Collection is open for research.
Gift of C.N. Gaylord, October 1991 (Lib. Acc. 20491).
The collection is arranged in two series: Series A. Correspondence and general papers; Series B. Manuscript of "Wallowa River and Valley."
John Harland Horner (1870-1953) was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and moved to Enterprise, Oregon, in 1911. He served as Wallowa County's deputy assessor from 1918 to 1924, before being elected county assessor in 1924. Horner also had a long-standing interest in the history of Wallowa County. For more than thirty years, he collected historical information and interviewed most of the early emigrants to the area and local Native people. His research resulted in an unpublished manuscript of more than 1,500 pages. Horner committed suicide on July 13, 1953, at the age of 83.
J. H. Horner papers, Mss 6031, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Collection consists principally of J. H. Horner's unpublished manuscript, "Wallowa River and Valley," dealing with regional history, as well as the history and cultural traditions of the Nimiipuu (Nez Percé) people. Other papers include correspondence (circa 1889-1985); legal documents (1898-1931); patents for window construction (1921-1922); and manuscript materials (undated). Horner's main correspondent is Otis Halfmoon of the Nimiipuu people, who collaborated on Horner's manuscript. The collection also includes a list of other contributors who assisted Horner in his research.
Photographs were separated to photograph collections, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
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.
"Wallowa River and Valley" details the history of the Wallowa Valley region in northeastern Oregon from approximately 1805 through 1950. The document includes extensive details on the origins of many place names in the region. The manuscript also includes a history of the Nimiipuu (Nez Percé) people and their cultural traditions, which Horner wrote in collaboration with Otis Halfmoon. Topics covered in the manuscript include Chief Joseph and the events of the Nez Percé war of 1877, settlement of the Wallowa Valley region, and local participation in World War I and World War II.