Albert Mortimer McPherson was born in Rockford, Illinois, on November 26, 1883 and died at Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1961. He was a member of the 1907 graduating class at the University of Idaho and is listed as being from Boise before his admittance to the U.I. Preparatory School. The description beneath the photograph of McPherson in the 1908 Gem of the Mountains goes on to say that he was “Captain in Company C, cadet U.I. battalion; second team football; advanced to Senior Class the second semester of his junior year, having taken four years’ work in three; Theta Mu Epsilon.” Albert married a fellow University of Idaho student, Nettie Hitt, from Weiser, Idaho.
The papers of Albert M. McPherson span the years 1850 to 1961 with the bulk of the material covering the years 1907 to 1961.
McPherson’s daughter, Marguerite, included a brief biography of the family (folder 1) that includes the succession of places where the family lived as Albert’s engineering career took them to southern Idaho, Utah, and Texas. The biographical sketch contains rather limited information, but includes her mother, Nettie (Hitt) McPherson, her sister, Helen, and her grandfather, A. F. Hitt. Photographs of the Albert McPherson and family include some identification on the back of the images.
Also included with this manuscript group is a diary written by McPherson’s great-uncle, E. M. Hartt. The diary and letters were written to his family between 1850 and 1851 as he traveled from Missouri to California during the early gold mining days. They record many instances of encounters with other immigrants as well as his adventures as a struggling placer miner.
Artifacts in this collection include a suede scabbard that held McPherson’s sword during his time as a cadet at the U of I. The other item is a wallet with his name on the inside flap that contains various identification cards related to his profession as a civil engineer.
The papers were not arranged in any particular order when they were received, therefore, an order was imposed and the material foldered by subject matter.
The manuscript group is open to the public. Researchers must use the collection in accordance with the policies of the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives.
Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permission for use.
Albert M. McPherson papers, MG 425. Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.
The papers of Albert M. McPherson were donated to the University of Idaho Library by Mrs. Marguerite Boone in 1999. She was the daughter of Albert McPherson.
The papers were processed by Marilyn Sandmeyer in April 2007.
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.