Guide to the Parrish Family Papers
Prepared by Lacey Brother, Student Assistant and Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivist
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives and History, Madison, New Jersey
5/12/2004
Overview of Records
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| Record Creator: |
Parrish, Josiah Lamberson |
| Title: |
Parrish Family Papers |
| Dates: |
1828- 1944 |
| Abstract: |
Josiah Lamberson Parrish (1806-1895) was an early American missionary to the Indians, U.S. Indian Agent and leader in Christian
education in the Pacific northwest.
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| Extent: |
1.8 cubic feet |
| Resource ID: |
gcah.ms.4237 |
Biographical Note
Josiah Lamberson Parrish (1806-1895) was an early American missionary to the Indians, U.S. Indian agent and leader in Christian
education in the Pacific northwest. He was born in Onondaga County, New York, on January 14, 1806. He learned the blacksmith
trade from his father, and worked on the Erie Canal.
Parrish was converted in 1816 and renewed (?) in 1824 before being licensed to preach in 1830. Parrish heard the call to
the Indian mission in Oregon in 1839. Jason Lee, the superintendent of the Indian mission, had already filled his quota of
ministers, so Parrish entered the Indian mission as a blacksmith.
Parrish arrived in Oregon in 1840, having come by ship around Cape Horn. He served for two years as a blacksmith at the main
mission station in the Willamette Valley, before he was given charge of his own station among the coast Indians in 1842.
From 1843 to 1846, Parrish was a missionary to the Clatsop Indians. After the close of the Indian Mission in 1846, he worked
as a preacher among the white settlers, first as a lay preacher and later as a conference member in full connection. From
1847 to 1848 Parrish served the Yamhill circuit. In 1844 he became a trustee of Willamette University. Between 1849 and
1854, at a time when the government was trying to move the Indians of the Pacific northwest onto reservations, Parrish was
a government Indian agent.
Parrish was interested in public affairs, and helped establish the provisional government of Oregon, which was the only government
in Oregon until the United States Government established the Oregon territorial government in 1846.
Parrish was admitted to the Oregon Conference in 1853 and ordained elder by Bishop Ames. Parrish was one of the first men
in the Oregon Conference to be ordained elder. In 1854, Parrish returned to missionary work on the Grande Ronde Indian reservation,
but retired for health reasons in 1856.
In 1857, Parrish returned to active service and was active until 1879.
Though he spent a lot of time with the Native American people on the reservations, Parrish maintained a home on his Donation
Land Claim, land used for homesteading in Oregon, in what is now the city of Salem.
After his retirement, Parrish served for sixteen years as a prison chaplain at the state prison. He was an original member
of the board of directors of the Oregon Institute, which was chartered as Willamette University in 1853, and remained a member
of the board for the rest of his life. In fact Parrish was elected president of the board of trustees of Willamette University
in 1869.
Parrish was married three times.
He married Elizabeth Winn in 1833, and had four children with her, all boys - Lamberson, Norman, Samuel, and Charles. Elizabeth
Winn Parrish died in 1859.
In 1860, Parrish married Jennie L. Lichtenthaler, by whom he had two children, both girls - Josie and Grace. Jennie died
in 1887.
The next year, 1888 Parrish married Mattie A. Pierce, who had one child, LaRonda Pierce, from a previous marriage.
Scope Note
This collection is comprised mostly of correspondence. The first series consists of Josiah L. Parrish's correspondence, documents,
and records. These records and letters cover several topics, including biographical and family information, information regarding
business affairs and history. The biographical information deals with Josiah L. Parrish's family. There is limited information
regarding his children from his first wife, Elizabeth Winn Parrish, his second wife Jennie Litchenthaler Parrish, and their
daughters (Josie and Grace), and his third wife Mattie A. Pierce and her son LaRonda Pierce.
Parrish, being important in the history of Oregon, has a great deal of historical information in his collection. Also included
in the history section is a copy of the general instructions to missionaries. Included in the business affairs materials
are correspondences and records related to prospecting, agriculture, and real estate, as well as personal business records.
Parrish's papers also include three oversized documents - one making him a member of the New York State Militia, one making
him an Indian Agent, and one signed by President Andrew Johnson granting him land in Oregon.
The second series contains Mattie A. Parrish's papers, mostly letters. The biographical and family information contains correspondence
between Mattie and her relatives - including her husband and his children, as well as her own child LaRonda.
The business affairs material is divided into financial records, legal records, and solicitations. The financial records cover
banking, loans, notes, groceries, dry goods, livestock, clothiers, hardware, insurance, furniture, appliances and lumber.
