English
Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
libreference@ohs.org
https://www.ohs.org/research-and-library/
Lewis A. McArthur papers
McArthur, Lewis A. (Lewis Ankeny), 1883-1951
Mss 363
6.5 cubic feet
2 legal document cases; 1 slim legal document case; 13 letter document cases; 1 slim letter document case; 2 card file boxes (12x6x4); 1 oversize folder (16x20)
1867-1993
1908-1950
Papers of Lewis A. McArthur (1883-1951) and his family, particularly papers relating to research on Oregon place names. McArthur was a historian who published Oregon Geographic Names in 1928. He published a second edition of the work in 1944, and had completed most of the work for the third edition before his death.
Lewis Ankeny McArthur was born in 1883 in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Judge Lewis Linn McArthur. He was an executive of Pacific Power and Light. However, he was much better known in his life as an expert in Pacific Northwest history, specializing in the history of place names in Oregon. In 1928, he published Oregon Geographic Names. He published a second edition of the work in 1944.
Among McArthur's many positions was as a member of the Oregon Geographic Names Board beginning in 1914, and as president of the Oregon Historical Society from 1926 to 1944. In 1914, he married Mary Lawrence Hewitt; the couple had four children. Mary Lawrence McArthur died in 1943 and, in 1946, Lewis A. McArthur married Oregon Historical Society librarian Nellie Pipes. Lewis A. McArthur died in November 1951, while still working on a third edition of Oregon Place Names. His widow, Nellie McArthur, completed work on the third edition, which was published the following year.
The collection consists primarily of documents created or compiled by Lewis A. McArthur, particularly papers relating to McArthur's work on Oregon place names. The bulk of materials relating to Oregon place names consists of correspondence, notes, and newspaper clippings, including a few documents added after McArthur's death by Oregon Historical Society staff. Additional materials on Oregon place names include a complete final draft of the first edition of Oregon Geographic Names, a correction copy of the first edition of Oregon Geographic Names, and three bound volumes of correspondence.
Other papers in this collection consist of personal correspondence, articles and reports written by McArthur, and research McArthur conducted about Oregon post offices and postmasters. Family papers include correspondence and land papers of Lewis A. McArthur's father, Lewis Linn McArthur (1843-1897); and the papers of Lewis A. McArthur's brother Clifton Nesmith McArthur (1879-1923), including a letter from Theodore Roosevelt offering condolences for the death of Clifton N. McArthur's son.
Collection is open for research.
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.
Lewis A. McArthur papers, Mss 363, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection is arranged in three series: Series 1. Personal and family papers; Series 2. Oregon Geographic Names records; Series 3. Other research and papers.
Gifts of Lewis A. McArthur made between 1927 and 1951 (RL2020-027-RETRO; RL2020-028-RETRO; RL2020-029-RETRO; RL2020-030-RETRO; RL2020-036-RETRO; RL2020-037-RETRO; RL2020-038-RETRO), plus additional gifts by Lewis L. McArthur made between 1973 and 1988 (Lib. Acc. 12456; Lib. Acc. 16600; Lib. Acc. 18755).
Biographical notes on Lewis Ankeny McArthur, Coll 130, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Lewis L. McArthur papers, Coll 854, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Includes materials previously designated Mss 363-1 and Mss 363-5.
McArthur, Lewis A. (Lewis Ankeny), 1883-1951
Oregon Geographic Names Board
Oregon--Geography
Oregon--History, Local
Names, Geographical--Oregon
Geographers--Oregon
Historians--Oregon
Oregon
correspondence
books
drafts (documents)
Personal and family papers
Series 1
1867-1950
Correspondence
1923-1937; 1940-1945; undated
1
1-2
Correspondence
1946-1948
1
3-4
Correspondence
1949-1950
1
5
Correspondence and documents about the Oregon Coordinate System
1943-1945
1
6
Polk County tax receipts
1920-1929
1
7
Clifton N. McArthur papers
1901-1928
1
8
Lewis Linn McArthur correspondence and land papers
1867-1899; undated
1
9
Ephemera and unsorted papers
circa 1870-1945
1
10
Oregon Geographic Names records
Series 2
1877-1993
1908-1948
Correspondence and records relating to Oregon Geographic Names Board
1908-1916
1
11
Oregon Geographic Names Board records
1908; 1914
1
12
Certificate appointing George H. Himes to the Oregon Geographic Names Board
1914 November 13
Oversize 1
OGN final manuscript, Abbot Butte - Cinnamon Butte
1927
2
1
OGN final manuscript, Cipole - Dyar Rock
1927
2
2
OGN final manuscript, Eagle Butte - Hunts Mill Point
1927
2
3
OGN final manuscript, Ikt Butte - Molalla River
1927
2
4
OGN final manuscript, Monitor - Owyhee River
1927
2
5
OGN final manuscript, Ox Bow - Rocky Top Mountain
1927
2
6
OGN final manuscript, Rodeo - Snell Creek
1927
3
1
OGN final manuscript, Soap Creek - Zumwalt
1927
3
2
OGN final manuscript, addenda
1927
3
3
Correction copy of Oregon Geographic Names, first edition
1928
4
Bound volume of Oregon Geographic Names correspondence, Letters 1-500
1923-1926
4
Bound volume of Oregon Geographic Names correspondence, Letters 501-1000
1915; 1925-1927
5
Bound volume of Oregon Geographic Names correspondence, Letters 1001-1500
1908-1915; 1924-1928
6
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, A - Alvord
1911-1948
6
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Amazon - Axhanole
