Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
John F. Noble papers, 1849-1950
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Noble, John F., 1828-approximately 1899
- Title
- John F. Noble papers
- Dates
- 1849-1950 (inclusive)18491950
1849-1900 (bulk)18491900 - Quantity
- 0.45 cubic feet, (1 document case)
- Collection Number
- Mss 1000
- Summary
- Papers of an Indian agent, stock rancher, and Army officer of Oregon and Washington State. Includes an incomplete overland diary of 1849; an 1860 diary of a hunting trip on the Deschutes River; a diary of a trip of 1864-1865 through Indian country; survey notes; Chinook vocabulary; papers of Noble & Scholl relating to stock raising near The Dalles, Oregon; military papers; and papers regarding an Indian depredation claim by Brooke, Bomford and Company.
- 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, Chinook jargon, French
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
John F. Noble was an Indian agent, stock rancher, and U.S. Army officer who lived in Oregon and Washington State. He came overland in 1849 from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as a civilian traveling with the U.S. Mounted Rifle Regiment. He was married to Catherine McIntosh at Fort Vancouver in 1851, and engaged in a stock raising enterprise near The Dalles, Oregon, with Louis Scholl.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers of John F. Noble include diaries and other materials related to journeys, his life in Oregon and Washington, and his business interests. The diaries consist of an incomplete overland diary, with a typescript transcription, documenting Noble's trip from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (April 9, 1849) to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (May 6, 1849) as a civilian traveling with the U.S. Mounted Rifle Regiment; an 1860 diary of a hunting trip from The Dalles, Oregon, along the Deschutes River; an 1864-1865 diary of a trip through Indian country, describing John M. Drake's expedition; and an 1865 diary that Noble kept at Camp Watson. Other papers in the collection include 1852 survey notes by George C. Bomford concerning The Dalles; quartermaster accounts, Fort Vancouver, Washington, 1853; election returns and other documents, 1855, of Walla Walla County, Washington Territory; Chinook vocabularies; papers, 1858-1861, of Noble & Scholl relating to stock raising near The Dalles; military papers, 1863-1866, of the 1st Oregon Cavalry Volunteers; and a summary of evidence and correspondence, 1898-1950, concerning the Indian depredation claim case of Brooke, Bomford & Company, a stock-raising firm near Walla Walla in which John F. Noble was a partner.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
John F. Noble papers, Mss 1000, 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
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series 1: Diaries and notebooks, 1849-1865
- Series 2: General papers, 1855-1950
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Diaries and notebooks, 1849-1865Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Overland diary (original and typescript) |
1849 |
| 1 | 2 | Volume containing recipes and memoranda of Georgie S. Noble, and Chinook jargon vocabulary compiled or copied by John F. Noble |
1849-1863 |
| 1 | 3 | George C. Bomford notes for survey of the U.S. reservation at The Dalles, Columbia River, Oregon |
1852 |
| 1 | 4 | Notebook regarding supplies, Fort Vancouver |
circa 1853 |
| 1 | 5 | Journal (diary) |
1860 |
| 1 | 6 | Diary of a trip through Indian country with the First Oregon Cavalry |
1864-1865 |
| 1 | 7 | Diary, Camp Watson |
1865 |
| 1 | 8 | Indian word lists (Chinook jargon?) |
undated |
Series 2: General papers, 1855-1950Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 9 | Walla Walla County (Wash.) documents |
1855 |
| 1 | 10 | Noble & Scholl papers |
1858-1861 |
| 1 | 11 | Letters from Father Chirouse, Samuel D. Smith, and promissory note |
1855; 1858; 1863 |
| 1 | 12 | Military papers, 1st Oregon Cavalry |
1863-1865 |
| 1 | 13 | Military papers and letters of recommendation |
1866 |
| 1 | 14 | Summary of evidence in the case of Brooke, Bomford & Co. vs. United States |
undated |
| 1 | 15 | Correspondence regarding case of Brooke, Bomford & Co. vs. United States |
1898-1950 |
| 1 | 16 | Clippings, mostly regarding Indian wars |
1863-1865; undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Chinook Wawa language--Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
- Indians of North America--Languages--Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
- Livestock--Oregon
- Livestock--Washington (State)
- Pioneers--West (U.S.)--Diaries
- West (U.S.)--Description and travel--19th century
Personal Names
- Drake, John M (John Miller), 1830-1913
- Noble, John F., 1828-approximately 1899--Diaries
- Scholl, Louis, 1829-1911
Corporate Names
- Brooke, Bomford & Company
- United States. Army. Oregon Cavalry Regiment, 1st (1861-1866)
Geographical Names
- Deschutes River (Or.)--Description and travel--19th century
- Vancouver Barracks (Wash.)--19th century
- Walla Walla County (Wash.)--19th century
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- diaries
