Herman Oliver papers, circa 1915-1968
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Oliver, Herman, 1885-1970
- Title
- Herman Oliver papers
- Dates
- circa 1915-1968 (inclusive)19151968
- Quantity
- 2.05 cubic feet, (1 record carton, 2 letter document cases, 1 slim letter document case)
- Collection Number
- Coll 1081
- Summary
- Papers of rancher and banker Herman Oliver (1885-1970), including correspondence, financial papers, and photographs. Oliver managed the Oliver Ranch, a cattle and sheep ranch in Grant County, Oregon, through the first half of the 20th century. He was also president of the Grant County Bank, and served on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
- 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
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Herman Oliver was born in 1885 near John Day, Oregon. He was the son of cattle and sheep rancher Joseph Cayton Oliver (1850-1921), and in 1907, Herman Oliver persuaded his father not to sell his ranch and to let him and his brother Frank operate it. By the 1920s, Oliver had built the ranch to more than 40,000 acres, thousands of cattle and sheep, and hundreds of horses. In 1917, he was elected a director of the Grant County Bank; he became the bank's president in 1935. He was also president of the Oregon Cattle and Horse Raisers Association from 1928 to 1938, and a member of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education from 1929 to 1957.
Oliver married Eliza Laurence (1888-1976) in 1906; the couple had three children. Herman Oliver retired from ranching in 1957, but remained with the Grant County Bank until it merged with the First National Bank of Oregon in 1968. He died in December 1970.
Sources: Obituary in the Oregonian, December 6, 1970, page 44; obituary in the Capitol Journal (Salem, Oregon), December 5, 1970, page 1; vital records via Ancestry.com; "Gold and Cattle Country," by Herman Oliver (Portland, Or.: Binfords & Mort, 1961).
Content Description
The collection consists of the papers of Herman Oliver, a rancher and banker from Grant County, Oregon. The bulk of the collection consists of Oliver's business and personal correspondence. Other correspondence in the collection is that of his wife, Eliza Oliver; and two letters sent to his daughter, Anna Wiseman. Other materials include financial papers in the form of invoices and receipts; photographs; Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) Extension bulletins about ranching; a speech that Oliver gave to the Oregon Cattle and Horse Raisers' Association; high school commencement programs; and ephemera.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Herman Oliver papers, Coll 1081, 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
Acquisition Information
Gift of Glenn Mason and Judith Mason, August 2024 (RL2024-055).
Preservation Note
Researcher access to color positive in Box 4, Folder 6 is limited for preservation purposes; contact library staff to inquire about viewing.
Processing Note
In the course of processing, original file folders were retained, while papers that had been either loose or in a file box were housed in acid-free folders. In cases where a date range written on an original file folder did not reflect the actual date range of its contents, the true date range was written on the front flap.
Related Materials
Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to Herman Oliver include his book, "Gold and Cattle Country" (call number 979.164 O48g); and the Oliver Ranch records, Coll 1077.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Description: Address by Oliver to Oregon Cattle and Horse Raisers' Association, "Ranch Management"Dates: 1948Container: Box 1, Folder 1
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Description: Material for speechesDates: 1937; undatedContainer: Box 1, Folder 2
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Description: Cattle and Horse Raisers' Association correspondenceDates: 1938-1941Container: Box 1, Folder 3
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Description: Correspondence relating to home economicsDates: 1941Container: Box 1, Folder 4
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Description: Correspondence relating to work applicationsDates: 1937-1943Container: Box 1, Folder 5
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Description: Business correspondence, in alphabetical order by surname or organization nameDates: 1936-1944Container: Box 1, Folder 6-29
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Description: Personal correspondence, in alphabetical order by surname or organization nameDates: 1938-1942Container: Box 2, Folder 1-23
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Description: Unsorted personal correspondenceDates: 1938-1942Container: Box 2, Folder 24
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Description: Eliza Oliver correspondenceDates: 1938-1942Container: Box 3, Folder 1
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Description: Letters to Anna WisemanDates: 1959Container: Box 3, Folder 2
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Description: Letter from Bill Cherry and family to Herman OliverDates: 1968 February 11Container: Box 3, Folder 3
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Description: Oregon State College Extension Bulletin 690, "Factors in Range Cattle Management," by Herman OliverDates: 1948Container: Box 3, Folder 4
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Description: Oregon State College Extension Bulletin 503, "Minerals for Livestock,: by J. R. HaagDates: 1951Container: Box 3, Folder 5
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Description: Financial papersDates: 1921-1923Container: Box 3, Folder 6-10
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Description: Grant Union High School commencement programDates: 1949 May 24Container: Box 4, Folder 1
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Description: Dayview High School commencement programDates: 1950 May 24Container: Box 4, Folder 2
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Description: EphemeraDates: 1940-1942; undatedContainer: Box 4, Folder 3
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Description: Family photographsDates: circa 1915-1965Container: Box 4, Folder 4
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Description: Portrait photographs of Herman OliverDates: circa 1950Container: Box 4, Folder 5
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Description: Photographs (includes one color positive)Dates: 1951-1955; undatedContainer: Box 4, Folder 6
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Description: PhotographsDates: 1958-1959Container: Box 4, Folder 7
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Bankers--Oregon--Grant County
- Ranchers--Oregon--Grant County
- Ranching--Oregon--Grant County
Personal Names
- Oliver, Herman, 1885-1970--Correspondence
- Oliver, Herman, 1885-1970--Photographs
Corporate Names
- Oliver Ranch (Grant County, Or.)--Records and correspondence
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- ephemera (general object genre)
- invoices
- photographs
- receipts (financial records)
