John F. Miller papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of three items relating to John F. Miller, an early emigrant to Oregon. These are: a muster roll for a company of mounted volunteers that Miller led in a campaign against Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley in 1853; a photostat reproduction of an 1859 letter Miller wrote to Commissioner of Indian Affairs A. B. Greenwood concerning plants that Native people on the Grande Ronde Reservation used for medicine; and an 1886 quitclaim deed leaving property in Salem, Oregon, to Miller's daughter Ianthe (written as Iantha).
Dates
- Creation: 1853-1886
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
John Ferguson Miller was born in 1825 in Kentucky. In 1845, he joined the U.S. Army, and served in the Mexican-American War. In 1850, he emigrated to Oregon, taking residence in Jackson County. In 1853, he was elected as a representative in the Oregon Territorial Legislature. That same year, he led a volunteer company to fight Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley, and later was briefly an Indian agent in southern Oregon. In 1862, he was a Democratic candidate for governor of Oregon, but lost to A. C. Gibbs. In 1873, he fought with the U.S. Army in the Modoc War.
Miller married Zarilda Jackson in 1849; the couple had four children. In his later years, Miller lived in Salem, Oregon, and was president of that city's first woolen mills company. He died in 1901.
Sources: Obituary in the Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), February 20, 1901, page 7; obituary in the Oregonian, February 21, 1901, page 5; obituary for Zarilda Miller in the Statesman Journal, October 25, 1913, page 1; vital records via Ancestry.com.
Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box; 1 oversize folder (24x36))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Papers of John F. Miller (1825-1901), consisting of a muster roll for a volunteer mounted company he led, a letter about medicinal plants used by Native people, and a quitclaim deed. Miller was a U.S. Army officer and an early emigrant to Oregon. He led a volunteer company against Native peoples of the Rogue River Valley in 1853, served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature, worked briefly as an Indian agent, and fought in the Modoc War.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Due to fragility, the muster roll requires special handling to view.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired prior to 1995, most likely between the late 19th and mid-20th century.
- Title
- Guide to the John F. Miller papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2025
- 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.
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