Robert Shortess was born in 1797 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He came to Oregon in 1839 as a member of the Peoria Party. He was a member of the Oregon Provisional Government's legislative committee. In Oregon, Shortess lived near Astoria, where he worked as an Indian sub-agent and a clerk for School District No. 4. He died in 1878.
Sources: "General History of Oregon through Early Statehood," by Charles H. Carey (Portland, Or.: Binfords & Mort, 1971), pages 293 and 332; "Emigrants to Oregon in 1839," compiled by Stephanie Flora, Oregon Pioneers,
The collection consists of the papers of Robert Shortess, an early emigrant to Oregon who lived near Astoria. These include papers relating to his work as an Indian sub-agent and school district clerk, property and financial papers, and family papers. Papers relating to Shortess's work as an Indian sub-agent consist of correspondence, including with Anson Dart, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Oregon Territory, discussing issues such as the treatment of Native peoples by Euro-Americans and the liquor trade's impact on Native peoples; and payments for shipments of goods. School district papers consist of meeting minutes and annual reports for School District No. 4, all of which are dated 1858. Property and financial records include materials relating to Shortess's land claims and mortgages, and a copy of an 1843 quitclaim deed from John McLoughlin to Walter Pomeroy. Family papers consist of correspondence, including letters from relatives elsewhere in the United States; statements regarding Shortess taking guardianship of Grace Tibbets and John Tibbets; and a certificate for the 1868 marriage of Shortess's daughter, Susan Shortess, to Thomas Walkley. Other items in the collection include an April 21, 1850 letter from Shortess to Territorial Governor Joseph Lane about governmental disorganization in the Astoria area and the treatment of local Native peoples; an 1843 letter from John McLoughlin inquiring about a petition that Shortess was circulating with complaints against McLoughlin; and an 1843 note from William H. Gray naming Shortess as a proprietor of the Multnomah Circulating Library.
Most items in the collection are original, though some are handwritten copies made later, and Susan Shortess's marriage certificate is a photostatic reproduction. Copies of all the documents are also available on a reel of microfilm included in the collection.
Collection is open for research.
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.
Robert Shortess papers, Mss 1189, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Photostatic reproduction of Susan Shortess's marriage certificate was the gift of the Clatsop County Clerk's Office, June 1959 (RL2024-093-RETRO). Other materials were acquired prior to 1971, most likely in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to Shortess consist of the book "To the Rockies and Oregon, 1839-1842: With Diaries and Accounts by Sidney Smith, Amos Cook, Joseph Holman, E. Willard Smith, Francis Fletcher, Joseph Williams, Obadiah Oakley, Robert Shortess, T.J. Farnham," edited by Le Roy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, call number 917.8 F22 v.3.
Due to fragility, some items in the collection may require supervised handling.
Collection is arranged in chronological order.
Collection description was revised to conform to current standard in November 2024.