Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Robert Newell papers, 1829-1868
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Newell, Robert, 1807-1869
- Title
- Robert Newell papers
- Dates
- 1829-1868 (inclusive)18291868
- Quantity
- 0.25 cubic feet, (1 slim document case; 1 oversize folder in shared box; 1 shared microfilm reel)
- Collection Number
- Mss 1197
- Summary
- Papers of Robert Newell (1807-1869), a trapper, emigrant to Oregon, and Indian agent. Includes a typescript copy of Newell's diary of an 1868 voyage from Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., with Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) leaders; handwritten copies of letters regarding William Gray's "History of Oregon"; and Newell's account of the 1843 meeting at Champoeg, which formed the provisional government of the Oregon Territory. Only a small number of the items are original documents.
- 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
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Robert Newell, a trapper and emigrant to Oregon, was born March 30, 1807, near Zanesville, Ohio. He traveled west to the Oregon Country in 1840. He served as a member of the legislative committee of Oregon's provisional government (1843-1848) and was appointed peace commissioner following the Whitman killings (1847). He also worked as the director of the Oregon Printing Association, which published the Oregon Spectator newspaper. After moving to Idaho in 1861, Newell was chosen special commissioner and Indian agent at Lapwai (1862-1868). He died in Lewiston, Idaho in 1869.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection includes a typescript copy of Robert Newell's 1868 diary recording his voyage from Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., with four Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) leaders to procure amendments to Indian treaties, and return to Lawpai, Idaho; handwritten copies of letters (1866-1867) written by Newell and William Gray to the editor of the Oregon Herald, commenting on Gray's "History of Oregon"; Newell's account of the 1843 meeting at Champoeg to form Oregon's provisional government; correspondence with Norris and Company; certificate of appointment as Indian sub-agent; documents concerning the care of children; and typescript copy of memorandum describing Newell's travels in Missouri (1829-1840). Also included are documents on microfilm, which consist of copies of materials in the collection, as well as selected documents on Newell from the U.S. National Archives and the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and extracts from Newell's personal copy of "Oregon Laws" with his marginal notes.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Robert Newell papers, Mss 1197, 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
Acquisition Information
Certificate of presidential appointment as Indian sub-agent was the gift of Joseph E. Mertz, October 1957 (Lib. Acc. 7404).
Location of Originals
Originals of some of the microfilmed documents in the collection are housed at the United States National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; and at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processing Note
Collection guide was revised in October 2023 to conform to current standard.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Letters (originals and copies), and family bible record
Includes copy of Newell's account of the Champoeg meeting of 1843, written in 1866.
|
1843-1869 |
| 1 | 2-3 | Newell-Gray letters (handwritten copies)
Includes manuscript copy of excerpts from "Early History of Oregon."
|
1866-1867 |
| 1 | 4 | Diary of Robert Newell (typescript copy) | 1868 |
| 1 | 5 | "Memorandum of Robert Newell's travels in the territory of Missouri, 1829-1840" (typescript copy) | undated |
| Reel | |||
| 1 | Mss 1192-Mss 1197 Microfilm: Copies of above materials and other documents
Includes selected documents on Newell from the U.S. National Archives, and extracts from Newell's personal copy of "Oregon Laws," with marginal notes. Documents share a reel with copies of materials from other manuscript collections.
|
1829-1868 | |
| Folder | |||
| Oversize 1 | Certificate of appointment as Indian sub-agent, Oregon | 1848 August 17 | |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Frontier and pioneer life--Oregon
- Indian agents--Idaho--Diaries
- Indians of North America--Idaho--Treaties
- Nez Percé Indians--Treaties
- Pioneers--Oregon--Correspondence
Personal Names
- Gray, W. H. (William Henry), 1810-1889--Correspondence
- Newell, Robert, 1807-1869--Correspondence
- Newell, Robert, 1807-1869--Diaries
Geographical Names
- Missouri--Description and travel--19th century
- Oregon Territory--Politics and government
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- diaries
- reminiscences
