Oregon Historical Society, Davies
Family Research Library
Mss 952
Couch family
Couch Family Papers
1839-1948
1870-1890
1.5 cu. ft.
2 document boxes, 1 card file box, 1 flat box,
and 1 oversize folder
Papers of the family of John Heard
Couch, one of the original developers of the townsite of Portland, Oregon, and
his descendents, including members of the Glisan and Robertson families. Papers
include correspondence, legal papers, land ownership records, clippings, family
Bibles, journals of John Heard Couch, and papers concerning Couch's wife
Caroline and their descendants Caroline Wilson, Clementine Lewis, and Elizabeth
and Rodney Glisan. Of special note is John Heard Couch's logbook, 1853-1858,
for voyages on the ships
Chenamus and
Madonna; and the travel diary of Nan
Robertson, 1911-1912, written during a trip to San Francisco and Southern
Asia.
The collection is in
English.
Biographical note
John Heard Couch (1811-1870) was an Oregon pioneer, sea captain,
merchant, a founder of the city of Portland and founder of an important and
influential Oregon family. During the 1840s he sailed ships financed by John
Cushing from his home town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, with supplies for
establishing a dry goods business in Oregon. In 1845 he claimed a square mile
of land on the Willamette River, known as Couch's Addition, in the heart of
what became Portland.
Well regarded among his fellow citizens as a fair and knowledgeable
man, Couch was rewarded by several public positions, including Oregon
Territorial Treasurer, Multnomah County Commissioner, Oregon Port Commissioner,
Oregon Port Warden, and U. S. Inspector of Hulls for Oregon. He married
Caroline Flanders (1807-1885), sister of his first mate George Flanders, in
1832. Flanders was also an Oregon pioneer, merchant and Portland founder,
becoming a partner in Couch's Portland land claim in 1850.
John and Caroline Couch had four daughters, three of whom married
influential Portland men. Caroline Elizabeth Couch (1833-1917) married Dr.
Robert Bruce Wilson, while Clementine Couch (1838-1914) started a family with
prominent Portland merchant Cicero Hunt Lewis (1826-1897). Elizabeth Raines
Couch's (1842-1926) husband, Dr. Rodney L. Glisan (1827-1890), the first
physician in Oregon Territory, was also an early Portland land owner and was
active in Couch's Addition's real estate activities after John Couch's
death.
Among Couch's descendants and relatives was Nan Robertson (1885-1928).
She was a sister of Thomas Robertson (1881-1924), who married Kathleen Burns
(1883-1970), a great-granddaughter of John Heard Couch.
Papers include: Legal documents (1850-1946) such as deeds, warranty
deeds, quit-claims, passport, wedding certificate, title abstracts, maps,
receipts, water right certificate, tax sale; correspondence (1846-1945) to John
H. Couch and others regarding property holdings; personal items, consisting of
memorabilia, a Bible from the ship
Chenamus, notes, newspaper clippings, and
a prayer book. Also included is the travel journal (1911-1912) of Nan
Robertson, an in-law of John H. Couch's great-granddaughter, documenting
Robertson's trip to Australia, New Zealand, India, and Indonesia via San
Francsisco.
The journal or log book (1843-1858) kept by John H. Couch includes
records of his voyages on the ships
Chenamus (1843-1844) and
Madonna (1849). Included is information on
weather, nautical position, and daily events on board. The book also contains
poems and water color illustrations of vessels.
The collection is arranged in four series as follows
- Series A: Land records, 1854-1935
- Series B: Correspondence and ephemera, 1849-1948
- Series C: Diaries and journals, 1843-1912
- Series D: Publications, 1828, 1860
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 reproduction 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.
Couch family papers, 1839-1948, Mss 952, Oregon Historical Society
Research Library
The collection is composed of materials assembled by the Oregon
Historical Society from many sources over a long period of time
Three title abstracts for Couch's Addition: gift of Mrs. Harry Couch,
Aug. 9, 1976, Library Accession 13801
Prayer book of Mary Caroline Wilson, and Nan Robertson diary and
memorabila: gift of Mrs. Donald E. Butler, Aug. 23, 1988, Library Accession
18949
Restoration and custom boxing were provided for the John Heard Couch
journal, the Bible, and Nan Robertson's diary
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.
Couch, John
Heard, 1911-1870--Archives
Couch, John
Heard, 1911-1870--Diaries
Couch, Mary
H.
Flanders,
George H., 1821-1892
Glisan,
Elizabeth Raines, 1842-1926
Glisan,
Rodney, 1827-1890
Lewis,
Clementine, 1838-1914
McLoughlin, John, 1784-1857
Robertson,
Nan, 1885-1928--Diaries
Stark,
Benjamin, 1820-1898--Correspondence
Wood,
Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944--Correspondence
Couch
family--Archives
Glisan
family--Archives
Australia--Description and travel
Couch's Addition (Portland, Or.)
