Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection, 1913-1956
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Powell, William Lester, 1893-
- Title
- W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection
- Dates
- 1913-1956 (inclusive)19131956
1913-1917 (bulk)19131917 - Quantity
- 0.25 cubic foot, including 317 photographs, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- P 192
- Summary
- The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection consists of images taken and assembled by Powell documenting Powell's student years at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC). Powell attended OAC from 1912 to 1917.
- Repository
-
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
W. Lester Powell attended Oregon Agricultural College during the 1912-1913 through 1916-1917 academic years. He enrolled initially as a forestry student, but changed to horticulture in 1915; he did not complete a degree from OAC. Powell was a photographer for the 1916 Orange yearbook and also for Ball Studio in Corvallis. During the 1920s and 1930s, he lived with his family on Kiger Island near Corvallis. William Lester Powell was born February 18, 1893 and graduated from Citrus High School in Azusa, California, in 1912. He died in 1978 in Medford, Oregon.
Powell's daughter, Mary Lou (known as Lou), was born July 21, 1918, in Seattle. She graduated from Corvallis High School in 1936 and attended Oregon State College in 1936-1937 and 1937-1938. Her married name was Lou Richards.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection consists of images taken and assembled by Powell, primarily during his student years at Oregon Agricultural College in the mid 1910s. The photographs depict campus activities, including pageants; athletics, especially football; and forestry students and faculty in forest campus and on forestry trips. The collection also includes images of Corvallis and Benton County; of special note are images of the small town of Wells, in north Benton County, that was removed in the early 1940s in order to establish Camp Adair. Images of land being cleared for Grant Street in Corvallis are also included.
Almost all of of the images are from Powell's student years at OAC; however, the collection includes a photograph of a 1935 pruning class at Oregon State College and a reunion photograph of the Class of 1916, probably in 1956.
The collection consists primarily of photographic prints. Most of the prints (210 items) are affixed to album pages; the remainder of the prints (89) were originally affixed to album pages and have been removed; 18 copy negatives are also included in the collection. Several of the images were published in the 1916 Orange yearbook.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection (P 192), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection is arranged in 3 series: I. Photographic Prints, circa 1913 - circa 1956; II. Album Pages, circa 1913-1917; and III. Copy Negatives, circa 1913-1917.
Custodial History
W. Lester Powell's daugher (Lou Richards) loaned the collection to Bob Zybach in 1990 for his research of the Soap Creek area. Richards identified materials that she was willing to have donated to the Archives and other items that she was willing to have duplicated and the originals returned to her.
Acquisition Information
The photographs were donated to the OSU Archives in 1990 by Bob Zybach.
Related Materials
The Special Collections & Archives Research Center includes many collections documenting the activities and experiences of Oregon Agricultural College students during the 1910s. These include the Leslie Miller Scrapbook and the John W. Trigg (P 227), Marshall S. Wright (P 276), and J. Llewellyn Spriggs (P 285) Photograph Albums.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Photographic Prints, circa 1913 - circa 1956Return to Top
Series I consists of snapshots, photographic postcards, and a few professional photographs; most have been removed from album pages. The photographs depict Oregon Agricultural College students participating in student activities and attending athletic events; Powell's fraternity brothers; forestry students and faculty, including George W. Peavy, in forest camps; and Marys Peak and forest scenes. Of special note are several duplicate prints of Wells, Oregon, a small town in north Benton County that was evacuated and demolished in the early 1940s to establish Camp Adair.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | P192:001: Folk dancing woman |
|
| 1 | P192:002: Women performing folk dances at
OAC |
|
| 1 | P192:003: May Pageant at OAC |
|
| 1 | P192:004: Mines Building
Batcheller Hall
|
|
| 1 | P192:005: Working in college iron
foundry |
Summer of 1913 or 1914 |
| 1 | P192:006: Gathering of students and faculty in front
of Benton Hall |
|
| 1 | P192:007: Delta Upsilon Fraternity brothers
Includes W.L. Powell.
