William F. Groves Photographs, 1888-1942

Predominant Dates: 1897-1910

The William F. Groves Photographs are comprised of photographs assembled by William Franklin Groves throughout his life in Corvallis, and his time as a student at Oregon Agricultural College. Groves graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1897 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Creators

ID: P 135

Extent: 0.1 cubic feet

More Extent Information

Scope and Content Notes

Biographical / Historical Notes

William Franklin Groves, also known as Frank William Groves, was born on March 17, 1878 to William Frank Groves and Emma Keziah (Horning) Groves in Corvallis, Oregon. After William and Emma’s wedding in 1865, William Groves took over operation of Emma’s father’s mill, the F.A. Horning carding mill (carding is a process by which raw wool is brushed, sorted, and rolled to prepare it for spinning). The mill closed in 1900 due to competition from large factories in the area that were able to produce ready-made wool more quickly by using machinery that combined the processes of carding, spinning, and weaving.

William Franklin Groves graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1897 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He stayed in Corvallis for the rest of his life, working as both a horticulturist and firefighter. In 1910 he purchased and expanded the home of his maternal grandfather, Frederick Augustus Horning, and continued to maintain the property, which was across town from the original site of the mill and farm. In 1973 the farmland was designated as a Century Farm by the Oregon Century Farm and Ranch Program (the land had been in the Groves family since Horning’s 640-acre donation land claim in 1850). Upon Horning’s death, the land was split among his 11 children; William Franklin Groves assumed responsibility of his mother’s 70 acre inheritance, continuing to use the land to cultivate prunes, apples, and walnuts.

In the 1930s, Groves took an interest in the management of Marys Peak summit and successfully campaigned for the use of public funds to purchase the previously privately owned summit and open it for public use. He subsequently volunteered on a commission to further the development of Marys Peak as a site for recreation for nearly 20 years.

William Franklin Groves never married but cared for his mother Emma and sisters, Lillie May, Jessie Willete, and Edna, throughout their lives. William Franklin Groves died on August 18, 1973 in Corvallis.

Author: Sydney Klupar

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Statement on Description: A preliminary container list was created for this collection on or before December 3, 2015. This finding aid has been updated to reflect current arrangement and description best practices.

Arrangement

Preferred Citation: William F. Groves Photographs (P 135), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Acquisition Note: This collection was received by the former University Archives in the 1960s or 1970s.

Languages of Materials

English

Other

Container List

Series 1: Photographs, 1888-1942 Add to Shelf

The William F. Groves Photographs consists primarily of portraits of OAC students from 1897, and 1909-1910. Of particular note is a portrait of James Collins, who was one of the first Native American students at Oregon State University. He was affiliated with the Siletz Tribe and graduated in 1888. Also included in the collection is an image of the OAC campus that appears in the 1910 General Catalogue, and panoramic photos from a forest fire lookout shelter on Marys Peak.

Item P135:01: Composite group portrait of the OAC class of 1897, 1897 Add to Shelf: "Ambition has no rest"; includes: William T. Johnson, William H. Schmidt, Louise M. Barnett, Carrie A. Lyford, Edwin J. Hufford, Harvey L. McAllister, Ina I. Barclay, Emma Martyn, Charles E. Small, J. Wallace Harrison, Charles R. Porter, Charles O. Taylor, Clarence L. Bump, William F. Groves, Herbert J. Elliott, Ralph W. Terrell, and Robert E. Golden.
Item P135:01a: Louise M. Barnett, 1897 Add to Shelf: This photo appears in the composite photo of the class of 1897 (P135:01).
Item P135:02: Reproduced professional lithograph of the "Farm and Residence of F. A. Horning" Add to Shelf: "Farm and residence were located 1.5 miles west of Corvallis." Produced by A. G. Walling, lithographer for David D. Fagan's History of Benton County.
Item P135:03: Edna Groves, 1898 Add to Shelf
Item P135:04: James Collins, 1888 Add to Shelf: "Collins was one of the first Native American students at Oregon State University. He was affiliated with the Siletz Tribe and graduated in 1888." The photograph was made by Albany-based photography studio Paxton and Crawford.
Item P135:05: William F. "Frank" Groves, 1897 Add to Shelf
Item P135:06: Ellen Reich, 1898 Add to Shelf: From Hillsboro, Ohio.
Item P135:07: Forest fire lookout shelter on Marys Peak, 1942 Add to Shelf
Item P135:08: Panoramic view from the forest fire lookout shelter on Marys Peak, circa 1942 Add to Shelf: Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, Mount Bachelor, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood are all visible in this photograph.
Item P135:09: Panoramic view from the forest fire lookout shelter on Marys Peak, circa 1942 Add to Shelf
Item P135:10: General view of OAC campus, 1910 Add to Shelf: Featured in the 1910-1911 general catalogue.
Item P135:11: Panoramic view from the forest fire lookout shelter on Marys Peak, circa 1942 Add to Shelf: Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Hood are all visible in this photograph.
Item P135:12: Floyd James Williams, 1910 Add to Shelf: From Roselawn, California; OAC electrical engineering class of 1910.
Item P135:13: Roy Eugene Rawson, 1910 Add to Shelf: From Vancouver, Washington; OAC electrical engineering class of 1910.
Item P135:14: Alexander Kesterson Chapman, 1909 Add to Shelf: OAC electrical engineering class of 1909.
Item P135:15: John C. Plankington, 1910 Add to Shelf: From Dallas, Oregon; OAC electrical engineering class of 1910.
Item P135:16: Edgar Adolph Sorenson, 1910 Add to Shelf: From Springfield, Oregon; OAC electrical engineering class of 1910.
Item P135:17: Two unidentified men posing together in a game room, undated Add to Shelf: Bovill Opera House; two photographic prints.

People, Places, and Topics

Forms of Material

Related Materials

James Collins, 1888. Collins was one of the first Native American students at Oregon State University. He was affiliated with the Siletz Tribe and graduated in 1888.

Information and Credits