Joseph Henry Brown papers, 1842-1924
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Brown, J. Henry (Joseph Henry), 1837-1898
- Title
- Joseph Henry Brown papers
- Dates
- 1842-1924 (inclusive)18421924
- Quantity
- 3 cubic feet, (2 document cases, 4 oversize flat boxes)
- Collection Number
- Mss 1002
- Summary
- Papers of an emigrant to Oregon, and later historian, including an account of his overland journey to Oregon in 1847, correspondence, notes, scrapbooks, records of Oregon Farmers' Union conventions, and notes and drafts for his book, "Political History of Oregon" (1892).
- Repository
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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
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Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Joseph Henry Brown was born near Wilmington, Will County, Illinois, in 1837, and came overland to Oregon with his parents in 1847. He served as an apprentice with the Oregon Statesman in Salem in the late 1850s, went to California in 1858, and after various enterprises in The Dalles, Oregon, and elsewhere, returned to the printing trade in Salem. He joined the First Oregon Cavalry in 1861 and fought in conflicts with Native people in eastern Oregon. He served as a clerk in the state Legislature and as the Salem correspondent for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland. In 1869, he married Margaret R. Graves, with whom he had four children, and around 1880, they moved to Portland. The first volume of Brown's book, "Political History of Oregon," was published in 1892, but subsequent volumes remained unpublished due to his ill health. He died in 1898.
Content Description
Papers of Joseph Henry Brown, an emigrant to Oregon and later a historian. The collection includes typescripts of an autobiography detailing Brown's overland journey and military service; correspondence, including letters from William C. McKay and Jesse Applegate; notes, drafts, and research materials used in the writing of Brown's "Political History of Oregon"; scrapbooks; and clippings. Also included is a transcription of a journal by Medorem Crawford regarding his journey from New York to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, 1842; Lawrence Kipp's report of the Walla Walla Treaty Council of 1855; and a volume that contains both records of Oregon Farmers' Union conventions from 1873-1874 and handwritten 1870s transcripts of correspondence from 1848-1849, primarily addressed to George Abernethy. The collection also contains notes relating to Oregon City history and to the Oregon Milling Company.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Joseph Henry Brown papers, Mss 1002, 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 Information
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series 1: General files, 1842-1924
- Series 2: Notes, data, and drafts for "Political history of Oregon," 1892-1896
Acquisition Information
Portions of the collection were acquired with Lib. Acc. 11387.
Custodial History
Many of the materials in this collection were probably collected by historian Burt Brown Barker. Some of the materials are not directly related to Joseph Henry Brown and may have been collected by Barker for purposes of general research.
Location of Originals
Original manuscript of Joseph Henry Brown's autobiography is held at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processing Note
Collection was processed by Todd Sulloway and the collection guide prepared by Geoffrey B. Wexler in 2007. Collection guide was revised in October 2023 to conform to current standard.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Series 1: General files, 1842-1924
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Description: Joseph Henry Brown autobiography (typescript, 2 versions)Dates: 1878Container: Box 1, Folder 1-2
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Description: Indian Council of the Walla Walla Valley--Account of Lieutenant Lawrence Kipp, 4th Artillery, U.S.A. (handwritten copy)Dates: 1855Container: Box 1, Folder 3
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Description: Letters from Jesse Applegate, William C. McKay, and others (5 items)Dates: 1887-1892; undatedContainer: Box 1, Folder 4
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Description: Medorem Crawford journal of trip from Havanna [sic], New York to the Willamette Valley, Oregon (typescript transcription)Dates: 1842Container: Box 1, Folder 5
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Description: Record book of Oregon Farmers' Union conventions and 1870s transcripts of correspondence dated 1846-1848, primarily to George AbernethyDates: 1873-circa 1874Container: Box 1, Folder 6
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Description: Notes, generalDates: undatedContainer: Box 1, Folder 7
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Description: Notes, general
Includes history of Oregon City, history of the Oregon Milling Company, and "Rules for making a horoscope."
Dates: undatedContainer: Box 1, Folder 8 -
Description: Scrapbook (old designation: "Part II #1.")
May have been started by Joseph H. Brown and later continued by a relative. Includes letterhead for Joseph Henry Brown.
Dates: circa 1866-1923Container: Box 1, Folder 9 -
Description: School history papers
School compositions on early Oregon history, many on the town of Elkton. The connection between these papers and the present collection is unclear.
Dates: 1924Container: Box 1, Folder 10
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Series 2: Notes, data, and drafts for "Political History of Oregon", 1892-1896
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Description: Volume 1--Pages of original draft, mostly unused in original volumeDates: circa 1892-1896Container: Box 2, Folder 1
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Description: Unpublished volumes--Drafts, notes and documentsDates: circa 1892-1898Container: Box 2, Folder 2-7
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Description: Ledger--Research materials
Contains notes, some narrative, documents, copies of letters, reports, and assorted records relating to Oregon politics, 1844-1855. Much from 1844-1848 appears in volume 1 of Brown's history.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box 3, Folder 1 -
Description: Ledger--Research materials
Contains notes, some narrative, documents, copies of letters, reports, and assorted records relating to Oregon politics, 1878-1882.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box 3, Folder 2 -
Description: Ledger--Research materials
Contains political and other data, including vote tallies from the Oregon Legislature, documents, clippings, copies of letters and documents, apparently for use in unpublished volume of Brown's history.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box 4 -
Description: Scrapbook (old designation: "Part I #5." Spine title: "Political scraps.")Dates: 1871-1893Container: Box 5
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Description: Scrapbook (old designation: "Part I #6." Spine title "Political scraps.")Dates: 1871-1882Container: Box 6
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indians of North America--Northwest, Pacific--Government relations--19th century
- Overland journeys to the Pacific
- Pioneers--Oregon
Personal Names
- Brown, J. Henry (Joseph Henry), 1837-1898
- Crawford, Medorem, 1819-1891--Diaries
Corporate Names
- Oregon Farmers' Union--Records and correspondence
Geographical Names
- Oregon--History--19th century
- Oregon--Politics and government--19th century
- Oregon--Politics and government--History--19th century
Form or Genre Terms
- autobiographies (literary genre)
- research (documents)
- scrapbooks
Other Creators
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Personal Names
- Crawford, Medorem, 1819-1891 (author)
- Kipp, Lawrence (author)
