OHY_Mss370 Guide to the Hiram Brown Diaries 1848-1973 1855-1896 Brown (Hiram) Diaries Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oregon Historical Society, Research Library © 2004 Finding aid encoded by Geoffrey Wexler 2004 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). 2015 Revised to reflect updates to best practices. Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Mss 370 Brown, Hiram, 1823-1898 Diaries 1848-1973 1855-1896 3 cubic feet 2 card file boxes; 3 document cases Diaries of Hiram Brown, captain of a river steamboat operating between Portland and Astoria, Oregon, from the mid to late 19th century. Includes notations on ship movements and tides. Includes transcripts and notes by Joseph Schiwek. The collection is in English Biographical Note

Hiram Brown was born in Cayuga County, New York, on December 14, 1823. He was first employed as a deckhand on a Mississippi River steamboat and came West during the California gold rush. Brown returned to maritime work as a deckhand on the river steamer Lot Whitcomb in 1851, sailing between Portland and Astoria, Oregon. In 1857, he was promoted to captain and worked continuously for the next 32 years, until his retirement in December 1889. He died on March 9, 1898, in Astoria.

Diaries record Brown's daily activities in Portland, Oregon, and Astoria, Oregon; also contains information about ships in port, including their names, arrival and departure times, and notes on tides. All years between 1855 and 1896 are represented except 1858 and 1874. Most entries are brief. Personal information, such as family events, is written in cipher. A key to the cipher is included in the collection.

In 1973 the diaries were transcribed by Joseph A. Schiwek. Besides these transcriptions, the collection includes Schiwek's extensive notes on people and places mentioned in the diaries.

The diaries are arranged in two series as follows

Series A: Original diaries, 1855-1896 Series B: Transcriptions, notes, and related materials, circa 1973

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 before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

A transcription of the diaries by Joseph A. Schiwek, Jr., 1973, is included in the collection.

Hiram Brown Diaries, Mss 370, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Acquisition information unavailable.

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.

Brown, Hiram, 1823-1898--Archives Schiwek, Joseph Anthony, 1947- Ship captains--Oregon--Diaries Steamboats--Columbia River Steamboats--Oregon--Willamette River Steam-navigation--Columbia River Steam-navigation--Oregon--Willamette River Oregon Portland Diaries Pacific Northwest History Transportation Diaries Ledgers Weather diaries Ship captains

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

Series A Original diaries 1855-1896 1/1 Vol. 1 1855-1856 1/2 Vol. 2 1857 1/3 Vol. 3 1859 1/4 Vol. 4 1860 1/5 Vol. 5 1861 1/6 Vol. 6 1862 1/7 Vol. 7 1863 1/8 Vol. 8 1864 1/9 Vol. 9 1865 1/10 Vol. 10 1866 1/11 Vol. 11 1867 1/12 Vol. 12 1868 1/13 Vol. 13 1869 1/14 Vol. 14 1870 1/15 Vol. 15 1871 1/16 Vol. 16 1872 1/17 Vol. 17 1873 1/18 Vol. 18 1875 1/19 Vol. 19 1876 1/20 Vol. 20 1877 1/21 Vol. 21 1878 1/22 Vol. 22 1879 2/1 Vol. 23 1880 2/2 Vol. 24 1881 2/3 Vol. 25 1882 2/4 Vol. 26 1883 2/5 Vol. 27 1884 2/6 Vol. 28 1885 2/7 Vol. 29 1886 2/8 Vol. 30 1887 2/9 Vol. 31 1888 2/10 Vol. 32 1889 2/11 Vol. 33 1890 2/12 Vol. 34 1891 2/13 Vol. 35 1892 2/14 Vol. 36 1893 2/15 Vol. 37 1894 2/16 Vol. 38 1895 2/17 Vol. 39 1896 Series B: Transcriptions, notes, and related materials ca. 1973 3/1 Cipher key and biographical materials ca. 1848-1973

Includes explanation of cipher; copy of newspaper article; notes; loose papers found in diaries, ca. 1873; photocopy of letter from Hiram Brown to his wife, 1848; and rubbing from grave stone of Hiram Brown

 Uncorrected transcriptions by Joseph Schiwek 1973 3/2-4 Transcription vols. 1-3, for diaries 1855-1885 1973 4/1 Transcription vol. 4, for diaries 1886-1896 1973 4/2-4 Corrected transcriptions 1973 5/1-3 Notes ca. 1973