|
|
| 1 | P192:008: Class of 1916 reunion |
circa 1956 |
| 1 | P192:009: Women engaged in tug of war
competition |
|
| 1 | P192:010-P192:011: Crowd next to freight train |
|
| 1 | P192:012: Group of posing men |
|
| 1 | P192:013-P192:014: Fraternity group |
|
| 1 | P192:015: Ahneek recruits |
|
| 1 | P192:016: Group of posing men |
|
| 1 | P192:017-P192:019: Participants in minstrel show |
|
| 1 | P192:020: Fraternity group |
|
| 1 | P192:021: OAC runner |
|
| 1 | P192:022-P192:024: OAC baseball players |
|
| 1 | P192:025: Three OAC track runners |
|
| 1 | P192:026: Athletes standing outside
armory |
|
| 1 | P192:027-P192:028: Serpentine lines |
|
| 1 | P192:029: Student body - pre-football game
activity |
|
| 1 | P192:030: Serpentine line |
|
| 1 | P192:031: OAC vs. Whitman football game |
|
| 1 | P192:032: Halftime show |
|
| 1 | P192:033: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:034: Track athlete |
|
| 1 | P192:035: Football at OAC |
|
| 1 | P192:036: OAC athlete |
|
| 1 | P192:037: Football at OAC |
|
| 1 | P192:038: Shot putter |
|
| 1 | P192:039: Student body - pre-football game
activity |
|
| 1 | P192:040-P192:041: Serpentine line |
|
| 1 | P192:042: Halftime show |
|
| 1 | P192:043: Pruning class |
1935 |
| 1 | P192:044: Marys Peak timber |
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:045: Forest river |
|
| 1 | P192:046: Forestry cooking school |
|
| 1 | P192:047:
George W. Peavy at top of Marys
Peak
Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 442.
|
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:048: OAC faculty member at top of Marys
Peak
Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 442.
|
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:049: Marys Peak foresters camp |
circa 1913 |
| 1 | P192:050: Sawmill |
|
| 1 | P192:051: Rhododendron excursion to
Newport |
1915 |
| 1 | P192:052-P192:053: Guarding the fountain
Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 446.
|
1914 |
| 1 | P192:054: Stacked wood |
|
| 1 | P192:055: Oregon wilderness |
|
| 1 | P192:056: Gamma Tau Beta fraternity
house
Burned after frat moved to 22nd St.
|
|
| 1 | P192:057: Forestry building in Portland (Lewis and
Clark Exhibition) |
|
| 1 | P192:058-P192:059: Forestry students in camp |
|
| 1 | P192:060: OAC foresters |
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:061-P192:062: Forestry camp |
|
| 1 | P192:063: Foresters |
1913 |
| 1 | P192:064: Marys Peak |
|
| 1 | P192:065: Les Powell's car at Big Sulphur
Springs
1 of 3 cars on the OAC campus.
|
1915 |
| 1 | P192:066: Logs held for rafting |
|
| 1 | P192:067: Foresters at Windriver Nurseries,
Washington
Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 452.
|
|
| 1 | P192:068: Wind River Nursery, Washington |
|
| 1 | P192:069: Timber in Wind River, Washington,
area |
|
| 1 | P192:070: Foresters
Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 452.
|
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:071: Foresters cooking |
|
| 1 | P192:072: Foresters |
|
| 1 | P192:073-P192:074: Along the Redwood highway,
California |
|
| 1 | P192:075: Forest |
|
| 1 | P192:076-P192:077: Mountain views |
|
| 1 | P192:078: Willamette River, Corvallis |
|
| 1 | P192:079: Oregon wilderness |
|
| 1 | P192:080: Man in boat on Marys River |
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:081: Man in forest |
|
| 1 | P192:082: Forestry camping trip |
|
| 1 | P192:083: Forest and cabin (Probably California
Redwoods) |
|
P192:289-P192:292: Wells, Oregon 4 duplicate prints made in 1990
|
1917 | |
| Box | ||
| 1 | P192:289: Wells warehouse
Photograph taken from Coffin Butte of area before Camp Adair. Cleve
Williamson house. Large block walnut- Stelmaker place just south of the
tree. Church about center.
|
|
| 1 | P192:290: Wells Dale, Oregon Freight Depot |
|
| 1 | P192:291: Old electric train going through
Wells
Also depicted in this photograph are Jonny Carter's store and houses
belonging to Coleman and then Yenkel.
