Oregonian Publishing Company records
Scope and Contents
The collection contains early records of the Oregonian newspaper, including articles of incorporation, minutes of board meetings, and publication statistics. It also includes documents and records from Henry Pittock's time as owner and publisher, including accounting books and correspondence. Financial papers document employee bonus payments, charitable gifts, and the purchase of Portland city block 215 and construction of Oregonian buildings; other papers relate to Oregonian business interests. In-house publications include copies of the Masthead, Inkling, and Second Takes newsletters. A sizable portion of the collection consists of reports and analysis of public opinion survey data covering topics such as abortion, the spotted owl controversy, local mayoral races, ballot initiatives, and national presidential races. Other items in the collection include a 1955 civil defense memo, a 1916 War Department Industrial Inventory, a memo outlining the Oregonian's position on stereotypes in sports teams, photographs of the Young Oregonians club and the Oregonian building, and a bound volume of the Weekly Oregonian (1858-1859).
Dates
- Creation: 1855-2008
Creator
- Oregonian (Firm) (Organization)
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.
Historical note
The Oregonian Publishing Company was established in 1850 as The Weekly Oregonian and was owned and published by W. W. Chapman and Henry W. Corbett. In 1861 ownership passed to Henry Pittock, who changed the name to The Morning Oregonian in 1861. The paper was renamed to its current title, The Oregonian, in 1937. Over the years, the paper has had a number of notable owners and publishers besides Pittock, including Chapman, Corbett, and S.I. "Si" Newhouse. Early notable editors included Thomas J. Dryer, Henry Pittock, and Harvey W. Scott.
The paper's offices and presses were originally housed in a two-story building at the intersection of First Street (now First Avenue) and Morrison Street. In 1892, the paper moved into a new nine-story building at 6th and Alder streets. Like its as its predecessor (and successor), the new building was called the Oregonian Building. It included a clock tower at one corner, and was the tallest structure in Portland until 1911. The newspaper moved again in 1948, to SW Broadway between Jefferson and Columbia streets, where it would remain until 2014. The 1892 building was demolished in 1950. The Oregonian is now located at 1500 SW First Avenue.
Extent
7.65 Cubic Feet (18 document cases, 2 flat boxes, 1 oversize folder, and 1 oversize bound volume)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Business records of the Oregonian Publishing Company. Includes financial, legal, and organizational documents; subject files covering Oregonian financial interests; reports, studies, and surveys; photographs; in-house publications; and limited correspondence and other documents from Henry Pittock's time as owner and publisher.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Financial documents
- Series 2: Henry Pittock documents
- Series 3: Legal documents
- Series 4: Organizational documents
- Series 5: Business interests
- Series 6: Photographs and reproductions
- Series 7: Publications
- Series 8: Reports, studies, and surveys
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Oregonian Publishing Company, care of Therese Bottomly, August 2015 (Lib. Acc. 28286).
Separated Materials
Artifacts received with this accession were transferred to museum collections, Oregon Historical Society.
Subject
- Oregonian (Firm) -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- American newspapers -- Oregon -- Portland
- Businesses and Corporations
- Journalism
- Media and Communication
- Newspaper publishing -- Oregon -- Pendleton
- Portland
- Youth -- Oregon -- Societies and clubs -- Photographs
Uniform Title
- Title
- Guide to the Oregonian Publishing Company records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Mathew Brock
- Date
- 2015; 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
- 2023-11-03: Minor revisions 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