1928-1948
6
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, B (out of alphabetical order)
1929-1948
7
1-2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Bayocean - Bethel
1929-1947
7
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Boardman - Brooks Meadows
1927-1948
7
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Brooks Meadows - Bybee
1925-1947
7
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, C - Camp Watson
1930-1946
7
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Camp Watson-Cayuse
1924-1946
8
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Cecil - Chitwood
1913-1948
8
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Chloride - Conyers
1915-1948
8
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Conyers - Cox Island
1924-1948
8
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Coxcomb Hill - Cutler City
1926-1948
8
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, D River - Devils Pulpit
1925-1948
9
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Devine Canyon - Dryden
1927-1948
9
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Eads Meadows - Emma
1927-1948
9
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Emma - Evergreen
1927-1948
9
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Face Rock - Fort Yamhill
1927-1948
9
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Fort Yamhill - Franklin-Smithfield
1926-1948
10
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Frankton - Furnish Creek
1923-1947
10
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Gage - Gervais
1910-1948
10
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Getchell Meadows - Glisan Glacier
1923-1948
10
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Gnat Creek - Gwynn Knoll
1924-1948
10
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Haas Ridge - Herrman
1916-1948
10
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Hershal - Huron
1923-1948
11
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Ibex - Jarboe
1923-1948
11
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Jarboe Meadows - Juntura
1909-1947; 1993
11
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Kalama - Kilts
1927-1948
11
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Kilts - Kyle Creek
1909-1948
11
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Lacy - Lazinka Ranch
1926-1948
11
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Leander - Lincoln County
1923-1947
11
7
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Lincoln County - Lytle Creek
1911-1948
12
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, McAllister - Magone Lake
1925-1948
12
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Mahogany Mountain - Meda
1926-1948
12
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Meda - Mount Hood
1909-1947
12
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Mount Hood - Myrtle Point
1927-1948; 1955
12
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Nash Crater - Nofog
1925-1948
12
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Nofog - Oxman
1916-1948
13
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, P Ranch - Poe Valley
1925-1949
13
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Poe Valley - Quosalon Creek
1927-1948; 1969
13
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Racer Creek - Rockwood
1916-1948
13
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Rodgers - Rye Valley
1928-1948
13
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Sacajawea - Sauvie Island
1929-1948
13
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Sawyers Cave - Shelvin
1916-1947
14
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Shelvin Park - Skyline Trail
1877-1948
14
2
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Slagle Creek - Squaw Island
1916-1948
14
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Squaw Island - Sugarloaf Mountain
1929-1948
14
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Sugarpine Mountain - Sylvan
1929-1948
14
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Table Mountain - Timon
1930-1949
14
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Tioga - Tygh Valley
1928-1948
14
7
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Umapine - Vosburg
1913-1947
15
1
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Waconda - Wastina
1909-1948
15
2
Correspondence about Oregon geographic names, Wallowa County, general
1944
15
3
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Waterloo - Wickiup
1914-1948
15
4
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Wicopee - Willamina
1926-1948
15
5
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Willanch Slough - Wyeth
1927-1948
15
6
Correspondence, clippings, and notes about Oregon geographic names, Yach - Zumwalt
1926-1948
15
7
Correspondence about Oregon geographic names, general
1946-1948
15
8
Other research and papers
Series 3
circa 1902-1950
Articles and historical notes
circa 1927-1943
16
1
Articles, book reviews, reports, and other writings by McArthur
1902-1944
16
2-4
Manuscript, "Louisiana Circuit Rider"
undated
16
5
Index cards on Oregon post offices and postmasters, Baker County - Lake County (except Klamath County)
circa 1940-1946
18
Index cards on Oregon post offices and postmasters, Lane County - Yamhill County
circa 1940-1946
19
Correspondence, notes, clippings, and articles on early Oregon post offices
1944-1946
17
1
"Oregon Post Office Names Past and Present," compiled by Edwin R. Payne
circa 1950
17
2
"Standard Elevations for Oregon," compiled by McArthur
1939 July 1
17
3