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Audubon Society of Portland records, 1885-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Audubon Society of Portland
Title
Audubon Society of Portland records
Dates
1885-1987 (inclusive)
Quantity
23.5 cubic feet, (49 document cases, 2 card file boxes, 2 flat boxes, and 17 oversize folders)
Collection Number
Mss 2990
Summary
Records of the Audubon Society of Portland and related ornithological organizations.
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, German, French, Portugese
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Historical Note

The Audubon Society of Portland was founded as the Oregon Audubon Society in 1902, when birders from Astoria, Oregon, who had formed under the name the previous year, merged with the John Burroughs Club of Portland, Oregon. It would not be until 1909, however, that the organization officially wrote its articles of incorporation. Among those who signed the articles of incorporation were the nature photographers William L. Finley and Herman T. Bohlman, who served as president and treasurer, respectively.

In 1929, the society purchased 12 acres of property along Cornell Road in Portland’s western hills. The following year, the estate of Henry Lewis Pittock donated an additional 18.5 acres to this property, which would become known as the Pittock Bird Sanctuary. William Ayres Eliot and his wife Lillian Post Eliot, both influential members of the Oregon Audubon Society, served as the sanctuary’s first on-site caretakers.

Although the Oregon Audubon Society had a relationship with the National Audubon Society, it repeatedly rejected proposals to become an official chapter of the national organization in the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1966, the society’s members agreed to become an official chapter of the National Audubon Society, and the society’s name was changed to Portland Audubon Society.

The Audubon Society of Portland continues to serve as an organization dedicated to the appreciation and protection of birds and natural settings.

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Content Description

The collection primarily consists of the society’s records and correspondence. Correspondence includes letters by such prominent members as Willard Ayres and Lillian Post Eliot, Norbert Leupold, Fred Crenshaw, W. H. Crowell, and Jeannie DeHart. Records include board meeting minutes, financial documents, board and membership rosters, and materials relating to the society’s properties and facilities such as the Pittock Bird Sanctuary. Records also include lists and charts of birds spotted at the annual Christmas bird count and other outings, materials regarding educational and outreach events, and papers concerning books which the society published. In addition, the collection houses materials relating to: C.F. Pfluger and the Portland Song Bird Society; the John Burroughs Club; wildlife refuges in Oregon and elsewhere; the National Audubon Society; other state and regional ornithological and conservation organizations; publications by the U.S. and Oregon state governments; conservation legislation; William L. Finley's tenure are Oregon State Game Warden; Mamie E. Campbell's scrapbooks; educational leaflets published by the National Audubon Society; illustrations of birds; copies of R. Bruce Horsfall’s series of paintings depicting a family of bluebirds; conservation stamp sets; compilations of poems about birds; newspaper clippings.

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Use of the Collection

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.

Preferred Citation

Audubon Society of Portland records, Mss 2990, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The materials are arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Preceding organizations
  • Series B: Administrative records and correspondence
  • Series C: Bird counts and lists, bird-related notes, and field trips
  • Series D: Programs, events, and outreach
  • Series E: Articles, leaflets, and other publications
  • Series F: Illustrations
  • Series G: Stamps
  • Series H: Guides, maps, and plans
  • Series I: Other/affiliated organizations
  • Series J: Newspaper articles and clippings
  • Series K: Other materials and ephemera

Acquisition Information

Lib. Acc. 22336

Separated Materials

Photographs relating to the society are designated Audubon Society of Portland photographs collection, Org. Lot 1379, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Issues of the Audubon Warbler and News on the Wing are housed in the Serials Collections, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

16mm film reels were separated to Moving Images collections, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Reel and cassette audiotapes were separated to Oral History collections, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Birds--Pictorial works
  • Birds--Societies, etc.--Oregon--Portland
  • Conservation
  • Ornithology--Societies, etc.--Oregon--Portland
  • Societies and clubs--Oregon--Portland
  • Wildlife refuges--Oregon
  • Wildlife refuges--Oregon--Portland

Personal Names

  • Bohlman, Herman T.
  • Campbell, Mamie E., -1950
  • Crenshaw, Fred, 1893-1973--Correspondence
  • Crowell, W. H. (William Hamblin), 1877-1962--Correspondence
  • DeHart, Jeannie--Correspondence
  • DuBois, Henry M., -1969
  • Eliot, Lillian Post, 1871-1958--Correspondence
  • Eliot, William Ayres, 1871-1961--Correspondence
  • Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953
  • Horsfall, R. Bruce (Robert Bruce), 1869-1948
  • Leupold, Norbert H., Sr., 1906-1983--Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Audubon Society of Portland--Archives
  • John Burroughs Club (Portland, Or.)
  • National Audubon Society
  • Pittock Bird Sanctuary (Portland, Or.)
  • Portland Song Bird Society (Or.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Administrative records
  • Building plans.
  • Charts (graphic documents)
  • Clippings (information artifacts)
  • Correspondence.
  • Drawings (visual works)
  • Financial records
  • Leaflets (printed works)
  • Maps (documents)
  • Minutes (administrative records)
  • Poems
  • Postage stamps

Finding aid prepared by Jeffrey A. Hayes
2017

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