India--Description and travel
Indonesia--Description and travel
New
Zealand--Description and travel
Oregon--History--To 1859
Portland
(Or.)--History
Chenamus (Brig)
Frontier and pioneer
life--Oregon--Portland
Madonna (Bark)
Pioneers--Oregon--Portland--Diaries
Real
property--Oregon--Portland
Ship
captains--Diaries
Voyages to the Pacific
coast
Oregon
Portland
Diaries
Maps
City and Town Life
International Relations
Pacific Northwest History
Pioneers
Transportation
Journals
Deeds
Estate records
Journals
Legal
documents
Letters
Maps
Passports
Receipts
Ships' logs
Watercolors
Ship captains
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series A
Land records
1854-1935
1/1-3
Glisan and Couch
properties—deeds, land claims, titles, general
1854-1933
1/4
Deed of property from Couch and
Hastings families to Battlen
1862
1/5
Rodney L. Glisan—indexes to deeds
and other title documents
ca.
1892
1/6
Deed of blocks 82 and 93 in
Couch's addition to Henry Weinhard
1873
Photographic copies filed as negatives OrHi 73672 and 73673,
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1/7
Description of blocks on the
north and west part of Couch's addition to the City of Portland
ca.
1872
Bound notebook, property of R. L. Glisan, including details of
survey and prices for lots
Abstracts of title
2/1
Lot 8, block 140, Couch's Addition
ca. 1912
2/2
Block 149, Couch's addition
ca. 1935
2/3
Part of lots 2, 3, 6, block 149, Couch's Addition (now
NE corner of NW 17th Avenue and Burnside)
ca. 1934
2/4
Part of lots 2, 3, 6, Block 149, Couch's Addition (now
NE corner of NW 17th Avenue and Burnside)
ca. 1935
Oversize/1
Plat of Couch's addition to the City of
Portland (map)
undated
Oversize/2
"Notes of survey of part of John H. Couch's land claim
to be conveyed by Mssrs. Couch & Flanders to the Oregon Steam Navigation
Co."
Oct. 6, 1864
Surveyed by Charles W. Burrage; includes map of property
Series B
Correspondence and ephemera
1849-1948
1/8
Letters and poem
1849-1885
Contains: letter from John McLoughlin to John Heard Couch, Oct.
21, 1849; poem titled "A school-boy's ryme [sic] on Capt. J.H.C. [John Heard
Couch]"; autographed letter, signed, from C. E. S. Wood to John Lewis, Oct. 31,
1885, stating a legal opinion regarding a dispute over property on Front
Avenue, Portland
1/9
Letters concerning the estate of Mary H.
Couch
1945-1946
Oversize/3-6
Letters to John Heard Couch
1846-1850
Letter from John M. Cushing, regarding the voyage of
the ship
Chenamus
July 14, 1846
Letter from Benjamin Stark, New York, regarding the
barque
Hyperion
Oct. 30, 1848
Letter from Benjamin Stark, New York, regarding the
barque
Madonna
Jan. 15, 1849
Letter from Benjamin Stark, San Francisco, regarding
business matters
March 13, 1850
1/10
Notes and memorabilia from Nan Robertson's travels in
South Asia
1911-1912
Materials relate to diary of Nan Robertson, box 4
1/11
Rodney L. Glisan: papers and clippings
1860-1890
Includes marriage license for Rodney L. Glisan and Elizabeth
Raines Couch, 1863; Couch family genealogy, 1948; memorial book for Rodney L.
Glisan, Trinity Parrish, Portland, 1890
Oversize/7
Marriage certificate of Rodney L. Glisan and Elizabeth
Raines Couch
1863
Oversize/8
Passport of John Heard Couch
Nov. 30, 1839
Includes physical description of Couch, age 29. Orignal and
photostatic copy
Series C
Diaries and journals
1843-1849
1911-1912
3
Logbook of John Heard Couch
1843-1858
1843-1849
Logbook kept by John H. Couch during his voyages on the
Chenamus (1843-1844) and
Madonna (1849). Information recorded
includes date, weather, nautical position, and daily events on board. Logbook
also includes poems and several watercolor illustrations of vessels
4/1
Diary of Nan Robertson
1911-1912
Nan Robertson travelled with her family from Portland to San
Francisco via train, then by ship to Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and
India. Entries are detailed and descriptive
Series D
Publications
1828
1860-1865
4/2
Bible from the ship
Chenamus
1828
Bible published by Nahum Haskell and Timothy Bedlington, Boston,
1828; used on ship commanded by John Heard Couch on trip from Newburyport,
Mass., to the Hawaiian Islands, 1847. Contains historical references on fly
leaf.
4/3
Prayer book of Mary Caroline Wilson Burns
1860
The book of common prayer of the
Protesant Episcopal Church in the United States, published by D. Appleton &
Co., New York, 1860. Gift to Mary Caroline Wilson Burns (1857-1950) from her
mother, Caroline Elizabeth Couch Wilson (1833-1917). Inscribed "Ma. Carrie from
her Mother, Dec. 25th 1863"