The legal documents consist of letters from lawyers, court cases, and deeds. The collection also contains several clippings.
These clippings cover multiple women's rights, socialism, the history of Oregon and its first Methodist pioneers, articles
on Oregon and its politics, obituaries of relatives and neighbors, birthday announcements, Arbor Day, editorials, Helen Keller
and the blind, and labor disputes.
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
Series: J. L. Parrish
subseries: Biographical and Family
subseries: Business Affairs
subseries: General
subseries: History
subseries: Oversized Documents
Series: Mattie A. Parrish
subseries: Biographical and Family
subseries: Business Affairs
subseries: Clippings
subseries: Friends and Acquaintances
Preferred Citation
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder,
Parrish Family Collection, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call
number as that is not a stable descriptor.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission
on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any
material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
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Subject Terms
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Additonal Creators - Personal |
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Parrish, Mattie A.. |
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Subject Names - Personal |
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Johnson, Andrew. |
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Subject Names - Corporate |
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Methodist Episcopal Church |
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Subject Topics |
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Agriculture |
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Education |
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Finance |
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Indians-Missions |
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Labor. |
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Loans |
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Methodism |
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Pioneers |
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Politics |
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Prospecting |
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Real Estate |
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Socialism |
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Spanish-American War |
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Women's rights and spiritualism |
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Subject Geographic |
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Oregon. |
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Genre |
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Certificates. |
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Clippings |
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Correspondence |
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Deeds |
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Obituaries |
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Occupations |
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Missionary Indian Agent. |
Series: J. L. Parrish
Sub-series: Biographical and Family
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-6-4:
1
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Biographical |
1855-1866 |
| 1554-6-4:
2
|
Biographical |
1869-1894 |
| 1554-6-4:
3
|
Personal Health |
1889-1897 |
| 1554-6-4:
4
|
Sons |
1868-1904 |
| 1554-6-4:
5
|
Jennie Lichenthaler |
1877-1892 |
| 1554-6-4:
7
|
Grace |
1889-1894 |
| 1554-6-4:
8
|
Grace |
1885-1937 |
| 1554-6-4:
9
|
Josie |
1887-1925 |
| 1554-6-4:
10
|
Josie |
1888-1923 |
| 1554-6-4:
11
|
Josie |
1881-1928 |
| 1554-6-4:
12
|
Social |
1869-1894 |
Sub-series: Business Affairs
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-6-5:
1
|
Business Affairs |
1862 |
| 1554-6-5:
2
|
Business Affairs |
1845-1855 |
| 1554-6-5:
3
|
Business Affairs |
1855-1857 |
| 1554-6-5:
4
|
Business Affairs |
1857-1859 |
| 1554-6-5:
5
|
Business Affairs |
1859-1861 |
| 1554-6-5:
6
|
Business Affairs |
1862-1863 |
| 1554-6-5:
7
|
Business Affairs |
1863-1866 |
| 1554-6-5:
8
|
Business Affairs |
1867-1877 |
| 1554-6-5:
9
|
Business Affairs |
1869-1895 |
| 1554-6-5:
10
|
Business Affairs |
1863-1895 |
| 1554-6-5:
11
|
Agriculture |
1858-1860 |
| 1554-6-5:
12
|
Agriculture |
1858-1862 |
| 1554-6-5:
13
|
Agriculture |
1864-1866 |
| 1554-6-5:
14
|
Agriculture |
1870-1897 |
| 1554-6-5:
15
|
Agriculture |
1870-1897 |
| 1554-6-5:
16
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Beers Family |
1853-1855 |
| 1554-6-5:
18
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Prospecting |
1860 |
| 1554-7-1:
1
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Prospecting |
1860 |
| 1554-7-1:
2
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Prospecting |
1860-1891 |
| 1554-7-1:
3
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Real Estate |
1848-1859 |
| 1554-7-1:
4
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Real Estate |
1859-1874 |
| 1554-7-1:
5
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Real Estate |
1866-1889 |
Sub-series: General
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-1:
21
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Miscellaneous Subjects |
1852-1866 |
| 1554-7-1:
22
