University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299 USA
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html



Guide to the Randall V. Mills Photographs, circa 1870-1952


PH008





Finding aid prepared by Megan Dazey

Finding aid encoded by Nathan Georgitis and Megan Dazey, 2007


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives

1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299 USA
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html

 
Collection Number:
 

PH008

 
Creator:
 

Mills, Randall Vause, 1907-1952

 
Title:
 

Randall V. Mills Photographs

 
Dates:
 

circa 1937-1952 (inclusive)

 
Quantity:
 

16 albums
ca. 200 negatives, 5000 prints

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Randall V. Mills (1907-1952) was an English professor at the University of Oregon, a scholar of the history of transportation in the West, and a folklorist who was interested in proverbs, dialect, songs, superstitions and place names. Collection comprises negatives and prints of photographs of covered bridges and steamship captains in Oregon and railroad locomotives and cars in the western United States.

 

Biographical Note

Randall Vause Mills, born in Wisconsin in 1907, was an English professor with a variety of interests related to the Pacific Northwest. Educated in California, he received his undergraduate degree in 1929 from UCLA and his master's from UC-Berkley in 1932. He joined the University of Oregon English faculty in 1938.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mills wrote two books and numerous articles. One of his primary interests was the history of transportation in the Pacific Northwest, especially steamboats and railroads. Growing up he had a chance to see steamboats in action and, at one point, worked for a steamship company in Los Angeles. His first book, Stern-Wheelers Up Columbia, was published in 1947 and gives a general account of steamship navigation on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. His interest in railroads took hold as a young boy, continuing throughout his life and culminating in 1950 with the publication of his book Railroads Down the Valleys: Some Short Lines of the Oregon Country. Steamships and railroads were the subjects of numerous other published articles as well.

Another subject for which Mills showed enthusiasm was folklore, particularly proverbs, dialect, songs, superstitions and place names. He was the founder and first president of the Oregon Folklore Society. Serving as Director for the Oregon branch of the American Dialect Society, he also chaired the state sub-committee for the collection of dialect sayings. He held the positions of associated editor for Western Folklore. The University of Oregon has named its Folklore Archives in honor of Mills.

Mills also found the subject of covered bridges of interest. He investigated all aspects, from builders to construction to materials to need and location.

Randall Mills died in 1952 at the age of 44.

Content Description

The collection consists of contemporary images and copies of vintage images, taken or collected by Mills. The source of the original images is not known, but evidence suggests that Mills acquired images from dealers including George Abdill, E.D. Culp, Portland General Electric, Charles V. Hess, T.G. Wurm, Frederick Shaw, R.D. Kimmel, Charles S. Jones, Joe Smith, Douglas F. Richter, Moody, and Arthur Lloyd, Jr. Fifty-eight images by W.J. Gould (1854-1926), a British Canadian photographer who claimed to have worked in Oregon early in his career, may also be included.

The first twelve albums are scrapbooks assembled and captioned by Mills, focusing on rolling stock. The last three contain 164 images documenting shipping on the Columbia River and elsewhere in the United States. The final album contains street scenes mostly of Portland, Oregon from the late 1800's.

Arrangement

Collection is organized into the following series:

  • Album 1: Railways—Northern California, Nevada, Colorado & Oregon Electric
  • Album 2: Pacific Electric in California
  • Album 3: Electric Railways-California
  • Album 4: Southern Pacific Lines and Pacific Electric Railway. BY: Whittacker, W.C.
  • Album 5: Portland Wide Gauge Miscellaneous Electric Railways & Trolleys
  • Album 6: Electric Railways of California
  • Album 7: Miscellaneous Railways Western Pacific, Panama, El Paso & Southwestern, etc. Viaducts
  • Album 8: Railroads-National Santa Fe, B & O, Bridgton & Harrison, etc.
  • Album 9: Electric Railways (Trolley Cars)-Ohio thru Wisconsin, plus British Columbia and Ontario
  • Album 10: Electric Railways, Alabama thru North Carolina
  • Album 11: Oregon Railroads - Steam
  • Album 12: Portland Railway, Light and Power Company and Predecessor Companies
  • Album 13
  • Album 14
  • Album 15
  • Album 16

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Collection donated by Hazel Mills, Randall's wife, shortly after his death in 1952.

