Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Cage 232
Oliphant, J. Orin (James Orin), 1894-1979.
James Orin Oliphant Papers
1894-1979
9.5 Linear feet of shelf space
19 Boxes
Professional papers, hand-written manuscripts,
published works, scrapbooks, and clippings, related to the Pacific Northwest history
of historian J. Orin Oliphant. Also includes his personal papers, and Oliphant and
Ewing family genealogies.
Collection materials are in English
James Orin Oliphant was born on March 23, 1894, in the Whitman County town of
Elberton, Washington, not far from the Palouse River. In 1913 he graduated from the
State Normal School in Cheney. Three years later he received his A.B. degree from
the University of Washington in Seattle. He returned to Cheney for two years to
teach high school, then joined the Normal School faculty in 1921. From 1921 to 1924
he taught as a member of the Department of History and Social Science and served as
executive secretary to President Noah Showalter. During these years he used several
leaves of absence to continue his work in history under the direction of Edward
Meaney at the University of Washington. In 1923- 1924 he was a Denny fellow and in
1924 he received his A.M. He then returned to teaching history and social science at
Cheney Normal School. In 1929 he took a leave of absence and went east to Harvard
University as an Austin Scholar and in 1930 received his Ph.D from Harvard. His
dissertation was on
The Range-Cattle Industry in the Oregon Country to
1890. Rather than returning to the Washington State Normal School at
Cheney, Oliphant joined the faculty of Antioch College in Ohio as an associate
professor of history. In 1933 he moved to Bucknell University in Lewisburg,
Pennsylvania, where he progressed through the ranks of the professoriate and in 1964
retired as professor emeritus of history. From 1936 to 1944 and again from 1957 to
1962 he served as chairman of the department of history. From 1949 until 1954 he
edited Bucknell University Studies. His professional memberships included the
American Historical Association and the Agricultural History Society. Upon his
retirement Oliphant and his wife May returned to the Pacific Northwest and lived in
Salem, Oregon, until his death in 1979.
Biographical sketch of J. Orin Oliphant from the Ye Galleon Press reprint of William
Emsley Jackson's Diary of a Cattle Drive from LaGrande, Oregon, to Cheyenne,
Wyoming, published in 1983.
Professional papers, hand-written manuscripts, published works, scrapbooks, and
clippings, related to the Pacific Northwest history of historian J. Orin Oliphant.
Also includes his personal papers, and Oliphant and Ewing family genealogies.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item description]
James Orin Oliphant Papers, 1894-1979 (Cage 232)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The papers were donated to WSU in about 1968.
James Orin Oliphant Papers, 1914-1978 (Cage 563)
The Oregon Historical Society owns a small collection of James Orin Oliphant Papers.
This 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.
Oliphant, J. Orin (James Orin), 1894-1979 -- Archives.
Oliphant family.
Ewing family.
Northwest, Pacific -- History -- Research.
Washington (State)
Oregon
Overland Journeys to the Western United States
1
1
Oliphant and Ewing Family genealogies.
Correspondence from W. S. Oliphant's WW II experiences in
Algeria.
1
2
Mr. Oliphant's PhD. dissertation, The
Range Cattle Industry in Oregon to 1890.
1
3-7
Several drafts of The Great Interprise, a
history of Bucknell University by Mr. Oliphant (mss.)
2
8-16
Drafts of The Great Interprise, a history of
Bucknell University by Mr. Oliphant (mss.) (cont.)
3
On the Arkansas Route to California, a
translation of one Robert Green's journal by Mr. Oliphant. It relates the
journey made by its author from Pennsylvania to California in
1849.
3
17
Galley proofs for On the Arkansas Route
to California.
3
Sketches of the History of Northeastern Washington (clipped
and bound newspaper articles by Mr. Oliphant).
3
Early History of Spokane, Washington told by Contemporaries,
(typewritten, bound mss. by Mr. Oliphant)
3
History of the State Normal School at Cheney, (typewritten,
bound mss. by Mr. Oliphant)
4
Recent History of the Normal School, (typewritten, bound mss.
by Mr. Oliphant)
4
War-Time Letters of the Normal School, (typewritten, bound
mss. by Mr. Oliphant)
4
Sources of the History of the Normal School, (typewritten,
bound mss. by Mr. Oliphant)
4
Readings in the History of Eastern Washington, (vols. 1 &
2) (typewritten, bound mss. by Mr. Oliphant)
5
Readings in the History of Eastern Washington, vols. 3-5.
5
Northwest History Notes, vol. 1 (bound notes and clippings)
6
Northwest History Notes, vols. 2-4.
7
18
Notes and material regarding the foundation
and development of churches and lodges in Cheney, Washington.
7
19
Notes and material regarding the history of
Cheney Normal School.