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Miscellaneous Documents |
1847-1877 |
| 1554-7-1:
23
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Miscellaneous |
1889-1917 |
| 1554-7-2:
1
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Organizations |
1852-1872 |
| 1554-7-2:
2
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Organizations |
1869-1893 |
Sub-series: History
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-1:
6
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Indian Affairs |
1852-1857 |
| 1554-7-1:
7
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Indian Affairs (Vouchers and Property Returns) |
1854 |
| 1554-7-1:
8
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Indian Affairs (Abstract) |
1854 |
| 1554-7-1:
9
|
Indian Affairs (Abstract) |
1854 |
| 1554-7-1:
10
|
Indian Affairs |
1853-1858 |
| 1554-7-1:
11
|
Indian Affairs |
1889-1944 |
| 1554-7-1:
12
|
Methodist Church (General Instructions to Missionaries) |
1839-1855 |
| 1554-7-1:
13
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Methodist Church |
1856-1877 |
| 1554-7-1:
14
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Methodist Church |
1864-1894 |
| 1554-7-1:
15
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Oregon Education |
1853-1857 |
| 1554-7-1:
16
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Oregon Education |
1870-1893 |
| 1554-7-1:
17
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Oregon History (Laws and Legislation) |
1859 |
| 1554-7-1:
18
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Oregon History (Laws and Legislation) |
1861-1868 |
| 1554-7-1:
19
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Oregon History (Laws and Legislation) |
1840-1896 |
| 1554-7-1:
20
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U.S. History |
1860-1863 |
Sub-series: Oversized Documents
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-5:
1
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Sub-Indian Agent Appointment |
1849 |
| 1554-7-5:
2
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New York State Militia |
1828 |
| 1554-7-5:
3
|
Land Grant |
1865 |
Series: Mattie A. Parrish
Sub-series: Biographical and Family
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-2:
3
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Correspondences: Arnold, J.W. |
1905 |
| 1554-7-2:
4
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Correspondences: Clark, Susan P. |
1903 |
| 1554-7-2:
5
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Correspondences: Ella (Niece) |
1893-1900 |
| 1554-7-2:
6
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Correspondences: Elsie (Niece) |
1925 |
| 1554-7-2:
7
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Correspondences: Grace |
1890-1922 |
| 1554-7-2:
8
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Correspondences: Hiatt, Clara R. |
1899-1925 |
| 1554-7-2:
9
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Correspondences: Hiatt, Oliver C. |
1894-1899 |
| 1554-7-2:
10
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Correspondences: Josie |
1923-1931 |
| 1554-7-2:
11
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Correspondences: Pierce, LaRonda M. |
1892-1924 |
| 1554-7-2:
12
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Correspondences: Lichenthaler, George W. |
1891 |
| 1554-7-2:
13
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Correspondences: Parrish, Josiah Lamberson |
1878-1894 |
| 1554-7-2:
14
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Correspondences: Social |
1891-1929 |
Sub-series: Business Affairs
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-3:
7
|
Financial |
1888-1894 |
| 1554-7-3:
8
|
Financial |
1895-1898 |
| 1554-7-4:
1
|
Financial |
1899-1916 |
| 1554-7-4:
2
|
Financial |
1919-1931 |
| 1554-7-4:
3
|
Legal |
1889-1916 |
| 1554-7-4:
4
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Solicitations |
1894-1930 |
Sub-series: Clippings
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-4:
5
|
Clippings |
1892-1898 |
Sub-series: Friends and Acquaintances
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1554-7-2:
15
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Correspondences: Barhan, Nannie |
1924-1929 |
| 1554-7-2:
16
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Correspondences: Behle, A.E. |
1897-1901 |
| 1554-7-2:
17
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Correspondences: Chappell, Lida |
1919-1926 |
| 1554-7-2:
18
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Correspondences: Clyde, Jermina |
1890-1892 |
| 1554-7-2:
19
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Correspondences: Davenport, Lizzie |
1899 |
| 1554-7-2:
20
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Correspondences: Jones, O.W. |
1893-1901 |
| 1554-7-2:
21
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Correspondences: Lymn, H.S. |
1899 |
| 1554-7-2:
22
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Correspondences: Martin, Mellie M. |
1888-1892 |
| 1554-7-2:
23
|
Correspondences: Minto, John |
1895 |
| 1554-7-3:
1
|
Correspondences: Muelhoupt, Oscar and Walter |
1889-1915 |
| 1554-7-3:
2
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Correspondences: Sepmeyer, Anna |
1904-1929 |
| 1554-7-3:
3
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Correspondences: Zachurt, Bess Bloom and William Bloom |
1914-1925 |
| 1554-7-3:
4
|
Correspondences: Additon - Himes |
1889-1924 |
| 1554-7-3:
5
|
Correspondences: Hollbrook - Smith |
1875-1930 |
| 1554-7-3:
6
|
Correspondences: Storey - Worley |
1892-1930 |
