's attempt to gain Borah's Senate seat is the primary interest in the 1935-1936 folder, while his decision to run for a fourth term as governor is the subject of clippings in the 1937 file. The remaining clippings are concerned with Idaho politics. There are two articles in 1946 written upon Ross's death.

The final series in the papers of C. Ben Ross is comprised of eight folders of personal items, notebooks, souvenir programs, photographs, legal and financial documents