Dunham Wright reminiscences of an overland journey
Scope and Contents
This collection contains multiple reminiscences of Dunham Wright which document his overland journey from Iowa to Colorado in 1862, and his life in Oregon upon arrival in the West. Included are: typewritten excerpts from an interview conducted with Wright in 1937 detailing some of his journey; an excerpt titled Union Country and Dunham Wright which details Wright's family connections to Abraham Lincoln through his grandmother, who was the sister-in-law of Lincoln's mother; an excerpt of recollections collected from Wright in 1936 detailing his early life, the overland migration from Iowa, and his life in Oregon, including his involvement in territorial politics; and a copy of a letter dated June 10, 1914 to "Friend Turner," answering a series of biographical questions Turner had asked of Wright regarding life in Oregon in the 1860s and 1870s. Also included is a clipping of Wright's obituary from the Oregonian, dated December 4, 1942.
Dates
- Creation: 1914-1942
Creator
- Wright, Dunham, 1832-1942 (Person)
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 note
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 / Historical
Dunham Wright was an American politician and pioneer settler in the state of Oregon. He was born in Iowa, March 13, 1842 and migrated by covered wagon across the plains to the west in 1862. He homesteaded in the area presently known as Medical Springs, Oregon. He served in the Oregon House of Representatives in 1872, the general assembly in 1878, and the state senate in 1880. He served a total of ten years in the legislature. In his later life, he was active in promoting Oregon's pioneer history and his own pioneer heritage. He died in 1942 at the age of 100.
Extent
0.05 linear feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Dunham Wright, 1842-1942, was an American politician and pioneer settler in the state of Oregon. This collection contains multiple reminiscences of Dunham Wright which document his overland journey from Iowa to Colorado in 1862, and his life in Oregon upon arrival in the West.
General Physical Description note
1 folder
Processing Information note
Collection processed by Mahala Ruddell in April 2023.
- Title
- Guide to the Dunham Wright reminiscences of an overland journey
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by University of Oregon Libraries, Archivists' Toolkit Project Team
- Date
- c2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
