Collection is open for research.
Reproductions of Archibald McDonald letters gift of T. C. Elliott, most likely in the 1930s or early 1940s (Lib. Acc. 615). Typescript of letter from William Todd gift of Eva Hutchinson, 1947 (RL2022-109-RETRO). Reproductions of voyageur songs most likely acquired in the 1940s, likely from the Public Archives of Canada (RL2022-110-RETRO).
Edward Ermatinger was born in 1797 on the island of Elba, and grew up in Great Britain. In 1818, both he and his brother, Francis Ermatinger (1798-1858) began working for the Hudson's Bay Company; this work took them to locations in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Although his brother Francis would remain with the company until 1853, Edward Ermatinger left the firm in 1828, though he remained in contact with company officials in the following decades.
Ermatinger later moved to St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, were he worked as a postmaster, banker, and merchant. He was a member of the Canadian legislative assembly from 1844 to 1847. Ermatinger was a staunch Anglican and anti-Catholic. His wife was Achsah Burham; the couple had seven children. Ermatinger died in 1876.
Source: "Ermatinger, Edward," by L. G. Thomas, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume X:
Originals of letters are located in the Public Archives of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and in the BC Archives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Edward Ermatinger papers, Mss 1012, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection was titled Edward Ermatinger letters prior to 2022.
Other collections in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library that include papers of or relating to Edward Ermatinger include: the John Work papers, Mss 319, and the T. C. Elliott papers, Mss 231. Letters that Ermatinger's brother, Francis Ermatinger, sent to him were published in "Fur Trade Letters of Francis Ermatinger: Written to His Brother Edward During His Service with the Hudson's Bay Company, 1818-1853," by Lois Halliday McDonald, which is held in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's book collections.
The bulk of this collection consists of photostatic reproductions and typescript copies of Archibald McDonald's correspondence to Edward Ermatinger in the 1830s and 1840s. These letters generally describe the activities of the Hudson's Bay Company and events in the Pacific Northwest. Other correspondence in the collection consists of typescript excerpts of John Tod's letters to Ermatinger, and two typescript copies of a July 15, 1829 letter from William Todd to Ermatinger. John Tod's letters discuss the Hudson's Bay Company; John McLoughlin; the murder of John McLoughlin, Jr.; emigration of Euro-Americans to the Willamette Valley; and claim-jumping by Euro-American emigrants. William Todd's letter discusses the killing of members of Jebediah Smith's party by Native people; John McLeod being sent to recover Smith's furs and head to Bonaventura, California; and the wreck of the brig William and Anne.
The collection also includes photostatic reproductions of the lyrics and music to songs that French-Canadian fur trappers ("Voyageurs") sung, as recorded by Ermatinger. The lyrics are in French. These reproductions were from originals that Jessie Ermatinger of Portland, Oregon, loaned to the Public Archives of Canada in 1942.
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.