7
20
Notes and material regarding the history of
Cheney educational institutions.
7
21
Notes and material regarding the history of
Cheney Academy.
7
22
Bulletins from the Washington State
Suprentendant of Schools for 1930-1932.
8
23
Early drafts and notes for The Library of a
Fur Trader in Oregon, a book published by Mr. Oliphant.
8
24
Typewritten translation of the Lueg
Journal.
8
25
Descriptions of the Washington frontier by
pioneers
8
26
Note regarding transportation in 19th century
eastern Washington.
8
27
Notes and clippings re Pacific Northwest
History.
8
28
Pioneer sketches of Eastern
Washington.
9
Makers of the Nation, a college term paper giving
biographical sketches of prominent personalities in American History. (2
vols.)
10
Essays in Pennsylvania History, by J. Orin
Oliphant. Reprints and booklets containing articles published.
10-11
Reprints and articles by J. Orin
Oliphant.
11
29
World War I Scrapbooks. (kept by Mr. Oliphant,
contain personal notes and newspaper clippings.)
11
30-31
Teaching notes prepared by Mr. Oliphant for a
course in American Government at Antioch College from 1930-1931 to 1932.
Content relates to the constitutionality of prohibition.
11
32
Notes prepared for a speech on Frank Lester
Ward.
12
Miscellaneous pamphlets, newspapers,
circulars, advertisments and prospectuses regarding special collections
containing material on American history.
13
Miscellaneous reprints, journals, and
pamphlets regarding American History and special collections
14
Miscellaneous reprints, journals, and booklets
regarding Pacific Northwest History and the cattle industry.
15
Miscellaneous booklets regarding Pacific
Northwest History.
15
Stevens County, Washington by W.P. Winas (bound typewritten
mss.)
15
Reminiscences of Leoti L. West, J. Orin Oliphant (ed.) (bound
volume of newspaper clippings by Miss West)
15
Experiences of a Pioneer Teacher in Eastern Washington, J.
Orin Oliphant (ed.) (bound volume of newspaper clippings by Miss
West).
16
33
Letters re: miscellaneous information sought
by Dr. Oliphant in his research.
16
34
Newspapers, Spokane and Whitman Co, notes.,
1880-1889
16
35
Notes for Hist. 306, 1789-1833
16
36
Notes re: L. E. Kellogg, founder of the
Northwest Tribune.
16
37
Notes re: frontier settlement.
16
38
Notes re: the Pacific Northwest during the
Civil War.
16
39
Notes re: use of public land.
16
40
Ohio Letters, J. H. Johnson: 1833-1837. By Dr.
Oliphant
16
41
Notes re: frontier and western
letters.
16
42
Notes re: the westward movement in Oregon and
California.
16
43
Newspaper clippings re: Sprague,
Washington.
16
44
Notes re: cattle in the Pacific
Northwest.
16
45
Freedom of the Press, by J. Orin Oliphant.
16
46
History as Knowledge, or History: its Methodology, its
Philosophy, and its Uses, by J. Orin Oliphant.
17
47
Description of Oregon in 1850 and early
literature on Oregon, mss. and notes.
17
48
Methodism in Eastern Washington,
(notes).
17
49
Notes re: Walla Walla in the
1860s.
17
50
Cheney Washington, Early History, extensive
notes and early mss.
17
51
Notes re: Early eastern Washington
mining.
17
52
Notes re: Cheney newspapers.
17
53
The Founding of Cheney, 1880-1881
17
54
Cheney, 1881-1890
17
55
Notes re: economic conditions in early
Cheney.
18
56
Notes re: Cheney in 1880s.
18
57
Notes re: Spokane County in 1880s.
18
58
Notes re: state normal schools.
18
59
Notes re: Washington territory.
18
60
Notes re: Eastern Washington
towns.
18
61
Notes re: Cheney and Eastern
Washington.
18
62
The Diary of George D. Anderson, 1879-1889.
18
63
Miscellaneous notes and clippings re: the
Pacific Northwest.
18
64
American Constituticnal Readjustment, notes and mss. by Dr.
Oliphant.
19
65
Miscellaneous notes re: Pacific Northwest
territories, boundries, and administration.
19
66
Notes re: newspapers of eastern Washington and
northern Idaho.
19
67
Notes re: Cattle in the Palouse
country.
19
68
Notes re: eastern Washington economic
development.
19
69
Notes re: the beginnings of Washington
Territory.
19
70
Notes re: the Grange movement in the Pacific
Northwest.
19
71
Galley proofs for On The Cattle Ranges
of the Oregon Country.
19
Miscellaneous pamphlets and reprints re:
Pacific Northwest history.
19
Photograph of first printing press in Pacific
Northwest.
19
72
Recollections of life in Elberton 1972
November 25
4 p. typescript