Scope and Contents
The collection primarily contains personal correspondence within the Hedden family dating from 1885-1959, the bulk of which is letters to Emma from her mother, Fannie. Letters written by and to other family members are also present, along with a few letters from family friends. Most of the correspondence is dated; however, there are some undated and incomplete letter fragments.
The remainder of the collection consists of documents and business correspondence dating from 1880 to 1969. These are mostly letters to Emma from attorneys, bankers, and insurance agents, largely dealing with her inheritance of property and the family store. The documents include a copy of the deed to the inherited property, insurance policies, and tax returns. Excluding an individual income tax return for Emma in 1955, all the tax forms are property returns from 1959. All of the tax forms are in Folder 6.
A separate collection which may be of interest (also housed in the University of Oregon Special Collections) is the Hedden Store, Scottsburg, Oregon, Records, 1903-1950 (Bx 16). This collection contains 58 volumes of business records from the Hedden store.
Dates
- 1885-1969
Creator
- Hedden, John N., 1856-1941 (Person)
- Hedden, Emma, 1891-1979 (Person)
- Hedden, Cyrus W., 1820-1911 (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
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
Cyrus Hedden was an early pioneer in Douglas County and was one of the original inhabitants of Scottsburg, Oregon, arriving there on September 20, 1851. He worked in the town as a blacksmith until opening a general store. He also served as County Commissioner for Douglas County. Prior to his death on March 29, 1911, Cyrus Hedden handed the business over to his son, John N. Hedden.
John N. Hedden married Fannie Henderer in 1886 and they had five children: Cyrus, Emma (born April 27, 1891), Hulda (died young), Charles G., and June. John also served as Vice President of The First National Bank of Gardiner, Oregon, retiring from that position in 1928. He died in 1941. His daughter Emma inherited the store and numerous properties, as she had been faithfully working for her father without pay since age 18. She had also been postmaster for the town of Scottsburg as early as 1920. Emma never married and upon retirement moved to a nursing home in Florence, Oregon, and died a few years later on December 9, 1979, at the age of 88.
References
Gaston, Joseph. The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912. Vol. 3. Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912.
Oregon Death Index. 1976-1980.
Oregon Historical Quarterly. Vols. 19, 25, 28, and 40. Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1967.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Western Oregon. Chicago, IL: Chapman Publishing Company, 1904.
Roseburg News Review. 1979, Dec. 11, 12.
Extent
0.5 linear feet (1 container)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Hedden family, owners of the Hedden Store in Scottsburg, Oregon, were some of the original inhabitants of the town, arriving in 1851. The collection primarily contains personal correspondence within the Hedden family dating from 1885-1959 and also documents and business correspondence dating from 1880 to 1969.
General Physical Description note
one 1/2 legal manuscript box
Processing Information note
Collection processed by Cheryl Bemiss.
- Business records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Hedden Store (Scottsburg, Or.)
- Letters (Correspondence) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oregon -- Social life and customs Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Pioneers -- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Scottsburg (Or.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Title
- Guide to the Hedden Family Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Cheryl Bemiss and Kira B. Homo.
- Date
- 2013
- 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
