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
871
Kelly family
Kelly family
papers
1831-1982
2 cubic feet
(3
document cases, 2 card file boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Papers of the Kelly family of Oregon,
primarily Clinton Kelly (1808-1875), Albert Kelly (1814-1873), Plympton Kelly
(1828-1906), Penumbra Kelly (1845-1928), and Silas Gilby Kelly (1848-1920), and
the related Plummer, Niblin, and Povey families. Included is family
correspondence, genealogical materials, land records, Plympton Kelly's Yakima
war diary, extensive diaries of Silas Gilby Kelly of Hillsdale, Oregon, and
documents relating to the Willamette Steam Ferry Company, 1854-1868.
Materials in the collection are in
English.
The present collection is related primarily to the descendents of Samuel
Kelly (1776-1834) and his wife Nancy Kennedy Kelly (1781-1841) who lived in
Virginia and Kentucky. Their son Clinton Kelly (1808-1875) was a Methodist
preacher and an anti-slavery advocate. A native of Kentucky, he came overland
to Oregon with his family in 1847 and took a donation land claim on the east
side of the Willamette River, opposite Portland. He platted the land in 1872,
and the area was eventually annexed by the city. Clinton's oldest son (by his
first wife, Mary Bastin), Plympton Kelly, fought in the Yakima Indian wars of
1855-1856. Another son of Clinton Kelly (by his third wife, Moriah Maldon
Crain) was Penumbra Kelly (1845-1928), who lived much of his life in Portland,
Oregon, and married Mary Marquam in 1875. He served as a member of the Oregon
House of Representatives, County Commissioner, and Sheriff of Multnomah
County.
Clinton Kelly's younger brother, Albert Kelly, (1814-1873) was born in
Clifty Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky. In 1837 he married Nira Chandler
Bingham (1816-1898) in Athens, Ohio, and in 1847 they traveled overland to
Oregon with Kelly's family. They settled eventually on a donation land claim
southwest of Portland, an area that now includes Albert Kelly Park. In the
early 1870s the Kellys moved to Yakima County, Washington, where Albert died in
1873. His wife Nira moved to Portland around 1886.
A son of Albert and Nira Kelly, Silas Gilby Kelly (1848-1920) was a
farmer of Hillsdale, Oregon, and married Nellie Griffith Baker. A daughter of
Albert Kelly, Martha Elizabeth Kelly Plummer (1850-1935), married Orlando
Pleasant Shields Plummer (1836-1913), a physician of Portland, Oregon. Their
daughter, Marian Lee Plummer Povey (1885-1975) married John Harold Povey
(1884-1964). Another daughter of Orlando and Martha Plummer was Agnes Plummer
Burns (1877-1975), who married William Wesley Burns (1861-1937) and lived in
Troy, Oregon.
The collection includes family correspondence, genealogical materials,
land records, Plympton Kelly's Yakima war diary, extensive diaries of Silas
Gilby Kelly of Hillsdale, Oregon, Laura Kelly papers, and documents relating to
the Willamette Steam Ferry Company, 1854-1868. An unidentified woman's diary,
1858-1876, is probably that of Nira Bingham Kelly, wife of Albert Kelly. Other
diaries include those of Dr. Orlando Plummer and Harold Povey. The family
correspondence includes letters from family members in Kentucky, and branches
of the Kelly family, including the Niblins, the Binghams, the Plummers, and the
Poveys. Among the Plummer materials is a day book containing financial records
and other data, 1833-1888, of J. B. Plumer [sic], a store keeper of North
Liberty, Pennsylvania. Among the land records are title abstracts relating to
the Plummer Building in Portland, Oregon, located on the north-west corner of
SW Madison St. and SW Third Avenue. Genealogical and biographical materials
include the 1940 reminiscences of Maria Kelly Delashmutt, daughter of Albert
Kelly; and reminiscences of Agnes Plummer Burns.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Correspondence and general files, 1831-1982
- Series B: Diaries and notebooks, 1855-1919
- Series C: Certificates and maps, 1866-1919
Photocopy and transcript of the Plympton Kelly's Yakima War diary is
included in the collection.
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.
Kelly Family papers, Mss 871, Oregon Historical Society Research
Library
Gifts of Mrs. Robert J. Kelly, 1974 January, Library Accession 12811;
Mrs. Frank W. Klatt, 1976 July, Library Accession 13752; Esther Kelly Watson,
1980 January, Library Accession 14993; and Mr. Donald E. Clark, 1987 August,
Library Accession 18353.
The Kelly family : Thomas Kelly (1742-1812), his descendants and interrelated families
[compiled by Laura Kelly and Esther Kelly Watson], [Portland, Or. : L. Kelly and E. K. Watson, 1972-1987].
Ledgers of Clinton Kelly are designated Coll 38, Oregon Historical
Society Research Library.
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:
Burns,
Agnes Plummer, 1877-1975.
Kelly,
Albert, 1814-1874.
Kelly,
Clinton.
Kelly,
Laura.
Kelly,
Nira Bingham.
Kelly,
Penumbra.
Kelly,
Plympton J., d. 1906.
Kelly,
Silas Gilby.
Plummer,
O. P. S. (Orlando Pleasant Sheilds), 1836-1913.
Burns,
Agnes Plummer, 1877-1975.
Kelly,
Albert, 1814-1874.
Kelly,
Clinton.
Kelly,
Nira Bingham.
Kelly,
Penumbra.
Kelly,
Plympton J., d. 1906.
