This collection consists primarily of pencil and watercolor sketches and drawings made by artist and cartographer Cleveland Rockwell from 1862 to circa 1905. The materials include eight bound sketchbooks, as well as loose sketches, many of which have handwritten page numbers that suggest they were once part of bound volumes. Rockwell's sketches predominantly depict landscapes, particularly coastal and mountain scenes, in Oregon, Washington, California, and Alaska, as well as British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Of particular note is a panorama of Lassen's Butte from Big Meadows at Prattville (folder 3), and sketches of British Columbia and California in volume 7. In addition to landscape scenes, the collection features a significant number of sketches depicting Pacific Northwest and California wildflowers, some of which were drawn by Cornelia F. Rockwell, Cleveland Rockwell's wife. The sketches also include ships and boats, as well as portraits of unidentified people. Many sketches throughout the collection have handwritten notes about light and color in the scenes depicted.

In addition to artwork, the collection includes a small quantity of family and biographical materials. The family materials are a photograph of Cleveland Rockwell and Cornelia F. Rockwell's two daughters, circa 1898, and an original 1949 letter from their younger daughter, Cornelia Rockwell Kearney, to "Eleanor," probably Eleanor Graves, who donated many of the materials in this collection to the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. The letter discusses Cleveland Rockwell's life and career, his artistic process, and outings that he and Cornelia F. Rockwell took to sketch wildflowers. Other materials include handwritten notes, made circa 1965, with biographical information about Cleveland Rockwell and his family, including information from 1863 and 1864 U.S. Coast Survey reports, and from obituaries for Rockwell in the Oregonian newspaper on March 22 and March 23, 1907.

This oral history interview with Dorothy J. Hadley and Hurtis M. Hadley, Sr., was conducted by Sarah Harris via Zoom videoconferencing software on November 19, 2021. The interview was conducted as part of Harris' graduate thesis project at Portland State University, in collaboration with the Hadleys, the Oregon Historical Society, and the Milwaukie Museum. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, the Hadleys discuss how they first met. Hurtis M. Hadley, Sr., talks about his career and training as a bakery manager, and shares his experience of being denied a promotion because he is Black. The Hadleys talk about purchasing the Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen in 1977, about operating the business, and about their reasons for closing in 1985. They talk about raising a family while running the bakery, including the work their children did in the bakery, and about going on vacations. Dorothy J. Hadley discusses their children's education and their experience with being bused to a school in Northeast Portland, and talks about encountering racial discrimination in the school system. The Hadleys talk about the bakery's customers. Dorothy J. Hadley discusses her recent work creating and decorating mock cakes out of towels for weddings and baby showers. She also discusses their cookbook, "Stories to Laugh About"; and the origins of her nickname, Honi. The Hadleys talk about their favorite desserts sold in the bakery, and they close the interview by discussing their efforts to have the site of the bakery marked with a historical plaque.

Flora Cushinway Thompson discusses her marriage to Chief Tommy Thompson of the Wyams, fishing, religion, and the fight against the building of the Dalles Dam.

This oral history interview with John F. Gange was conducted by Roberta Watts in Eugene, Oregon, on January 27, 1978, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Gange discusses his family background, including his grandfather's experiences in the Union Army during the Civil War, and his early life on an orange farm in Lindsay, California. He talks about his reasons for attending Stanford University instead of West Point. He discusses a trip he took to the Dominican Republic during World War II, and describes the country's politics during the war. He speaks about his involvement in the writing of the United Nations charter during the 1945 San Francisco conference. He then gives a brief overview of his career in international relations, particularly his work in Southeast Asia.

This oral history interview with Henk Pander was conducted by Charles Digregorio at Pander's home in Portland, Oregon, on July 28, 1978, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Pander briefly discusses his early life and education in the Netherlands. He talks about his early career as an artist in Amsterdam in the 1960s, about his marriage to Marcia Lynch, and about moving to Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1960s. He discusses adjusting to life in the United States, shares how his experiences as a college professor during the Vietnam War influenced his art, and talks about some of his other artistic influences, including astronomy and science fiction. He closes the interview by talking about his use of color in his paintings.

