Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Skinner family papers
Skinner family
Coll 1012
6.1 cubic feet
4 record cartons; 2 legal document cases; 1 card file box (12x6x4); 1 slim letter document case; 8 oversize folders (12x15) in shared flat box; 2 oversize folders (16x20) in shared flat box; 2 oversize folders (20x24) in shared flat box
1840-2013
1863-2013
Papers of the Skinner family of Jordan Valley, Oregon, particularly of William Silas Skinner (1871-1960) and his descendants. William Silas Skinner was the eldest son of Silas Skinner (1834-1886), who came to Oregon in the 1860s and established a toll road in western Idaho and eastern Oregon and a ranch in Jordan Valley. The family continued to operate the ranch into the 21st century. The collection also contains papers of related families; financial, property, and ranching records; and materials relating to historical and genealogical research, including research by Johanna Skinner (1889-1972), which determined that the gravesite of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau is in Jordan Valley.
English
Collection is open for research.
Gift of Nancy Skinner Melville and Sally Skinner, November 2023 (RL2023-072), with additions in May 2024 (RL2024-035).
Collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1: Personal and family papers and memorabilia
- Subseries 1.1: Correspondence and diaries
- Subseries 1.2: Papers relating to individual family members
- Subseries 1.3: Papers, photographs, and memorabilia of related families
- Subseries 1.4: Other papers, memorabilia, and family photographs
- Series 2: Financial, property, and ranching records
- Series 3: Historical and genealogical research materials
- Series 3.1: Research on Jean Baptiste Charbonneau's gravesite
- Series 3.2: Other historical research
- Series 3.3: Family history and genealogical research
Silas Skinner was born in 1834 on the Isle of Man. He immigrated to the United States in 1862, and the following year began to build a toll road in western Idaho and eastern Oregon for gold miners to use. Skinner and his business partners maintained the road until 1878, when Owyhee County purchased it. Skinner also began to raise horses in eastern Oregon and, later, in Napa Valley, California.
Skinner married Anne Jane "Annie" Callow (1846-1928), who had also been born on the Isle of Man, in 1870. The couple had seven children: William Silas Skinner (1871-1960); Catherine "Carrie" Skinner Norton (1873-1970); Annabel Skinner Hampton (1875-1962); Thomas Lewis Skinner (1877-1958); Horatio "Ray" Skinner (1879-1918); Sarah Ellen Skinner (1881-1883); and Mona Skinner Platt (born 1883). Silas Skinner died in 1886.
Sources: "High Desert Promise: The Skinner Family Legacy," by John Sackett Skinner (Hillsboro, Or.: Skinner Family, 2009); collection materials.
William Silas Skinner, known as W. S. Skinner or Will Skinner in his life, was born in 1871 in Ruby City, Idaho. After Silas Skinner died in 1886, W. S. Skinner helped to look after the family's interests. He also managed property in Jordan Valley, Oregon, that Silas Skinner's business partner, E. H. Clinton, had owned. Skinner would later purchase this property, as well as lease another property, the Ruby Ranch, from Ruby Beers.
Skinner married Ella Sackett (1868-1941) in 1891. The couple had nine children: Silas Kirtland Skinner (1892-1983); Thomas Harold Skinner (1894-1970); Ruby Aileen Skinner Gheen (1896-1991); Verna Claire Skinner Van Matre (1897-1991); Nancy Irma Skinner Palmer (1898-1985); William Callow Skinner (1901-1982); Ella Marjorie Skinner Carlsen (1903-1998); Anna Beatrice Skinner Owings (1907-1977); and Hugh Sackett Skinner (1909-1962). W. S. Skinner died in 1960 in Jordan Valley, Oregon.
Sources: "High Desert Promise: The Skinner Family Legacy," by John Sackett Skinner (Hillsboro, Or.: Skinner Family, 2009); collection materials.
Johanna Murray was born in 1889 in Lairg, Scotland. In 1909, she came to the United States with her uncle, Alexander Murray, who was a rancher in eastern Oregon, and began a teaching career there. In 1913, W. S. Skinner and Ella Skinner hired her to teach their younger children. Through this job, she met the Skinners' eldest son, Silas Kirtland Skinner (known as S. K. Skinner or Kirt Skinner), who had been born in 1892. The two married in 1917. S. K. Skinner lived in Jordan Valley, Oregon, and worked as a rancher. He also served on local school boards for almost five decades.
Both Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner were interested in the history of southeastern Oregon and western Idaho. In the 1950s and 1960s, their research helped identify the grave of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, who had been with the Lewis and Clark Expedition as an infant, as being located at Ruby Ranch in Jordan Valley.
Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner had seven children: William Murray Skinner (1918-1942); Robert Harold Skinner (1920-2012); Silas Kirtland Skinner, Jr. (1922-1995); Verna Christine "Chris" Skinner Moore (1924-2016); Daniel Herbert Skinner (1926-2016); John Sackett Skinner (born 1929); and Jesse Johanna "Joanne" Skinner Owens (born 1932). Johanna Skinner died in 1972. S. K. Skinner remarried to Doris Burgess in 1979 and died in 1983.
