Leonard C. Hosford Scrapbooks, 1811-1957

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hosford, Leonard C., 1885 -- 1961
Title
Leonard C. Hosford Scrapbooks
Dates
1811-1957 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 cubic feet (35 volumes in 4 document cases and 16 custom boxes)
Collection Number
Mss2195
Summary
Compilation of historical research and photographs on steamboating in the western and central United States and Canada from 1811 to 1957. Collection comprised of thirty five volumes assembled by steamboat captain Leonard C. Hosford.
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.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Born into steamboating, Leonard C. Hosford began work on the river with his father at age 18. The senior Hosford, Olin W., founded the Hosford Transportation Company in 1906 with sons Leonard and O. J. and prospered in the business of towing logs for the many sawmills along the Willamette River. Leonard continued this affiliation until his death in 1961.

Leonard C. Hosford married Illinois native Marion Kelly and resided in Portland for his entire life. His wife and a daughter, Nancy McClellan, survived him, along with six grandchildren. A retired steamboat captain, Hosford was a member of the Veteran Steamboat Men's Association. His love for the history of steamboating is clearly in evidence in the extensive record compiled in this collection.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection includes typewritten text, photographs, and other illustrations relating to the history of steamboating in the western and central United States and Canada. A few articles of related interest by other authors comprise one of the thirty five volumes, compiled by Leonard C. Hosford. Several volumes include index of illustrations.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

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 publication 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

Leonard C. Hosford Papers, MSS 2195, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: History of stern and side wheel steamboats on the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette Rivers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana in United States of America and British Columbia, Canada, 1835-1947
  • Series B: History of steamboats in Washington, California, Utah, Alaska, and Canada, 1835-1937
  • Series C: History of stern and side wheel steamboats on the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri and their tributaries, also the Red River of the North in United States and Canada, 1811-1940
  • Series D: Hosford Steamboats, 1887-1934
  • Series E: Pictures and records of steamboats, 1847-1957
  • Subseries 1: Columbia River, 1858-1907
  • Subseries 2: Rivers in California and Colorado, 1847-1957
  • Subseries 3: Pictures and records of steamboats on the Columbia, Snake, Willamette, and Yamhill Rivers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, 1853-1938
  • Subseries 4: Puget Sound and Skagit River, Washington, 1857-1914
  • Subseries 5: Canada and Alaska, 1865-1937
  • Series F: Index of Steamboat Records, undated

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Leonard C. Hosford, September 1967

Processing Note

Volumes 16 - 34 have been removed from original 3- ring binders and interleaved to ensure their long term preservation. Remaining volumes are in custom-made archival phase boxes.

Bibliography

"Leonard C. Hosford," Oregonian (Portland), 16 September 1961, p. 9, c. 3. "Leonard Hosford," Oregon Journal (Portland), 18 September 1961, p. 5, c. 1. "O. W. Hosford," in Charles Henry Carey, History of Oregon, volume 2: Biographical (Chicago: Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, 1922), 294-7.

Related Materials

David L. Stearns Papers, MSS 2099, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Transportation Collection, MSS 1506, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series A:  History of stern and side wheel steamboats on the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette Rivers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana in United States of America and British Columbia, Canada from 1835 through 1947Return to Top

5 volumes.
Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
1
Volume 1. Steamboat Records
Chapters 1-3. Photographs captioned; index of illustrations.
1835-1879
2
Volume 2. Steamboat Records
Chapters 4-7. Photographs captioned but not indexed.
1880-1947
3
Volume 3
Captioned illustrations only, no text. 35 photographs; 35 images absent.
1835-1947
4
Volume 4
Entire text in one volume. Photographs neither captioned nor indexed.
1835-1947
5
Volume 5
Text is exact carbon of volume 4.
1835-1947

Series B:  History of steamboats in Washington, California, Utah, Alaska, and Canada, 1835-1937Return to Top

5 volumes
Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
6
History of stern, sidewheel, propeller steamboats on Puget Sound, Gray's Harbor, Skagit, Snohomish, Samish, Puyallup Rivers [in] Washington, USA from 1835 to 1941 and sternwheel steamboats in British Columbia, Canada, on Fraser, Skeena, Stickeen Rivers from 1835 to 1913, by Lenard C. Hosford. Chapters 1-10, with index of illustrations.
7
History of stern and side wheel steamboats on the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Napa Rivers and San Francisco, San Pablo, Susuin, Humbolt Bays -- Peteluma Creek, California, and the Great Salt Lake, Utah -- Colorado River from 1847 through 1926. 7 chapters; index of illustrations for Chapters 1-6. This volume is designated on its cover as Volume Four by Kenneth Jenkin and Lenard C. Hosford.
8
History of sternwheel steamboats -- Kuskuwin, Yukon, Koyukuk, and Tanana in Alaska, USA and Yukon, Stewart, Lewes Rivers and the Lakes Bennett and Teslin in Yukon Territory, Canada, from 1869 to 1937 on Peace, Athabasca, Slave, and MacKenie Rivers [in] Alberta and Northwest Territory on Assiniboin, Saskatchewan Rivers in Manitoba, Canada, and Red River of the North in Canada and United States from 1861 to 1898, by Leonard C. Hosford. 7 chapters, captioned illustrations, index of illustrations.
9
Steamboat pictures
Collected by Leonard C. Hosford. 57 photographs, 2 tintypes, 57 photographs absent. Photographs captioned; no text or index.
1849-1933
10
Articles on steamboat history
"Famous pioneer steamboats of Puget Sound" by William O. Thorniley, "History of Northwest Steamboating," by H. C. Lord, and newspaper clippings relating to Sauvie Island and the Eliza Anderson. Articles repaginated and reformatted in 3-ring binder by Hosford.
undated

