Stephen Rigdon papers
Content Description
The collection consists of papers of and relating to Stephen Rigdon and his family. A substantial portion of the collection consists of loose papers and bound journals in which Rigdon noted information about travelers on the Oregon Central Military Road, including the number of travelers, their names, their intended destinations, and any horses or livestock they had with them. Other materials in the collection include letters sent to Rigdon's wife, Zilphia Bristow Rigdon (the letters address her as Zilpha); genealogical materials concerning the Bristow family; Rigdon's diary from his 1855 trip to mines in Colville, Washington; a record of furniture that Rigdon sold to Joseph Cleaver and Horatio Cook; a scrapbook with genealogical information, correspondence, and newspaper articles; a brief biographical sketch by Irene Holcomb; and two maps of the Willamette National Forest, including one showing the Rigdon Ranger District, presumably named for Rigdon.
Dates
- 1852-1965
- Majority of material found within 1852-1927
Creator
- Rigdon, Stephen (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 holders.
Biographical Note
Stephen Rigdon (1829-1904) was an officer in the Oregon Volunteer Militia during the 1860s. He married Zilphia Bristow in 1854. Starting in the 1870s, the Rigdons grazed cattle at a spot along the Oregon Central Military Road that would later be named Rigdon Meadows. There, they offered food, lodging, repairs, and items for sale to travelers.
Historical Note
The Oregon Central Military Road was constructed in the 1860s following an 1864 act of Congress that provided funds for a road from Eugene, Oregon, to the Cascade Mountains by way of the middle fork of the Willamette River. Starting in the 1870s, travelers on the road passed by a station operated by Stephen Rigdon, where they could obtain food, lodging, and repairs.
Extent
1.05 Cubic Feet (2 legal document cases; 1 custom box (16.5x11x1.5))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Papers of Stephen Rigdon (1829-1904), and his family, including Rigdon's counts of people traveling on the Oregon Central Military Road. Rigdon grazed cattle at a point along the road, where he operated a station and offered food, lodging, and repairs for travelers.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Patrons are asked to use preservation copies of the Oregon Central Military Road counts, housed in Box 2. See library staff for assistance.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired prior to 1971 (RL2019-115-RETRO).
Creator
- Rigdon, Stephen (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Stephen Rigdon papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- 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