Sources: Sources: "High Desert Promise: The Skinner Family Legacy," by John Sackett Skinner (Hillsboro, Or.: Skinner Family, 2009); collection materials; obituary in the Idaho Free Press and Tribune, July 3, 1972; obituary in the Ontario Argus Observer, September 8, 1983; editorial in the Ontario Argus Observer, September 11, 1983; obituary in the Owyhee Chronicle, September 14, 1983; vital records on Ancestry.com.
Researcher access to negatives and DVDs in the collection is limited for preservation purposes; contact library staff to inquire about access. Fees may apply.
Skinner family papers, Coll 1012, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
For preservation purposes, several photographs were removed from their frames, and photographs included with a report about the Middle Fork of the Malheur River were removed from their album pages after being photocopied to document original order.
Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library that relate to the Skinner family and their research interests include the Irving W. Anderson collection on Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Mss 955; a vertical file, Biography - Skinner, Silas (Sam); and the book "High Desert Promise: the Skinner Family legacy" by John Sackett Skinner, call number 979.5970099 S628h.
The collection consists of the papers of Silas Skinner's family, primarily his descendants, who developed a ranch in Jordan Valley, Oregon. Individuals well-represented in the collection include Silas Skinner's son W. S. Skinner and daughter Annabel Skinner Hampton; W. S. Skinner's son S. K. Skinner and daughter-in-law Johanna Murray Skinner; and S. K. Skinner and Johanna Skinner's children Robert H. Skinner, John Sackett Skinner, and Jesse Johanna "Joanne" Skinner Owens. Personal papers in the collection consists of family correspondence, several diaries, photographs, clippings, reminiscences, and ephemera. The collection also contains papers and photographs of related families, particularly the Murray family.
The collection includes financial, property, and ranching records. Many of these document the finances, ownership, and operations of the Skinner Ranch, including a period when a portion of the land was owned by E. H. Clinton and his heirs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the period in the 1920s and 1930s when the ranch faced financial difficulties, was foreclosed, was leased to the Skinner family, and then was repurchased by the family. Other financial and property documents include records relating to the property and estate of the related Murray family in Oregon, the wills of individual family members, and the financial papers of W. S. Skinner's friend Willis G. Thompson.
The collection also includes materials that reflect the Skinner family's interest in local and family history. This includes the research that Johanna Skinner undertook to identify the gravesite of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, John Sackett Skinner's efforts to ensure that she and S. K. Skinner were credited for their work in identifying the gravesite, and biographical and genealogical information. A significant portion of the biographical and genealogical information was compiled by John Sackett Skinner in the 1990s and 2000s as research for his book about the family, "High Desert Promise: The Skinner Family Legacy."
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.
Skinner, W. S. (William Silas), 1871-1960--Correspondence
Skinner, Johanna, 1889-1972--Correspondence
Skinner, S. K. (Silas Kirtland), 1892-1983--Correspondence
Skinner, Robert H. (Robert Harold), 1920-2012--Correspondence
Skinner, John Sackett, 1929---Correspondence
Hampton, Annabel, 1875-1962--Correspondence
Owens, Joanne (Jessie Johanna), 1932---Correspondence
Charbonneau, Jean-Baptiste, 1805-1866--Tomb
Skinner Ranch (Malheur County, Or.)--Records and correspondence
Skinner family--Correspondence
Murray family
Skinner family
Skinner family--Photographs
Families--Oregon--Malheur County
Pioneers--Oregon--Malheur County
Ranches--Oregon--Malheur County
Pioneer and frontier life--Oregon--Malheur County
Ranching--Oregon
Families--Oregon
Real property--Oregon--Malheur County
Ranching
Pioneers
correspondence
property records
genealogies (histories)
photographs
research (documents)
Personal and family papers and memorabilia
Series 1
circa 1865-2008
Materials in Subseries 1.1, Correspondence and diaries, and Subseries 1.2, Papers relating to individual family members, are roughly arranged by generation, and then by alphabetical order of first name.
