Henry Lee Fenton papers
Scope and Contents
The collection includes correspondence and records concerning various aspects of Henry Fenton's life in Polk County, including materials relating to his business, Fenton and Toner; his livestock and farming enterprises; his property holdings; the Polk County Pioneer Association; and his work as Polk County treasurer. Also included are materials relating to Fenton's son, Carl Fenton, including World War I memorabilia, certificates, diplomas, and a brief diary he kept in 1917. A small diary of Henriett ("Retta") Coad provides details on the life of a girl in the Dallas area. Coad was a cousin of the Fentons who died at 16, shortly after the last entry in the diary.
Dates
- 1859-1949
- Majority of material found within 1880-1922
Creator
- Fenton, Henry Lee, 1863-1930 (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
The son of a prominent Oregon emigrant family, Henry Lee Fenton was born in Lafayette, Oregon, in 1863. As a teenager, he moved to Dallas, Oregon, and worked for the grocer J. D. Lee before beginning his own establishment. He was a well-known amateur athlete who played on the Dallas baseball team The Alerts. He served as Polk County treasurer beginning in 1896, and in his later life, he engaged in the hop, prune, and angora wool businesses. He died in 1930.
Biographical note
Carl Fenton, the only son of Henry Fenton, attended the University of Oregon, where he was a star football player and a student of civil engineering. After graduating in 1914, Carl Fenton taught at Eugene High School, then served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He contracted influenza in 1918 while in France, and he died of meningitis in Dallas, Oregon, in 1919.
Extent
0.9 Cubic Feet (1 legal document case, 1 slim legal document case, 1 oversize folder in shared box)
Language of Materials
English
French
Abstract
Papers of a Dallas, Oregon, merchant and businessman, including correspondence, financial and legal records, records of the Polk County Pioneer Association, and records of the firm Fenton and Toner. Also includes papers of other family members, including diaries and World War I papers of Carl Fenton, and a diary of Henriett Coad.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series 1: Henry Lee Fenton and Fenton family materials, 1859-1949
- Series 2: Carl Fenton papers, 1905-1921
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Ralph A. Fenton, September 1959 (Lib. Acc. 8170).
Processing Information
Collection processed by Geoffrey B. Wexler in December 2005. Collection guide was revised in October 2023 to conform to current standard.
- Agriculture
- Angora goat -- Oregon -- Polk County
- Coad, Henriett -- Diaries
- Fenton and Toner (Dallas, Or.) -- Records and correspondence
- Fenton family
- Fenton, Carl, -1919
- Fenton, Henry Lee, 1863-1930
- Hops industry -- Oregon
- Military
- Oregon
- Pioneers
- Pioneers -- Oregon -- Polk County
- Polk County (Or.). Treasurer -- Records and correspondence
- Polk County Pioneer Association (Or.) -- Records and correspondence
- Soldiers -- United States
- Wool industry -- Oregon
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Diaries
- certificates
- correspondence
- diaries
- financial records
Creator
- Fenton, Henry Lee, 1863-1930 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Henry Lee Fenton papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Geoffrey B. Wexler
- Date
- 2006; revised 2023
- 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.
Revision Statements
- 2023-10-23: Revised to conform to current standard.
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