This oral history interview with Jack L. Fuller was conducted by Glen Meek in Portland, Oregon, on September 9, 1981, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Fuller discusses his family background and early life on ranches and farms in Oregon. He talks about driving a milk delivery truck during the Depression, discusses managing Fuller's Restaurant with a brother, and speaks about owning and operating Fuller's Coffee Shop.

This oral history interview with Mira H. Ehrman was conducted by Charles Digregorio at Ehrman's home in Portland, Oregon, on January 20, 1976, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Ehrman discusses her involvement with the Oregon Social Hygiene Society, the Mental Hygiene Society, the Fruit and Flower Mission, the Portland Symphony, Catlin Gabel School, and other organizations. She also talks about her early life in the San Francisco Bay Area, including her education at the University of California at Berkeley, her experience during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and her work at a medical clinic. She discusses fundraising for the various civic organizations she was involved in, talks about awards she received, and shares her knowledge about Portland Mayor William Spencer Mason. She speaks at length about her involvement with the USO and also describes her work organizing 500 women volunteers during World War II.

This oral history interview with David C. Duniway was conducted by Linda S. Dodds in Salem, Oregon, and at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, from January 9 to June 11, 1981, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 9, 1981, Duniway speaks at length about his family background, including the education and career of his father, Clyde Augustus Duniway. He discusses his early life in Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, and England. He talks about traveling with his family, about his childhood reading habits, and about his decision to pursue a career as an archivist. He describes visiting several archives in North America.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 22, 1981, Duniway discusses his relationship with his father, talks about traveling to Europe with his family, and speaks about teachers at Stanford University, Carleton College, and the University of California at Berkeley who influenced him. He describes how he became an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He talks about collections he processed, and discusses his work as a reference librarian there during World War II. He speaks about his transfer to the West Coast as a field representative for the National Archives at the Office of Price Administration. He also talks about his involvement with the American Association for State and Local History. He describes the creation of the Oregon State Archives, and how he became Oregon's first state archivist in 1946. He talks about collecting government records for the archives, about the archives' storage space, and about how advances in technology changed the field of records management over the 20th century. He then discusses his involvement with the historic preservation of several buildings in Salem, particularly the Asahel Bush house.

Partway through Tape 5, Side 1, through Tape 6, Side 2. In the third and final interview session, conducted on June 11, 1981, Duniway continues to discuss his involvement with the historic preservation of several buildings in Salem, particularly the Deepwood historic house museum. He speaks further about his work as state archivist, and speaks at length about his relationship with Oregon governors, including Charles Sprague, Mark Hatfield, and Earl Snell. He closes the interview by sharing anecdotes about his grandmother, Oregon suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway.

This oral history interview with Elizabeth C. Ducey was conducted by Roberta Watts in Portland, Oregon, on April 24, 1978, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Ducey discusses her family background and early life in San Francisco, California, and Portland, Oregon, including her education. She speaks about her involvement with the Junior League of Portland. She talks about her work with the Oregon Roadside Council to lobby the Oregon Legislature regarding billboards, and speaks at length about the political career of U.S. Senator Richard L. Neuberger. She closes the interview by discussing a trip she took to Iran.

This oral history interview with Malcolm H. Clark, Jr., was conducted by Linda S. Dodds in Portland, Oregon, on February 7, 1980, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Clark discusses his family background. He talks about his early education in Portland, and about his early interest in writing. He briefly describes his college experience, talks about dropping out to begin a career as a writer, and shares his memories of living in San Francisco, California, and in several towns in Mexico during the Depression. He also talks about working in a lumber camp during World War II. He discusses his career as a writer, beginning with submitting short stories to magazines, and later as an author of books on Oregon history. He speaks at length about his work to edit and publish the diary of Judge Matthew P. Deady.

This oral history interview with Erskine Wood was conducted by Pierre Kolisch and Marian Wood Kolisch on July 11, 1974. The interview was part of a series conducted by Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians. Louise Wood was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview.

In this interview, Erskine Wood discusses spending summers with Chief Joseph and the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) people in the Wallowa Valley, Oregon. He describes daily life, discusses living conditions on reservations, and talks about recreational activities, including horse races and games. Pierre Kolisch discusses his plan to visit members of the tribe in Idaho. Wood talks about photographs he took on glass plates while visiting Chief Joseph. He closes the interview by briefly discussing some of the artists that were acquainted with his father, C. E. S. Wood.