|
|
| 1 | P192:292: Wells warehouse |
|
| Box | ||
| 1 | P192:293: Grant St. and Catholic Hill
area |
|
| 1 | P192:294:
OSU forestry students at Washington
camp
|
Series II: Album Pages, circa 1913-1917Return to Top
Series II consists of photographs affixed to black paper album pages. Most of the photographs are snapshots or photographic postcards. The photographs depict Oregon Agricultural students; athletes and athetic events; intramural teams; pageants; student events and activities; and picnics, camps, and outings. This series includes numerous images of football players and football games as well as the OAC freshman baseball team and individual players. Also of note are images of land being cleared for Grant Street in Corvallis.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | P192:084-P192:106: OAC women performing folk dances at
college May Pageant |
circa 1914 |
| 1 | P192:107-P192:108: OAC "Rooters", OAC vs U.W. Football
Game |
October 31, 1914 |
| 1 | P192:109: Serpentine on football field |
|
| 1 | P192:110-P192:111: OAC "Rooters", OAC vs U.W. Football
Game |
October 31, 1914 |
| 1 | P192:112-P192:114: O.A.C women performing folk dances at
college May Pageant |
|
| 1 | P192:115: OAC football player |
|
| 1 | P192:116: Billie Brewer, OAC football
player |
|
| 1 | P192:117: Darius H. "Hungry" Smyth, OAC football
player |
|
| 1 | P192:118: Football game; goal posts |
|
| 1 | P192:119: Football game
Published in the Orange yearbook, p.
153.
|
1914 |
| 1 | P192:120: Billie Brewer |
|
| 1 | P192:121: Steve Schuster |
|
| 1 | P192:122: Pete Anderson |
|
| 1 | P192:123: Frank "Prunes" Moore |
|
| 1 | P192:124-P192:127: Individual football players |
|
| 1 | P192:128: OAC Football Squad |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:129: Football players including place
kicker |
|
| 1 | P192:130: Football player |
|
| 1 | P192:131: Paul Frank Hoerline |
|
| 1 | P192:132: Man on football field |
|
| 1 | P192:133: Thomas Everett May |
|
| 1 | P192:135: Football player |
|
| 1 | P192:136: "Art" Lutz |
|
| 1 | P192:137: Frank "Prunes" Moore |
|
| 1 | P192:138: Football player |
|
| 1 | P192:139: Men on football field |
|
| 1 | P192:140: Punter |
|
| 1 | P192:141: Paul Frank Hoerline |
|
| 1 | P192:142: Peck Huntley |
|
| 1 | P192:143: Leo Laythe |
|
| 1 | P192:144: Football player |
|
| 1 | P192:145: Students |
|
| 1 | P192:146: Students |
|
| 1 | P192:147-P192:149: Group of women |
|
| 1 | P192:150-P192:153: Freshman-Sophomore bag rush |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:154-P192:155: Gathering at bandstand |
circa 1915 |
| 1 | P192:156: Freshman-sophomore bag rush |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:157: OAC vs U.of O. scrimmage football
game |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:158: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:159: OAC vs U.W. football game |
October 31, 1914 |
| 1 | P192:160: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:161: Fans in stands at football
game |
|
| 1 | P192:162: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:163: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:164: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:165: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:166: OAC vs U.W. football game |
October 31, 1914 |
| 1 | P192:167: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:168: OAC freshman baseball team |
|
| 1 | P192:169: OAC freshman baseball player |
|
| 1 | P192:170: Roy Houck, OAC freshman baseball
player |
|
| 1 | P192:171-P192:172: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:173: OAC vs U.W. football game |
October 31, 1914 |
| 1 | P192:174-P192:175: Football players |
|
| 1 | P192:176: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:177: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:178-P192:182: Football game |
|
| 1 | P192:183: Female athlete |
|
| 1 | P192:184: Women running low hurdles |
|
| 1 | P192:185: Female shot putter |
|
| 1 | P192:186: Female relay runners |
|
| 1 | P192:187: De Witt Yeager |
|
| 1 | P192:188: "Billie" King |
|
| 1 | P192:189: Gus Hofer, Team Captain |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:190-P192:195: Fans at OAC vs University of Oregon
football game |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:196: Forest with auto |
|
| 1 | P192:197: River |
|
| 1 | P192:198: Automobile |
|
| 1 | P192:199: Man and auto |
|
| 1 | P192:200-P193:201: Man fishing on river |
|
| 1 | P192:202: River |
|
| 1 | P192:203-P192:211: Women performing in a May Day
pageant |
|
| 1 | P192:212-P192:222: Snow scenes
On campus and in Corvallis; dogs playing in snow.
|
|
| 1 | P192:223: River |
|
| 1 | P192:224: Auto in woods |
|
| 1 | P192:225: Woman and two men picnicking |
|
| 1 | P192:226: Man and women leaning against
fence |
|
| 1 | P192:227: Woman and man picnicking |
|
| 1 | P192:228: Two men posing with car |
|
| 1 | P192:229: Two men in the woods |
|
| 1 | P192:230: Two men posing with car |
|
| 1 | P192:231: Car traveling beside river |
|
| 1 | P192:232: Car parked at side of road |
|
| 1 | P192:233: Car traveling beside river |
|
| 1 | P192:234: Two men and at a campfire |
|
| 1 | P192:235-P192:236: Land clearing for Grant Street in
Corvallis
Dynamiting tree stumps (?).