Processing Note 

Collection processed by Megan Dazey, completed May 2005.

Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available 

Selected photographs from this collection are available as digital images.

See the Randall V. Mills Photographs in the University of Oregon Libraries' Digital Collections.

Restrictions on Access 

Collection is open to the public.

Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.

Restrictions on Use 

Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish images must be submitted to the Photographs Curator in Special Collections & University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation 

[Identification of item], Randall V. Mills Photographs, PH008, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Related Information

Related Materials 

Randall V. Mills Papers (text/html) , Coll. 088, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
Covered bridges--Oregon--Photographs
Railroad motorcars--West (U.S.)--Photographs
Ship captains--Oregon--Portraits
Steamboats--Oregon--Photographs
Nitrate negatives
Silver gelatin prints

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


 

Album 1:  Railways—Northern California, Nevada, Colorado & Oregon Electric

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
album
1


PH008_0001:  1 Alaska Railroad 0-4-0-T Fairbanks, Alaska.
  1937
 


PH008_0002:  Apache Railway, Holbrook Arizona. Runs south to McNary. Arizona Lumber camp. Operated by the Santa Fe. Railway. Photo by H.R. High Denver Colo.
  October 1921
 


PH008_0003:  Alameda Belt Line engine 3. Coal steam engine with coal car behind engine. California
 
 


PH008_0004:  Alameda Belt Line D-2 engine on tracks. "Roundhouse". California
  August 26, 1944
 


PH008_0005:  Amador Central 5 Engine on track, with 2 men on top of engine. By: W.C. Whittaker California
 
 


PH008_0006:  334 Engine on track. California
 
 


PH008_0007:  A.C. Roundhouse Martel, California. Amador Central. BY: T.Wurm.
  March 1938
 


PH008_0008:  Small house with boarded up windows. California
 
 


PH008_0009:  Arcata & Mad River & Korbel, California steam engine inside building.
  1937
 


PH008_0010:  Arcata & Mad River 5 Korbel engine inside building
  June 1942
 


PH008_0011:  Arcata & Mad River 6 Korbel, engine inside building
  June 1942
 


PH008_0012:  Arcata & Mad River Railroad #5 Korbel, 2 boxcars next to building with man digging near second
  May 1944
 


PH008_0013:  Arcata & Mad River Railroad. Dining car, California.
 
 


PH008_0014:  Arcata & Mad River Railroad, 5 boxcars on track. California.
 
 


PH008_0015:  Tracking running behind buildings, next to hillside in California
 
 


PH008_0016:  Arcata & Mad River Depot station, with heavy machinery. California
 
 


PH008_0017:  Bay Point & Clayton- owned by Cowell Portland Cement Company Port Chicago. Coal engine with coal car, with 2 men on board.
  July 14, 1938
 


PH008_0018:  Bay Point & Clayton train at Cornell. California. Engine is Cowell Portland Cement which operates the Bay Point and Clayton. with a Cowell Portland Cement Company CP CP Company Caboose. BY T.G. Wurm
  April 2, 1939
 


PH008_0019:  Cowell Portland Cement Company C.P. Company, Engine, coal car and caboose
 
 


PH008_0020:  Cowell Portland Cement Company. Engine #5.
 
 


PH008_0021:  Engine #6
 
 


PH008_0022:  Bay Point & Clayton Railroad Company # 2 and SN excursion near Clyde, California. 4-2-38 Bay Point & Clayton R.R. #2 0-6-0, pulling electric cars of Sacramento Northern Railway over Bay Point and Clayton line.
  April 2, 1938
 


PH008_0023:  View from train as going down track of fields.
 
 


PH008_0024:  Bay Point & Clayton Railroad Company Engine and cars pulling into Western Pacific train depot in California
 
 


PH008_0025:  Blake Bros. Gravel Company Pt. Richmond, California. Engine pulling out of building.
  1939
 


PH008_0026:  Engine #1
 
 


PH008_0027:  Construction Logs used in building of Little Bear ("Arrowhead") dam. Southern California. Used originally as a dummy pulley passenger equipment on San Bernadino Redlands R.R. R.K. Porter & Company Engine at end of track
 
 


PH008_0028:  C.C.B.S.R.R.R. Wooden warehouse.
 
