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Joseph L. Miller photographs collection, 1909-1995

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Miller, Joseph L., 1910-
Title
Joseph L. Miller photographs collection
Dates
1909-1995 (inclusive)
1971-1995 (bulk)
Quantity
0.84 cubic feet, (502 photographs, 33 slides, 67 film negatives, 2 postcards, and other printed material in 1 document box and 3 oversize folders)
Collection Number
Org. Lot 1021
Summary
Photographs document Joseph L. Miller's crusade to protect the Bull Run Reserve and watershed from logging and recreation damage and to expand public awareness of the threat to its famed pristine water, which is the main source of water for Portland, Or., and other smaller communities in the area. The bulk of the photographs show the impact of logging on the watershed.
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
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Joseph L. Miller (1910- ), a native of Chicago, trained as a medical doctor. He moved to Oregon in 1940 with his wife, Amy, and he opened a medical practice in Portland, Or. In 1948, the family bought 94 acres near the Bull Run Reserve, in the vicinity of Marmot, Clackamas County, Oregon. There they built a small cabin, mostly for summer camping, and in 1975 established a permanent home on three acres. They donated the remaining 91 acres to the Portland Audubon Society in 1977.

In 1971, Miller discovered that the United States Forest Service (USFS) had, since 1958, allowed commercial logging in the watershed in spite of a 1904 Trespass Act and planned to open a 30,000-acre area for recreational purposes. Such strong opposition was expressed at a public meeting, which Miller attended, that the USFS and the Portland Water Bureau withdrew the plan. Miller then began a systematic effort to collect and disseminate information on the Bull Run Reserve to focus public attention on the need for watershed protection. In 1974, he organized the Bull Run Citizens' Advisory Committee, which evolved into the Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) by 1975. BRIG was active at varying levels until about 1993. Miller was most concerned about the secrecy and lack of public information and input that he believed characterized the activities of the USFS and Portland Water Bureau, which managed the Bull Run Watershed.

In 1975, Miller and two co-plaintiffs initiated a class-action lawsuit against the USFS for allowing public access and logging in violation of the Trespass Act and won their case. However, in 1977 Congress nullified the act, and new legislation, introduced by Rep. Robert Duncan and Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon, specified that the Bull Run Reserve could be managed by the Forest Service according to prevailing multiple-use principles. Use of the watershed need not be confined to water production, though that use should be primary.

Miller's crusade to restore the protections of the Trespass Act continued after 1977, and, with the public scrutiny that he inspired, serious degradation of the watershed diminished. His efforts included further litigation and stays to stop what he considered to be dubious timber sales after “blowdowns.”

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Content Description

Images document Joseph L. Miller's crusade to protect the Bull Run Reserve and watershed from logging and recreation damage and to expand public awareness of the threat to its famed pristine water through formation of the Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) and lawsuits he initiated against the U.S. Forest Service. Bull Run is the main source of water for Portland, Or., and other smaller communities in the area. Photographs showing the impact of logging on the Bull Run Watershed make up the bulk of the collection. Primary formats represented are black-and-white and color photographic prints, ranging from snapshot size to 8x10 (some with negatives), black-and-white and color aerial photographs, and 35 mm color slides. Some prints are attached to two posters, and the collection also includes two color postcards and related papers.

Miller made some of the photographs himself and obtained the remainder from other photographers and sources, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service. Many of the black-and-white and color images were used to illustrate publications produced by BRIG and by Miller personally, and two groups are marked as exhibits in class action lawsuits that Miller and others brought against the U.S. Forest Service.

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

Preferred Citation

Joseph L. Miller photographs collection, Org. Lot 1021, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The photographs are organized into the following series :

  • Series A: Joseph L. Miller: Background and Portraits, 1990-2004
  • Series B: Bull Run Interest Group (BRIG) Open Files, 1972-1986
  • Series C: Lawsuit Exhibits, 1974-1978
  • Series D: Forest Service Management and Timber Sales, 1927-1991
    • Subseries 1: Bull Run Watershed, 1927-1981
    • Subseries 2: Little Sandy River Watershed, 1987-1991
  • Series E: Images Used in Publications, 1975-1986
  • Series F: Other Images, ca. 1980-1982; undated

Custodial History

Joseph L. Miller gave his photographs and papers to the Oregon Historical Society in two parts, 1997 and 1998, with annotations added for clarification shortly before his final donation.

Acquisition Information

Library accession nos. 23189 and 23563.

Separated Materials

Manuscript materials were separated to the Joseph L. Miller Papers, Mss 6022, in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Manuscripts Collection. Copies of the Bull Run Open Newsletter are available in the Research Library Serials Collection.

Bibliography

Bull Run Interest Group and Miller, Joseph L., comp. Bull Run: A World Treasure:Portland: Bull Run Interest Group, 1998.

Harmon, Rick. "The Bull Run Watershed: Portland's Enduring Jewel." Oregon Historical Quarterly 96 (1995): 242-270.

Miller, Joseph L., Jr. How to Destroy God's Kingdom and Democracy at the Same Time: Case Study, Water Supply of Portland, Oregon. Portland: J.L. Miller, 1989.

Miller, Joseph L. and John Eliot Allen. What Good Is Free Speech in a Closet?: A Story of Cover-up in Planning for Our Grandchildren's Drinking Water. Porland, Or.: DRC Graphics Services, 1985.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Drinking water--Oregon--Portland.
  • Logging--Oregon--Mount Hood National Forest--Photographs.
  • Public works--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
  • Water supply--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.
  • Water quality--Oregon--Bull Run River Watershed.
  • Watershed management--Oregon--Portland--Photographs.

Personal Names

  • Miller, Joseph L., 1910- --Photographs.

Corporate Names

  • Portland (Or.). Water Bureau--Photographs.
  • United States. Forest Service--Photographs.

Geographical Names

  • Bull Run River Watershed (Or.)--Photographs.
  • Little Sandy River Watershed (Or.)--Photographs.
  • Mount Hood National Forest (Or.)--Photographs.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Aerial photographs.
  • Film negatives.
  • Photographic prints.
  • Slides.

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. (photographer)
    • United States. Forest Service. (photographer)

Finding aid prepared by Sharon M. Howe, 2004, as part of the Northwest Archival Processing Initiative, funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
2001

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