J. F. Ford Photographs, 1895-1913

Title: J. F. Ford Photographs, 1895-1913

Predominant Dates: 1900-1910

ID: P 308

Primary Creator: Ford, J. F. (John Fletcher)

Extent: 0.15 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The J. F. Ford Photographs consist of one series.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The J. F. Ford Photographs consist of images of logging and landscapes in Oregon and Washington made by J.F. (John Fletcher) Ford.  Ford was a preacher and photographer who lived in Ilwaco, Washington, from 1893 until his death in 1914.  From 1900 to 1908, he operated a photography studio in Portland, Oregon.

The images comprising this collection have been digitized and are available online in Oregon Digital.

The J. F. Ford Photographs consist of 49 black and white photographic prints depicting logging and landscapes in Oregon and Washington, primarily of the lower Columbia River region.  The bulk of the images show loggers and logging operations including saws and machinery; logging railroads, donkey engines, and trestles; log ponds; logging camps; and a sawmill. Several of the images are identified as being of Deep River and Big Lake (both in Washington).    Several of the photographs of logging railroads were published in Railroads in the Woods by John T. Labbe and Vernon Goe.

The collection also includes several views of Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River, Mt. Hood, Mt. Coffin, and the Columbia River.  One photograph of a family, perhaps at a logging camp, depicts two adults, a small child holding a gun, and a dog.

The Ford Photographs include a photograph of a herd of sheep in Sherman County, Oregon, and a hop field at an unidentified location.

The images comprising this collection have been digitized and are available online in Oregon Digital.

John Fletcher Ford  was a preacher and photographer who lived in Ilwaco, Washington, from 1893  until his death in 1914.  He was well known in logging camps and made many photographs of  logging operations and fishing on the lower Columbia River.

Ford was born in 1862 in Minnesota. He married in 1882 and had six children, moving to Ilwaco, Washington in 1893. A lifelong evangelist, he became a pastor in Washington and was a strong advocate for the temperance movement. In 1900 Ford began running "Foto Studio," a photography studio in Portland, and continued to do so for eight years while working with John T., Charles W., and Richard S. Ford. Ford died on February 16, 1914 in Ilwaco.

More Extent Information: 49 photographs; 1 box

Statement on Access: The collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These photographs were acquired by the University Archives in 2007 as part of the Gerald W. Williams Collection.  In 2016, they were separated from the Williams materials to form this separate collection.

Related Materials: The OSU Special Collections and Archives Research Center houses numerous collections documenting logging in Oregon, including the Gerald. W. Williams Collection.  The University of Washington Special Collections' J.F. Ford Photograph Collection consists of images of fishing activities, logging camps, and timber activities along the lower Columbia River in Washington.  The University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archives has a J.F. Ford Oregon Photograph Album with images of logging and landscapes along the Columbia River.

Preferred Citation: J.F. Ford Photographs (P 308), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: These materials were separated from the Gerald W. Williams Collection in 2016 to form a separate collection.

Ford, J. F. (John Fletcher)
Williams, Gerald W.

Columbia River
Logging--Oregon.
Logging--Washington (State)
Logging railroads--Oregon.
Logging railroads--Washington (State)
Lumbering--Machinery--Oregon.
Lumbering--Machinery--Washington (State)
Lumbering--Oregon.
Lumbering--Washington (State)
Natural Resources
Pacific County (Wash.)

Photographic prints.