F. M. Fowler letter to S. G. Custis

Collection

Identifier: Coll 1116

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a four-page handwritten letter on a single sheet of paper from F. M. Fowler of Dent, Oregon, to S. G. Custis. In the letter, Fowler discusses, among other things, a nearby logging camp; the recent rainy weather; a recent vote for a school tax; cases of influenza (referred to as "grip") in the area; and recent deaths. He also briefly describes the mail system in the area, noting that his house serves as a post office. Fowler also inquires whether Custis intends to sell unspecified real estate, or whether Fowler should continue looking after it.

Dates

Creation: 1894 January 24

Creator

Fowler, F. M. (Francis Marion), 1854-1928 (Correspondent, 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

Francis Marion Fowler was born in 1854 in Clark County, Washington. His family moved to Columbia County, Oregon, in 1856, and aside from some time again in Clark County and then in Portland, Oregon, in the early to mid-1860s, he spent the rest of his life in Columbia County. In 1874, Fowler married Frances Maria Gorsline (1857-1937), who later served as postmaster of Dent, Oregon, from 1892 to 1898; the couple had seven children. Francis M. Fowler died in 1928.

Sources: Obituary in the Rainier Review, November 9, 1928, page 1; "Oregon Post Offices, 1847-1982," by Richard W. Helbock (Lake Oswego, Or.: Raven Press, 1985), page 31; vital records via Ancestry.com.

Historical Note

Dent was the name used for a post office in Columbia County, Oregon, that operated from 1892 to 1898. Its only postmaster was Frances M. Fowler (1857-1937), wife of Francis M. Fowler (1854-1928). After its closure in 1898, the Delena post office took over its duties.

Sources: Entry for Dent in "Oregon Geographic Names," 7th edition, edited and revised by Lewis L. McArthur (Portland, Or.: Oregon Historical Society Press, 2003), page 279; "Oregon Post Offices, 1847-1982," by Richard W. Helbock (Lake Oswego, Or.: Raven Press, 1985), page 31; "School Apportionment," St. Helens Mist, April 26, 1895, page 2; "The County School Funds," St. Helens Mist, May 1, 1896, page 2.

Biographical Note

Silas G. Custis was born in 1856 in Missouri. In 1900, he was living in Tillamook County, Oregon, but by the following year was in Portland, Oregon, where he would live until about 1926. He died in 1940 in Chicago, Illinois.

Sources: Vital and census records via Ancestry.com; Portland city directories, 1901-1926.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Letter from F. M. Fowler (1854-1928) of Dent, Columbia County, Oregon, to S. G. Custis (1856-1940), describing recent happenings in Columbia County. Fowler lived most of his life in Columbia County. His wife, Frances Maria Fowler (née Gorsline, 1857-1937) was the sole postmaster of Dent from 1892 to 1898.