Correspondence and diaries
Subseries 1.1
circa 1870-2007
Letter from Annie Skinner to Silas Skinner, with annotation by Annabel Skinner Hampton
1885 July 19
circa 1960
1
1
Letter from Thomas Callow to Annie Skinner
1892 June 26
1
2
Annie Skinner correspondence to W. S. Skinner and Ella Skinner
1900 June 25
1918
1926 October 15
1
3
Letter from Annie Skinner to Jane Callow and family
1914 June 11
1
4
Letter from Annabel Skinner Hampton to Carrie Skinner Norton
1931 October 18
1
5
Annabel Skinner Hampton correspondence to W. S. Skinner
1931-1953
undated
1
6
Annabel Skinner Hampton correspondence to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1958-1960
1
7
Letter from Annabel Skinner Hampton to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner with family history vignettes (typescript copy)
1958 October 4
1
8
Annabel Skinner Hampton correspondence to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner, with enclosed photographs of John Caine and Bessie Caine
1960
circa 1870
1
9
Carrie Skinner Norton correspondence to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1958 September 11
1961 February 15
1
10
Carrie Skinner Norton correspondence to W. S. Skinner
1931-1955
undated
1
11
Letter from Heather Proctor to Carrie Skinner Norton, forwarded to W. S. Skinner
1934 December 5
1
12
Letter from Ella Skinner to Johanna Murray (later Johanna Skinner)
1917 June 6
1
13
Ella Skinner correspondence to family
1931 August-September
1
14
Letter from Richard Wyle to Ella Skinner
1921 September 22
1
15
W. S. Skinner correspondence to family
1924-1931
1
16
W. S. Skinner correspondence to S. K. Skinner family
1947-1952
1
17
W. S. Skinner correspondence to Harold Skinner (photocopies)
1953-1956
1
18
Letter from Clifford N. Carlsen to W. S. Skinner and Ella Skinner
1926 August 11
1
19
Letter from C. W. Skinner to W. S. Skinner with enclosed photographs
1959 May 17
circa 1920
circa 1940
1
20
Letter from Thomas Lewis Skinner to W. S. Skinner
1956 December 1
1
21
Correspondence to W. S. Skinner from various people
1910-1953
undated
1
22
Letter from Anna Beatrice Skinner to family
circa 1925
1
23
Letter from Anna Beatrice Skinner Owings to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1951 December 9
1
24
Letter from Doris Skinner to Esther Emmel relating to S. K. Skinner's reminiscences
1983 January 22
1
25
Postcard from S. K. Skinner to Johanna Murray (later Johanna Skinner)
1914 July 30
1
26
Birthday letter from Skinner family to Johanna Murray
1914 November 15
1
27
Correspondence between Johanna Murray and S. K. Skinner
1916-1917
1
28-33
Correspondence between Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1918 October-November
1
34
S. K. Skinner correspondence to Johanna Skinner
1928 May
1
35
Letters from Billie Skinner and Johanna Skinner to S. K. Skinner
1929 January 3
1
36
Johanna Skinner correspondence to S. K. Skinner, including discussion of the military doing practice bombing in Jordan Valley
1943 March
1
37
Letters from Chris Skinner (later Chris Moore) and Johanna Skinner to S. K. Skinner
1945 August
1
38
Johanna Skinner correspondence to Meg Gray and Ann Gray
1970-1972
1
39
Letter from Johanna Skinner to Clarice (no surname given) (photocopy)
1972 June 29
1
40
Card from Ruby Beers to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner for birth of their child
circa 1918
1
41
Letter from Elsie Gries to Johanna Skinner and family
1930 December 31
1
42
Letter from Ella Murray to Johanna Skinner
1940 February 22
1
43
Correspondence to Johanna Skinner, S. K. Skinner, and Joanne Skinner from family while they were in Scotland and the Isle of Man
1953 June-October
1
44
Correspondence to Johanna Skinner from Floy Nobel and Meg Gray
1954 January 15
1966 June 11
1
45
Letter from Lola Mackenzie to Johanna Skinner (photocopy)
1958 January 3
1
46
Letter from Anne Humphreys to S. K. Skinner and Johanna Skinner
1964 June 20
1
47
Berniece Jordan Olds correspondence to Johanna Skinner and to Jordan Valley postmaster, regarding whether she is related to the Jordan brothers of Jordan Valley, and enclosed photograph
1964-1966
1
48
S. K. Skinner correspondence to Robert H. Skinner
1942 June 9
1945 April 8-9
1
49
S. K. Skinner correspondence to W. S. Skinner and Ella Skinner
1919-1920
1
50
S. K. Skinner correspondence to W. S. Skinner
1940-1956
1
51
Letter from Louise Wilkinson to S. K. Skinner
1931 June 16
1
52
Letter from S. E. Mussell to S. K. Skinner
1964 September 18
1
53
Letter from Barrett Randall and Marie Randall to S. K. Skinner (photocopy), with contextual annotations by Joanne Skinner Owens
1972 July 19
undated
1
54
Birthday letter from Senator Mark O. Hatfield to S. K. Skinner
1977 December 13
1
55
Letter from Edna Mae Wimsatt to Chris Moore about Sara Skinner's selection as Malheur County Mother of the Year
1960 March 26
1
56
Joanne Skinner postcard to Robert H. Skinner
1945 July 8
1
57
Correspondence to Joanne Skinner Owens
1948-2001
1
58
Joanne Skinner Owens e-mail correspondence
2007
1
59
Letter from John Sackett Skinner to Robert H. Skinner
1942 October 18
1
60
John Sackett Skinner correspondence to Joanne Skinner
1952 December 25
1954 May 7
1
61
Card to John Sackett Skinner and Carole Skinner from siblings
2007 November 25
1
62
Letter from Merle Skinner and Hugh Skinner to family
1958 August 26
1
63
Letter from Visalia Stock Saddle Company to Robert H. Skinner
1941 August 28
1
64
Robert H. Skinner correspondence to Joanne Skinner and John Sackett Skinner
1942-1946
1
65