Series C:  History of stern and side wheel steamboats on the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri and their tributaries, also the Red River of the North in United States and Canada, 1811-1940Return to Top

5 volumes
Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
11
Volume 1
Chapters 1-4. Text plus captioned illustrations; index of 109 illustrations.
1811 to 1870
12
Volume 2
Chapters 5-6 and supplement. Text plus captioned illustrations; index of 149 illustrations.
1871 to 1883
13
Volume 3
Chapters 7-8. Contains index of 125 illustrations, 1 loose photo, text.
1885 to 1895
14
Volume 4
Chapters 9-10. Text plus captioned illustrations; index of 118 illustrations.
1896 to 1905
15
Volume 5
Chapters 11-14. Text plus 116 captioned illustrations; no index.
1906-1940

Series D:  Hosford Steamboats., 1887-1934Return to Top

1 volume
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Volume 16
Captain Olin W. Hosford -- Steamboats he owned or had interest in Columbia and Willamette Rivers from 1887 to 1934. Contains views of harbors, Portland, Oregon vicinity. 29 illustrations with brief descriptions.
1887-1934

Series E:  Pictures and records of steamboats., 1847-1957Return to Top

15 volumes
Container(s) Description Dates
Sub-series 1: Columbia River.
1 volume in 1 folder
1858-1907
Box/Folder
1/2
Volume 17
  • Steamers brought over Cascade Rapids of Columbia River, 1858-1907
  • Columbia Transportation Co. steamer Telephone, 1884
  • Captain E. W. Spencer steamer Chas. R. Spencer, 1901
  • White Collar Line steamers Telephone and Bailey Gatzert, 1884-1890
  • 40 illustrations with brief descriptions.
1858-1907
Sub-series 2: Rivers in California and Colorado.
2 volumes in 2 folders
1847-1957
Box/Folder
1/3
Volume 18
  • Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, San Francisco Bay steamboats.
  • Colorado River history and steamboats.
  • 72 illustrations with brief descriptions; 2 pages text.
1847-1957
4/5
Volume 34, San Francisco Bay, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Rivers in California, USA
48 illustrations with descriptions.
1853-1926
Sub-series 3: Pictures and records of steamboats on the Columbia, Snake, Willamette, and Yamhill Rivers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
9 volumes in 9 folders
1853-1938
Box/Folder
2/1
Volume 19, Index of Steamboat Records
21 illustrations with descriptions.
1863-1900
2/2
Volume 20
29 illustrations with descriptions.
1872-1926
2/3
Volume 21
32 illustrations with descriptions.
1866-1918
2/4
Volume 22
20 illustrations with descriptions.
1857-1909
2/5
Volume 23
46 illustrations with descriptions.
1853-1933
2/6
Volume 24
22 illustrations with descriptions.
1877-1912
3/1
Volume 25
29 illustrations with descriptions.
1884-1914
3/2
Volume 26
26 illustrations with descriptions.
1862-1912
3/3
Volume 27
27 illustrations with descriptions.
1884-1938
Sub-series 4: Puget Sound and Skagit River, Washington
2 volumes in 2 folders
1857-1914
Box/Folder
3/4
Volume 28, Puget Sound and Skagit River, Washington
31 illustrations with descriptions.
1876-1912
3/5
Volume 29, Puget Sound, Washington
32 illustrations with descriptions.
1857-1914
Sub-series 5: Canada and Alaska.
4 volumes in 4 folders
1865-1937
Box/Folder
4/1
Volume 30, Columbia and Kootenay Rivers in British Columbia, Canada
21 illustrations with descriptions.
1885-1914
4/2
Volume 31, Stickeen, Skeena, and Fraser Rivers in British Columbia, MacKenzie, Slave, Athabaska, Peace Rivers [in] Northwest Territory and Alberta, Canada
21 illustrations with descriptions.
1865-1922
4/3
Volume 32, Yukon, Koyukuk, Tanana, Kuskuwin in Alaska, USA and Yukon and Lewis Rivers in Yukon Territory, Canada
20 illustrations with descriptions.
1896-1899
4/4
Volume 33, Yukon, Koyukuk, Tanana, Kuskuwin in Alaska, USA and Yukon and Lewis Rivers in Yukon Territory, Canada
20 illustrations with descriptions.
1898-1937

Series F:  Index of Steamboat Records., UndatedReturn to Top

1 volume
Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
35
Index of Steamboat Records for Books 1-25
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Steamboats -- Willamette River (Or.)--History.
  • Steamboats--Canada--History.
  • Steamboats--West (U.S.)--History.

Personal Names

  • Hosford, Leonard C. (creator)
  • Hosford, Olin W.
  • Jenkin, Kenneth

Corporate Names

  • Hosford Transportation Company

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs
  • Scrapbooks