Printed Collection Finding Aid

The collection of the Oregon Chapter Trail of the American Red Cross contains published and other written materials that are pertinent to the organization. These include all written materials excluding newspapers, such as: pamphlets, booklets, letters, essays, fact sheets and annual reports. The materials contained within this collection are not specific to the Oregon Trail Chapter even though those materials make up the bulk, yet there are materials from government and military branches as well as those from the American Red Cross and those from the International Red Cross.

The arrangement of the materials is grouped by decade in which either the materials were published or in cases where no publish date is provided they are arranged by the date intended within either the title or the publication. The materials in each box follow chronological order from January to December of that year, beginning in the same fashion with the next year. The 1960’s are located within two boxes dating from 1960 through 1965 and 1965 through 1969. The 1970 are located in another box and other decades follow this same arrangement. The Histories materials follow the same principle yet the span of the dates is vast, therefore they where filled by the dates in which they where intended, for example a history from 1919 to 1945 will be filled before a history that dates from 1919 to 1960. There are a few cases where original order was maintained, especially the Histories of Chapter or the American Red Cross and a few other materials that were received in folders. All materials are filled individually except those where original order was maintained or those that pertain to each other such as copies or a series or materials that follow either a chronological order or that maintain one specific subject.

The material from the 1880s through the 1930s is quite sparse and often of little clear relation to the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross. Many of the materials are, however, one of a kind and relate the Red Cross activities around the world. In addition to varied collectible items there are several certificates dealing with the Red Cross activities in WWI. As far as reproductions this collection contains, even in this early era, many pamphlets as well as facsimiles of cartoons and several of Clara Barton’s famous American Red Cross statements.

While the 1940s material also contains many published pamphlets from the American Red Cross there are in addition numerous original and local documents relating to Portland-Multnomah Co Chapter, the bulk of which are Thank You letters. As well as a pair of internal chapter letters, there are letters from hospitals, the U.S. military and the American National Red Cross written to Canteen services, the Portland chapter in general and the chapter chairman. Two folders contain recreation or heath related charts from the American National Red Cross. Relating to World War II this collection contains Prisoner of War Bulletins printed by the Red Cross as well as extensive photocopies of Jean Clark’s (an Oregon Native) correspondence as an aid worker in the European theater.

During the decade of the 1950s the printed material of the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross consists of pamphlets, inter office memos, committee member rosters, and public information materials. From this period alone, one gets a feel for the scope of ARC outreach into public education and training. From swimming strokes, to canoe paddling, to CPR, the extent to which the organization spread its teachings is impressive.

Specific material that is connected include the file on Mt. St. Helen’s eruption, the Newsletters Discovery, vol 3, #1, #5, #6, Vol. 5 #1, #3; Factors vol. 3, #5, vol. 5 #1; and Center Connection Vol. viii #7, #13 and Center Connection Vol. viii #7, #13 of a different date. The rest of the materials are not connected in any clear manner.

The archival materials for the 1960’s consist of pamphlets, letters, newsletters, fact sheets and reports. The focus is mostly on disaster relief and awareness as well as teaching materials for future volunteers. A good example of this is the pamphlets that are intended to teach people the mechanics of drowning and how to be more water conscious, such as Teaching Johnny to swim, and The Instructors manual for swimming. Another focus is the collection of blood and quotas which can be found in the fact sheets and reports. These are also supported by the various letters contained within the collection mostly congratulating the Red Cross on blood donation. However the materials do not focus on Vietnam in any fashion nor does the collection contain information about that conflict. Arrangement has been described in the introduction to the collection and provenance is maintained at the end of each heading. All items that remained in original order are noted by a disclaimer while everything else follows a chronological order.

The 1980’s archive contains materials such as pamphlets, a folder of newspapers clippings and other documents about the Mt. St. Helens eruption; duplicates of posters; Newsletters, personal letters, class schedules about safety and health, and various printed materials dealing with internal doings as well as volunteering and history of the Red Cross.

In the years spanning 1990 through 1999, the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross was primarily involved in the complex process of establishing the historiography of the organization. Blood donation drives, disaster relief aid, fundraising events, informational seminars and pamphlet distribution, and anniversary celebration benefits and interviews with prominent contributors, all were documented and united in a tireless effort, in order to bring together the Oregon Trail Chapter’s substantial contribution to the Red Cross in a cohesive presentation of the chronology of its many years of hard work and dedication.

Among the various documents and items included within the scope of the 1990’s, there are some quite worthy of note: these include, but are not limited to, many pamphlets and multiple documents regarding the Oregon Trail Chapter’s 75 th anniversary celebration held in 1992, numerous documentation of the 50 th anniversary of World War II and the involvement of the Red Cross during that time, information from the Historical Disaster Exhibit’s “There’s No Such Thing as a Small Disaster” from 1993-1994, multiple transcripts from Red Cross donors and contributors for the “1000 Years of Service” achievements, created in 1997, various newsletters with information of current events and seminars, the establishment of the “African Americans in the Red Cross: A World Wide Exhibit” featured website of 1997, as well as the “American Red Cross: “ Virtual Museum” created in 1997.

Scope and Content for Books

The books collected by the Oregon Trail Chapter American Red Cross span from about 1899 to 1971. It is an eclectic collection including textbooks to teach first aid and A Memory of Solferino written by J. Henry Dunant. The types of books come be roughly split into three groups.

• Textbooks teaching about first aid and health, and life saving and water safety.
• Histories of the Red Cross, including histories of specific events the Red Cross helped with.
• And other books that are connected to the Red Cross by the author and content.

The first two categories show a good picture of what the Red Cross is about. It is about teaching and instructing and about helping in times of catastrophe and war.

Many of the books are textbooks about first aid and health, and life saving and water safety. Some of the textbooks are specifically aimed at young people, such as American Red Cross, First Aid Textbook for Juniors. Another example of the books, this time illustrating group 2 is The Mississippi Valley Flood Disaster of 1927, Official Report of the Relief Operations. This was published in 1929. The books that are included in group 3 include Letters From Oregon Boys in France; illustrating the local connection, and Encounter with Henry Dunant edited by Bernard Gagnebin.