Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection, circa 1860-1949
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- VanCleave, Ralph W.
- Title
- Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection
- Dates
- circa 1860-1949 (inclusive)18581949
1940-1949 (bulk)19401949 - Quantity
- 0.20 cubic feet, including 53 photographs, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- P 156
- Summary
- The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection contains images of the Horning Carding Mill and F.A. Horning residence, and includes written histories of both subjects. Also held within the collection are images, taken in the 1940s, of public schools from all around the Willamette Valley.
Images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital. - Repository
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Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu - Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Ralph War VanCleave was born July 25, 1907 in Washington state to Floyd VanCleave (alternately spelled Van Cleve) and Anna Emeline Spencer VanCleave. Floyd, who was born in Iowa in March of 1878, married Anna, who was born in Philomath, Oregon in 1885, on August 1, 1906 in Benton County, Oregon.
In 1910, Floyd, Anna, and Ralph, who was then 2 years old, were living in North Prosser, an unincorporated community in southeastern Washington located approximately one mile north of the city of Prosser. The family boarded with William Spencer, a local farmer and Anna’s uncle, for whom Floyd was employed as a farm hand. Later that same year, however, the family moved nearly 200 miles west, to Chehalis, Washington, where Floyd found work as a teamster, or truck driver, for a local produce company.
The family had moved again by 1920, this time to Millican, Oregon, 25 miles east of Bend, where Floyd purchased his own ranch and raised livestock. The family moved to Bend proper sometime before 1930. Though Floyd no longer made his living as a rancher – the 1930 census indicates he was employed as a carpenter at a local lumber mill – his home and land were valued at over $30,000, suggesting that his time as a rancher was a relatively profitable one. Ralph, who was 22 in 1930, still lived at home and was working as a salesperson in a florist’s shop.
By 1940, the family had moved to Fort Rock, Oregon a small community roughly 60 miles southeast of Bend. Floyd worked as an “engineer” at a lumber camp, and Ralph was employed as the camp’s “time keeper,” likely meaning he was either in charge of payroll, or of ensuring camp laborers correctly punched in and punched out every day.
Sometime before 1980, Ralph VanCleave moved to the Benton County area, settling in Corvallis, Oregon. He appears to have been something of an amateur historian; several of the buildings featured in the photographs in the collection have accompanying histories (the Horning Carding Mill, and the F.A. Horning residence). These histories have been included in the collection. VanCleave also served on the Board of Trustees of the Benton County Historical Society. Ralph VanCleave passed away December 27, 1984 in Corvallis, Oregon.
Content Description
The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection is comprised of black and white images of the Horning Carding Mill and Frederick A. Horning residence, and images, taken in the 1940s, of public schools from in and around the Willamette Valley. The photographs appear to have been collected, rather than created by VanCleave, and many, if not all, are copy prints.
The majority of the images in the collection are photographs that document school buildings in counties across western Oregon, including Benton, Coos, Lane, and Clackamas. Some of the images document what were likely one-room school houses in “unincorporated communities,” such as Hoskins, Summit, Greenberry, Bunker Hill, Alpine, Tampico, Beavercreek, Blodgett, Ingram Island, Soap Creek, and Wren. The image of the Central School (School District #50), shows a group of children in front of the school building. There is also a photograph of Lakeside School’s 8th grade class. None of the students in these images are identified. All of the schoolhouse images were provided to VanCleave by Doris Larkin Myers.
The collection also includes several images of historic Corvallis buildings. One image shows the Corvallis High School Band in front of the First Christian Church at the corner of 4th and Madison in Corvallis. A second image features what was, at the time of the photograph, the Keeney Funeral Home at the northwest corner of 5th and Jackson. Originally the residence of a Corvallis lawyer, F.M. Johnson, the Keeney Funeral Home building also served as the erstwhile residence of Oregon Agricultural College’s sixth president, William Jasper Kerr. The building later became the McHenry Funeral Home. The photograph of the Frederick A. Horning residence features a flower garden in bloom in the foreground. The collection also includes histories, presumably written by VanCleave, of both the Horning Carding Mill and Horning residence.
Of particular interest is an early photograph of Philomath College, the building which would eventually house the Benton County Historical Society. The College was founded in 1867 by the United Brethren Church but closed during the Great Depression due to the sharp decline in enrollment. Also of interest is a photograph of the Fort Yamhill blockhouse, a small fortification original constructed by the U.S. Army at Fort Yamhill in 1856. In 1911, the structure was moved 30 miles northwest to a part in Dayton to save it from demolition.
Select images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Ralph VanCleave Photograph Collection (P 156), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement
The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection is comprised of one series: 1. Photographs, circa 1860-1949. The photographs are arranged in the order assigned during the collection's preliminary processing.
Acquisition Information
The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection was received by the Oregon State University Archives in the 1970s or early 1980s. Additional information about the collection's provenance is unavailable. The collection is now housed in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center.
Processing Note
The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection contained copy negatives of prints held in other collections. It was determined these copy negatives should not be retained, and they were therefore discarded.
