Portrait of Alex (or Alexander) Duncan, a member of the Clatsop tribe who attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School and Chemawa School. He entered the school at age 16 in November 1884. He is leaning on a book in this photograph, possibly indicating that this was a graduation portrait. Based on other similar photographs in the Pacific University Archives and on the dates when the photographer was active, this photograph was most likely taken in Salem between 1886-1888. (See: Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 394.)
Portrait of Pengra Logan, a member of the Tututni tribe from the Siletz Agency who attended Chemawa School beginning in September, 1885. He is listed in the class roster as being from the 'Fortootna' tribe, which is a misspelling of 'Tututni.'
Letter from Joseph W. Marsh to Adkins requesting the supply of texts on Indian-related laws and reports for Pacific University research. Joseph W. Marsh was Pacific University's first librarian and the brother of its first president. He functioned as interim president between others serving. While the letter does not specify, 'Adkins' may actually be George H. Atkinson, the secretary of Pacific University's Board of Trustees, who represented Pacific's interests for the federal government.
Portrait of an unidentified Native American girl. She probably attended Chemawa School and/or the Indian Training School at Forest Grove; she may also have been the daughter of alumni. The photograph was taken in Salem on January 26, 1887 according to a note on the back. This may be the same girl who is depicted in another image in the collection, PUApic_008385
Portrait of James Stewart, a Nez Perce man who attended the Forest Grove Indian School beginning in 1883, and graduated from the school in its new location in Salem in 1885. He continued working at the school for some time afterwards. In this picture, he appears to be wearing the school's military-style school uniform. Based on the dates of activity of the photographer, this image was probably taken between 1885-1888 (Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 394).
Henry Steve (or Steeve) of the Tulalip Agency was admitted to the Forest Grove Indian School on March, 1885, at the age of 18. The school's roster listed his tribe as Snohomish, but in later documents, he identified as a member of the Duwamish Tribe. Both tribes are Lushootseed speakers originally from the Seattle area. Henry arrived in Forest Grove at a time when the school had begun relocating to its new location in Salem where it would be called Chemawa School. This photograph was taken in Salem on November 8, 1887, according to a note on the back of the photograph. He graduated from Chemawa the next year, and he worked there as the head printer for the school. He married a fellow student, Ella Lane of Puyallup. Later in life, he returned to live in Tulalip, where he became a tribal leader.
Letter dated May 18, 1880 from Capt. M. C. Wilkinson to Joseph W. Marsh. Marsh was a professor at Pacific University and was functioning as its interim president. At the time of writing this letter, Wilkinson was serving as the first superintendent of the Forest Grove Indian Training School, while concurrently serving as a professor of military science at Pacific University. The Indian School had opened just a few months before this letter and Wilkinson was apparently working on accounting for all the related expenses. Wilkinson warmly addresses Marsh as 'Brother' due to their common religious beliefs. He notes that he hopes to return soon with more children for the school. The school's roster shows that he did indeed return to Forest Grove on May 28 with six more children from the Puyallup Agency. The letterhead on which this note is written is printed with the addresses of both Pacific University and the Indian Education Department of the Department of the Interior because Wilkinson was working for both of them at the time.
Portrait of Walter Burwell, a Native Alaskan Tlingit from Sitka. He attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School and Chemawa School beginning on April 25, 1881 and graduated in 1886. He died on September 2, 1887. This photograph was printed in May 1887, just four months before his death. He is wearing a "B" pin on his lapel. In the last year of his life, Burwell worked as the head baker for the school.
Portrait of Addie Hill taken in Corvallis, Oregon. Addie was a member of the Shasta Costa tribe of the Siletz Agency. She enrolled at Chemawa Indian School in September 1885, just after it had moved from its original campus in Forest Grove. She graduated from Chemawa in 1888 at age 20. This photograph likely dates from around that time. Addie wrote a note on the back of the photograph, addressed to 'Mrs. M. J. Walker': 'From your sewing room girl, Addie Hill.' The addressee was Minerva 'Minnie' Jane Walker, who served as a sewing instructor at Chemawa Indian School. She was also the wife of Samuel A. T. Walker, the shoemaking instructor at the school. The photographer, Samuel B. Graham, is known to have been active in Corvallis in 1889 (See Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 309).
Group portrait of Native American students who attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School and/or Chemawa School. Twelve girls and seven boys are present, all dressed in school-issued clothing. It may have been taken soon after the students enterered the school; several of the girls have shaved heads. The building in the background looks like one of the dormitory buildings on the Forest Grove campus, but the location is not certain. The photographer, Henry DeGroot, operated in Corvallis from 1884-1886.
