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
1131
Barker-Adair family
Barker-Adair family
papers
1762-1967
1847-1933
4.5 cubic feet (10 document cases,
1 oversize folder, 1 reel microfilm)
Papers of the families of William Morris
Barker (1854-1901), Episcopal bishop of Olympia, Washington; his wife, Laura
Adair Barker (1854-1935), who lived in Portland, Oregon, in her later years;
George R. and Anna Morris Barker, parents of William M. Barker who lived in
Germantown, Pennsylvania; and other family members. Includes extensive diaries
of Laura Adair Barker; correspondence of William Morris Barker; correspondence
of George R. Barker, mostly related to the Collegiate Institute of Germantown,
Pennsylvania; notebooks; and scrapbooks.
Materials in
the collection are in English.
Biography of William Morris Barker and The Barker and Adair
Families:
William Morris Barker served as the Episcopal Bishop of Olympia,
Washington, from 1894 to until his death in 1901. Born in Pennsylvania in 1854,
he was the nephew of Benjamin Wistar Morris (1819-1906), pioneer Oregon
churchman and founder of Portland's Bishop Scott Academy and Good Samaritan
Hospital. Barker's parents were George R. Barker (1823-1880), principal of the
Collegiate Institute of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and Anna Ellis Morris Barker
(1827-1909). William Morris Barker was educated at Berkeley Divinity School in
Middletown, Connecticut (now part of Yale University), served as the rector of
St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Duluth, Minnesota, and in 1893 was appointed
Bishop of Western Colorado. The following year he became Missionary Bishop of
Olympia, Washington. He suffered from heart disease most of his life and died
suddenly in 1901 at the age of 46.
In 1892 William Morris Barker married Laura Pindell Adair (1854-1935).
She was a native of Astoria, Oregon and the daughter of pioneers John Adair
(1808-1888) and Mary Ann Dickinson Adair (1816-1893). John Adair came to Oregon
with his family in 1849 and served as the first U.S. inspector of customs at
Astoria. His daughter Laura Pindell Adair Barker moved to Portland after her
husband's death in 1901, and there she raised her two daughters in a house at
3407 NW Thurman Street. Her daughter Anna Ellis Barker (1894-1967) married
Alfred F. Parker, an insurance agent in Portland, and they lived in the Thurman
Street house until 1944.
Most of the materials in the collection relate to William Morris Barker,
his parents George R. Barker and Anna Ellis Morris Barker, and his wife Laura
Adair Barker. The George R. Barker materials include correspondence and other
papers relating to the Collegiate Institute of Germantown, Pennsylvania; and
papers regarding his invention of a heating duct system. George's wife, Anna
Barker, is represented by a substantial file of correspondence, including many
letters written to her husband from Pennsylvania, with local news and family
events.
The William Morris Barker materials include letters sent to him,
relating primarily to church affairs, and letters to his wife and family. There
is a small file of correspondence of Barker's father-in-law, John Adair,
including a letter of 1854 from John Withers, written from Yoncalla and
describing local and regional conditions. Two diaries of John's wife, Mary Ann
Dickinson Adair, date from 1872 and 1883-1884 and provide details of her daily
life in Astoria, Oregon. Also included is her short diary, written 1848-1849,
describing her voyage from New Orleans to California via Panama. Letters
written by Edward Wistar Barker, brother of William Morris Barker, 1880-1893,
give a lively narrative of his life and adventures in Duluth, Minnesota. Of
particular interest is a large collection of diaries of Laura Adair Barker,
dating from 1868 to 1907, and containing well-written entries about her
activities and thoughts, some written while she was a student at St. Helen's
Hall in Portland. A diary of 1915-1916 contains entries of both Laura Barker
and her daughter Anna.
The collection also includes biographical and genealogical information
on the Barker, Adair, Morris, Dickinson, and related families, as well a small
amounts of material relating to Ellen M. Booth, Samuel Booth, Charles Breck,
Mary L. Ferguson, John Guernsey, S. M. Guernsey, Abel Gunn, Anna Holstein,
Daniel Hoyt, Mary W. Lourey, Mary Palmer, Sophie G. Putnam, and Mary
Rodney.
The microfilm contains Adair family reminiscences, genealogy and letters
compiled by Lorna P. Adair Barker.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Barker and Morris family papers, 1762-1906
- Series B: Adair and related family papers, 1848-1967
A typescript transcription of the short diary of Mary Ann Dickinson
Adair, 1848-1849, is available on Microfilm Mss1131, Oregon Historical Society
Research Library.
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 publication 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.
Barker-Adair family papers, Mss1131, Oregon Historical Society Research
Library
The collection was probably a gift of Anna Ellis Barker Parker.
