Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Crawford mss., 1849-1864, consists of letters and papers of captain, Quartermaster's department, United States volunteers, and member of the Oregon legislature Medorem Crawford, 1819-1891.
- Extent:
- 1 Box (1 standard)
- Language:
- Materials are in English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Crawford mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Medorem Crawford, 1819-1891, was captain, Quartermaster's department, United States volunteers, and a member of the Oregon legislature. He was born June 24, 1819, in Orange county, New York. In 1842, he accompanied Elijah White to Oregon. In 1845, he moved from near Wheatland to Oregon City; From 1847-1849, he was a member of the Oregon provisional legislature; In 1852, he moved to a farm in Yamhill county, Oregon. In 1860, he was elected to Oregon House of representatives; In 1862, he was appointed captain in U.S. army; In 1862 and 1863, he escorted emigrant trains across plains to Oregon. In 1864, he was appointed collector of internal revenue for five years. In 1871, he was appointed appraiser of customs at Portland for four years. He died on December 26, 1891, in Dayton, Oregon and was buried in Lafayette, Oregon.
Biographical information on Medorem Crawford may be found in Caroline C. Dobbs' Men of Champoeg (Portland, Oregon, 1932) pp. 157-159; and in the Transactions of the twenty- fifth annual reunion of the Oregon pioneer association for 1897 (Portland, Oregon, 1898), pp. 122-129.
- Scope and Content:
The Crawford mss., 1849-1864, consists of letters and papers of Medorem Crawford, 1819-1891, captain, Quartermaster's department, United States volunteers, and a member of the Oregon legislature.
This collection contains correspondence, 1849-1857, between Medorem Crawford in Oregon, his father, Samuel G. Crawford of Havana, New York, who emigrated to Oregon in 1862, and Medorem Crawford's brothers, Ronald C. and John D. Crawford in Oregon and LeRoy Crawford in Havana, New York. They relate to family affairs, conditions in Oregon, the influx of emigrants, and the California gold rush.
Included also is an overland diary of LeRoy Crawford, 1861, and a list of names of the member of that expedition; a diary of Medorem Crawford of a journey by boat from Oregon to New York by way of Panama and return to Oregon by overland trail from Omaha, Nebraska, conducting a military escort for the protection of emigrants, 1862; a copy of a letter from Medorem Crawford to Brigadier General Lorenzo Thomas, adjutant general of the U.S. army, November 30, 1862, explaining Crawford's report of the 1862 overland journey; and 48 vouchers for expenditures on that trip. The 1862 diary of Medorem Crawford has been partially published (June 16, - Oct. 15, 1862) as Journal... in 37th Congress. 3rd Session. Ex Doc. No. 17 (Lilly F593.1 .C85).
Collection size: 88 items
- Acquisition information:
- Gift: 1946
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged following original order.
- Physical location:
- Lilly - Stacks
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Crawford mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu