James and Stocking family papers, approximately 1841-1999

Overview of the Collection

Creator
James family
Title
James and Stocking family papers
Dates
approximately 1841-1999 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.64 cubic feet (6 boxes, 1 package)
Collection Number
3575
Summary
Papers of a family of immigrants from Cornwall, England, who lived in Wisconsin before travelling by wagon train to Oregon and Washington State in the early 1850s
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Samuel James, his wife Anna (Foxwell) James, and their four sons left Cornwall, England, for America in 1842. In England they were successful farmers and landowners, who emigrated more for political and philosophical reasons than because of economic hardship.

The James family first stayed in a Cornish settlement near Racine, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1842. They lived there for seven years, but it is clear from the name they chose for their fifth son, Richard Oregon, born in 1846, that the Oregon country had already caught their fancy. The extremes of climate in Wisconsin, which caused the children to be ill much of the winter, as well as published accounts of the good life (and mild weather) in Oregon, eventually motivated the famly to journey westward.

The journey was undertaken in two stages. Setting out in October, 1850, the family spent the winter in Dudley, Iowa. There they prepared for their Oregon Trail journey. They resumed travel in April of 1851 and arrived at their destination on September 9 of the same year.

The family's first Oregon homestead was on the Clackamas River near Milwaukie, Oregon. Damp weather, poor pasturage, and a return of the illness experienced in Wisconsin encouraged them to seek a better location the following year. On October 12, 1852, they settled at Grand Mound Prairie on the Chehalis River, northwest of present-day Centralia, Washington.

The family prospered at Grand Mound Prarie and got along well with the native Chehalis Tribe. During the Indian wars of 1855 and 1856 (which involved tribes other than the Chehalis), they found it necessary, with other local white settlers, to construct a stockade, which was called Fort Henness.

In 1859, Samuel and his grown sons established new homesteads at Lone Rock (now known as James Rock) on Grays Harbor, at the mouth of the Chehalis River in Washington. They travelled frequently between the homesteads.

Samuel James died in 1866 at the age of 61. Anna Maria died 13 years later at the age of 73. Their children and descendents continued to live and prosper in the settlement which became known as Jamestown, situated between the present-day Washington towns of Rochester and Grand Mound.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Materials include family trees, photographs, diaries, and correspondence documenting the genealogical history of the James family as well as its various branches.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 3575-005, James family papers, 1841-1912
  • Accession No. 3575-006, Stocking and James Family papers, approximately 1870s-1990s

Processing Note

Processing of the papers was completed in 1993.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 3575-005: James family papers, 1841-1912Return to Top

.42 cubic feet (2 boxes, 1 package)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, diary, writing, publications, photograph, program; 1841-1986 (bulk 1841-1912) Primarily correspondence of Samuel James and his wife Anna Marie Foxwell James with their relatives in the U.S. and Cornwall as well as correspondence among their descendants. Oversize package is marriage certificate.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Two installments of material were acquired by the University of Washington Libraries from Esther Shephard. Included were a letter written by Anna Maria James to her sister Elizabeth in 1852 (donation date unknown) and a fourteen-page diary kept by Samuel James (donated in 1940). The original diary has been missing from the University of Washington Libraries since the 1950s; however, photostats had been made by Albert V. Shephard (grandson of Samuel) while conducting research for his book Migration of a Family (privately printed in 1941). Photocopies of those photostats were part of a later gift from David James and are housed in folder 1/11.

David James donated materials in 1984, 1990, and 1991.

Container(s) Description Dates
Personal papers
Correspondence
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 3575-005
Foxwell, John to William James
1842
1/2 3575-005
James, Samuel II to Thomas Foxwell
1856
1/3 3575-005
James, Thomas to his fiancée, Harriet Bullen
1867
1/4 3575-005
Laity, Eliza James to Washington Territory register, Vancouver, regarding land claim and reply
1888
1/5 3575-005
Gartrell, Harry to his cousin Samuel James II
1888
1/6 3575-005
Shephard, Lulu to father Ellis Shephard
1895
1/7 3575-005
James, John Rogers to his sister
1896
1/8 3575-005
Shephard, Louise Engelker to Ellis Shephard
1901
1/9 3575-005
James, John Rogers to William James
undated
Box/Folder Accession
1/10 3575-005
Birth record for the James children
1834-1842
package:oversize
3 3575-005
Marriage certificate of John James and Lottie Carroll
1904
Box/Folder
1/11 3575-005
Diary - Samuel James (copy)
circa 1830-1851
1/12 3575-005
Photograph
1870
1/13 3575-005
Program - presentation of memorial at Fort Henness, Washington
1926
1/14 3575-005
Covers
circa 1874 or 1877
1/15 3575-005
Writing - "Family Stories as Told at Foxwell Family Reunion"
1983
Publications
Box Accession
1 3575-005
James, David A., From Grand Mound to Scatter Creek
1980
1 3575-005
Todd, A. C. and David A. James, Ever Westward the Land
1986
James, Anna Maria (Foxwell)
Incoming letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/1 3575-005
Unidentified
Scope and Content: From a friend in England.
undated
2/2 3575-005
James, Samuel, husband of Anna Maria James
1863
2/3 3575-005
Mitchell, James
1872
2/4 3575-005
Stocking, Eliza James, daughter of Anna Maria James
1862
Outgoing letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/5 3575-005
Foxwell, John, brother of Anna Maria James
1842
2/7 3575-005
Foxwell, Elizabeth, sister of Anna Maria James
General Notes: Original and copy.
1852
2/8-9 3575-005
Foxwell, John
1860
2/10 3575-005
Brother
1864
2/11 3575-005
Brother
1870
2/12 3575-005
Foxwell, Elizabeth
1870
2/13 3575-005
Foxwell, Mrs. Thomas
1870
2/14 3575-005
Foxwell, John
1875
James, Samuel
Incoming letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/15 3575-005
James, Anna Maria Foxwell, wife of Samuel James
1848
2/16 3575-005
Johns, William
1848
2/17 3575-005
Mitchell, James
1847
2/18 3575-005
Mitchell, James
1850
2/18a 3575-005
Foxwell, Thomas, brother of Anna Maria James
1851
2/19 3575-005
Roundtree, J., neighbor of Samuel James
1854
Outgoing letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/20-21 3575-005
Foxwell, John
1841
2/22 3575-005
Foxwell, Thomas
1850
2/23 3575-005
Foxwell, John
1870
Shephard, Mary Ann Frances (James)
Incoming letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/24 3575-005
James, Samuel II, brother of Mary Ann Frances Shephard
1903
2/25 3575-005
Shephard, Ellis, son of Mary Ann Frances Shephard
1907
2/26 3575-005
Shephard, Lulu, daughter of Mary Ann Frances Shephard
undated
Outgoing letters
Box/Folder Accession
2/27 3575-005
Shephard, Ellis
1912
2/28 3575-005
Shephard, Kathryn and Marjory, grandchildren of Mary Ann Frances Shephard
1912