Photographs of members of the Barker family can be found in file 0085 in
the Subject Photo Files, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Originals of microfilmed materials in private possession.
The 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:
Adair, John, General,
1808-1888.
Adair, Mary Dickinson,
1816-1893.
Barker,
Anna Morris, 1827-1909--Correspondence.
Barker,
Edward Wistar--Correspondence.
Barker,
George R., 1823-1880--Correspondence.
Barker,
Laura Adair.
Barker,
William Morris.
Morris, Benjamin Wistar,
1819-1906.
Parker,
Anna Barker, 1894-1967.
Adair family.
Barker family.
Barker-Adair family.
Dickinson family.
Morris family.
Collegiate Institute
(Germantown, Philadephia, Pa.)--History.
St. Helen's Hall
(Portland, Or.)--History.
Astoria
(Or.)--History.
Duluth
(Minn.)--History.
Germantown (Philadelphia,
Pa.)--History.
Olympia
(Wash.)--History.
Portland
(Or.)--History.
Bishops--Washington
(State)--Biography.
Clergy--Washington
(State)--Biography.
Education--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--History.
Episcopal Church--United
States--History.
Voyages to the Pacific
coast--Personal narratives.
Women--Oregon--Diaries.
Home
and Family
Olympia
Oregon
Portland
Religion
Scrapbooks
Washington (State)
Women
Diaries
Letters
(correspondence)
Scrapbooks
Series A
Barker and Morris family
papers
1762-1901
George R. Barker
papers
Correspondence to his
family
1/1
1855-1859
1/2
1860-1865
1/3
1866-1869
1/4
1870-1876
1/5
1877-1880
1/6
Correspondence
received
1860-1879
Collegiate Institute
(Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa.)
1/7
General
papers
1858-1881
1/8
Correspondence,
primarily regarding teaching
1847-1880
Correspondence from
pupil and parents
1/9
1853-1864
1/10
1865-1871
1/11
1872-1879
undated
1/12
Scrapbook of printed
material concerning schools, primarily in the Philadelphia area
1849-1880
2/1
Correspondence regarding
St. Luke's Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania
1865-1880
Oversize folder
Floor plan of St. Luke's
Church, Germantown, Pa., with names of pew holders
undated
2/2
Correspondence regarding
Branchtown, Pennsylvania church
1862-1866
undated
Heating apparatus
materials
2/3
Patent
information
1873-1882
undated
Correspondence
2/4
1870-1873
2/5
1874
2/6
1876
2/7
1876-1877
2/8
1878
2/9
1879-1880
2/10
1881-1882
undated
2/11
Receipts and
bills
1874-1880
2/12
International
Exhibition, Philadelphia
1876
2/13
General
papers
1875-1878
Oversize folder
Certificate from Franklin
Institute
1874
2/14
Court case
documents
1877-1879
2/15
Printed
materials
1862-1871
2/16
Family records and
reminiscences
1854-1911
undated
Oversize folder
Portrait and obituary of
Samuel Morris
circa 1812
Annie E. Morris Barker
papers
2/17
School mementos and
drawings
circa 1845
2/18
Correspondence
received
1854-1871
2/19
Correspondence
received
1872-1884
2/20
Letters sent to her
husband, George Barker
1862-1874
Letters sent to
others
2/21
1876
2/22
1877-1884
2/23
1890-1893
2/24
1894
undated
3/1
Book of poems from her
mother, and list of quilts
1904
1906
Papers of various family members
3/2
Anna ("Nannie") Morris
Barker (possibly the daughter of George and Anna Ellis Morris Barker), letters
sent
1875-1880
3/3
Abel Barker (brother of
George R.), letters sent
1841-1881
3/4
Belle Barker (niece of
George R.), letters sent
1856-1871
Edward Wistar Barker
(possibly son of George R.), letters sent
3/5
1880-1884 April
3/6
1884 May-June
3/7
1884 July-December
3/8
1885-1886 July
3/9
1886 August-1893
undated
Oversize
folder
Map of Duluth, drawn
by E. W. Barker
circa 1884
3/10
G. B. Barker, letters
sent
1857
3/11
M. B. Barker, letters
sent
1858
3/12
Phebe A. Barker, letters
sent
undated
3/13
Samuel E. and Susan
Barker, letters sent
1858-1881
3/14
Samuel Morris Barker,
letters sent
1863-1884
undated
3/15
Thomas B. Barker
(possibly brother of George R.), Letters sent
1857-1892
undated
William Morris Barker
papers
3/16
Notebook on doctrinal
theology
undated
4/1
Notebook on
Ecclesiastical history by Rev. J.