A studio portrait of “Colonel” John Lee and two Native staff members from the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. The Chemawa Indian School was a boarding school for Native American students that was run by the Department of the Interior. Lee served as Chemawa’s superintendent from September 30, 1885 through March 20, 1889. The two men flanking him are most likely two Native alumni of the school who were on the payroll as staff. Their identities, based on the government employee register for 1887 and comparison with other extant photographs, could be: Henry Steve (or Steeve), Snohomish; Frank Charley, Puyallup; James Maxwell, Nez Perce; Lewis Charles, Puyallup; Philip Wash, Port Madison/Suquamish; or George Piute, Paiute/Warm Springs. Based on other similar photographs in the Pacific University Archives and on the dates when the photographer was active, this photograph was most likely taken in Salem between 1886-1888. (See: Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 394.)
Portrait of three small children, including one in a baby buggy. They are likely the children of David and Katie Brewer, who both attended the Indian Training School in Forest Grove, and continued to work at Chemawa School after graduating. If this is the case, the oldest girl is Gertrude, the middle child is Ernest, the baby is Katie Jr., and the photograph would probably date from 1891. Their father was from the Puyallup tribe and their mother was an Alaskan Native, most likely Tlingit. The photographer, Myra E. Sperry, was a woman who worked in Salem between 1889-1899 (Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 611). See also PUApic_008308 and PUApic_008365 for other images of the children in this family.
Portrait of three students who attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School and/or Chemawa Indian School in Salem: Josephine Allard, Christina (or Christine) Allard, and Joseph Allard. Josephine and Christina entered the Indian School in August, 1884, according to its roster. Joseph's name is not recorded in the roster for Forest Grove; he may have been admitted after the school moved to Salem. The Allard children were members of the Snohomish tribe. This photograph was probably dates from around 1889-1891, based on the ages of the children and the active dates of the photographer, who was a woman named Myra E. Sperry (Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 611).
Letter dated January 16, 1880 from Capt. M. C. Wilkinson to Joseph W. Marsh. Marsh was a professor at Pacific University and was functioning as its interim president. At the time of writing this letter, Wilkinson was preparing to open the Forest Grove Indian School where he would serve as its first superintendent. He tells Marsh that he would be bringing two Native Alaskan chiefs to visit the school site. He explains that because of their visit, he would postpone a trip to Puget Sound. (This postponed trip did indeed take place in February 1880, and resulted in the first group of Native students being brought to the Forest Grove school.) Wilkinson also notes that he had talked to Mrs. Huff of Oregon City about being hired as the school's matron. The letterhead on which this note is written is printed with the addresses of both Pacific University and the Indian Education Department of the Department of the Interior because Wilkinson was working for both of them at the time.
Portrait of three students who attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School and/or Chemawa Indian School in Salem: Mary Ann Nelson, Sarah Nelson, and Andrew Nelson. According to the school's roster, Andrew and Mary Ann entered the training school in August, 1884. Sarah's name is not recorded on the roster, though another Nelson girl recorded as 'Joanna' does appear -- possibly an alternate name for the same person. They were members of the Puyallup tribe. This photograph was likely taken around 1889-1890 based on the ages of the children and the active dates of the photographer, who was a woman named Myra E. Sperry (Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 611).
Portrait of Anna (or 'Annie') Pierre, a member of the Tututni tribe who came from the Siletz Agency. She attended the Indian Training School in Forest Grove and its successor, Chemawa School, from September 1884 through April 1889, according to the school's roster. This photograph was printed in November 1886, probably soon after she moved from Forest Grove to the school's new site in Salem. For another undated portait identified as Anna Pierre, see PUApic_008379. For an image of a relative who attended with her, Sarah Pierre, see PUApic_008377.
Portrait of an infant boy named Ernest Brewer, who was the son of David and Katie Brewer. David Brewer was a member of the Puyallup tribe who was among the first group of students to attend the Forest Grove Indian Training School in 1880. Katie Brewer, an Alaskan Native, was also a student at the school. Both parents worked at the Chemawa School for many years after graduating. The photograph was most likely taken in 1888, based on the age of the child and on the dates when the photographer was active in Salem (See: Robinson, Oregon Photographers, 1993, p. 173-174).