Accession No. 3575-006: Stocking and James Family papers, approximately 1870-1999Return to Top

1.22 cubic feet (4 boxes)

Scope and Content: Materials include photographs, genealogy, immigration records, marriage records, tax records, graduation certificates, correspondence, diaries, and biographical/autobiographical histories related to Stocking, James, DeYoung, Kroll, and Haveman families.

Processing Info: Books "The Stocking Ancestry Revised" and "Ever Westward the Land" were separated from this donated and cataloged as part of Special Collections holdings.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Lora De Young, October 2023

Container(s) Description Dates
Series 1: Stocking Family
Box Accession
1 3575-006
Eliza Stocking Photo Album
approximately 1870s
4 3575-006
Eliza Stocking Photo Album - Loose Photos and Photocopy
approximately 1870s
2 3575-006
"The Stocking Ancestry" by Gregory Paul Stocking
2 folders
Scope and Content: Contains a loose-leaf interim edition of a text that documents the descendants of George Stocking.
1991
2 3575-006
Stocking Family Genealogy
Scope and Content: Includes a handwritten account of the early lineages of the Stocking family.
1886-1998
2 3575-006
Stocking Family Official Documents
Scope and Content: Includes marriage, death, real estate, and tax documents.
1889-1982
2 3575-006
Stocking Family Reunions
Scope and Content: Includes photos, invitations, and newspaper clippings documenting the Stocking Family Reunion.
1986
4 3575-006
Clark B. Stocking Manuscript
approximately 1880s-1890s
2 3575-006
Correspondence Regarding Clark B. Stocking Manuscript
1978
2 3575-006
Lora A. (Stocking) DeYoung Correspondence
1968-1981
2 3575-006
George Stocking Coloring Book
undated
2 3575-006
Alfred Stocking
Scope and Content: Includes photograph, diploma, and obituary.
1922-1964
2 3575-006
General Stocking Correspondence
1959-1986
2 3575-006
"My Heritage, Memories, and a Little History" by Wilbert F. Brewer
Scope and Content: Wilbert F. Brewer's account of his family lineage, including the Stocking family.
approximately 1950s
Series 2: James Family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
James Family Directory
1995
3 3575-006
James Family Migration
Scope and Content: Includes a portion of the book "The Migration of a Family" by A. V. Shepherd.
undated
3 3575-006
Grand Mound James Family History
1995
3 3575-006
Grand Mound, Rochester, and Gate City Historical Article Series by Dave James
1991
3 3575-006
"From Grand Mound to Scatter Creek: The Homes of Jamestown" by David James
1980
4 3575-006
The Daily World Hoquiam Newspaper
Scope and Content: Newspaper issue documenting James family history.
1990 May 25
Series 3: Stocking and James family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
Stocking and James Family Photos
approximately 1900s-1950s
Series 4: Carder Family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
Carder Family Genealogy and Photos
1914-1981
3 3575-006
Ruth Carder Education and Career Records
Scope and Content: Includes college diploma.
1917-1925
4 3575-006
Ruth Carder High School Diploma
1921
Series 5: DeYoung Family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
DeYoung Genealogy Records and Photos
1915-1990
Series 6: Kroll family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
Kroll Genealogy Records
undated
Series 7: Haveman family
Box Accession
3 3575-006
Haveman Family History
Scope and Content: Includes a copy of "The History of the Haveman Family" by Trudy (Haveman) Rinehart.
1939-1991
Series 8: Miscellaneous
Box Accession
3 3575-006
Miscellaneous clippings, notes, and photos
Scope and Content: Contains material that could not be identified with any specific family series
undated