Oliver Ranch records

Collection

Identifier: Coll 1077

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the Oliver Ranch in Grant County, Oregon. Most of these records are either financial ledgers and account books, or time books. Many of the time books are labeled "milk book" on their covers, indicating that they were used to track milking operations on the ranch. One financial ledger contains diary entries from 1929 and 1930 at the front and at the back. One of the account books in the collection is a personal cash book that likely belonged to Elizabeth Oliver, the wife of Oliver Ranch founder J. C. Oliver. Other materials in the collection include a book of Catholic catechisms in German, in which recipes in English have been placed; and an edition of the newspaper Blue Mountain Eagle that was published to celebrate the centennial of Canyon City, Oregon.

Dates

Creation: 1876-1976

Creator

Oliver Ranch (Grant County, Or.) (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.

Administrative History

The Oliver Ranch is a cattle and sheep ranch located near John Day in Grant County, Oregon. The ranch was founded in the 1870s by Joseph Cayton Oliver (known as J. C. Oliver, 1850-1921). Oliver registered his "A2" brand in 1878. By the 1920s, the ranch's holdings consisted of 40,000 acres of land, thousands of cattle and sheep, and hundreds of horses. For much of the first half of the 20th century, Joseph Cayton Oliver's son, Herman Oliver (1885-1970), managed the ranch. In the later 20th century, the ranch was sold, resold, and split multiple times.

Sources: "Gold and Cattle Country," by Herman Oliver (Portland, Or.: Binfords & Mort, 1961); obituary for Herman Oliver in the Oregonian, December 6, 1970, page 44; "The Gentrification of Eastern Oregon," by Dick Cockle, Oregonian, Northwest Magazine, January 20, 1985, pages 4-9.

Extent

6.94 Cubic Feet (1 record carton; 2 legal document cases; 13 flat boxes (11x14); 1 flat box (13x16); 2 card file boxes (12x9x6))

Language of Materials

English

German

Additional Description

Abstract

Records of the Oliver Ranch, a cattle and sheep ranch in Grant County, Oregon. Records are primarily in the form of financial ledgers and account books or time books. Joseph Cayton Oliver (1850-1921) founded the ranch in the 1870s, and his son Herman Oliver (1885-1970) managed it in the first half of the 20th century.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Herman Oliver Keerins, June 2005 (Lib. Acc. 25716).

Related Materials

Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to the Oliver Ranch include the book "Gold and Cattle Country," by Herman Oliver (call number 979.164 O48g); and the Herman Oliver papers, Coll 1081.