OHY_Mss23 Guide to the Seth Lewelling Papers 1860-1937 Lewelling (Seth) Papers Finding aid encoded by Geoffrey B. Wexler Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oregon Historical Society, Research Library © 2006
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Finding aid encoded by ArchProteus 2006 Finding aid is in English Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Mss 23 Lewelling, Seth, 1820-1896. Seth Lewelling papers 1854-1937 1.5 cubic feet (3 document cases, 2 card file boxes) Papers of an Oregon pioneer nurseryman dating from the late 19th century and containing business correspondence, letterpress copy book, account books and financial records, and daily diaries with business-related entries. Also includes correspondence and legal documents from Lewelling's stepdaughter, Florence Olson. Materials in the collection are in English Biography of Seth Lewelling:

Oregon pioneer Seth Lewelling (1820-1896) was a native of North Carolina, where his family conducted a nursery business, later moving to Indiana. Seth came to Oregon via California with his brother John, in 1850. There they joined their brother Henderson, who had traveled overland in 1847 with stock to start a nursery. Settling near present-day Milwaukie, Oregon, Seth built a successful fruit orchard business, specializing in apples, pears, peaches and cherries. He was known for his introduction of the "Black Republican" and "Bing" cherries.

Papers include: Pocket diaries (1854-1877); business correspondence (1892-1893); letterpress book (1881-1886) containing correspondence sent by Seth Lewelling; materials describing family and horticultural history; day book and account (1876) of fruit sold; ledger (1883-1891) of Lewelling & Harvey Company; Lewelling & Sons nursery catalog (1878); nursery business sales book (1883-1889); property title abstract (1892) from the Clackamas Title Company; amendments to city charter of Milwaukie, Or. (1915); loan notes, credit ratings and personal letters (1884-1890); award certificate from the International Exhibition of 1876; correspondence and legal documents of Florence Olson (Seth's step daughter).

The collection is arranged in the following series:

Series A: Business correspondence, 1892-1893 Series B: General materials, 1878-1937 Series C: Financial records and letterpress copy book, 1859-1893 Series D: Diaries and pocket account books, 1854-1875

The collection is open to the public.

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Seth Lewelling Papers, Mss23, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Portions of the collection were a gift of Dr. Vern Wirtz, Nov. 1973.

The 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:

Lewelling, Seth, 1820-1896--Correspondence Lewelling, Seth, 1820-1896--Diaries Olson, Florence--Correspondence Pioneers--Oregon--Milwaukie--Correspondence Pioneers--Oregon--Milwaukie--Diaries Nursery growers--Oregon--Milwaukie--Correspondence Nursery growers--Oregon--Milwaukie--Diaries Nurseries (Horticulture)--Oregon--Milwaukie Milwaukie (Or.) Agriculture Oregon Pioneers Diaries Letters Letterpress copybooks Ledgers Financial records Series A Business correspondence 1892-1893 1/1 1892 Mar-May 1/2 1892 July-Aug 1/3 1892 Sept 1/4 1892 Oct 1/5 1892 Nov 1/6 1892 Dec 1/7 1893 Jan 1/8 1893 Feb 1/9 1893 Mar 1/10 1893 Apr 1/11 1893 May 1/12 1893 June 1/13 1893 July 1/14 1893 Aug Series B General materials 1878-1937 1/15 Florence Olson papers 1897-1903 1/16 History of family and horticulture 1879-1937 1/17 Wholesale catalog, Seth Lewelling & Sons 1878 2/1 General papers 1884-1893 2/2 Clackamas County Title Co., Abstract of Title 1909

Abstract to part of Lot Whitcomb donation land claim in township 1 south, range 1 east, Milwaukie

 2/3 Proposed amendment to city charter of Milwaukie 1915 Series C Financial records and letterpress copybook 1859-1893 2/4 Account book 1859-1869 2/5 Accounts and commonplace book circa 1876-1882 2/6 Ledger, Lewelling and Harvey 1883-1891 2/7 Nursery sales book 1883-1889 2/8 Financial journal 1892-1893 3/1 Ledger 1884-1892

Includes lease, inventory of property, accounts, and financial journal.

 3/2 Letterpress copybook of Seth Lewelling 1881-1886 Series D Diaries and pocket account books 1854-1875 4/1 Diary 1854 4/2 Diary 1855 4/3 Diary 1859 4/4 Diary 1860 4/5 Diary 1861 4/6 Diary 1862 4/7 Diary 1863 4/8 Diary 1864 4/9 Diary 1865 4/10 Diary 1866 4/11 Diary 1867 4/12 Diary 1868 4/13 Diary 1869 4/14 Diary 1870 4/15 Diary 1871 5/1 Diary 1872 5/2 Diary 1873 5/3 Diary 1874 5/4 Diary 1875 5/5 Diary 1876 5/6 Diary 1877 5/7 Diary circa 1878 5/8 Ledger 1850 5/9 Ledger 1853 5/10 Ledger 1855 5/11 Ledger 1856 5/12 Ledger 1856 5/13 Ledger 1875 5/14 Ledger 1857-1858 5/15 Ledger 1875 5/16 Accounts undated 5/17 Accounts undated 5/18 Covers for ledgers and diaries 1850-1857