This oral history interview with John R. Laidlaw was conducted by Sally R. Stout around 1980. In this interview, Laidlaw discusses the background of his maternal family, particularly the Plowden family, in England and the United States. He talks about the Plowden family plantation in Maryland, and about the Plowden family's religious affiliation. He talks about his siblings, their careers, and their families.

The collection consists of a three-page letter, in Japanese, from Masuo Yasui to Sagoro Asai, written shortly after Yasui was released from incarceration in January 1946. In the letter, Yasui thanks Asai for his friendship, and describes his sadness over the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. He makes reference to an incident in which the American Legion post in Hood River, Oregon, removed the names of Japanese American soldiers from a local monument. He praises Asai's son Masami for having served in the U.S. military and for returning to Hood River despite white residents' opposition to the return of any Japanese Americans. He also shares his own hope to return to Hood River.

In addition to the original letter and its envelope, the collection includes transcripts in the pre-World War II Japanese writing system and modern Japanese characters, and a translation to English, all of which were made by Yoko Gulde in 2022.

The collection consists of papers of and relating to missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. A substantial portion of the collection consists of letters that they wrote to Narcissa Whitman's family. These letters describe the Whitmans' overland journey to the Pacific Northwest in 1836, and their lives as missionaries in the following decade. The letters also frequently express frustration with Native peoples' cultural norms and their reluctance to convert to Calvinist Christianity, often using patronizing and derogatory language. The letters also include pejorative terms for Roman Catholics and for biracial people of Native and European or Euro-American descent.

Other writings by the Whitmans include typescript copies of their correspondence with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and a typescript of Marcus Whitman's proposed legislation to establish outposts to assist Euro-American emigrants traveling westward. Other materials in the collection include original and reproduced materials regarding the Whitman killings and their aftermath; microfilm of Mary Saunders and Helen Saunders' recollections of the Whitman killings and aftermath; and items related to the memorialization of the Whitmans, including efforts in the 1890s to erect a monument in their honor.

This oral history interview with Sergiu Luca was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Luca's home in Otis, Oregon, from July 20 to August 17, 2005, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. The interview was conducted in two sessions. Collection also includes two digital and three print photographs of Luca.

In the first interview session, conducted on July 20, 2005, Luca discusses his family background and early life in Bucharest, Romania, including his early education in playing the violin. He talks about immigrating to Israel with his family in 1950, his father's death shortly after, and continuing his musical education. He then speaks about studying violin in London, England, and in Switzerland with Max Rostal, and later studying violin in the United States at the Curtis Institute with Ivan Galamian. He talks about his involvement with Portland State University and the origins of Chamber Music Northwest, including its funding and early performances, and the reasons why he left the organization. He also discusses his restaurant, Uncle Chen's. He then talks about the origins of the Cascade Head Music Festival.

In the second interview session, conducted on August 17, 2005, Luca speaks at length about living with Jenny Grimm, wife of Socialist leader Robert Grimm, while studying violin in Switzerland. He discusses his career as a professor of violin at William Marshall Rice University in Houston, Texas. He also revisits the topic of his musical education, then continues to discuss the Cascade Head Music Festival. He closes the interview by talking about his musical process, the music he enjoys playing, and popular music pieces.

This oral history interview with Charles L. Hayward was conducted by Linda S. Dodds on December 5, 1979. A transcript of the interview is available. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Hayward discusses his experiences as a balloon lookout during World War I. He talks about his Army training and learning how to operate balloons. He describes his deployment to Europe, including traveling across England and marching across France to reach the front lines. He speaks at length about the organization, equipment, and operations of the balloon corps. He also describes the experience of being in a balloon while under fire. He closes the interview by sharing his memories of Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, and of the return journey to the U.S.

This oral history interview with Edith F. Essex was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on January 25, 1977, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library. Henry C. C. Stevens was also present.

In this interview, Essex discusses her involvement as an actor with the Portland Civic Theater beginning around 1939. She talks about writing and directing children's plays, and about teaching children to act. She talks about her acting method, about plays she acted in or directed, and about actors she worked with, including Frank Branch Riley.

