Joseph Paquet papers
Scope and Contents
The Joseph Paquet papers primarily consist of diaries (1856; 1870; 1874-1923) and of notebooks and memo books. Among these are notebooks with specifications for the steamers Arrow No. 2, Astorian, Bailey Gatzert, Heather, Tahoma, and Telephone No. 2, the Albina ferry boat, and others; a ledger; and books with bid estimates and construction notes on ships, barges, fishwheels, docks, and other projects. The collection also includes general letters, notes, bills and receipts.
Dates
- 1856-1951
- Majority of material found within 1856-1923
Creator
- Paquet, Joseph, 1841-1924 (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
Construction contractor and shipbuilder Joseph Paquet was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1841, the son of a ship carpenter. The family came overland to Oregon in 1852 and eventually settled on a ranch near Oregon City. After learning his father's trade, Paquet pursued a career in ship and dam building. He was credited with constructing the first steam ferry that ran across the Willamette River at Salem, as well as a number of dams and dikes. He lived in Canemah, Oregon, from 1870 until moving to Portland in 1879. He continued building steamboats, as well as sewer systems, bridges, roads, and railroads. He served as president of many companies, including the St. John Shipbuilding Company, the Portland Sand Company, and the contracting firm of Paquet, Giebisch & Joplin. He owned multiple parcels of property in Portland, as well as an 800-acre ranch near the city, and he served as school director of East Portland for six years. He married Mary Elizabeth Blottenberger in 1870, and the couple had three children. Paquet died in 1924.
Extent
2 Cubic Feet (4 card file boxes, 1 document case)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Diaries, notebooks, and other papers of Joseph Paquet (1841-1924), an Oregon shipbuilder and construction contractor. Includes notes and specifications on steamboats active on the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series:
- Series 1: Diaries, 1856-1923
- Series 2: Memo books, 1893-1899
- Series 3: Notebooks, 1888-1920
- Series 4: General papers, 1868-1951
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Dr. Joseph F. Paquet, 1958 (Lib. Acc. 7730) and October 1962 (Lib. Acc. 9901).
Bibliography
Creator
- Paquet, Joseph, 1841-1924 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Joseph Paquet papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Trudy Williams
- Date
- 2006; revised 2024
- 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
- 2024-02-23: Revised to clarify description of materials in scope and content, and 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