Oliver Ranch records, 1876-1976
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Oliver Ranch (Grant County, Or.)
- Title
- Oliver Ranch records
- Dates
- 1876-1976 (inclusive)18761976
- Quantity
- 6.94 cubic feet, (1 record carton; 2 legal document cases; 13 flat boxes (11x14); 1 flat box (13x16); 2 card file boxes (12x9x6))
- Collection Number
- Coll 1077
- Summary
- Records of the Oliver Ranch, a cattle and sheep ranch in Grant County, Oregon. Records are primarily in the form of financial ledgers and account books or time books. Joseph Cayton Oliver (1850-1921) founded the ranch in the 1870s, and his son Herman Oliver (1885-1970) managed it in the first half of the 20th century.
- 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
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Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English, German
Historical Note
The Oliver Ranch is a cattle and sheep ranch located near John Day in Grant County, Oregon. The ranch was founded in the 1870s by Joseph Cayton Oliver (known as J. C. Oliver, 1850-1921). Oliver registered his "A2" brand in 1878. By the 1920s, the ranch's holdings consisted of 40,000 acres of land, thousands of cattle and sheep, and hundreds of horses. For much of the first half of the 20th century, Joseph Cayton Oliver's son, Herman Oliver (1885-1970), managed the ranch. In the later 20th century, the ranch was sold, resold, and split multiple times.
Sources: "Gold and Cattle Country," by Herman Oliver (Portland, Or.: Binfords & Mort, 1961); obituary for Herman Oliver in the Oregonian, December 6, 1970, page 44; "The Gentrification of Eastern Oregon," by Dick Cockle, Oregonian, Northwest Magazine, January 20, 1985, pages 4-9.
Content Description
The collection consists of the records of the Oliver Ranch in Grant County, Oregon. Most of these records are either financial ledgers and account books, or time books. Many of the time books are labeled "milk book" on their covers, indicating that they were used to track milking operations on the ranch. One financial ledger contains diary entries from 1929 and 1930 at the front and at the back. One of the account books in the collection is a personal cash book that likely belonged to Elizabeth Oliver, the wife of Oliver Ranch founder J. C. Oliver. Other materials in the collection include a book of Catholic catechisms in German, in which recipes in English have been placed; and an edition of the newspaper Blue Mountain Eagle that was published to celebrate the centennial of Canyon City, Oregon.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Oliver Ranch records, Coll 1077, 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 Herman Oliver Keerins, June 2005 (Lib. Acc. 25716).
Related Materials
Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to the Oliver Ranch include the book "Gold and Cattle Country," by Herman Oliver (call number 979.164 O48g); and the Herman Oliver papers, Coll 1081.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Description: Account bookDates: 1882-1891Container: Box 1, Folder 1
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Description: Account bookDates: 1905-1906Container: Box 1, Folder 2
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Description: Cash book, likely belonging to Elizabeth OliverDates: 1879-1880Container: Box 19
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Description: Cash bookDates: 1906Container: Box 1, Folder 3
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Description: Cash bookDates: 1906-1907Container: Box 19
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Description: Day bookDates: 1895-1901Container: Box 4
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Description: Day bookDates: 1902Container: Box 1, Folder 4
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Description: Day bookDates: 1906-1909Container: Box 1, Folder 5
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1878-1909Container: Box 1, Folder 6-14
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1903-1919Container: Box 2, Folder 1-5
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1906-1919Container: Box 3, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgerDates: 1909-1915Container: Box 5
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1909-1921Container: Box 6, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1912-1928Container: Box 7, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1918-1944Container: Box 8, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1920-1926Container: Box 9, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1921-1928Container: Box 17, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1927-1943Container: Box 10, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledger with diary entries at front and backDates: 1928-1931Container: Box 11, Folder 1
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Description: Financial ledgerDates: 1929-1935Container: Box 11, Folder 2
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Description: Financial ledgerDates: 1931-1936Container: Box 12
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1944-1953Container: Box 13, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1949-1958Container: Box 14, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgersDates: 1949-1962Container: Box 15, Folder 1-2
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Description: Financial ledgerDates: 1963-1976Container: Box 16, Folder 2
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Description: Labor account bookDates: 1930-1947Container: Box 16, Folder 1
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Description: Order bookDates: 1942-1944Container: Box 3, Folder 3
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Description: Time booksDates: 1876-1906Container: Box 18
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Description: Time booksDates: 1906-1914Container: Box 19
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Description: Loose checks, notes, and receiptsDates: 1949-1951Container: Box 3, Folder 4
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Description: Book of Catholic catechisms (in German), with recipes (in English) placed insideDates: undatedContainer: Box 19
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Description: Edition of Blue Mountain Eagle newspaper published for the centennial of Canyon City, OregonDates: 1962 May 31Container: Box 3, Folder 5
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Ranches--Oregon--Grant County
- Ranching--Oregon--Grant County
Corporate Names
- Oliver Ranch (Grant County, Or.)--Records and correspondence
Form or Genre Terms
- financial records
- ledgers (account books)
