Mary J. Allen family letters

Collection

Identifier: Coll 937

Staff Only

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

1868-1872; circa 1980

Creator

Allen, Mary J. (Mary Julia), 1836-1893 (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

Additional Description

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).

Related Materials

Photographs relating to the Allen family at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library are designated Org. Lot 395, the Harvey Abner Allen photographs collection.