Register of the Corbett, Failing & Co. (Portland, Ore.) Records, 1851-1898

Processed by Holt Atherton staff; rev. by Don Walker; machine-readable finding aid created by Don Walker
Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
University Library, University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA 95211
Phone: (209) 946-2404
URL: https://www.pacific.edu/university-libraries/find/holt-atherton-special-collections
© 1998
University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.



Register of the Corbett, Failing & Co. (Portland, Ore.) Records, 1851-1898

Collection number: Mss38

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

University Library

University of the Pacific

Contact Information

Processed by:
Holt Atherton staff; rev. by Don Walker
Date Completed:
1998
Encoded by:
Don Walker
© 1998 University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Corbett, Failing & Co. (Portland, Ore.) Records,
Date (inclusive): 1851-1898
Collection number: Mss38
Creator: Reginald R. Stuart
Extent: 1.5 linear ft.
Repository: University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
Stockton, CA 95211
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Corbett, Failing & Co. (Portland, Ore.) Records, Mss38, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Access Points

personal name

Corbett, Henry W. (1827-1903)

personal name

Failing, Henry

corporate name

Corbett, Failing & Co. (Portland, Ore.)

corporate name

Corbett (H.W.) Co. (Portland, Ore.)

corporate name

Oregon Iron Company

corporate name

Oregon & California Stage Company

subjects

Merchants -Oregon -1859-

subjects

Shipping -Oregon -1859-

subjects

Hardware stores -Oregon -1859-

subjects

Merchant ships -Oregon -1859-

subjects

Oregon -History -Sources

Biography

Prominent wholesale hardware firm created (1871) after a merger between two Pacific Northwest businessmen, Henry W. Corbett & Henry Failing. Corbett also served one term as U.S. Senator from Oregon (1867-1873). Many of their goods were shipped by clipper ships and other transportation systems under their control.

Scope and Content

Henry W. Corbett's records (1851-1870) consist of one daybook, a ledger, a letter book, correspondence and many receipts. Corbett, Failing Co. records include correspondence (1871-1898), 11 steamship invoice books and scattered records of the Oregon Iron Co., the Oregon & Calif. Stage Co. and several other mercantile ventures.

 

Box 1: BUSINESS LEDGERS

 

1.1: "Sales." H.W. Corbett, Portland, Day Book, 1851-1857. [brown leather, 32cm., 696 pp.; one page per day, lists items sold]

 

1.2: "Journal." H.W. Corbett, Portland, Journal, 1852-1860. [brown leather, 32 cm., 300 pp.; daily listings of items purchased]

 

1.3: "Letters." Corbett (H.W.) Co. Correspondence, 1865-1859. [black cloth, 37cm., 500 pp.; correspondence, purchase orders, payments, etc.; book is water damaged, and many entries are barely legible]

 

Box Two: BUSINESS PAPERS

 

2.1: Contracts, receipts, payment orders, etc. of Portland City officials, H.W. Corbett et al., 1850S [18 items]

 

2.2: Correspondence and shipping orders, 1862 [7 items]

 

2.3: Receipts, correspondence, shipping bills and business agreements pertaining to the creation of a steam ship line, 1863 [12 items]

 

2.4: Receipts, correspondence, shipping bills, telegram and temperance handbill,1864 [12 items]

 

2.5: Receipts and shipping bills, 1864 [6 items]

 

2.6: Receipts, 1865 [15 items]

 

2.7: Receipts, shipping bills and correspondence, 1865 [28 items]

 

2.8: Receipts, shipping bills and correspondence, 1865 [11 items]

 

2.9: Receipts,1866 [16 items]

 

2.10: Receipts and shipping bills,1866 [16 items]

 

2.11: Receipts, bills, shipping bills and payrolls of the Oregon Iron Co., 1866 [9 items]

 

2.12: Receipts, shipping bills,1866 [19 items]

 

2.13: Receipts, reports of Jackson Co. Road District and waybill of the Oregon Stage Co.,1866 [19 items]

 

2.14: Receipts, 1866 [16 items]

 

2.15: Receipts, canceled checks, 1866 [15 items]

 

2.16: Receipts, 1866 [19 items]

 

2.17: Do., 1866 [11 items]

 

2.18: Do., 1866 [16 items]

 

2.19: Do., 1866 [23 items]

 

2.20: Do., 1867 [26 items]

 

2.21: Receipts, canceled checks, 1867 [15 items]

 

2.22: Receipts, 1867 [6 items]

 

2.23: Do., 1867 [25 items]

 

2.24: Do., 1867 [20 items]

 

2.25: Do., 1867 [21 items]

 

2.26: Receipts, shipping bills and canceled checks, 1867 [31 items]

 

2.27: Receipts, 1867 [13 items]

 

2.28: Do., 1867 [14 items]

 

2.29: Do., 1867 [20 items]

 

2.30: Do., 1867 [19 items]

 

2.31: Do., 1867 [17 items]

 

2.32: Do., 1867 [15 items]

 

2.33: Receipts,1867 [33 items]

 

2.34: Do., 1867 [18 items]

 

2.35: Receipts, canceled checks, land appraisal, 1867 [23 items]

 

2.36: Oregon Stage Co. poster, 1867

 

BOX 3: RECEIPTS & OTHER PAPERS; FOSTER PAPERS

 

3.1: Receipts and other records, 1868 [19 items]

 

3.2: Receipts, 1868 [16 items]

 

3.3: Do., 1868 [13 items]

 

3.4: Do., 1868 [18 items]

 

3.5: Do., 1868 [23 items]

 

3.6: Do., 1868 [27 items]

 

3.7: Do., 1868 [36 items]

 

3.8: Do., 1869 [14 items]

 

3.9: Do., 1869 [23 items]

 

3.10: Receipts, canceled checks, 1869 [15 items]

 

3.11: Receipts, canceled checks, 1870 [5 items]

 

3.12: Receipts, 1870 [23 items]

 

3.13: Do., 1870 [21 items]

 

3.14: Receipts and canceled checks, 1870 [10 items]

 

3.15: Do., 1870 [26 items]

 

3.16: Receipts, 1871 [9 items]

 

3.17: Receipts and correspondence from the I.O.O.F.1872 [3 items]

 

3.18: Receipts, 1873 [3 items]

 

3.19: Receipts, 1874 [2 items]

 

3.20: Corbett payroll, 1875 [1 item]

 

3.21: Receipt, 1876 [1 item]

 

3.22: Receipts, canceled checks and Foster correspondence, 1878 [6 items]

 

3.23: Receipt,1879 [1 item]

 

3.24: Receipts, stock certificates, shipping bills, 1880's [19 items]

 

3.25: Receipts, 1890s [28 items ]

 

3.26: Receipts, business memos and agreements, n.d. [5 items]

 

3.27: "Founders of Industry," n.d. [pamphlet]

 

3.28: Corbett-Failing Co., Foster Journals, 1863-1874. [ 11 leather steamship invoice books, 15 cm., 80 pp. ea.]