OHY_Mss752 Guide to the John Minto papers 1864-1912 John Minto papers Finding aid prepared by Diane Couture Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oregon Historical Society, Research Library © 2007
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Finding aid encoded by Diane Couture 2007 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Mss 752 Minto, John, 1822-1915 John Minto papers 1864-1912 2.5 cubic feet 3 document cases, 1 flat box Papers of John Minto, Oregon pioneer of 1844, State legislator, and Secretary of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture. Materials include correspondence, memoirs, reports, notes, literary manuscripts, a diary, scrapbooks, and memorabilia. Correspondence from John Gill, George Himes, and F. G. Young are included, as are letters from T.C. Shaw and Jesse Applegate. A letter from William Tolmie describes his 1833 trip to the Oregon Country. Also included are writings on pioneer reminiscences, forestry, conservation, animal husbandry, and a history of the Oregon State Fair. Materials in the collection are in English Biographical note

John Minto was born in England and arrived in Oregon in 1844, settling south of Salem where he was a pioneer in the sheep industry. He served four terms in the State Legislature (1862, 1868, 1880, and 1890), organized the first Oregon State Fair, served as Secretary of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture, was active in Oregon forestry and conservation groups, and helped survey the Minto and Santiam mountain passes.

The collection consists of correspondence, memoirs, reports, notes, literary manuscripts, a diary, scrapbooks, and memorabilia created or collected by John Minto. Correspondence from John Gill, George Himes, and F. G. Young are included, as are letters from T.C. Shaw and Jesse Applegate. A letter from William Tolmie describes his 1833 trip to the Oregon Country. Minto was a prolific writer on a variety of subjects, including in this collection: pioneer reminiscences, forestry, conservation, animal husbandry, higher education, Northwest Native Americans, and poet Robert Burns. His "Leaflet on Practical Conservation," and his speech for the presentation of an oil painting of John McLoughlin are included.

The collection is arranged into the following series Series A: Correspondence, 1879-1912Series B: Writings and speeches, 1864-1912

Also included is one microfilm reel of correspondence from 1883-1912. This microfilm contains the following materials: Folder 2: Letters from Minto, 1900-1912Folders 3-4: Family letters, 1905-1912Folders 5-6: General letters, 1883-1912

The collection is open to the public.

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

John Minto papers, Mss 752, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Gift of Harold Gill, 1952 March and 1953 February

Minto family photographs. In Oregon Historical Society Subject Photo Files. Rhymes on life in Oregon, 1909, by John Minto (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 811 M668r) John Minto, man of courage, 1822-1915 : a biography of an Oregon pioneer , 1980, by Beverly Elizabeth Lowe ; foreword by Victor Atiyeh (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 92 M667l ) Rhymes of early life in Oregon and historical and biographical facts by John Minto, a pioneer of 1844, 1915?, by John Minto. (Oregon Historical Society Library Call number 979.1 M668r 1915?)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Minto, John, 1822-1915--Archives Gill, John Himes, George H., 1844-1940 Young, Frederic G. Tolmie, William Fraser Applegate, Jesse A. (Jesse Applegate), 1835-1919 Shaw, T. C. Minto family Oregon. State Board of Horticulture Oregon Conservation Associaton Oregon. State Board of Forestry Oregon Forestry Association Oregon State Fair Salem (Or.)--History Pioneers--Oregon Overland journeys to the Pacific Horticulture--Oregon Fairs--Oregon--History Forestry--Oregon Agriculture Environmental Activism Forestry and Forestry Products Overland Journeys to the Northwestern United States Pioneers Oregon Scrapbooks Diaries Letters (Correspondence) Manuscripts

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series A Correspondence 1879-1912 1/1 Family correspondence 1879-1909 1/2 Family correspondence 1910-1912 Other correspondence 1/3 John Gill circa 1901-1912 1/4 George Himes circa 1895-1912 1/5 William Tolmie 1882-1885

Includes letter of October 1, 1885 describing Tolmie's 1833 trip to the Oregon Country (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon)

 1/6 F. G. Young 1897-1910 1/7 Miscellaneous: A-H undated

Includes December 12, 1883 letter from Jesse Applegate describing his reasons for immigrating to Oregon. Typescript copy of letter also included.