R. G. Johnson correspondence to Robert H. Skinner and other Oregon State College graduates
1944-1945
1
66
Correspondence to and from Robert H. Skinner and Sara Skinner
1964-1996
1
67
Letter from Donald Grant to Robert H. Skinner and Daniel Skinner with accompanying obituary for Johanna Skinner by Grant that was printed in Scottish newspaper
1972 July
1
68
Correspondence to Robert H. Skinner and Sara Skinner from political figures
1978-1991
1
69
Letter from Agatha Andrus and Gordon Andrus to Robert H. Skinner, and enclosed clipping about the Skinner family
1985 October
1
70
Letter from Silas K. Skinner, Jr. to Robert H. Skinner
1942 May 9
1
71
Correspondence to Robert H. Skinner relating to recognition for his work in the agriculture industry
1987-1988
1
72
Tom Skinner postcard to S. K. Skinner family
1942 February 16
1
73
Letter from William M. Skinner to family
1941 August 18
1
74
Graydon Crawford correspondence to the Skinner family
1934 December 25
1937 December 26
1
75
Letter from Ruby Skinner Gheen's husband, Ethan P. Gheen, probably to Ella Skinner
1931
1
76
Thank-you notes to the Skinners from J. G. Green and Emma Edwards Green, with explanatory notes and clipping about Emma Edwards Green
1932 October 17
undated
2002 March 11
1
77
Letter from Annabel Skinner Hampton's husband, Robert Quine Hampton, to Lily (no surname given)
1937 December 6
1
78
Typescript copies of Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner's diaries, with accompanying letter by John Sackett Skinner
1936-1952
1996 February 20
1
79
Johanna Skinner notepad with diary entries for trip to Scotland and Isle of Man
1953 June 3-October 2
1
80
Johanna Skinner diary for trip to Scotland and Isle of Man and related ephemera
1953 June 3-October 10
2
1
Joanne Skinner diary from trip to Scotland (photocopy)
1953 June 4-23
2
2
Booklet with diary entries and research notes by Johanna Skinner
1969
2
3
Papers relating to individual family members
Subseries 1.2
1869-2008
Papers relating to Silas Skinner and Annie Skinner (photocopies)
1869-1953
2
4
Malheur Enterprise editorial about Ella Skinner's death (typescript copy)
1941 October 30
2
5
Biographical sketch of W. S. Skinner by John Sackett Skinner
undated
2
6
John Sackett Skinner reminiscences about W. S. Skinner's character
1992 January 27
2
7
Portrait of W. S. Skinner
circa 1917
2
8
Ontario Argus-Observer articles about W. S. Skinner's reminiscences (original clippings and printout of transcript)
1951
2
9
W. S. Skinner reminiscences about 1870s and 1880s, including 1878 conflict between Euro-Americans and Native peoples (photocopy); attached typescript of excerpt from October 29, 1870 issue of Owyhee Avalanche, with handwritten note
1947
undated
2
10
Johanna Skinner notes about W. S. Skinner's account of moving horses from Jordan Valley, Oregon, to Napa, California, in 1884; edited version of account by Robert H. Skinner
circa 1955
circa 2000
2
11
W. S. Skinner reminiscences about the winter of 1888 (typescript copy)
circa 1955
2
12
W. S. Skinner ephemera: Benevolent Protective Order of Elks membership cards; driver's license
1934-1936
2
13
Obituaries for W. S. Skinner
1960 March
2
14
Memorial service program for W. S. Skinner; eulogy for W. S. Skinner by Raymond A. Thompson
1960 March 3
2
15
Transcript of oral history interview with Edith Elizabeth Skinner
1983 August
2
16
Memorial services programs for Verna Clair Matre and Doris Rebecca Skinner
1991
1994
2
17
Heald's Business College report card for S. K. Skinner
1913 February
2
18
Biographical sketch of Johanna Skinner
undated
2
19
Materials relating to Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner's marriage
1917 October-December
2
20
Wedding portraits of Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1917
2
21
Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner guestbook
1962-1968
2
22
Silas K. Skinner: Correspondence and compiled articles about the history of trotting horses
1879-1966
2
23
Clippings of photographs of Homedale Depot and Pioneer Hotel from the early 20th century, with notes by Johanna Skinner about being there in 1913
circa 1969
2
24
Program for Malheur County Historical Society lecture series, including lecture by S. K. Skinner
circa 1970
2
25
Clippings about S. K. Skinner
1971
1982
2
26
Photographs of S. K. Skinner at Jean Baptiste Charbonneau's grave
circa 1971
2
27
Family signatures and toasts for S. K. Skinner's birthday (photocopy)
1977 November 26
2
28
Transcript of S. K. Skinner's oral reminiscences (Owyhee Times Narrative, tapes 18 and 19)
1980 July 22
2
29
Obituaries for Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1972 July
1983 September
2
30
Memorial service programs for Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner
1972 July 3
1983 September 9
2
31
Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Association letters to Ontario Argus Observer and Idaho Statesman regarding Johanna Skinner's death
1972 July
2
32
Eulogy for Johanna Skinner by Raymond A. Thompson
1972 July 3
2
33
Transcript of oral history interview with Violet Skinner
1979 December 29
2
34
Violet Skinner reminiscences
1980 February
2
35
Obituaries for Violet Skinner
1981 November 4
2
36
Memorial service program for Violet Skinner
1981 November
2
37
Obituary for William Callow Skinner (original clipping and printout of transcript)
1982 August 11
2
38
Clippings about Chris Skinner Moore
1969-2000
2
39
Joanne Skinner (later Joanne Owens) educational records and ephemera
1937-1955
