Guide to the Henry Thomas Cowley Papers 1871-1917
Cage 28

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Creator
Cowley, Henry Thomas
Title
Henry Thomas Cowley Papers
ID
Cage 28
Date [inclusive]
1871-1917
Extent
1 container., .5 linear feet of shelf space., 115 items.
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Correspondence with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions and the United States Office of Indian Affairs, reminiscences, legal documents, clippings, and other papers concerning missionary and educational work among the Nez Perce and Spokane Indians, conflicts with the Lapwai Indian Agency, the purchase (1883) and sale (1887) of the Spokane Chronicle, and a successful land suit against the Northern Pacific Railroad Company.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 28, Henry Thomas Cowley Papers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

1838 Born, October 9, Seneca Falls, New York
1866 Married Lucy Abigail Peet in Russelville, Ohio
1867 Graduated, Antioch College
1871 Graduated, Auburn Theological Seminary. Ordained and appointed Protestant Missionary and Agency Teacher to the Nez Perce Indians with Henry Harmon Spalding
1873 Accepted position as school teacher in Elk City, Idaho, after being suspended from position at Kamiah
1874 Moved to Spokane Falls as missionary and Indian Sub-Agent to the Spokan Indians
1882 Resigned missionary and sub-agent positions
1883 Purchased Spokane Falls Chronicle
1886 Northern Pacific land suit initiated
1887 Sold Spokane Chronicle
1898 Northern Pacific land suit decided in Cowley's favor
1916 Died January 28, San Diego, California

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Scope and Content

Approximately two-thirds of the collection consists of photocopies of material by and related to Cowley which Clifford M. Drury had collected for his biography of Cowley and had turned over to the Cowley family.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) © 1972

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The papers of Henry Thomas Cowley, Indian missionary, were given to the Washington State University Library in 1949 by Mrs. Agnes Cowley Paine, daughter of H.T. Cowley.

Original Location

The photocopies in this collection are from the files of the Office of Indian Affairs in the National Archives; from the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions on deposit at the Presbyterian Historical Society; as well as some material from other sources.

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Subject(s) :
  • Spokane Falls evening chronicle
  • Spokane Falls chronicle
  • Spokane evening chronicle
  • Nez Percé Indians--Missions--History -- Sources
  • Northern Pacific Railroad Company
  • Spokane Indians--Missions--History -- Sources
  • United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs Lapwai Agency
  • Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions

Occupation(s)

  • Missionaries -- Washington (State)--Correspondence

Personal Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Cowley, H. T. (Henry Thomas), 1837-1917 --Archives
Subject(s) :
  • Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-
Donor(s) :
  • Paine, Agnes Cowley. waps

Subject(s)

  • Indians of North America--Missions--History--Sources
  • Missionaries
  • Native Americans
  • Pioneers
  • Washington (State)

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Bibliography

This collection of the papers of Henry Thomas Cowley was used by Clifford M. Drury in preparation of his A tepee in his front yard: H.T. Cowley and the founding of Spokane (Portland, Oregon, Binfords & Mort, 1949). The original manuscript material in this collection is cited by Drury as the Paine Collection.

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Detailed Description of Collection

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

Series 1: Papers of Henry Thomas Cowley 

Indian Service Correspondence. Correspondents: Guy Haines, H. Clay Wood, John B. Allen, Charles D. Warner, H. Price, G.H. Atkinson, Charles E. Monteith. 1880-1883  9 items.

folder
1

NPRR Land Suit Papers. Correspondence, circular, summons, affidavits, title abstracts and other legal papers. Correspondents: Henry Villard, William Tecumseh Sherman, C.B. Wright. 1880-1900  11 items.

folder
2

Spokane Chronicle Papers. Bills of sale and inventories of equipment and supplies. 1882-1887  6 items.

folder
3

["Concise review of town, 1874 to 1887."] 9 p. typescript, with envelope. Published, with some changes, by N. W. Durham in History of the City of Spokane and Spokane country, Washington, from its earliest settlement to the present time. (Spokane, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912. pp. 369-379) ca. 1911  1 item.

folder
4

Clippings. Herbert Gaston. "The Back Trail, #6: Interview with Mrs. J. L. Paine," Spokane Chronicle, June 17, 1914. Henry Thomas Cowley. ["Reminiscences," in nine parts, lacking 2, 6, 7] Spokane Chronicle, November-December, 1916.  1914-1917  8 items.

folder
5

H.T. Cowley, pioneer, dies, Spokane Chronicle. 29-Jan-17  6 items.

folder
5

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Series 2: Photocopies and transcriptions 

Records of the Office of Indian Affairs, National Archives. Correspondents: John B. Monteith, Charles E. Monteith, Charles D. Warner, H. T. Cowley. 1871-1883  13 items.

folder
6

Records of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, Presbyterian Historical Society. Correspondents: John C. Lowrie, H.T. Cowley, Edward R. Geary, H.W. Corbett, H.H. Spalding, William J. Monteith, John B. Monteith, George Ainslie. 1871-1876  48 items.

folder
7a-7d

Clippings and other material. Includes the missing parts of Cowley's published reminiscences; clipping of an earlier reminiscence as well as a typescript reminiscence; the Elmer E. Alexander and A. J. Williamson reminiscences, and other papers. 1884-1916  14 items.

folder
8

Cowley letters to H. H. Spalding 1871-1874  Typed transcriptions; bound volume.

folder
9

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Series 3: Donor File 

Donor file. Includes preliminary list of the collection. 1949  5 items.

folder
10

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