Collection includes photocopied genealogical information, letters, and diary extracts regarding the discovery of Yosemite in 1849. William Penn Abrams (1820-1873) came to Portland, Oregon, in 1851 on a ship with his family. He started a sawmill and was Oregon's first highway contractor; he also traveled extensively.

Peter Boscow (1838-1924) came to the U.S. in 1842 and to Oregon around 1863. He homesteaded near North Plains and later purchased land in Washington County, Oregon, in 1869. Collection includes a record book of Boscow family genealogy and a genealogy chart; deeds and mortgages of Peter Boscow, 1869-1895; autograph books; and miscellaneous financial documents.

This artificial collection consists of cartes-de-visite photographs donated to the Oregon Historical Society prior to 2010. It includes portraits taken from about 1855 through the early 1900s. The collection also includes images of locomotives, ships, buildings, and landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.

Property records, photographs, newspaper clippings, and genealogical materials relating to the family of Thomas H. and Berrilla King Denney. The Denneys came to Oregon in 1849, and settled on land that would later become part of Beaverton, Oregon, where Thomas Denney operated a sawmill.

Papers consist of an obituary for John Marcus Freeman; typescript genealogical information; manuscript poems to his wife, Margaret; and a photocopy newspaper article with a photograph of Margaret Freeman.

Collection includes manuscript correspondence of Handley family members; diary and account book of Charles J. Handley; a typescript biographical play, "Fierce Feathers"; genealogical information and family history; Handley family obituary clippings and ephemera; wills of Henry and Jemima Cooper; and family history of the Robisons, who were related to the Handleys through marriage.

Genealogical information, biographical information, and memorabilia of the Jones, Jenkins, and related families of Oregon and Washington. Memorabilia includes photographs, correspondence and other personal papers, clippings, and ephemera.

Memorabilia, genealogical materials, and photographs of the Kelly family and related families. The brothers Clinton Kelly (1808-1875), Thomas Kelly (1829-1903), Albert Kelly (1814-1873), and Gilmer Kelly (1820-1890) were early emigrants to Oregon, and all took land donation claims on or near land that would become part of Portland, Oregon.

Oral history interview with John R. Laidlaw conducted by Joseph A. Schiwek on November 11, 1972. Laidlaw discusses the background of his paternal family, the Laidlaws, in Scotland.

Oral history interview with John R. Laidlaw conducted by Sally R. Stout around 1980. Laidlaw discusses the background of his maternal family, particularly the Plowden family, in England and the United States.