Theodore Little Papers, 1936-1984

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Little, Theodore
Title
Theodore Little Papers
Dates
1936-1984 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 Linear feet of shelf space, (7 Boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 515 (collection)
Summary
Papers of Theodore Little, attorney of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, including tribal court cases, tribal constitutions, and Indian matters. Also court case materials from his work as Asotin Port district attorney, research papers, correspondence, and proposals concerning the Clarkston, Washington area and the Lower Granite Dam.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Theodore Little was born in Kettle Falls, Washington. He attended George Washington University in Washington D.C., and while there, worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce. He earned a master of patent law there, but municipal law became his specialty. He moved back to Washington, and worked in Olympia in the attorney general's office from 1938 to 1942 as an assistant. He was chief assistant from 1950 to 1953. He then moved to Clarkston, Washington, and began his career as a Clarkston attorney. Little had been counsel for the Asotin County Port District since 1958 when it was formed. He also was the tribal attorney for the Nez Perce Indian Nation. He also has been the past state commander of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars, and their national judge advocate from 1966 to 1967. He served in combat in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as a commissioned naval officer in World War II.

Little also belonged to many other associations. He was the director of the Nez Perce National Historical Park Association, and he was a past president of the Spalding Museum Foundation. He was the past president of the Lewiston-Clarkston Kiwans Club, the Asotin County Tuberculosis Association, chairman of the Asotin County Heart Fund, and director of Tri-State Memorial Hospital, the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce, and the Luna House Historical Society. He served two terms as the Washington state chairman of the Young Men's Christian Association youth and government legislative sessions.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers of attorney Theodore Little concern his work for the Nez Perce Tribe; and his work for the Asotin County, Washington, Port District, and other commissions and foundations he worked with in Clarkston, Washington.

The first series consists of his work when he was the Nez Perce Tribal attorney. There is material covering Indian court cases, tribal constitutions, Indian matters, and also papers concerning Little's work at the Nez Perce National Historical Park, and other interests mainly concerning Indians.

The second series deals with Little's life as a Clarkston attorney. This material consists of his work as the Asotin Port District attorney, court cases, such as the case on John Kennedy, and the case called The County of Asotin vs. the Port of Clarkston. Also in this series is material concerning Little's other interests outside of work, such as papers about the Spalding Museum Foundation, The Lewis and Clark Trail Commission, and even some research material used for speeches. There is also a folder containing correspondence to Mrs. Eve Little.

The third series contains published work, mostly about Nez Perce reservation valuation reports, supplementals and affidavits concerning the tribe, and also economic and developmental summaries and proposals concerning the Clarkston area and the Lower Granite Dam. The folders start with material about the Nez Perce, and following that is material about the Clarkston area. The last items in this series are two reels of microfilm concerning the Nez Perce.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Theodore Little Papers, 1936-1984 (Cage 515)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The papers arranged in three series. For series one and two, the folders are ordered by importance and amount of each category, with the largest starting out the series.

Acquisition Information

The papers were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Eve Rockwell Little of Clarkston, Washington (MS85-17).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Nez Perce Indian MattersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Columbia River Indians - Hunting and Fishing Rights and Cases
Box Folder
1 1
1947-1949
12 items.
1 2
1954-1959
41 items.
1 3
1960-1964
59 items.
1 4
1965-1966
36 items.
1 5
Jan, 1967- Jul, 1967
29 items.
1 6
Aug, 1967- Dec, 1967
38 items.
1 7
1968
32 items.
2 8
Columbia River Indian Fishing Council
27 items
 1965-1968
Nez Perce
Box Folder
2 9
Nez Perce Constitution and By-law Changes
34 items
 1947-1959
2 10
Nez Perce Constitution and By-law Changes
37 items
 1960-1968
2 11
Nez Perce Tribal Resolutions and Decisions
62 items
 1959-1969
2 12
Nez Perce Tribal Meeting Notes
12 items
 1962-1968
2 13
Nez Perce Legal Court Documents
5 items
 1953-1958
2 14
Nez Perce Investments, Grants
3 items
 1963
2 15
Nez Perce Land Cases
21 items
 1964-1968
2 16
Nez Perce Land Selling
5 items
 1967
2 17
Nez Perce Discrimination Case
3 items
 1965
2 18
Nez Perce Community Action Program (CAP)
32 items
 1966-1967
2 19
State of Washington Indian Affairs
10 items
 1963-1978
2 20
Nez Perce National Historical Park, and others
36 items
 1964-1977
2 21
Nez Perce National Historical Park Resources Management Plan and Environmental Assessment
2 items
 1981
2 22
Nez Perce: Chief Timothy Park
22 items
 1978-1981
2 23
Nez Perce: Red Wolf Crossing Bridge
27 items
 1967-1981
2 24
Nez Perce: Jackson Sundown
8 items
 1967
2 25
Nez Perce: Anthropological Studies
30 items
 1941-1967
2 26
Nez Perce: Marmes Rockshelter
9 items
 1967-1969
2 27
Nez Perce: Miscellaneous
46 items
 1953-1981
2 28
Nez Perce: Photographs
11 items
 1960-1965
2 29
Nez Perce: Newspaper Clippings
55 items
 1940-1984