2
40
Photocopies of plaques presented to Joanne Owens for her teaching work
1994
2
41
Transcript of Pete Miller's remarks at Joanne Owens' retirement
1994
2
42
Joanne Owens reminiscences with handwritten notes and commentary
1995-2008
2
43
Joanne Owens reminiscences about visiting Anne Humphreys in London, and related rodeo program
2001 January 30
1948 August
2
44
John Sackett Skinner reminiscences and social commentary about his school days, titled "Those Olden Days"
2004
2
45
Robert H. Skinner: order form for saddle
1935 March 28
2
46
Robert H. Skinner: certificate for Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity
1939 October 22
2
47
Robert H. Skinner educational records and ephemera
1938-1941
2
48
Materials relating to Robert H. Skinner's military service, including correspondence with the draft board, orders and permits, financial papers, and ephemera
1941-1947
2
49
Robert H. Skinner and Sara Skinner photographs (black and white negatives)
1946
8
1
Clippings about Robert H. Skinner's involvement in the ranching business and ranching organizations
1973-1992
2
50
Proceedings of Congress of Public Lands in the West, including questions posed by Robert H. Skinner
1976 June
2
51
Brochure for Sagebrush Rebellion, Inc., listing Robert H. Skinner as a board member
circa 1977
2
52
Clipping of Robert H. Skinner letter to the Ontario Argus Observer, refuting claims of a former Bureau of Land Management employee
1981 June 26
2
53
Robert H. Skinner letter and resumé relating to his run for Oregon State Senate
1982
2
54
Robert H. Skinner: certificate of election as director of educational service district in Malheur County
1982 April 2
2
55
Minutes of Oregon State Board of Agriculture, including remarks by Robert H. Skinner
1983 October 5-6
2
56
Certificates of election for Robert H. Skinner and Sara Skinner as Republican precinct committee members
1984 May 25
2
57
Photographs of Robert H. Skinner, Bureau of Land Management employee Mike Holbert, and Skinner Ranch, taken for article in the Oregonian
circa 1985
Oversize 1
Photographs of Robert H. Skinner with other members of cattle associations
circa 1985-1988
Oversize 2
Certificates awarded to Robert H. Skinner
1986
1990
Oversize 3
Robert H. Skinner: program for 73rd Annual Convention, Oregon Cattlemen's Association
1986 November
2
58
Proceedings of National Range Workshop, including remarks by Robert H. Skinner, and related letter to Skinner
1988 September
1990 January 18
2
59
Robert H. Skinner: Program for Oregon Partnership for Agricultural Progress Awards banquet, and related correspondence to Skinner
1992 September-October
2
60
Robert H. Skinner: Clippings about Cowboys Then and Now Museum and Cattlemen's Heritage Foundation; brochure for Cowboys Then and Now Museum
1992
2
61
Robert H. Skinner testimony before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Lands, in favor of House Resolution 1713
1995 July 11
2
62
Clippings about Sara Skinner
1946-1985
2
63
Invitation for wedding of Silas K. Skinner, Jr. and Naida Whybark, sent to W. S. Skinner
1957
2
64
Clippings about Tom Skinner
1996
2008
2
65
Idaho Daily Statesman article about William M. Skinner's death (photocopies)
1942 March 31
2
66
Western Livestock Reporter article and testimonials about Bob Skinner, Jr.
1998-2000
2
67
Clippings and souvenir book about Miss Oregon pageant that Nancy Jane Skinner competed in
1971
2
68
Sally Skinner reminiscences
2000
2
69
Clippings about individual members of the Skinner family
1960-1998
2
70
Papers, photographs, and memorabilia of related families
Subseries 1.3
circa 1865-2006
Anne Humphreys reminiscences about Skinner family, "My American Family"
undated
2
71
Typescript copy of biographical sketch of Johanna Skinner's uncle, Alexander Murray, in Joseph Gaston's "Centennial History of Oregon," with added notes
undated
2
72
Correspondence from Johanna Skinner's brothers, Alexander Murray and Robert Murray (both from Scotland), to family members, primarily Jessie Murray and Johanna Skinner, while serving in World War I
1916-1918
2
73
Correspondence, obituary, photographs, and photograph of medal relating to Alexander Murray's wounding and death in World War I (photocopies)
1918-1921
2
74
Photographs of Alexander Murray's grave; note with clover picked at Murray's grave (photocopy)
circa 1918-1920
2006
2
75
Memorial service program for Eva O. Murray
1994 July 5
2
76
Jessie Murray account of her visit to the Skinner ranch (original and typescript copy)
circa 1968
2
77
Transcript of oral history interview with John Murray, done for Cant Ranch Oral History Program
1982-1984
2
78
Letter from Johanna Skinner's grandfather, Robert Murray, to Sandy Murray, with note by Johanna Skinner
1881 January 20
undated
2
79
Murray family photographs
circa 1865-1930
2
80
Murray family photographs and ephemera
circa 1865-2000
2
81
Murray family photograph album
circa 1865-1885
7
Clippings about Oregon members of the Murray family
1928-1984
2
82
Clippings about Scottish Murray family members, mostly obituaries; telegram about Helen Murray's death
1894-1960
2
83
Clippings about Gheen family
1977 March 15
1986 March 5
2
84
Sackett family photographs, including of Ella Sackett Skinner
circa 1865-1890
2
85
Other papers, memorabilia, and family photographs
Subseries 1.4
circa 1870-2008
Researcher access to negatives and home movies in this subseries is limited for preservation purposes; contact library staff to inquire about viewing these materials. Fees may apply.
