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Justus Steinberger papers, 1852-1867

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Steinberger, Justus, 1825-1870
Title
Justus Steinberger papers
Dates
1852-1867 (inclusive)
1852-1859 (bulk)
Quantity
1.75 cubic feet, (3 legal document cases, 1 flat box (11x14), 3 oversize folders (16x20))
Collection Number
Coll 686
Summary
Papers of Justus Steinberger (1825-1870), particularly from his time in the 1850s working for Adams & Co. and then for the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Steinberger was an agent for Adams & Co. in Portland, Oregon; he later became an officer in the U.S. Army.
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
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Biographical Note

Justus Steinberger was born in Pennsylvania in 1825, and was named for Dr. Justus Dunott of Philadelphia. In the 1850s, he worked in Portland as an agent for Adams & Co. and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was appointed colonel, with the authority to raise a regiment in the Washington Territory and California. For a brief period in 1862, he was commander of the District of Oregon. Steinberger remained in the military following the war, becoming an officer in the regular U.S. Army's pay department. He was killed in 1870 when his horse threw him in Helena, Montana. He was buried at Fort Shaw, Montana.

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Content Description

The collection consists of correspondence and records from Justus Steinberger's career in the 1850s as the Portland agent for Adams & Co. and for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Included are letters both to and from Steinberger, reports Steinberger wrote, a journal Steinberger kept in 1858, a letterpress copy book of letters written between 1852 and 1861, and ship manifests and receipts.

While a large bulk of the collection's loose correspondence is with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's president, William H. Davidge, and agents Andrew B. Forbes and William F. Babcock, it also includes letters to Steinberger from prominent figures of the Oregon Territory such as Joseph Lane, Asahel Bush, Benjamin Alvord, and George H. Atkinson. The correspondence also includes numerous letters from Rufus Ingalls, who was then a captain but would become Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. Of particular note is a letter from Lane dated October 18, 1858, which includes a copy of a letter that Lane sent to Asahel Bush that same day, breaking off contact between Lane and Bush. The letterpress copybook includes letters addressed to Attorney of Oregon Amory Holbrook. An additional item of interest is an 1867 letter that Ulysses S. Grant wrote to Senator Henry Wilson, vouching for Steinberger's character.

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Other Descriptive Information

Collection was designated Mss 74 prior to 2018.

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Use of the Collection

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.

Preferred Citation

Justus Steinberger papers, Coll 686, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in two series: Series A. Correspondence; Series B. Other papers.

Acquisition Information

Acquired from unknown source in either May or June 1946 (Lib. Acc. 29287).

Related Materials

Records of Adams & Co. are designated Mss 751, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

Some additional papers of Steinberger's are held at the Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Preservation Note

Original letterpress copybook requires assistance to view, and researchers are encouraged to use typescript copies instead. Contact library staff for assistance.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Business enterprises--Oregon--Portland--19th century
  • Shipping--West (U.S.)

Personal Names

  • Babcock, William F. (William Fitzpatrick), 1820-1885
  • Davidge, William H. (William Hathorn Stewart), 1825-1877
  • Forbes, Andrew B. (Andrew Bell), 1824-1902
  • Ingalls, Rufus, 1818-1893
  • Lane, Joseph, 1801-1881
  • Steinberger, Justus, 1825-1870

Corporate Names

  • Adams & Co. (Express company)
  • Forbes & Babcock (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Pacific Mail Steamship Company

Form or Genre Terms

  • administrative records
  • correspondence
  • financial records
  • letterpress copybooks
  • reports

Jeffrey A. Hayes
2018

CC0

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

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