Williams
4/2
Clergyman's private register (ledger of parish
activities)
circa 1879-1890
Letters
sent
4/3
1862-1874
4/4
1875
4/5
1876
4/6
1877
4/7
1878
4/8
1879 January-June
4/9
1879 July-December
4/10
1880
4/11
1881
5/1
1886-1887
5/2
1890-1899 July
undated
5/3
1899 August-December
undated
5/4
1900
undated
5/5
Letters regarding
Barker's illness from his friends at Berkeley Divinity School, Middletown,
Connecticut
1876
5/6
Letters
received
1867-1900
undated
5/7
Marriage license,
eulogy, photograph of house in Portland
1892
1901
undated
10/1-2
Scrapbook
1893-1897
10/3-4
Ephemera
circa 1867-1900
Oversize
folder
Diploma, certificate,
newspapers
1880-1897
Papers of friends and
others
5/8
Booth, Ellen M. and
Samuel
1857-1875
5/9
Breck,
Charles
1864-1881
5/10
Ferguson, Mary
L.
1876
5/11
Guernsey,
John
1859-1877
undated
5/12
Guernsey, S.M. (Mrs.
John), and Sophie Anna
1864-1881
5/13
Gunn, Abel
1864-1872
5/14
Hill, Henry, letter to
his sister
1762 June 1
5/15
Holstein,
Anna
1867-1868
5/16
Hoyt, Daniel
1861-1869
5/17
Lovrey, Mary
W.
1858-1876
undated
5/18
Norton, Frank
L.--Notebook on Ecclesiastical history
undated
5/19
Palmer, Mary, letters
sent
1857-1858
5/20
Putnam, Sophie G.,
letters sent
1864-1881
undated
5/21
Rodney, Mary B., letters
sent
1870-1874
Morris family
papers
5/22
Anna
Morris--Will
1858
1866
6/1
Annie Morris, letters
sent
1859-1875
undated
6/2
Benjamin Wistar Morris
and Benjamin Wistar Morris Jr., letters sent and received
1853-1901
undated
6/3
Charles and Lizzie
Morris, letters sent
1868-1872
undated
6/4
Hannah R. Morris, letters
sent
1876-1883
undated
6/5
Henry Rodney Morris,
letters sent
1869-1871
undated
6/6
Louisa Morris, letters
sent
1876-1877
undated
6/7
Mary R. Morris, letters
sent
1870-1875
6/8-9
Rachel W. Morris, letters
sent
1858-1879
undated
6/10
Samuel W. Morris, will
(typescript copy)
1833
6/11
Samuel W. Morris, letters
sent
1848-1857
6/12
Sarah E. Morris, letters
sent
1858-1893
6/13
William E. Morris,
letters sent
1871-1873
Series B
Adair and related family
papers
1848-1967
6/14
Adair family
history
1896
undated
6/15
Adair family
journal
undated
Adair and Dickinson family
reminiscences, genealogy and letters (typescript copies) compiled by Lorna P.
Adair Barker
circa 1849-1933
Includes genealogy of the Dickinson family, biography of
General George Cockburn, biography of John Adair, recollections of John Adair
and his wife Mary Ann, transcript of Mary Ann Adair's short diary of 1848-1849,
and transcripts of family letters.
6/16
Henry Buford Adair
diary
1868
6/17
John Adair, biographical
sketch by Mary Adair Parker Lawrence
1967
6/18
John Adair--Correspondence as
Collector of Customs, Astoria
1849-1853
Includes letter from John Withers regarding conditions in
the region, 1854 October 29
6/19
Mary Ann Dickinson Adair
diaries (3 items)
1848-1849
1872
1883-1884
6/20
W. M. Adair, history of
Cannon Beach (typescript)
1963
Laura P. Adair Barker
papers
7/1
Composition
books
1871
1873
Diaries
7/2
2 volumes
1868
1870-1871
7/3
1873 February 23-1874 May 31
7/4
1874 June 25-November 30
7/5
2 volumes
1883
7/6
1884 January 1-1885 August 31
7/7
2 volumes
1885 September 29-1886 April 11
1887
8/1
2 volumes
1890
January 1-June 2
1890 July 1-1891 July 12
8/2
1893 February 22-1896 December 25
8/3
2 volumes
1897 October 31-1899 March 29
1900
8/4
2 volumes
1902 January 1-1903 January 21
1903 January 22-October 20
8/5
1903 October 13-1905 May 20
8/6
2 volumes
1905 August 23-1907 April 28
1910 July 10-September 15
9/1
Diary with her
daughter Anna
1915 May 15-1916 June 14
9/2
Expense book
1899-1901
9/3
Autograph
book
1877-1892
9/4
Letters sent (mostly to
her daughter)
1890-1929
9/5
Letters sent (mostly to
her daughter)
1930-1933
9/6
Letters received
regarding her marriage
1890
undated
9/7
Letters
received
1892-1916
undated