Biography of Virginia Fleming, who taught at school on Skinner Ranch, written by Pop McCommon
2007
2
86
Brochure about Jordan Valley, designed by Johanna Skinner
circa 1960
3
1
Brochure about Jordan Valley
circa 2000
3
2
Essay by Donald Grant about his stay at the Skinner Ranch (typescript copies)
circa 1967
3
3
History of controversy regarding grazing permits, possibly written by Robert H. Skinner, titled "The Battle of Soldier Creek"
circa 1960
3
4
History of Skinner family and Skinner Ranch by Robert H. Skinner
2004 September
3
5
John Sackett Skinner writings on family history, "Capsules of History"
1995 October
3
6
Letter and historical sketch by Robert H. Skinner and Tom Skinner about horse that S. K. Skinner rode named Bally Beers
circa 2000
3
7
Home movies with narration by Robert H. Skinner
3 videodiscs (DVD)
1951-1971
2006
3
8
List of teachers who taught at school on Skinner Ranch, compiled by Johanna Skinner
1960
3
9
List of people who have lived in the Skinner Rock House
circa 2000
3
10
Newsletter by Dottie C. Edwards, "The Pioneer," sent to W. S. Skinner
1959 August
3
11
Skinner family photographs
circa 1870-1940
3
12
Photograph of Silas Skinner's business partner, E. H. Clinton
circa 1880
3
13
Photographs of Skinner family and Skinner Ranch
1910-1915
Oversize 4
Photograph of Verna Claire Skinner, Johanna Murray, Nancy Irma Skinner, and Ruby Aileen Skinner at Ruby Ranch
1911
Oversize 5
Photograph of W. S. Skinner, S. K. Skinner, and others cutting wild grass on Goose Ranch (print)
1914
Oversize 6
Photograph of W. S. Skinner, S. K. Skinner, and others cutting wild grass on Goose Ranch (glass plate negative)
1914
8
4
Photograph of horse on Skinner Ranch (glass plate negative)
circa 1914
8
4
Skinner family photographs
circa 1940-2000
3
14
Skinner family photographs (black and white negatives)
circa 1950-1985
circa 1950-1960
8
2
Skinner family photographs (color negatives)
circa 1955-1965
8
3
Photographs of ranching work and of Jordan Valley area
circa 1900-1990
3
15
Photographs of Skinner family trip to central Oregon, including Murray Ranch
1963 October
3
16
Slides
1947-1985
3
17-18
Slides of Christmas celebration
1984 December
3
19
Slides
1986-1992
3
20
Color slides of Christmas celebration
1988 December
3
21
Slides of trip to Crater Lake
1989
3
22
Slides, including of county fair
circa 1990
3
23
Slides, including of Wallowa County Fair
1990 September
3
24
Slides
1993
3
25
Slides
undated
3
26
Program for Local Teachers' Institute event in Jordan Valley
1913 November 14
3
27
Program for play including Irma Skinner and Ella Skinner, "And Home Came Ted"
1922 March 10
3
28
Program for annual meeting of Malheur County Soil and Water Conservation District, and related letter to Skinner Ranches, Inc.
1995 January-February
3
29
Purina publications featuring the Skinner family
1980
3
30
Issue of Oregon Beef Producer with article on the Skinner family
1990
3
31
Issue of Polled Hereford Ranch World with article on the Skinner Ranch
1991 January
3
32
Robert H. Skinner remarks about how Jordan Valley has changed in his lifetime
circa 2004
3
33
Reminiscences about the Great Depression, probably by Robert H. Skinner
circa 2005
3
34
Reminiscences and ranch history, probably by John Sackett Skinner
circa 2008
3
35
Handwritten transcript of Thanksgiving Day radio address by Ruby Beers
undated
3
36
Transcript of commentary on tour led by Jim Hyslop, Tom Skinner, and Robert H. Skinner; e-mail with article about the tour
2001 September 8
2001 September 21
3
37
Issues of Jordan Valley Express
1910 September 29
1917 October 16
Oversize 11
Clippings about the Skinner family
circa 1960-2008
3
38
Issue of Idaho Sunday Statesman with articles about Oregon Centennial celebrations in Jordan Valley
1959 May 17
3
39
Clippings and program relating to Western Livestock Journal Sagebrush Circuit Tour that included the Skinner Ranch
1980
3
40
Clippings and ticket relating to Taylor Grazing Act anniversary celebration at Skinner Ranch; history of Taylor Grazing Act
1984
3
41
Financial, property, and ranching records
Series 2
1863-2006
In the 1870s, Silas Skinner and E. H. Clinton acquired 120 acres of land near the town of Jordan Valley, Oregon, to raise horses and cattle. In 1879, Skinner sold his interest in the property to Clinton. Later, Silas Skinner's son W. S. Skinner would manage this land, and purchased it in the early 20th century. He also leased the nearby Ruby Ranch from Ruby Beers. He continued to expand the ranch, and in the 1920s borrowed money from the Lumbermens Trust Bank in Portland, Oregon, to fund operations. However, the incurred debts, compounded by the Great Depression, led to the ranch's foreclosure in 1931. The following year, M. E. Gunderson negotiated to lease the ranch to the Skinner family. In 1938, the Skinner family repurchased the ranch, and it has continued operations into the 21st century.