Series 2: Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Port of Clarkston
Box Folder
3 30
1958-1967
41 items.
3 31
1968
50 items.
3 32
1969
35 items.
3 33
Jan, 1970- Aug, 1970
48 items.
3 34
Sept, 1970- Dec, 1970
22 items.
3 35
1971
41 items.
3 36
1972
4 items.
3 37
1972-1976
34 items.
Box Folder
3 38
County of Asotin vs. Port of Clarkston
54 items.
 1967-1971
3 39
Port of Clarkston Condemnation Appeal to Supreme Court
26 items.
 1966-1968
3 40
Asotin County Port District: Buying and Selling Land
68 items.
 1964-1973
Asotin County Port District vs. Clarkston Community Corporation
Box Folder
3 41
1967-1973
14 items.
3 42
1970
6 items.
Box Folder
3 43
Clarkston Chamber of Commerce
6 items.
 1970-1972
3 44
City of Clarkston
15 items.
 1967-1971
3 45
Asotin County: Airports
36 items.
 1947-1969
3 46
Camas Prarie Railroad Case
25 items.
 1962-1966
3 47
Lower Granite Dam
26 items.
 1970-1972
John Kennedy Case
Box Folder
3 48
1966
50 items.
3 49
1966-1971
60 items.
3 50
1967-1968
40 items.
3 51
1971
40 items.
Box Folder
3 52
McCarthy and Associates (Port)
13 items.
 1963-1968
3 53
E.D. McCarthy (Shopping Center, Spokane)
25 items.
 1966-1968
3 54
Port of Portland
27 items.
 1975
3 55
Resolutions
8 items.
 1966-1971
Washington Public Port Association
Box Folder
4 56
1968-1970
37 items.
4 57
Jan 1971- Apr 1971
22 items.
4 58
May 1971-1976
46 items.
Box Folder
4 59
Swallows Park Marina
3 items.
 1964-1968
Spalding Museum Foundation
Box Folder
4 60
1950-1963
41 items.
4 61
1964-1982
50 items.
Box Folder
4 62
Asotin County Museum and Historical Society
31 items.
 1973-1977
4 63
The Lewis and Clark Trail Commission
13 items.
 1975-1982
4 64
Lewis-Clark Convention Center Project
6 items.
 1970-1971
4 65
Inland Empire Waterways Association
10 items.
 1963-1970
4 66
Department of Social and Health Sevices
4 items.
 1972
4 67
Tourism and Travel
14 items.
 1966-1982
Research Material Probably Used for Speeches
Box Folder
4 68
1936-1952
15 items.
4 69
1965-1971
15 items.
4 70
1973-1976
6 items.
Box Folder
4 71
Maharishi International University
19 items.
 1971-1973
4 72
Ted Little: Pesonal, Historical Material
32 items.
 1936-1982
4 73
Ted Little: Personal Micellaneous
37 items.
 1957-1978
4 74
Ted Little: Postcards
33 items.
 1965-1981
4 75
Mrs. Eve Little: Correspondence
19 items.
 1964-1968

Series 3: Publications, Microfilms, ReportsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Appraisal of Nez Perce Reservation Land ceded to U.S.A., Valuation Reports
Box Folder
5 76
Volume I
 1957
5 77
Volume II
 1957
5 78
Volume III
 1957
A Survey of the Recreation and Tourist Resources in the Nez Perce Country, The Survey Report
Box Folder
6 79
Volume I
 1963
6 80
Volume II
 1963
Box Folder
6 81
Memorandum and Accompanying Supplement for the Nez Perce Tribe
 1960
6 82
Affidavit Concerning Claim of Nez Perce vs. U.S. for damages for loss of fishing due to Dalles Dam
 1956
6 83
Middle Snake River Project Draft; Environmental Impact Statement
 1975
6 84
Appeal: The Puyallup Indian Tribe, Inc., vs. the Department of Game and Fisheries of the State of Washington
 1965
6 85
Environmental Statement: Lower Granite Dam
 1971
7 86
Federal Land Acquisition Policies and Prodecures for the Lower Granite Lock and Dam
 1971
7 87
An Economic Summary and a Comprehensive Plan for Clarkston Port District
 1970
7 88
Development Plan for the Port of Wilma; North Clarkston
 1969
7 89
Snake River Proposed Multi-Purpose Improvement Plan Asotin Dam
 1960
7 90
Asotin Lock Feasibility Study
 1968
7 91
Community Economic Analysis for Lewiston-Clarkston Urban Area
 1966
Nez Perce Tribe of Indians Litigation Documents
Box Folder
7 92-93
Selected documents from the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 75 (Bureau of Indian Affairs), collected for Washington, D.C. law firm Wilkinson, Boyden, Cragun & Barker in 1952 as supporting documentation for Nez Perce litigation. Dates are primarily 1855-1863. Includes documents related to the 1855 U.S. treaty with the Yakima and Confederated Tribes and the 1863 Nez Perce treaty, as well as selected correspondence.
Two microfilm reels.
 1968

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Indians of North America -- Idaho -- Government relations
  • Lawyers -- Washington (State) -- Clarkston -- Records and correspondence
  • Nez Perce Indians -- Government relations

Personal Names

  • Little, Theodore -- Archives

Geographical Names

  • Lower Granite Lake Dam (Wash.)

Finding aid prepared by Kathleen M. Dondanville
2022

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