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Welborn Beeson papers

 Collection
Identifier: Ax 799

Scope and Contents note

The collection includes diaries, 1891-1893. A diary (September 19, 1859–December 29, 1860) of Charles J. Cummings is also included. The diaries are both descriptive and contemplative. They have additional importance because of their references to Beeson’s father, John Beeson, author of Plea for the Indians (NY: 1857).

There are two imprecise transcripts of the earlier diaries. Version 1 contains a transcription of the 1851–1859 diaries, plus the entry for February 5, 1893. Version 2 contains a transcription of the 1851–1856 diaries.

Also found in the collection are account books, 1848–1893, including an account of the game killed by Beeson in the years 1848–1856.

Dates

  • Creation: 1848-1893

Creator

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Biographical Note:

Welborn Beeson was born in LaSalle County, Illinois in 1836 to parents John and Ann Beeson. The family came overland to Oregon in 1853, settling in Jackson County along Wagner Creek. Welborn Beeson later built a school on the property. He married Mary Katharine Brophy and had seven children. As the Civil War began, Beeson joined the Union Army. After the war, Beeson returned and continued to farm the Jackson County land.

Welborn Beeson kept a diary from 1851 until his death in 1893. He was a farmer, active in politics and in the social life of the area. Beeson was buried in Sterns Cemetery located near the Beeson farm.

Source: Kimball, Violet T. Stories of Young Pioneers in Their Own Words. Missoula Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2000.

Extent

2 linear feet (4 containers)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Welborn Beeson was a farmer in Jackson County, Oregon during the late 1800s. The Beeson family came overland to Oregon in 1853, settling in Jackson County along Wagner Creek. In 1851, when Welborn Beeson was fifteen years old, he began to keep a diary and continued to do so until his death in 1893. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, Beeson returned to farm in Jackson County, and was active in politics and in the social life of the area. The collection includes diaries, 1891-1893, and account books, 1848-1893.

Arrangement note

Collection is organized into the following series: Diaries; and Expenses and Accounts.

Title
Guide to the Welborn Beeson papers
Status
Complete Description
Author
Finding aid prepared by Vida Germano
Date
©2004
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1299 USA