Source: "High Desert Promise: The Skinner Family Legacy," by John Sackett Skinner (Hillsboro, Or.: Skinner Family, 2009); collection materials.
Property and financial records of Silas Skinner and Annie Skinner (photocopies), and related notes
1877-1908
undated
3
42
Property records (photocopies) and related notes
1889-1922
undated
3
43
Property records, including bills of sale and mortgage
1891-circa 1915
3
44
Title abstracts
1883-1941
3
45-46
Compiled records and correspondence relating to Skinner property and ranching activities
1869-1977
3
47-48
Correspondence and records about ranch property and finances
1911-1924
3
49
Correspondence and records about ranch ownership and finances, including correspondence from S. K. Skinner to Johanna Skinner
1929-1934
3
50
Correspondence and records about ranch property and finances
1930-1946
3
51-52
Compiled records and correspondence about Clinton family property and finances
1863-1903
3
53
Compiled records and correspondence about Clinton family property and finances
1899-1905
2006
4
1
Deeds for Elbert H. Clinton property
1889-1890
Oversize 9
Correspondence about W. S. Skinner purchase of Clinton property
1907-1917
4
2
Records and correspondence about Murray family property in Oregon, including correspondence to Johanna Skinner
1891-1948
4
3
Records and correspondence about Jordan Creek water rights
1878-1943
4
4
Records and correspondence relating to Antelope Reservoir, Jordan Valley Land and Water Company, and Jordan Valley Farms, Inc.
1918-1939
4
5
Blueprint maps of Sections 19 and 27, Antelope Dam Unit
circa 1920
Oversize 7
Records relating to W. S. Skinner estate
1983 July
4
6
Financial papers of W. S. Skinner's friend Willis G. Thompson, including offer for subscription to the Oregonian
1899-circa 1925
4
7
Financial records relating to ranch
1900-1924
4
8
Financial records
1921-1942
4
9
Ranch records, including receipts, notes, and government forms
1941-1965
4
10
Ranch account book
1918-1922
4
11
Robert H. Skinner registration for brands
1932 May 4
4
12
Note about history of Skinner brand symbol
circa 2000
4
13
Records relating to cattle
1928
4
14
Soldier Creek Cow Camp expenses for the year
1936 December
4
15
American Shorthorn Breeders' Association membership certificate for S. K. Skinner & Sons, and accompanying letter
1948
4
16
Cattle breeding registry records
1948-1954
Oversize 8
Checkbook, with inscription by S. K. Skinner explaining its significance
circa 1930
undated
4
17
Letter from Ella Skinner to family with instructions about the disposition of her personal property, with annotations and notes by S. K. Skinner and John Sackett Skinner
1931 September 15
undated
4
18
Handwritten copy of letter from J. J. Ballard to S. K. Skinner regarding cattle purchase, and explanation of letter's context by S. K. Skinner
1939 April 14
undated
4
19
Letter to S. K. Skinner about results of groundwater sample taken from Skinner Ranch by National Uranium Resource Evaluation
circa 1981
4
20
Property covenant with Robert E. Lees
1939 August 23
4
21
Instructions on dosing livestock with phenothiazine, with handwritten note
circa 1945
4
22
Invoices and receipts from Helm & Yturri General Merchandise
1931-1947
4
23
Farm lease
1946 February 21
4
24
Record book with financial records and Soldier Creek Livestock Association minutes
1954-1970
4
25
Financial ledger
1926
4
26
Inventory and financial ledger
1948-1956
4
27
Financial ledger
1952-1961
4
28
Financial ledger
1952-1977
4
29
S. K. Skinner & Sons loan records
1952-1953
Oversize 10
Tract map of Jordan Creek and Cow Creek area
undated
Oversize 12
Mortgage bonds from Lumbermens Trust Company
1922
4
30
Circular about Skinner mortgage (photocopy)
circa 1925
4
31
Mortgage bond payment vouchers to Lumbermens Trust Company
1929
4
32
Chattel mortgages
1959-1960
4
33
Robert H. Skinner notes about ranch operations
circa 1958-1969
4
34
Handwritten notes about property
undated
4
35
Partnership agreement between Robert H. Skinner and Daniel Skinner
1966 October 19
4
36
Permit granting W. S. Skinner the right to tan leather; handbook for tanning process
1897
4
37
Reports and photographs relating to Middle Fork of Malheur River
1985-1988
4
38
Respondents' brief for Oregon Supreme Court case, Robert E. Smith and Emery Smith v. S. K. Skinner, W. S. Skinner, C. W. Glenn, and George J. Dickson
1933
4
39
Skinner Ranch stationery
circa 1950
4
40
W. S. Skinner stock certificates for Peoples Milling and Elevator Association
1914 December 21
4
41
Tax receipt for Clinton & Skinner
1878 November 22
4
42
Property tax receipts
1939 September 15
4
43
Warranty deed for W. S. Skinner
1922 May 3
4
44
Johanna Skinner last will and testament
1966 November 8
4
45
S. K. Skinner last will and testament; S. K. Skinner letter of instruction regarding inheritance
1966 November 8
circa 1975
4
46
Last will and testament of Leah Vinson (neé Murray), listing Johanna Skinner as a beneficiary
1953 July 20
4
47
Historical and genealogical research materials
Series 3
1840-2013
1871-2013
Research on Jean Baptiste Charbonneau's gravesite