 1/8 Miscellaneous: L-W undated

Includes December 28, 1883 letter from T.C. Shaw describing the motivation behind the 1844 immigration to Oregon

 1/9 Wagon Roads 1879-1910 1/10 Port Orford Cedar 1906-1912 1/11 Petition for Jefferson State Park undated 1/12 Indian War Pension Claim circa 1904-1909 Series B Writings and speeches 1864-1912 Memoirs 2/1 Family history undated 2/2 Childhood undated 2/3 Childhood to Old Age undated

Typescript of "Recollections of Seventy Years from Childhood to Old Age: A Story of Evolution. From a British Subject to Citizenship of the United States and A Movement of a Life's Interests from the East Coast of Britain to the West Coast of America. Dedicated to the Youth of Oregon." Includes photographic reprints of John Minto

 2/4 Outfitting for Oregon undated

Typescript of "Outfitting for Oregon", including an address to the "Members of the Western Brotherhood and Visiting Friends"

 2/5 From Pittsburgh to St. Louis undated

Typescript of "Starting West from Pittsburgh to St. Louis", including a manuscript of "The causes which brought me to Oregon"

 2/6 Beginning Life in Oregon undated

Manuscripts of "Beginning Life in Oregon," "Working for Myself," and "Learning to Live from the Land." Typescript of "Canoeing on the Columbia." Also unnamed chapters.

 2/7 Captain Levi Scott's Company undated

Manuscript of "Captain Levi Scott's Company in the Cayuse War"

 2/8 Middle Life in Oregon undated

Manuscripts of "The Years of My Middle Life in Oregon," "Our Mountains Preserved as Resources of Life as Well as of Health and Recreation." Manuscript and typescript copy of Letter to the Editor regarding David McLoughlin, and a typescript of "The Confilcts Between Dr. John McLoughlin and American Democracy for Rule in Oregon." Also unnamed chapters.

 Speeches and addresses 2/9 Speeches and addresses circa 1864-1911

Speeches, addresses, including "Speeches of presentation and acceptance of the oil painting of Dr. John McLoughlin, delivered by Hon. John Minto, and his excellency, Sylvester Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon, in the House of Representatives, Feb. 6, 1889," Salem, 1889; speech before Fifteenth Annual Session of Oregon State Grange, May 22, 1888; an 1864 Independence Day speech; a talk on "The History of Money in Oregon;" and a history of the State Fair of Oregon.

 2/10 Motives of Oregon Pioneers undated 2/11 Motives of Oregon Pioneers undated Oregon State Board of Horticulture 2/12 Reports 1896-1899 2/13 Miscellaneous 1896-1899 2/14 Miscellaneous 1896-1899 Articles, clippings, reports on horticulture, forestry, and conservation topics 2/15 Animal husbandry and horticulture, including a report on the beginnings of agriculture in Oregon undated 3/1 Animal husbandry and horticulture. Mostly typescript reports on agriculture and cattle/sheep ranching undated 3/2 Care of old orchards undated 3/3 Forestry and conservation circa 1905-1909

Correspondence and materials relating to the Oregon Conservation Association, the Oregon State Board of Forestry, the Oregon Forestry Association. Includes 1906 correspondence with Oswald West, State Land Agent, regarding forest reserves

 3/4 Leaflet on Practical Conservation circa 1909 3/5 Manuscript notes: "The Question of Sufficient Timber" undated 3/6 Newspaper clippings: Forestry reserves circa 1903 3/7 Letter to Governor Lord regarding forestry 1897 Story Manuscripts 3/8 Portion of "Cullaby: A Tale of the Oregon Coast," and a copy of Oregon Teachers Monthly, containing a published section of the manuscript, with an introduction by H.S. Lyman undated 3/9 Portion of "Cullaby: A Tale of the Oregon Coast" undated 3/10 "Rhymes on Life in Oregon" undated Miscellaneous 3/11 Poems, Songs undated 3/12 Robert Burns (the Scottish poet) undated 3/13 Indians of the Northwest undated 3/14 Miscellaneous papers, clippings undated 3/15 Miscellaneous Subjects undated 3/16 Miscellaneous Subjects undated 3/17 Miscellaneous papers regarding higher education, some genealogy. undated Scrapbooks/Diary 4/1 Diary (1), scrapbooks (2) 1894 1908 1910-1912 4/2 Scrapbooks (2) 1911 1911-1912 5/1 Scrapbook, includes photo of John Minto undated 5/2 Scrapbook undated