Davenport Family papers

This collection contains the personal papers of T.W. Davenport and Homer Calvin Davenport, both influential in late nineteenth century Oregon state and federal politics. Additional Davenport family members, including Adelaid Davenport, Lizzie Davenport, Timothy Clyde Davenport, and others are also represented in this collection.

The material has been arranged to most prominently feature the papers of T.W. and Homer Davenport, and contains family reminiscences, correspondence, photogrpahs, newspaper articles, and original cartoons.

Series I, Timothy Woodbridge Davenport Papers contain the personal papers of the prominent politician and are divided into several subseries. Subseries A contains a wide correspondence from the 1860s till his death in 1911 with family members and political acquaintances, which reflects T.W. Davenport’s dedication to his family and his Republican sentiment. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by recipient and/or by writer, and then chronologically. Subseries B contains legal documents; including land deeds and a Umatilla Agency receipt roll for the Walla Walla tribe from 1862. Subseries C, Personal Writings and Essays, contains poetry, political essays, and letters to the editor. Subseries D, Memoirs, includes handwritten and typewritten memoirs by Timothy Woodbridge Davenport.

Series II, Homer Calvin Davenport Papers, contain documents that reflect his career as a political cartoonist and his love for Arabian horses and exotic birds. Subseries A, Correspondence, contains several letters to his sister, Adelaide, and his father, T.W. There are also several telegrams regarding the death of T.W., including one from former President Theodore Roosevelt. Subseries B, Newspaper Clippings, contains newspaper articles and published cartoons both by Homer Davenport and about him. Many of the newspaper clippings are glued on both sides of a page. Subseries D, Memoirs and Character Sketches, includes writings about Homer Davenport by authors Timothy Woodbridge Davenport and Jean Morris Ellis.

Series III, Miscellaneous Davenport Family Papers, is broken down into three subseries by other individual family members, for whom a substantial amount of papers are included in this collection. Subseries A, Adelaide Davenport Correspondence, includes several letters to the Davenport family biographer, Robert Down, among others. Subseries B, Lizzie (Nancy Elizabeth) Davenport Correspondence, includes several letters from her daughters and telegrams regarding the death of Homer Davenport, because Lizzie was his stepmother. Subseries C, Timothy Clyde Davenport Correspondence, is largely outgoing letters to his parents, T.W. and Lizzie, and reflects his years at a sanatorium . The final Subseries D, Miscellaneous Davenport, largely includes correspondence to and from family members and memorabilia such as the Frederic Remington monument brochure, poems from “Captain Jack” John W. Crawford, and a lock of hair from a funeral director in Los Angeles.

Series IV, Photographs, is broken into two subseries by size. Both include images of the Davenport family members, various acquaintances, and Arabian stallions and pheasants. These are arranged alphabetically by name, first by family members, and then other individuals.

Series V, Oversize, contains additional photographs, legal documents, awards, and newspaper clippings. Also included is a scrapbook, published material, and advertisements. Approximately 100 drawings of Homer Davenport's original cartoons, arranged by title, are represented in this series.

Davenport, one of the most well-known editorial cartoonists of his era, critiqued topics in American society ranging from the Spanish-American War, the digging of the Panama Canal, the rise of trusts and big banking, and poverty to the meat industry, women's suffrage, American imperialism, corruption, railroad tycooons, and American political campaigns.