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Oregon Humane Society records, 1866-2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Oregon Humane Society
Title
Oregon Humane Society records
Dates
1866-2000 (inclusive)
1880-2000 (bulk)
Quantity
12 cubic feet, (7 record cartons; 2 legal document cases; 2 letter document cases; 1 flat box (20x24); 6 oversize folders (30x42); 2 oversize folders (36x48))
Collection Number
Mss 6046
Summary
Records of the Oregon Humane Society, an animal welfare organization based in Portland, Oregon, that was founded in 1868 by Unitarian minister Thomas Lamb Eliot. Materials include administrative and financial records, historical information, publications, and architectural plans for facilities. The collection also contains a small amount of material from other animal welfare organizations.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Oregon Humane Society is an animal welfare organization that was founded in 1868 in Portland, Oregon, by Unitarian minister Thomas Lamb Eliot. It was initially named the Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals before its name was changed in 1870. The society incorporated in 1880. Originally located in Portland's city hall, the society built a shelter on NE Columbia Boulevard in 1918 and 1919, which then became the site for its offices. In 2022, the Willamette Humane Society of Salem, Oregon, merged with the Oregon Humane Society.

Sources: Articles in the Oregonian: "Humane Society marks 115 years of service," March 21, 1983, page B1; notice, August 31, 1880, page 3; image with caption, "Oregon Humane Society Has Building Under Construction on Columbia Boulevard," December 29, 1918, page 17; "New Humane Society Building is Opened," March 30, 1919, page 18; article in the Keizertimes (Salem, Oregon), "Humane societies to merge on July 1," March 18, 2022, page A2.

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Content Description

The collection consists of the records of the Oregon Humane Society, an animal welfare organization based in Portland, Oregon. Materials include administrative records such as minutes and correspondence; subject files; financial records; property records and architectural drawings of facilities; compiled information about the organization's history; publications; and photographs. The collection also includes some materials relating to other animal welfare organizations based outside Oregon.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Oregon Humane Society records, Mss 6046, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

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.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in 6 series:

  • Series 1: Administrative records, subject files, photographs, and memorabilia
  • Series 2: Financial records
  • Series 3: Property and architectural records
  • Series 4: Historical information and research
  • Series 5: Publications
  • Series 6: Other animal welfare organizations

Acquisition Information

Gifts of the Oregon Humane Society, October 2001 (Lib. Acc. 24586) and January 2019 (RL2019-016).

Preservation Note

Collection includes five 8-inch floppy disks. Due to technical limitations, the contents of the disks were not reviewed during processing, and the disks are not available for access by researchers.

Processing Note

Collection was originally processed in 2002 by Erica Goodwin. The collection was reprocessed by Jeffrey A. Hayes in 2025. Reprocessing included rehousing and consolidation for preservation purposes, and rearrangement of materials.

Related Materials

Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to the Oregon Humane Society include the Oregon Humane Society early records, Mss 318; and a vertical file, Societies - Oregon Humane Society.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Jeffrey A. Hayes
2025

CC0

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