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Hickson Manuscript Collection, 1885-2006

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Robert E. Hickson
Title
Hickson Manuscript Collection
Dates
1885-2006 (inclusive)
1900-1960 (bulk)
Quantity
5 cubic feet, (10 document boxes, 1 flat box.)
Collection Number
MSS 1707
Summary
Collection of photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, engineering reports, land surveys, and maps pertaining to the life and work of Robert E. Hickson, engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in Oregon.
Repository
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

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the Hickson Family.
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Biographical Note

Robert E. Hickson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1884. He studied at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1909. Upon graduation, he entered the services of the Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific Division, working at their offices in Portland, Oregon. His early engineering experience included railway work in Bend, Oregon; work on the Celilo boat canal; and irrigation development in the Bend area.

Beginning in the 1920s, R. E. Hickson began work on his largest project yet: widening and improving the shipping channel on the Columbia River. This work would eventually define his career. Indeed, he came to be called "Mr. Columbia River" by his colleagues for his extensive work in this regard which included: builiding a system of jetties at the mouth of the Columbia; widening the shipping channel to 35 feet; and protecting the banks of the Columbia from flooding and erosion. This work revolutionized commercial shipping on the Columbia River which had previously been dangerous and unprofitable.

His other notable projects include: work on Bonneville, McNary and The Dalles Dams; maintenance and improvement of Portland's harbors; consultation on construction of a shipping channel for Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela; and work on the Columbia River Bridge in Astoria, known as the Astoria-Megler Bridge. At the time of his retirement in 1955, Robert Hickson was the Chief Engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific Division. After his retirement, he continued to work as a consultant on Army Corps projects until shortly before his death in 1966.

The collection also includes memorabilia from R. E. Hickson's wife, Jessie Mae Hickson, nee Barzee. Mae Hickson was born in 1886 in Oregon. She graduated from Philomath High School in 1905 and attended the University of Oregon from 1905-1909 where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She met Robert Hickson at the University and they married a few years after finishing school. Mae Hickson passed away in 1965, one year before her husband.

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Content Description

This collection primarily consists of papers relating to R. E. Hickson's work as an engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers. These papers include: reports, surveys, correspondence, maps, charts, and cost analyses. The collection also includes some personal materials including letters, photographs, scrapbooks and diplomas.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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

Preferred Citation

Robert E. Hickson Manuscript collection, MSS 1707, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia
  • Series B: Family Photos
  • Series C: Engineering Reports and Documents

Processing Note

To process this collection, OHS did the following: organized folders into chronological order; re-foldered items into acid-free archival folders; interleaved photographs with acid-free paper; removed over-sized items to larger boxes; re-sleeved negatives.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Channels (Hydraulic engineering)--Oregon.
  • Channels (Hydraulic engineering)--Washington.
  • Dams--Oregon.
  • Inland water transportation--Oregon.
  • Jetties--Oregon
  • River engineering--Oregon.

Personal Names

  • Hickson, Jessie Mae Barzee, 1886-1965.
  • Hickson, Robert E., 1884-1966.

Geographical Names

  • Astoria (Or.)
  • Columbia River.
  • Willamette River.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Maps
  • Photographs
  • Scrapbooks

Finding aid prepared by Veronica Vichit Vadakan
2012

CC0

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