This oral history interview with Stan G. Terry was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at the Portland Motor Motel in Portland, Oregon, on May 18, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody. Jack Pement of the Oregon Journal newspaper was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview.

In this interview, Terry describes his childhood supporting himself by selling newspapers in Sacramento, California. He describes how he developed a gambling operation involving vending machines in Portland, and discusses his work as a pinball machine operator. He speaks about Portland Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee's crackdown on all forms of gambling and how that affected his business. He compares Lee's administration to other 1950s mayors, talks about his association with Portland crime boss Jim Elkins, and discusses how he joined the Teamsters Union in order to continue his pinball operation. He shares his experience of testifying before the U.S. Senate during the 1957 McClellan committee hearings on racketeering and organized crime, and discusses Portland's bad reputation in the aftermath of those hearings. He then talks about apartment and office buildings that he owned in Portland, and about owning and operating the Portland Meadows Golf Course. He speaks about several lawsuits he brought against the city of Portland, and about his campaigns for various political offices, including Oregon governor and Portland mayor. He also talks about running a garbage collection business. He closes the interview by talking about other pinball operators in Portland and by discussing gambling on Las Vegas slot machines.

Documents relating to the voyage of scientific exploration, 1789-1794, conducted by the Italian mariner Alessandro (Alejandro) Malaspina, assisted by José Bustamente y Guerra, and sponsored by the Spanish crown. The expedition included stops in Trinidad, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, points along the coast of North America as far north as Nootka Sound, the Philippine Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. The documents relate to the American portion of the voyage as far as California and include documentation on inland explorations and the gathering of scientific data, including descriptions of conditions among the California missions. Also included are a group of items relating to preparations and supplies. Many documents were sent to or from the office of Spanish naval minister Antonio Valdés y Bazán. Some documents are contemporary copies.

This oral history interview with Gertrude Glutsch Jensen was conducted by Roberta Watts at Jensen's home in Portland, Oregon, from December 7, 1977, to January 17, 1978, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. The interview was conducted in two sessions. A transcript is available.

In the first interview session, conducted on December 7, 1977, Jensen discusses her family background and early life in South Portland, her career as a freelance reporter for the Oregonian and Oregon Journal newspapers, and her career as a real estate agent. She then speaks at length about her involvement in the preservation of the Columbia River Gorge. She describes how she became interested in nature conservation; talks about her efforts to advocate for the Wyam people and to save Celilo Falls; and speaks about the restoration of the Vista House on Crown Point. She also talks about working with John Yeon on conservation of the Gorge. She closes the session by revisiting the topic of her family background and early life in South Portland.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 17, 1978, Jensen continues to speak at length about her family background and early life in South Portland. She talks about her participation in a protest march against the Vietnam War and closes the interview by revisiting the topic of her career as a freelance journalist.

This oral history interview with Samuel L. Diack was conducted by Charles Digregorio at Diack's home in Portland, Oregon, on May 6, 1976, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Diack discusses his family background and shares his reasons for pursuing a career as a physician. He shares his experiences as a medical student, discusses his reasons for moving to Portland, Oregon, in 1932, and talks about how the medical field has changed since he began practicing. He speaks at length about his service as president of the board of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and about the construction of the museum building in Southeast Portland. He then discusses his retirement activities, including traveling the world by ship and serving on the board of the Oregon Graduate Center. He closes the interview by talking about prominent Portlanders he was acquainted with.

This oral history interview with Edith I. A. Dailey was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Dailey's home in Portland, Oregon, on April 21, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Dailey briefly discusses her family background and early life in Chicago, Illinois, and talks about working as a secretary in Portland, Oregon, and as manager of the Portland Chamber of Commerce building. She speaks about her involvement in the Business and Professional Women's group, particularly regarding fundraising for the creation of the Portland Rose Festival queen's crown in the 1920s. She then shares her experience as the 1924 Rose Festival queen. She closes the interview by talking about the jobs she held during the Depression and during World War II, and about her career as executive manager of the Oregon Funeral Directors Association.

This oral history interview with Scotty Cohen was conducted by Charles Digregorio on August 31, 1976, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. Mary Ann Cohen was also present, and occasionally contributed to the interview.

