William Hoffman papers
Scope and Contents
This collection of William Hoffman's papers consists of account books, business correspondence, a scrapbook, and a handwritten copy of a journal kept by Hoffman during his overland journey. Typescript and microfilm copies of the journal are also included in the collection. The journal describes Hoffman's journey from Covington, Indiana, starting on April 13, 1853, to Jacksonville, Oregon, October 31, 1853, and includes descriptions of landscapes and trail conditions. Also in the journal is a biographical sketch of Hoffman and an entry, dated 1865, regarding business affairs in Jacksonville. The scrapbook in the collection, dating to approximately 1879, contains clippings of articles, probably from the Jacksonville Sentinel, relating to conflicts with Native tribes in Oregon and to the organization of the Oregon Rangers.
Dates
- Creation: 1849-1913
Creator
- Hoffman, William, 1801-1885 (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
William Hoffman was born in Baltimore and was an early pioneer of Jackson County, Oregon. He married Caroline Shafer in 1836; the Hoffmans came overland to Oregon in 1853 and eventually settled in Jacksonville, where Hoffman served as county auditor, county clerk, and notary public. After retiring from public life, he entered the mercantile business. One of his daughters, Julia Elizabeth Hoffman, became the wife of prominent Oregonian Cornelius Beekman, who served as the executor of William Hoffman's estate.
Extent
1 Cubic Feet (1 document case; 1 flat box; 1 reel microfilm)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Papers of William Hoffman (1801-1885), a merchant and county official in Jacksonville, Oregon. Materials include account books, correspondence, a handwritten copy of a journal that Hoffman kept on his overland journey from Indiana to Oregon in 1853, and a scrapbook containing clippings relating to conflicts with Native tribes in Oregon and the organization of the Oregon Rangers.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1: Account books, 1858-1903
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1849-1904
- Series 3: Journal, scrapbook, and general materials, 1853-1913
Other Finding Aids
William Hoffman's journal is described in "Overland passages: a guide to overland documents in the Oregon Historical Society," entry 107, and in "Platte River road narratives," entry 1391.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Origin of the collection is unknown; portions may have come to the Oregon Historical Society after the death of Caroline Hoffman in 1900.
Existence and Location of Copies
William Hoffman's journal was published, in part, in "An Accurate Observer: William Hoffman's View of Idaho in 1853," by Arthur S. Taylor and William M. McKinney, Idaho Yesterdays, Volume 8, No. 2 (1964).
Subject
- Hoffman, William, 1801-1885 (Person)
- Hoffman, William, 1801-1885 -- Correspondence (Person)
- Hoffman, William, 1801-1885 -- Diaries (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the William Hoffman papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Erica Goodwin and Geoffrey Wexler
- 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
- 2024-12-20: Revised to incorporate details from separate catalog record for Hoffman's journal, 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