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I. B. Whitcomb and Alice L. Pierce papers

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 2521

Scope and Contents

The collection consists primarily of correspondence between Ira Benjamin Whitcomb (frequently identified as I. B. Whitcomb) and his fiancée, Alice L. Pierce (later known as Alice Whitcomb and Alice Whitcomb Kurre). The correspondence, dating from 1880 to 1883, includes letters both from Whitcomb to Pierce and from Pierce to Whitcomb. Subjects include Whitcomb's journey from Iowa to Oregon; the Willamette Valley; teaching duties; family and friends; the couple's impending marriage; farming, Monmouth, Oregon; Walla Walla, Washington; and the Oregon Iron Company at Lake Oswego. The collection also includes a brief diary and notebook kept by Whitcomb, dating from approximately 1878 to 1881, which includes some entries concerning his trip west. There is also a small number of letters to and from others.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1878-1883

Creator

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

Ira Benjamin Whitcomb and Alice Louise Pierce were born in Byron, Minnesota -- Whitcomb in 1856, and Pierce in 1860. Both later worked as teachers. Whitcomb emigrated west in 1880, and took up residence in Oregon. Alice Pierce joined him several years later, and they married in Oregon in 1883 or 1884. They had two children, Lee and Susie Ann. Ira Whitcomb died in Polk County, Oregon, in 1897, and Alice Whitcomb subsequently remarried, to Peter Kurre in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1904. They lived in or near Independence, Oregon, for the remainder of her life. Alice Whitcomb Kurre died in 1934.

Sources: Vital and estate records on Ancestry.com; Multnomah County marriage index for 1855-1899, Genealogical Forum of Oregon website (accessed March 2024), https://gfo.org/resources/indexes/vital-records/multnomah-county-marriages.html; "Double Funeral Rites Wednesday: Mrs. Alice Kurre and Her Granddaughter Will Be Interred," Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), November 6, 1934; obituary for Mrs. Alice Kurre, Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), November 7, 1934.

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet (1 slim legal document case)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Correspondence exchanged by Ira Benjamin Whitcomb and his fiancée, Alice L. Pierce, in the early 1880s. Topics include Whitcomb's journey to Oregon, as well as family, friends, and the teaching profession. Also included is a brief notebook and diary kept by Whitcomb, which includes some entries on his trip west.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Ira Cottrill, October 1976 (Lib. Acc. 13886).

Processing Information

Description was revised in March 2024 to better reflect the contents of the collection, to expand and correct biographical information, and to provide additional detail about Alice L. Pierce. Prior to revisions, collection was titled "Ira Benjamin Whitcomb papers."

Title
Guide to the I. B. Whitcomb and Alice L. Pierce papers
Status
Completed
Author
Geoff Wexler; revised by Katie Mayer
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

  • 2024-03-12: Edited to revise title, correct and expand biographical information, and eliminate inventory.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
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Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240