Related Materials
The Special Collections and Archives Research Center has countless collections within its holdings that document the history of Corvallis, Benton County, and the Willamette Valley. Of special note are Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) -- especially HC 596 -- the Corvallis Gazette-Times Photographs (P 066), the Gerald W. Williams Regional Albums (P 303), and the Corvallis, Oregon Photograph Collection (P 051).
Additional materials documenting conditions in rural communities in Oregon can be found in the National Rural Studies Committee Records (RG 246) and the Apiary (Or.) Rural Telephone Cooperative Records (MSS Apiary).
In addition, the Benton County Historical Museum's holdings include extensive documentary and visual materials pertaining to the history of Corvallis and Benton County.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Series 1: Photographs, 1860-1940
The Ralph VanCleave Photographic Collection is comprised of black and white images of the Horning Carding Mill and Frederick A. Horning residence, and images, taken in the 1940s, of public schools from in and around the Willamette Valley. The majority of the images in the collection are photographs that document school buildings in counties across western Oregon, including Benton, Coos, Lane, and Clackamas. All of the schoolhouse images were provided to VanCleave by Doris Larkin Myers. The collection also includes several images of historic Corvallis buildings, including an image of the Corvallis High School Band in front of the First Christian Church at the corner of 4th and Madison in Corvallis, and the former Keeney Funeral Home at the northwest corner of 5th and Jackson. Of particular interest is an early photograph of Philomath College, the building which would eventually house the Benton County Historical Society. The photographs appear to have been collected, rather than created by VanCleave, and many, if not all, are copy prints.
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Description: P156:01: The Horning Carding Mill
A written history of this building is provided in the collection; 3 photographic prints; This is a duplicate photo that was copied from a glass negative in the Oregon State University Historical Photographs Collection [P025:1231].
Dates: circa 1870 -
Description: P156:02: F.A. Horning residence
A written history of this building is provided in the collection
Dates: circa 1860 -
Description: P156:03: Philomath College
2 photographic prints
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Description: P156:04: Corvallis High School Band
"[at] 4th and Madison [in front of a] christian church"
Dates: circa 1900 -
Description: P156:05: Keeney Funeral Home
"5th and Jackson, facing east. Originally residence of F.M. Jackson [who was a] Corvallis lawyer. Also served as residence for Pres. Kerr of OSU and a sorority. Later used by Keeney Funeral Home, replaced by new McHenry Funeral Home."
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Description: P156:06: Alsea School
School District #7c. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:07: Evergreen School
School District #59. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:08: Hoskins School
School District #79. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:09: King Valley Union High
School District #u3. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:10: Summit School
School District #36c. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:11: Irish Bend School
School District #24; Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board and appear in this collection as photographs of those photos.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:12: Lincoln School
School District #38. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:13: Greenberry School
School District #31. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:14: Bunker Hill School
School District #62. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:15: Fir Grove School
School District #74c. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:16: Philomath-West School
School District #17c. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:17: Mountain Home School
School District #94. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:18: Westwood School
School District #97. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:19: Tampico School
School District #98. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:20: Bellfountain School
School District #23. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:21: North Albany School
School District #34. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:22: Monroe School
School District #25g. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:23: Oakridge School
School District #49. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:24: Central School
School District #50. Several of the photos in this collection, including this one, were originally mounted together on a presentation board, and appear in this collection as photographs of those photographs.
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:25: Alder Grove School
School District #2
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:26: Alpine School
School District #26c
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:27: Auxiliary School
School District #22
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:28: Beaver Creek School
School District #20
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:29: Blodgett School
School District #12
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:30: Eureka School
School District #41g
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:31: Gudd Smith School
School District #39
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:32: Harris School
School District #35
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:33: Hazel Glen School
School District #40g; "little lobster"
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:34: Independent School
School District #19
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:35: Ingram Island School
School District #5
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:36: Kings Valley School
School District #3
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:37: Lakeside School
School District #21
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:38: 8th grade class at Lakeside SchoolDates: circa 1940
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Description: P156:39: Missouri Bend School
School District #85; "Scoville"
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:40: Monroe Union High
School District #1
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:41: Mountain Home School
School District #94
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:42: Mountain View School
School District #8
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:43: Nois School
School District #83
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:44: Oak Grove School
School District #4
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:45: Plasant Valley School
School District #15
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:46: Richland School
School District #62
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:47: Roy Rickard School
School District #16
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:48: Soap Creek School
School District #32
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:49: Union School
School District #13; "Mount Union; Plymouth"
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:50: Ward School
School District #81g
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:51: Wells School
School District #1
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:52: Wren School
School District #11
Dates: circa 1940 -
Description: P156:53: Grand Ronde Block House
"The Block House has now been moved to Dayton, Oregon"; 2 photographic prints
Dates: circa 1899
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Elementary school buildings--Oregon.
- Historic buildings--Oregon.
- Rural conditions.
- Wool-carding.
Personal Names
- VanCleave, Ralph W.
Corporate Names
- Corvallis High School (Corvallis, Or.)
- Philomath College (Philomath, Or.)
Geographical Names
- Corvallis (Or.)--History.
- Fort Yamhill (Or.)
- Philomath (Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographic prints.
Other Creators
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Personal Names
- Myers, Doris Larkin, 1919-1998. (creator)
