Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
John F. Miller papers, 1853-1886
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Miller, John F. (John Ferguson), 1825-1901
- Title
- John F. Miller papers
- Dates
- 1853-1886 (inclusive)18531886
- Quantity
- 0.2 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box; 1 oversize folder (24x36))
- Collection Number
- Mss 2297
- Summary
- Papers of John F. Miller (1825-1901), consisting of a muster roll for a volunteer mounted company he led, a letter about medicinal plants used by Native people, and a quitclaim deed. Miller was a U.S. Army officer and an early emigrant to Oregon. He led a volunteer company against Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley in 1853, served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature, worked briefly as an Indian agent, and fought in the Modoc War.
- 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
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
John Ferguson Miller was born in 1825 in Kentucky. In 1845, he joined the U.S. Army, and served in the Mexican-American War. In 1850, he emigrated to Oregon, taking residence in Jackson County. In 1853, he was elected as a representative in the Oregon Territorial Legislature. That same year, he led a volunteer company to fight Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley, and later was briefly an Indian agent in southern Oregon. In 1862, he was a Democratic candidate for governor of Oregon, but lost to A. C. Gibbs. In 1873, he fought with the U.S. Army in the Modoc War.
Miller married Zarilda Jackson in 1849; the couple had four children. In his later years, Miller lived in Salem, Oregon, and was president of that city's first woolen mills company. He died in 1901.
Sources: Obituary in the Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), February 20, 1901, page 7; obituary in the Oregonian, February 21, 1901, page 5; obituary for Zarilda Miller in the Statesman Journal, October 25, 1913, page 1; vital records via Ancestry.com.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of three items relating to John F. Miller, an early emigrant to Oregon. These are: a muster roll for a company of mounted volunteers that Miller led in a campaign against Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley in 1853; a photostat reproduction of an 1859 letter Miller wrote to Commissioner of Indian Affairs A. B. Greenwood concerning plants that Native people on the Grande Ronde Reservation used for medicine; and an 1886 quitclaim deed leaving property in Salem, Oregon, to Miller's daughter Ianthe (written as Iantha).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
John F. Miller papers, Mss 2297, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
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.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Acquired prior to 1995, most likely between the late 19th and mid-20th century.
Preservation Note
Due to fragility, the muster roll requires special handling to view.
Related Materials
Other papers of John F. Miller at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library are in the Matthew Deady papers, Mss 48.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indians of North America--Medicine--Oregon
- Pacific Coast Indians, Wars with, 1847-1865
- Real property--Oregon--Salem
Personal Names
- Greenwood, Alfred Burton, 1811-1889--Correspondence
- Miller, John F. (John Ferguson), 1825-1901--Correspondence
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- muster rolls
- property records