 


PH008_0029:  Cobbs Wall & Company Engine in yard next to wooden warehouse
 
 


PH008_0030:  Steam Donkey on tracks
 
 


PH008_0031:  Engine on tracks.
 
 


PH008_0032:  Hobbs-Wall Lumber Company, Engine #3 Crescent City, California.
  1939
 


PH008_0033:  Crescent City Railway #2 0-6-0 Crescent, California Taken in 1912 used to be Southern Pacific1071 0-6-0. There are 2 men standing near Crescent City Railway engine.
  1912
 


PH008_0034:  Capistrano Engine #18 pulling into Capistrano, California station.
 
 


PH008_0035:  Camp Grant and Eureka R. Falk Engine no.1 in grass
 
 


PH008_0036:  Engine crossing street.
 
 


PH008_0037:  California-Western Engine 38 Ft. Bragg, California.
  April 10, 1938
 


PH008_0038:  California Western Railway. Ft. Bragg, California. September 9, 1938 at 7 am. Motors M80 & M100. 3 engines under cover.
  September 9, 1938
 


PH008_0039:  California Western Railway- Willits California. Passengers leaving M100 California Western railcar in yard
  June 1939
 


PH008_0040:  California Western Railway #462 Willits, California, boxcar filled with wood
  June 1939
 


PH008_0041:  California Western Railway & N Ft. Bragg, California, Coach #43 passenger car being repaired
  September 9, 1939
 


PH008_0042:  California Western Railway 06 Caboose on track
 
 


PH008_0043:  Casper South Fork & Eastern engine with people climbing in and out. California
 
 


PH008_0044:  Casper South Fork & Eastern 5 gage engine on track near house covered in men, with crowd standing near. California
  April 1938
 


PH008_0045:  #1 Blake Bros. gasoline locomotive Richmond, California. WCW Trailers being pulled by small Blake Bros. Engine. Date: 1938 May. Place: California
  May 1938
 


PH008_0046:  Diamond & Caldor Railway Engine #4 in yard next to wooden warehouse
  April 13, 1938
 


PH008_0047:  Engine House Diamond & Caldor Railway. Diamond Springs. California
  April 15, 1938
 


PH008_0048:  Diamond & Caldor Railway #8 Diamond Springs, California. Logs being loaded onto flatbed trailer. BY: W.C. Whittaker.
  August 21, 1938
 


PH008_0049:  Sheds and yards of Diamond & Caldor Railway-taken at Diamond Springs. Lumber in rail yard
 
 


PH008_0050:  Diamond Springs on the Southern Pacific Diamond & Caldor Railway converts with the Southern Pacific here. Southern Pacific Railcars at Diamond Springs rail depot, with passengers looking on. BY: W.C. Whittaker.
  August 21, 1938
 


PH008_0051:  Daniels Contracting Company San Rafael, California. Engine near hillside.
  1939
 


PH008_0052:  Daniels' Contracting Company Engine #4 McNears' Landing, California.
  1939
 


PH008_0053:  Diamond Match Engine #103 in yard
 
 


PH008_0054:  Engine in grassy area.
 
 


PH008_0055:  Feather River Lumber. F.R.L.C. Engine #2 BY: W.C. Whittaker
 
 


PH008_0056:  Gualala R. Railroad #2, 4-4-0 14x16, 40. 30000ad, Prescott-Scott, 1881. 5pt., 8 1/2 inch gauge Line now abandoned & engines scrapped Gualala, California. Rusted engine next to warehouse. BY: T.G. Wurm.
  March 22, 1936
 


PH008_0057:  Harbor Bill Line Railroad #1151 Ex- Southern Pacific Long Beach, California. Harbor Beltline Railroad 1151 Engine next to Southern Pacific and Pacific Electric Freight Station.
  August 1939
 


PH008_0058:  Harbor Beltline Railroad 2019 engine with coal car next to small gravel pile
 
 


PH008_0059:  Elk Lumber Company Elk California. September 8, 1938 Taken 4:30 pm, rail yard from a distance
  September 8, 1938
 


PH008_0060:  Hobart Southern's Narrow gauge in Junk yard at S.F. Hobart Estate #5 engine on flatbed rail car
 
 


PH008_0061:  Hobart Estate Company engine #6 (abandoned) scrapped just before scrapped.
 
