This oral history interview with Lewis L. McArthur was conducted at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, by Eliza Canty-Jones on December 28, 2006. The interview was conducted as research for an article published in the Fall 2008 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly. At the time of the interview, Canty-Jones' name was Eliza Elkins Jones.

In this interview, McArthur discusses his family background, particularly focusing on the family name of Lewis. He speaks at length about the career of his father, Lewis A. McArthur, and about his work on the early editions of the book "Oregon Geographic Names." He also describes traveling across Oregon with his father by train. He then discusses his service on the Oregon Geographic Names Board and talks about his own work on later editions of "Oregon Geographic Names." He describes how the process of publishing the book changed with developments in technology over the 20th century, talks about researching place names, and shares information about the origins of several Oregon place names. He talks about why he believes the history of place names is important, about the history of Oregon maps, and about the relationship between the two topics. He closes the interview by discussing his contributions to the Geographic Names Information System.

This oral history interview with Lewis L. McArthur was conducted by Sieglinde Smith at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, from January 19 to February 15, 2001, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library. The interview was conducted in five sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 19, 2001, McArthur discusses his family background and early life in the Green Hills neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, including his education, the house he grew up in, and his recreational activities. He describes the neighborhood and talks about people who lived there. He also speaks about his parents' personalities, travels, and social lives.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 23, 2001, McArthur continues to discuss his early life in the Green Hills neighborhood and talks about his relationship with his parents. He speaks about the work of his father, Lewis A. McArthur, on Oregon Geographic Names and about traveling with him by train in the 1920s for research. He discusses his college experience at the University of California, Berkeley, and talks about working for U.S. Steel Company in the late 1930s. He then talks about his experiences in the U.S. Army while stationed in Alaska during World War II.

In the third interview session, conducted on February 1, 2001, McArthur speaks further about working for the U.S. Steel Company and about his experiences in the U.S. Army during World War II, including studying Mandarin Chinese. He talks about his marriage to Joyce A. Clark. He then speaks at length about his career as an industrial designer for the Ray F. Becker Company, and talks about products the company produced, about the steel fabrication process, and about buildings the company worked on, particularly gas stations. He talks about how Oregon has changed during the 20th century, particularly regarding housing development, transportation, and power generation.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on February 8, 2001, McArthur shares his memories of the Columbia River before the construction of hydroelectric dams, and talks about how the Columbia River Gorge changed. He briefly discusses serving on the state advisory committee on historic preservation in the 1970s, and then talks about his recreational activities on Mount Hood, including climbing and camping on the mountain, and repairing the Snowshoe Cabin, the Cloud Cap Inn, and other buildings.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on February 15, 2001, McArthur discusses his role models, including his family members, and talks about construction projects that impressed him, including dams on the Columbia River and the Bay Bridge in California. He also speaks about mapmaking. He shares his childhood memories of attending meetings of the Pioneer Association, riding the streetcar, and traveling with his family. He compares travel by various modes of transportation, particularly air and rail. He revisits the topic of his father's work on Oregon Geographic Names, then speaks at length about his own work on later editions of the book and about his service on the state advisory committee on historic preservation. He describes his favorite places in Oregon, and talks about raising a family.

This interview with Lewis L. McArthur was conducted by Bob Griggs at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, around 1995. The interview was conducted for Oregon Public Broadcasting's Hotline radio program. This recording was aired on the Portland radio station KOPB as part of the Golden Hours series, which was a reading service for blind and visually impaired people that ran from 1975 to 2009. Jeffry Uecker, an Oregon Historical Society museum educator, was also present. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, McArthur discusses the work of his father, Lewis A. McArthur, on the first three editions of the Oregon Geographic Names book, then discusses his own work on the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions. He talks about his research methods and shares information about several Oregon place names. He also shares his opinion on the theory that Sir Francis Drake landed on the Oregon Coast. He closes the interview by discussing the work of the Oregon Geographic Names Board.

This oral history interview with Lewis L. McArthur was conducted by an unidentified person at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on October 4, 1999. In this interview, McArthur discusses his family background. He speaks at length about the history of colonization in Oregon, about conflicts between colonizers and Native people, and about how that history is reflected in Oregon place names. He talks about the treatment of Native people by the United States government, discusses place names that include a derogatory term used to describe Native women, and describes the Oregon Geographic Names Board's process for changing place names. He closes the interview by discussing resources at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library on the history of geographic names, and by talking about Oregon's place name signage.

These oral history interviews with Lewis L. McArthur and Taz Conner were conducted by an unidentified person on September 28, 1999. The interviews are recorded on the same audiocassette: McArthur's interview is on side 1, and Conner's on side 2.

In McArthur's interview, he speaks at length about his family background. He then briefly talks about his education and about his career in the steel industry. He describes the work of his father, Lewis A. McArthur, on the early editions of the book "Oregon Geographic Names," and his own work on later editions of the book. He also discusses his service on the Oregon Geographic Names Board and on other boards.

In Conner's interview, he discusses his goal of reclaiming the ancestral land of the Wallowa band of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) people. He talks about federal land that is managed by Native people, and about efforts to lobby the U.S. government to expand Native land management programs. He discusses his identity as a member of the Wallowa band and as an Oregonian. He talks about his service in the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1972, about his education and jobs after his discharge, and about how diabetes has affected his health. He shares how he got the nickname "Taz."

This oral history interview with Lewis L. McArthur was conducted by Nancie Fadeley in two sessions, on April 16, 1982, and June 8, 1982. The second interview session was recorded at the Ray F. Becker Company. The interview was conducted for a radio segment that may have aired on the radio station KWAX in Eugene, Oregon.

In the first interview session, conducted on April 16, 1982, McArthur discusses his research on Oregon place names for the book "Oregon Geographic Names." He also talks about the career of his father, Lewis A. McArthur, and about Lewis A. McArthur's work on the early editions of the book. He shares information about the origins of several Oregon place names, including Granite, Noti, Oneonta, and Bear Springs. He discusses the work of the Oregon Geographic Names Board. He talks about the numerous Oregon place names that include "hell," shares theories about the origins of the name "Oregon," and discusses the history of some military-related place names.

In the second interview session, conducted on June 8, 1982, McArthur discusses his career as an industrial engineer for the Ray F. Becker Company. He gives a tour of the company, describes equipment the company uses to produce sheet metal, and talks about the production process. He then briefly discusses his early life in Portland, his work history, and his marriage to Joyce A. Clark. He speaks about his work on "Oregon Geographic Names," about his plans for future editions of the book, and about working on the book with his father. He closes the interview by discussing the complications in changing existing place names.