|
|
| 1 | P192:237-P192:238: One of three cars on campus |
|
| 1 | P192:239: Cleared field |
|
| 1 | P192:240: One of three cars on campus |
|
| 1 | P192:241: Cleared field |
|
| 1 | P192:242-P192:243: Powell brothers in California
Studio portrait photographs of two boys.
|
|
| 1 | P192:244: Parade |
|
| 1 | P192:245: Woman posing on stump |
|
| 1 | P192:246: Man and dog |
|
| 1 | P192:247: Dog in man's clothing |
|
| 1 | P192:248-P192:250: Land clearing for Grant Street in
Corvallis |
|
| 1 | P192:251: House |
|
| 1 | P192:252: Men posing with tennis
racquets |
|
| 1 | P192:253: House |
|
| 1 | P192:254: Man with tennis racquet |
|
| 1 | P192:255: House |
|
| 1 | P192:256: Car, probably one of the three on
campus |
|
| 1 | P192:257: Mountain lake |
|
| 1 | P192:258: Camp |
|
| 1 | P192:259: Mountain |
|
| 1 | P192:260: Mountain lake |
|
| 1 | P192:261: Car camping |
|
| 1 | P192:262: Gamma Upsilon football team |
|
| 1 | P192:263: Osolito Club |
|
| 1 | P192:264: Popular members of an OAC club |
|
| 1 | P192:265: Football coach |
|
| 1 | P192:266: Gamma Upsilon vs. Ahneek, Scientific
Football Game |
|
| 1 | P192:267: Ahneek Recruits |
|
| 1 | P192:268: Ahneek "Semi-Pro" scientific football
team |
|
| 1 | P192:269: Foresters football team OAC |
1914 |
| 1 | P192:270-P192:271: End of Ahneek, Gamma Upsilon football
game |
|
| 1 | P192:272-P192:278: Mountain scenes with snow |
|
| 1 | P192:279-P193:280: May Day festival |
|
| 1 | P192:281-P192:282: Posing women |
|
| 1 | P192:283: May Day festival |
|
| 1 | P192:284: Men in graduation regalia |
|
| 1 | P192:285: Dogs by lake |
|
| 1 | P192:286: May Day festival |
|
| 1 | P192:287: Men in graduation regalia clowning
around |
|
| 1 | P192:288: Camp in forest |
Series III: Copy Negatives, circa 1913-1917Return to Top
Series III consists of copy negatives made in 1990 by the OSU Archives of snapshot photographic prints that were retained by the donor. These negatives depict Oregon Agricultural College students participating in campus activities. Of special note is an image labeled as bachelor's quarters and an image of a group of bachelors sitting at a dining table.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | P192:295: Female runners |
|
| 1 | P192:296: Couple on a motorbike |
|
| 1 | P192:297: Woman dancing |
|
| 1 | P192:298: Group of standing men
One of the men in this image has his arms and legs bound.
|
|
| 1 | P192:299: OAC Bookstore shortly after
construction |
|
| 1 | P192:300: Lunch Counter, Kandy Kitchen, Ka-Jaz, G.S.
Kerr
Perhaps this is a Corvallis business.
|
|
| 1 | P192:301: Upstairs bachelors quarters |
1913 |
| 1 | P192:302: Woman posing in a dress covered in
flowers |
|
| 1 | P192:303: OAC Football Team |
|
| 1 | P192:304: Women and team of horses |
|
| 1 | P192:305: View of track and field |
|
| 1 | P192:306: Baseball game |
|
| 1 | P192:307: Bachelors |
1913 |
| 1 | P192:308: Female hurdlers |
|
| 1 | P192:309: Group at the Lady of the
Fountain |
|
| 1 | P192:310: Runners emerging from the
Armory |
|
| 1 | P192:311: Women participating in
tug-of-war |
|
| 1 | P192:312: Heating plant and shops |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- College sports--Oregon--Corvallis.
- College students--Oregon--Corvallis.
- Forestry schools and education--Oregon--Corvallis.
- Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
Corporate Names
- Oregon Agricultural College--Students.
Geographical Names
- Corvallis (Or.)
- Wells (Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Film negatives.
- Photograph albums.
- Photographic prints.
Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Nielsen.
2013
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
