Mary J. Allen family letters
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of typescript copies of letters written by Mary J. Allen; her husband, U.S. Army officer H. A. Allen; and her stepsons Anson G. Allen and Carleton B. Allen. The copies were most likely made by Carleton B. Allen's daughter Zoe Allen Evans. Mary J. Allen's letters, most of which were written to her sister Carrie, describe life at Camp Steele on San Juan Island, Washington; at Fort Canby, Washington; and in Sitka, Alaska. Most of Anson G. Allen's letters in the collection were written to his brother Carleton when Carleton B. Allen was going to school in New York. Other documents transcribed in the collection include a letter of introduction for H. A. Allen and the menu for a dinner that the officers of Camp Steele hosted for British officers stationed on San Juan Island. The letters are prefaced by a dedication to Carleton B. Allen's grandson Allen Villiers Cellars, a biographical sketch of H. A. Allen, and a historical note about the joint occupation of San Juan Island by U.S. and British forces.
Dates
- Creation: 1868-1872; circa 1980
Creator
- Allen, Mary J. (Mary Julia), 1836-1893 (Correspondent, Person)
- Allen, H. A. (Harvey Abner), -1882 (Correspondent, Person)
- Allen, Anson G., 1849-1891 (Correspondent, Person)
- Allen, Carleton B., 1858-1924 (Correspondent, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing 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.
Biographical Note
Harvey Abner Allen (1818-1882), known in life as H. A. Allen, was an officer in the U.S. Army, who in the late 1860s and early 1870s was stationed on San Juan Island, Washington; at Fort Stevens, Oregon; at Fort Canby, Washington; and in Sitka, Alaska. His first wife was Susan Bailey Tysen, whom he married in 1848. The couple had three sons: Anson G. (1849-1891), Albert V. (1852-1911), and Carleton B. (1858-1924). After Susan Allen's death in 1860, H. A. Allen married her sister, Mary Julia Tysen (also written as Tyson; 1836-1893) in 1865; they had a daughter, Maud Julia (also written as "Maude," 1870-1881). After H. A. Allen's death, Mary J. Allen married Oscar H. Hastings of New Jersey.
Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; "Albert V. Allen's Bannock War Letters," edited by Zoe Allen Evans, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 84, No. 3, 1983.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Typescript copies of letters written by Mary J. Allen (1836-1893), her husband H. A. Allen (1818-1882), and her stepsons Anson G. Allen (1849-1891) and Carleton B. Allen (1858-1924). The letters describe life at military posts in Washington state and Alaska. The collection also includes an introductory biographical sketch of H. A. Allen and historical information about San Juan Island, Washington.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Most likely gift of Zoe Allen Evans in the early 1980s (Lib. Acc. 24916).
Subject
- Title
- Guide to the Mary J. Allen family letters
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org