 


PH008_0062:  Hobart Estate Company engine #9, abandoned. Taken at San Francisco, just before scrapping
 
 


PH008_0063:  Holmes-Eureka Lumber Company engine #1 Palmer Creek, California, at end of tracks in bushes
  1939
 


PH008_0064:  Humboldt Northern engine on tracks next to hillside
 
 


PH008_0065:  Hammond Redwood engine #8 Cramwell, California, on side of tracks
  June 1939
 


PH008_0067:  H.R. H.R.Company Boxcar #24 on track with open door
 
 


PH008_0068:  Wooden bridge over elevated train tracks
 
 


PH008_0069:  Indian Valley #2 engine on tracks
 
 


PH008_0070:  Indian Valley Railroad engine #2 R. Crescent Mills, California. (Abandoned) With a woman in a dress standing next to engine
 
 


PH008_0071:  Indian Valley open boxcar BY: Ciapponi, L.J.
 
 


PH008_0072:  Los Angeles Junction Engine on tracks
 
 


PH008_0073:  Los Angeles Junction Railway Company Engine 200 at depot
 
 


PH008_0074:  Locomotive engine #5 of the Lake Tahoe Railroad & L. Company taken prior to the early twenties. Sold to the N.C.Narrow Gauge BY: Selnerlhorn.
 
 


PH008_0075:  Engine #1 next to warehouse with men leaving it
 
 


PH008_0076:  Merced Gold Mining Company, old engine on part of train tracks with man standing next to it. BY: Ciapponi, L.J.
 
 


PH008_0076.1:  Mt. Tamalpais Train with passenger cars along hillside
  September, 1920
 


PH008_0076.2:  Locomotive (geared 4-4) if two Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Wooels Railroad Engine #7 with engineer alongside. BY: Selenhorne.
 
 


PH008_0078:  Mill Valley "Limited" with a man standing next to small engine passenger rail car
  1929
 


PH008_0079:  Gravity Train Tamalpais. Flat bed passenger cars
  September 1920
 


PH008_0080:  Brush alongside track
 
 


PH008_0081:  Michigan California Lumber Company Engine #2 on track with conductor inside, Carmino, California
  August 21, 1938
 


PH008_0082:  Michigan California Lumber Excursion train going over bridge with open cars filled with people
  August 21, 1938
 


PH008_0083:  Modesto and Empire Traction Company engine #3 Modesto California with coal car in rail yard
  February 25, 1939
 


PH008_0084:  Modesto and Empire Traction Company Engine #6 with coal car in rail yard, with men standing next to engine
  August 15, 1937
 


PH008_0085:  Modesto & Empire Traction engine #7 Ex Red River Lumber 25 with coal car in rail yard BY: W.C. Whittaker
 
 


PH008_0086:  Modesto & Empire Traction Company Engine #7 with coal car in rail yard, going by warehouse
  July 1939
 


PH008_0087:  Modesto & Empire Traction. Scene at Modesto, California Roundhouse
  June 1939
 


PH008_0088:  Modesto and Empire Traction engine # 7 with coal car in rail yard, going by warehouse. Modesto, California
  June 1939
 


PH008_0089:  McCloud River engine #18 McCloud, California. Nov. 14 1939.
  November 14, 1939
 


PH008_0090:  McCloud River Railroad Engine #19 in rail yard.
  May 30, 1941
 


PH008_0091:  McCloud River Engine #27 BY: Whittacker, W.C.
  May30, 1941
 


PH008_0092:  McCloud River Engine #6, wood burning, with load of chopped wood. BY: Whittacker, W.C.
 
