Rural Settlement and Resources of the Alsea Valley, 1955
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Author
- Northam, Ray M.
- Title
- Rural Settlement and Resources of the Alsea Valley
- Dates
- 195519551955
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box)
- Collection Number
- Coll 1118
- Summary
- Master's thesis by Ray Mervyn Northam (1929-2003) discussing the population and industries of the Alsea Valley in Benton County, Oregon, in the 1950s. The thesis includes graphs, charts, maps, and photographs. Northam studied at Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) in Corvallis and later taught economic and urban geography at the University of Georgia, Portland State University, Yale University, and Oregon State University. Alsea is an unincorporated community in the Coast Range in Benton County, Oregon. The area was the site of several sawmills during the post-World War II boom in lumber production, though most of them closed by the early 1970s.
- 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
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Raymond Mervyn Northam was born in 1929 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but moved to Washington state as a child. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) and a doctorate from Northwestern University. He taught economic and urban geography at the University of Georgia, Portland State University in Oregon, Yale University in Connecticut, and Oregon State University. He retired from the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University in 1991.
Northam married Joyce Hout in 1953. He died in 2003.
Source: Obituary published by Corvallis Gazette-Times (accessed December 2025), https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gazettetimes/name/raymond-northam-obituary?id=13642428
Historical Note
Alsea (also written as Alcea) is an unincorparated community in the Coast Range near the juncture of the North and South Forks of the Alsea River in Benton County, Oregon, about 26 miles west of Corvallis. The name is derived from the Alsi or Alseya Native band that lived near the lower Alsea River's estuary and who used trails through the upper Alsea Valley. The first mention of an "Alseya Settlement" appeared on a General Land Office survey map in the 1850s. A post office was established in 1871. After World War II, when lumber production in Oregon boomed, several sawmills operated in the valley, though production consolidation led to the closure of nearly all the mills by the early 1970s. Environmental restrictions in the 1990s further affected timber production in the area. In the 21st century, the majority of the area's residents commute to the Willamette Valley for work.
Source: "Alsea (Alcea)," by William G. Robbins, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/alsea_alcea_/
Content Description
The collection consists of a bound thesis written by Ray Mervyn Northam for a Master of Science degree from Oregon State College (now Oregon State University). The thesis discusses the Alsea Valley in Benton County, Oregon. It includes maps, graphs, charts, and photographs, though the photographs designated as Figure 1 and Figure 27 are missing. The photographs are black and white prints glued to the pages. Topics covered in the thesis include a physical description of the valley; the history of the valley's settlement; description of the town of Alsea and its residents; the lumber industry and agriculture in the valley; and recreational activities in the valley, such as fishing. The thesis concludes with Northam's opinions about the current state and future of the valley, followed by a bibliography, a list of sources for graphs and maps used, and examples of questionnaires that he used for his study.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Rural Settlement and Resources of the Alsea Valley, Coll 1118, 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
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Agriculture--Oregon--Benton County--20th century
- Lumbering--Oregon--Benton County--20th century
- Outdoor recreation--Oregon--Benton County
Geographical Names
- Alsea Valley (Or.)--Description and travel
- Alsea Valley (Or.)--Photographs
Form or Genre Terms
- masters theses