Kelly,
Silas Gilby.
Bingham family.
Kelly family.
Niblin family.
Plummer family.
Povey family.
Niblin family.
Plummer family.
Willamette
Steam Ferry Company.
Hillsdale
(Or.)--History.
North
Liberty (Pa.)--History.
Portland
(Or.)--History.
Farms--Oregon--Multnomah
County.
Ferries--Oregon--Willamette
River.
Land
tenure--Oregon--Multnomah County.
Overland journeys to the
Pacific.
Pioneers--Oregon.
Women--Oregon--Diaries.
Home
and Family
Oregon
Overland Journeys to the Northwestern United
States
Pioneers
Portland
Diaries.
Genealogies.
Letters
(correspondence)
Reminiscences.
Scrapbooks.
Series A
Correspondence and general
files
1831-1982
1/1
Inventories of Kelly family
materials
1950
Includes detailed calendar of letters.
1/2
Family letters
1841-1859
1/3
Family letters
1860-1889
1/4
Family letters
1890-1928
1/5
Abstract of title, 2829 SE
Clinton Street, Portland
1945
1/6
Address of Mrs. Plympton
Kelly at public school at Lents
1903 May 12
1/7
Agnes Plummer Burns
papers
1958-1961, undated
1/8
Albert and Nira Kelly family
papers
1841-1898
1/9
Bills and receipts (primarily
from Clinton Kelly)
1851-1876
1/10
Clinton Kelly
papers
1862-1901
1/11
Ephemera and
reminiscences
1852-1940
1/12
Eulogy of Plympton
Kelly
1906
1/13
Genealogy of Thomas Kelly
family
1904, 1948, undated
2/1
J. B. Plumer [sic] day
book
1833-1888
2/2
Laura Kelly
papers
1905-1970
2/3
Laura Kelly, high school
graduation book
1917
2/4
Miscellaneous family
correspondence, mostly Niblin family
1892-1937, undated
2/5
Miscellaneous
papers
1831-1863
Includes account books, documents, indentures, and alcohol
abstention pledge forms.
2/6
Orlando Plummer--Medical
Society certificate
1872
2/7
Penumbra Kelly--Workers' time
book
1870-1875
2/8
Plympton Kelly--Copy of diary
of Yakima Indian War (manuscript)
1855 November 22-1856 March 16
2/9
Plympton Kelly--Yakima War
diary (original)
1856 March 17-May 13
2/10
Plympton Kelly--Yakima War
diary (photostat of above)
1856
2/11
Plummer and Povey family
papers
1870-1960
2/13
Plummer Building, Portland,
Oregon--Legal papers
1879-1911
3/1
Reunion announcements and
family newsletters
1968-1982
3/2
Scrapbook
circa 1874-1888
3/3
Willamette Steam Ferry
records
1854-1868
Series B
Diaries and notebooks
1855-1919
Silas G. Kelly diaries and
account books
4/1
Diary
1868
4/2
Account book
1869-1874
4/3
Book of workers'
hours
1871-1873
4/4
Account book
1873-1875
4/5
Diary
1875
4/6
Diary
1877
4/7
Diary
1880
4/8
Diary
1881
4/9
Diary
1884
4/10
Diary
1887
4/11
Diary
1889
4/12
Diary
1890, 1896
4/13
Diary
1891
4/14
Diary
1892, 1897
4/15
Diary
1893
4/16
Diary
1894-1895
5/1
Diary
1907
5/2
Diary
1909
5/3
Diary
1910
5/4
Diary
1911-1912
5/5
Diary
1913
5/6
Diary
1914
5/7
Diary
1916-1917
5/8
Diary
1918
5/9
Diary
1919
Orlando Plummer
diaries
5/10
Diary and medical
notes
circa 1855
5/11
Diary
1910
5/12
Diary
1911
5/13
Harold Povey
diary
undated
5/14
Harold Povey autograph
book
1892-1899
5/15
Nira Bingham Kelly
diary
1858, 1874-1878
Entries are written in an 1858 diary book and include
entries for 1858, then for 1874-1876. There is no name on this diary, but based
on internal evidence it is probably that of Nira Bingham Kelly (1816-1898),
wife of Albert Kelly.
Series C
Certificates and maps
1866-1919
Oversize folder
Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church--Membership of Philander B. Kelly
1866 January 22
Oversize folder
Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church--Membership of Lee W. Kelly
1866 January 22
Oversize folder
Marriage certificate for
George W. Povey and Thirsa [?] J. Page
1873
Oversize folder
Donation land claim
certificate for Plympton Kelly, Multnomah County, Oregon (signed by President
Grant)
1873 July 24
Oversize folder
Certificate of marriage, O.
P. S. Plummer and Martha E. Kelly
1874 July 4
Oversize folder
Olivet College--Diploma for
Nannie L. Parsons
1876
Oversize folder
State of Oregon, Oregon
Volunteers--Commission for George W. Povey
1898 May 15
Oversize folder
Commission of George W. Povey
as Assistant Quartermaster of Volunteers (signed by President
McKinley)
1899 August 28
Oversize folder
United States, Civil Governor
of the Philippine Islands--Appointment Of George W. Povey as Treasurer of the
Province of Isabela
1901 August 24
Oversize folder
Oregon State Board of
Pharmacy--Certificate to Agnes Plummer
1906
Oversize folder
Plat map, area in southwest
Multnomah County
1919.
Oversize folder
Plat map, Povey property in
southwest Multnomah County, Oregon
undated