 


PH008_0093:  Nevada County Narrow Gauge Engine #8
  March 11, 1941
 


PH008_0094:  First Annual Western Excursion of Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. Colfax to Grass Valley & Return. Train ticket #12095.
 
 


PH008_0095:  LoCo #9 on the N.C.Narrow Gauge Railroad. (2-6-0) taken at Grass Valley, California
  May 16, 1937
 


PH008_0096:  Special Haen on N.C.Narrow Gauge Railroad beyond Bear Creek. Shows #9 and Combination #3 Nevada County Narrow Gauge engine with passenger car, people on car and alongside tracks
  May 16, 1937
 


PH008_0097:  Equipment at Colfax of Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Engine #1.
  June 1, 1936
 


PH008_0098:  Locomotive #5 (2-6-0) of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Taken at Grass Valley May 16, 1937 Undergoing repairs. Built 1875 for Carson & Lake Tahoe Lumber & Mining Company
  May 16, 1937
 


PH008_0099:  Nevada Company Narrow Gauge (3ft gauge) #9.2-8-0 Ex Southern Pacific #1 Baldwin Grass Valley, California. Engine #9 with snow shovel on front. BY: T.G. Wurm.
  November 1936
 


PH008_0100:  Locomotive #1 L.T. Railway & R. at Grass Valley, California. Originally #1 of the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company
  May 16, 1937
 


PH008_0101:  Nevada County Narrow Gauge at Bear Creek. Looking down to shore from bridge
  May 1937
 


PH008_0102:  F & C.C. Boxcar Red See F & CC name above the NCNG name Colfax, California. NCNG Railroad 132 boxcar with open door along track. BY: T.G. Wurm
  April 4, 1939
 


PH008_0103:  Equipment on N.C.Narrow Gauge Railroad, coaches L & G & freight equipment from Standard Grass Valley
  May 16, 1937
 


PH008_0104:  Caboose leaving water station.
 
 


PH008_0105:  Passenger Equipment of N.C.Narrow Gauge at Grass Nevada City- Coaches #3,7 and 1
  May 1937
 


PH008_0106:  From Bear Creek Trestle-N.C.Narrow Gauge Railroad. View down to river from bridge
  May 16 1937
 


PH008_0107:  W.A. Silverthorn 442 Johnson St. Sausalito California May 16, 1937, Identified also as N.P.C. #9 taken at Pt. Reyes. Northern California Railroad. Built 1864-Wrecked c.1896
  May 16 1937
 


PH008_0108:  Men standing on North Pacific engine no.18
 
 


PH008_0109:  NWP 10-Tender 9 2800 gals Engine with coal car. BY: Whittaker, W.C.
  1937
 


PH008_0110:  N.W.P. Engine 113 with Coal car. BY: Whittaker, W.C.
  April 10, 1938
 


PH008_0111:  NWP Engine 23 on rails with men standing near, Sonoma, California
  FebruaRailway 23, 1941
 


PH008_0112:  Camp Bohemian Station Russian River. Engine 23 on track with 2 passenger cars
 
 


PH008_0113:  N.W.P. Engine 109 on track with conductor
 
 


PH008_0114:  NWP engine 170 Sausalito in rail yard
  July 1941
 


PH008_0115:  Willits Lumber Company Engine 173 on tracks in front of Willits Lumber Company building
 
 


PH008_0116:  NWP Engine 180 crossing bridge over canyon, exiting tunnel with stock cars. BY: Whittacker, W.C.
  1938
 


PH008_0117:  N.W.P. Engine 230 with coal car parked below hill with houses
 
 


PH008_0118:  N.W.P. Engine 231 passing in front of Bowling Alley
  September 8, 1938
 


PH008_0119:  NWP-109--S-1, Tiboron, California. Engine 109 in rail yard with passenger cars. BY: Whittacker, W.C.
  January 26, 1941
 


PH008_0120:  NWP Engine 139 Sausalito, California
  July 1941
 


PH008_0121:  NWP-904-B, Kekamaka passenger car 2 on track. BY: Whittacker, W.C.
  July 3, 1938
 


PH008_0122:  NWP-904-D, Eureka- passenger car