Group portrait of fifteen men and women who were associated with the Indian Training School in Forest Grove. They are sitting in front of one of the buildings used by the school. Most of those depicted were probably teachers and staff members. A note on the back of the photograph identifies the man sitting on the center of the steps as Samuel A. T. Walker, who was the school's shoemaking instructor. The man in the lower left hand corner is Dr. Henry Minthorn, who served as the school's superintendent from 1883-1884. The woman resting a hand on his shoulder is probably his wife, Laura E. Minthorn. The Native man on the right may be David Brewer, who served as the school's disciplinarian. The Native women in the back were probably students who were serving as the girls' workshop leaders. They may include Katie Loulin Brewer, Emma Kahama, Lillie Pitt, Jennie Fletcher, or others.
A group portrait of seven boys who came to the Forest Grove Indian Training School from the Spokane tribe. This portrait likely depicts the seven Spokane boys who arrived together at the school in November, 1880: Charles Abraham; George Secup; George (Pas-cot) Dorn; John Williams; Oliver Lot; Fred Pratt; and Obed Littlewilliams. The picture was taken I.G. Davidson, a photography studio based in Portland who also produced other group portraits of students at the school. The group portraits appear to emphasize the Western clothes and manners of the students, who were required to behave according to white societal norms.
Letter dated November 13, 1879 from Capt. M. C. Wilkinson to Joseph W. Marsh. Marsh was a professor at Pacific University and was functioning as its interim president. Wilkinson was, at the time of writing this letter, serving as an aide-de-camp under General O.O. Howard with the U.S. Army Department of the Columbia, and also teaching military drills at Pacific University. Several months later, Wilkinson would begin working as the first superintendent of the Forest Grove Indian Training School, while concurrently serving as a professor of military science at Pacific University. In this letter, Wilkinson reports on sending a telegram after having consulted with Dr. Atkinson. Atkinson was the Secretary of Pacific University's Board of Trustees and was assisting with getting the Indian School started. Though this letter does not state to whom the telegram was sent, he may be referring to communications with the Office of the Secretary of the Interior about the Indian School. Wilkinson also tells Marsh when he will next be in Forest Grove to do drills.
A group of eight boys who attended the Forest Grove Indian Training School, from the Wasco, Paiute and Warm Springs tribes. This is one of several group portraits by the I. G. Davidson studio that depict 'before and after' views of students at the school. These photographs show that the school dressed the students and taught them to behave according to the norms of white society. The students depicted in this image are probably the eight boys who arrived together from the Warm Springs Agency in July, 1880: Benjamin Miller (Wasco); William Miller (Wasco); Jerry Hollaquilla (Wasco); George J. Piute (Paiute); George Pinouse (Wasco); William Skitus (Wasco); Frank Meachum (Wasco); and Melville Rex (Wasco).
A group portrait of the second group of Spokane students taken to the Forest Grove Indian School from the band of Chief Lot. This photograph was taken in March 1882 at the Forest Grove Indian School campus after they had been enrolled there for seven months. Their names as given on the school roster were: Alice L. Williams; Florence Hayes; Suzette (or Susan) Secup; Julia Jopps; Louise Isaacs; Eunice Madge James; James George; Ben Secup; Frank Rice; and Garfield Hayes.
The Forest Grove Indian School Superintendent had this photograph made for fundraising and promotional purposes. It was intended to be paired with the "before" picture he had taken of the students when they enrolled in the school (see PUApic_008608.jpg). The intention behind the pair of photographs was to show how the school was assimilating Native children into white society, erasing their Native customs. Sadly, one girl in the first photograph, Chief Lot's daughter Martha Lot, died before this photograph was taken.
The general public could buy copies of this photograph for 50 cents per print, with the school earning 10 cents on each sale. The number "63" that appears on this photograph refers to the I.G. Davidson catalog, from which more photographs could be ordered. Tiny numerals written on the photograph apparently refer to a list of captions that no longer exists.
A view of the boy's dormitory in the Forest Grove Indian Training School. The caption notes that this was number 64 in a series of photographs by I.G. Davidson, a photography studio based in Portland. The building and the furniture in this image were constructed by the boys who lived there. The girls at the school sewed the bedding and the uniforms that are hanging on the walls. The photograph was probably intended to show how the students at the school were being taught practical trades and the manners of white society. The picture most likely dates from 1881 or 1882.
A group portrait of students from the Umatilla tribe at the Forest Grove Indian Training School. The students are probably those who arrived as a group from Umatilla lands in October 1881: Haley (or Hallay) George; Emma Winnum; Tina Lowry; Winnie Abrahams; Albert John; Charley Wilhelm; William Barnhart; Moses Price Minthorn; Hugh [Minthorn?]; and Roy Cook. The caption notes that this was number 35 in a series of photographs by I.G. Davidson, a photography studio based in Portland. The photograph is one of several group portraits of students at the school, which were intended to demonstrate how the school dressed the students and taught them to behave according to the norms of white society.
