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Slater Family Collection, ca. 1850-2010

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Slater Family
Title
Slater Family Collection
Dates
ca. 1850-2010 (inclusive)
Quantity
2 boxes
Collection Number
Coll 206
Summary
Family history, photographic images, books, newspaper clippings, and ephemera of the descendants of Oregon pioneers James H. Slater and Edna Elizabeth Gray. Includes travel photographs from Oregon, Canada, and the western U.S., and photographs of the 1962 Columbus Day storm in Portland, Oregon.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Bertha Slater Smith, native of Oregon, was best known as penning the Portland Rose Festival Rosarian’s slogan “For you a rose in Portland grows,” after winning a slogan contest in the early 1900s. Born in La Grande, Oregon, she was the daughter of pioneer parents. Her father, James H. Slater, came to Oregon by way of California in 1850. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the 5th Judicial District in 1866, served in the U.S. Congress from 1871-1873, and was a U.S. Senator from Oregon from 1879-1885. Bertha's mother, Edna Elizabeth Gray Slater, was born in Tennessee and was part of the storied “Lost Wagon Train” that first crossed the Cascade range at McKenzie Pass in 1853. Bertha graduated from the University of Oregon and served as president of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. Her husband, Elmer Elwood Smith, was a descendent of another pioneer family whose ancestors fought in the American revolution.

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Content Description

The collection consists mostly of photographs dating from approximately 1850-1920. These include portraits, group photos, early snapshots, five tintype portraits, and many travel photographs, including a few battleships. Also included is a small photograph album documenting an auto trip to northeastern Oregon in 1914; negatives of scenic images; five Masonic code books; one file of newspaper clippings about the Oregon Zoo; loose album pages from the 1960s with images of the 1962 Columbus Day storm in Portland; and two pieces of school ephemera. Few of the portraits are identified. A number of images are of travel throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada, and many provide excellent images of North American cities and towns in the early part of the 20th century, including Montreal and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 in St. Louis.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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 prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

Preferred Citation

Slater Family collection, Coll 206, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Family History
  • Series B: Photographs
  • Series C: News clippings
  • Series D: Books and ephemera

Related Materials

Papers of James H. Slater are held by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and designated Mss 2347.

Custodial History

The collection was assembled by Caroline Ruhmshottel, granddaughter of Bertha Slater Smith.

Acquisition Information

Acquired December 2010, Library Accession 27214.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

  • Series A: Family History

  • Series B: Photographs

  • Series C: Newspaper Clippings

    • Description: Oregon Zoo, previously known as Washington Park Zoo, Portland
      Dates: 1960-1961
      Container: Box/Folder 2/8
      Location: Series C: Newspaper Clippings

  • Series D: Books and Ephemera

    • Description: Masonic Lodge
      Dates: 1918-1950; undated
      Container: Box/Folder 2/9
      Location: Series D: Books and Ephemera
    • Description: Printed album, images of University of Oregon, property of Bertha Elizabeth Slater
      Dates: 1895
      Container: Box/Folder 2/10
      Location: Series D: Books and Ephemera
    • Description: Booklet and photo, Washington High School reunion, property of Bernice Weber Smith
      Dates: 1994
      Container: Box/Folder 2/11
      Location: Series D: Books and Ephemera

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Travel photography--Oregon.
  • Floods--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
  • Masonic orders
  • Oregon Zoo (Portland, Or.)

Personal Names

  • Ruhmshottel, Caroline.
  • Slater, Edna Elizabeth Gray.
  • Smith, Bertha Slater--Archives.

Corporate Names

  • Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.)--Photographs

Family Names

  • Slater family--Photographs.

Geographical Names

  • Montréal (Québec)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs
  • Tintypes (prints)

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Slater, Jas. H. (James Harvey), 1826-1899--Photographs. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Brina Bolanz
2011

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