Subseries 3.1
circa 1955-2013
Correspondence, writings, and published materials relating to the Skinner family's research on Jean Baptiste Charbonneau and his gravesite, compiled by Johanna Skinner, with introductory note and annotations by Joanne Owens
circa 1955-1972
2001
circa 2013
4
48
S. K. Skinner notes about research into Charbonneau gravesite (photocopy)
1971 October 16
4
49
Correspondence relating to Charbonneau gravesite, mostly of Irving W. Anderson and Clyde Porter, including their correspondence with S. K. Skinner, Johanna Skinner, and W. S. Skinner
1955-1972
4
50
Biographical sketch of Charbonneau by Irving W. Anderson, with mention of S. K. Skinner and Johanna Skinner in acknowledgements
1969 October
4
51
Oregonian article by Chris Moore about Charbonneau gravesite (draft and clipping of published version)
1965
4
52
Letter from Malheur County Historical Society to Fort Clatsop Historical Association regarding Skinner family's role in identifying Charbonneau gravesite, and related letter from Chris Moore to John Sackett Skinner and Carole Skinner
1999
4
53
John Sackett Skinner correspondence about Skinner family's role in identifying Charbonneau gravesite, and related pamphlets and articles
1971
1992
1999-2005
5
1
Booklet by Frances Jones, "Finding Charbonneau's Grave," about the role people including the Skinners played in locating Charbonneau gravesite
2013
5
2
Program for dedication of Charbonneau gravesite
1971 August 6
5
3
Program for re-dedication of Charbonneau gravesite
2000 June 24
5
4
Clippings relating to Charbonneau gravesite
1971
1999-2000
5
5
Timeline of research about Charbonneau gravesite and list of sources John Sackett Skinner consulted for timeline
circa 2012
5
6
Other historical research
Subseries 3.2
1910-2008
Article by Johanna Skinner about history of Ruby Ranch
1959 August 24
5
7
Chronology of Jordan Valley history compiled by Johanna Skinner (typescript copy)
circa 1958
5
8
Letter from Bessie Caine to Johanna Skinner about history of Silver City, with enclosed photographs
1961 January 31
5
9
Maps of Jordan Valley drawn by Johanna Skinner and S. K. Skinner, marking historically significant spots and features
circa 1960
5
10
Clippings, notes, and publications relating to history of Basque people in Jordan Valley, compiled by Johanna Skinner
circa 1957-1972
5
11
Johanna Skinner notes about 19th-century conflicts between Euro-Americans and Native peoples in eastern Oregon
circa 1960
5
12
Johanna Skinner transcript of 1898 Owyhee Directory entry about the origin of Jordan Creek's name, with additional notes (photocopy)
circa 1969
5
13
Notes, copied excerpts from published materials, and correspondence relating to Johanna Skinner's historical research
circa 1960-1972
5
14
Checkbook that Johanna Skinner used for notes on historical research
circa 1960
5
15
History by Jerry E. Stanke, titled "Early Days at Camp Lyon, Idaho Territory," that Johanna Skinner used in her research (original and photocopy)
circa 1957
5
16
Histories of Inskip Station by Ruth Inskeep
circa 1965
1985
5
17
Typescript copies of excerpts from "Life and Adventures of David Lawson Shirk," with annotation on one copy by Johanna Skinner
1920
circa 1960
5
18
Compiled articles, correspondence, writings, and other materials about the history of the Skinner Toll Road
1961-2008
5
19
Letter from Floyd Acarregui to Robert H. Skinner about a murder case in Malheur County in 1910 and attached records
1993
1910
5
20
Typescript of article about M. E. Bain's reminiscences of eastern Oregon history, with annotations by Chris Moore
undated
5
21
Family history and genealogical research
Subseries 3.3
1840-circa 2010
1871-circa 2010
Genealogies of Skinner, Sackett, and Murray families
circa 2010
6
1
Family history compiled by Christine Moore and Nancy Moore, "History of the Descendants of Silas and Annie Callow Skinner"
circa 1980
6
2
Biographical and genealogical information compiled by John Sackett Skinner
2008-2009
undated
6
3-4
Genealogical information and photographs relating to Skinner, Callow, and Sackett families compiled by John Sackett Skinner and Don Emel
1870-1999
6
5
Correspondence and research materials relating to the Murray and Mackenzie families compiled by John Sackett Skinner
circa 1954-2006
1999-2006
6
6
Research and correspondence relating to the Murray, Mackenzie, and McDonald families
circa 1960-2001
6
7-8
Murray family genealogical information
undated
6
9
Genealogical information, notes, photocopied vital records and images, clippings, and transcribed articles relating to Sackett, Skinner, and Callow families
1871-1966
6
10
Vital records, genealogical information, and correspondence regarding Skinner, Sackett, and Callow families
1840-circa 2000
1953-circa 2000
6
11
Genealogical information about Skinner, Sackett, and Murray families
undated
6
12
Correspondence from Anne Humphries to John Sackett Skinner and Carole Skinner about family history, and enclosed photographs
1998-2001
1945
6
13
Robert H. Skinner e-mail correspondence about family history
2000 March
6
14