In this interview, Cohen briefly discusses his family background and early life in Glasgow, Scotland, and his experience immigrating to the United States. He describes how he became a public address announcer at Vaughn Street Park for Portland Beavers baseball games in the early 20th century, and talks about his business as a news vendor in downtown Portland. He discusses Portland's night life in the early 20th century and talks about how the city changed.

This oral history interview with Frederick Clausen was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Clausen's home in Beaverton, Oregon, in two sessions from October 27-29, 1981, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In the first interview session, conducted on October 27, 1981, Clausen discusses how he came to the United States from Sweden in 1903, and talks about working on his uncle's farm in the Pomme de Terre River Valley in Minnesota, and on another relative's dairy farm in Silvana, Washington. He describes life in Portland, Oregon, in the early 20th century and talks about working in the grocery trade. He describes making deliveries and talks about how the Depression affected the grocery trade. He then talks about owning a grocery store in Southeast Portland during World War II and about how rationing affected his business.

In the second interview session, conducted on October 29, 1981, Clausen continues to discuss how rationing during World War II affected the grocery trade. He then talks about his service in the U.S. Army in France during World War I, and also about becoming a U.S. citizen in 1920. He shares his reasons for leaving the grocery business after the end of World War II, and talks about his activities since. He closes the interview by discussing his photography hobby.

This oral history interview with Harold H. Cake was conducted by Linda S. Dodds in Portland, Oregon, in two sessions on September 2 and September 14, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In the first interview session, conducted on September 2, 1982, Cake discusses his family background and early life in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, then talks about his college experiences at the University of Oregon and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He discusses his work as an electrical engineer for GE in Los Angeles, California, during the Depression, then talks about his return to Portland in 1935 to work for the Haseltine Company. He briefly speaks about his marriage history and his children. He shares his reasons for leaving the Haseltine Company to join Equitable Savings and Loan as a director. He talks about the careers of his brothers, Ralph Cake and William Cake. He speaks at length about the history of Equitable Savings and Loan and about its business practices, including its activities during the Depression, the buildings it occupied, and its operations in other states. He discusses how the inflation of the 1970s affected savings and loan institutions.

In the second interview session, conducted on September 14, 1982, Cake discusses how Equitable survived the financial crisis triggered by the high inflation of the 1970s.

This oral history interview with Edward T. Brounstein was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Brounstein's home in Portland, Oregon, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. The interview was conducted in two sessions, on May 25 and June 9, 1982. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In the first interview session, conducted on May 25, 1982, Brounstein discusses his family background and early life in Portland, Oregon. He talks about his family's wool trade company, J. Brounstein and Sons, and also describes some of his father's wagoneering experiences. He discusses his Jewish heritage and his family's observation of Judaism. He then talks about his career as a patternmaker and clothing designer, including his experiences at White Stag and the Columbia Garment Company in Portland and at the Del Mode Company in Seattle, Washington. He discusses the changes in women's fashion over the 20th century, and talks about sizing of women's clothing.

In the second interview session, conducted on June 9, 1982, Brounstein continues to discuss his career as a patternmaker and clothing designer. He talks about his design process, about working with different fabrics, and about how mass production of clothing changed the industry. He closes the interview by discussing his retirement activities, particularly teaching classes on patternmaking at Bassist College, now the Portland Art Institute.

This oral history interview with Mary E. Blossom was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on May 10, 1977, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library.

In this interview, Blossom discusses her family background and early life in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. She describes the use and appearance of calling cards and speaks at length about prominent people and families who lived in Portland during the early 20th century. She also talks about her career as a librarian for the Multnomah County Public Library.

This oral history interview with Don G. Berry was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Berry's home on Vashon Island, Washington, on February 11, 1980, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Berry discusses and plays Zimbabwean music on an mbira, also known as a thumb piano. He speaks about his spirituality and shares thoughts on Eastern philosophies. He also discusses his experiences at Reed College from 1949 to 1951. He speaks about writing historical novels, as well as the reasons why he stopped writing fiction. He discusses writing as an art form, and talks about his other work as an artist, including film and bronze sculpture. He talks about the benefits and drawbacks of life in individualistic and communal societies; shares his thoughts about the future of computers, particularly for use in writing and music; and speaks at length about his feminism and support for the women's movement. He closes the interview by talking about how he developed his interests.