W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection, 1913-1956

Collection Overview

Title: W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection, 1913-1956

Predominant Dates: 1913-1917

ID: P 192

Primary Creator: Powell, William Lester, 1893-

Extent: 0.25 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection is arranged in 3 series: I. Photographic Prints, circa 1913 - circa 1956; II. Album Pages, circa 1913-1917; and III. Copy Negatives, circa 1913-1917.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection consists of images taken and assembled by Powell documenting Powell's student years at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC). Powell attended OAC from 1912 to 1917.

Images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Scope and Content Notes

The W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection consists of images taken and assembled by Powell, primarily during his student years at Oregon Agricultural College in the mid 1910s. The photographs depict campus activities, including pageants; athletics, especially football; and forestry students and faculty in forest campus and on forestry trips. The collection also includes images of Corvallis and Benton County; of special note are images of the small town of Wells, in north Benton County, that was removed in the early 1940s in order to establish Camp Adair. Images of land being cleared for Grant Street in Corvallis are also included.

Almost all of of the images are from Powell's student years at OAC; however, the collection includes a photograph of a 1935 pruning class at Oregon State College and a reunion photograph of the Class of 1916, probably in 1956.

The collection consists primarily of photographic prints. Most of the prints (210 items) are affixed to album pages; the remainder of the prints (89) were originally affixed to album pages and have been removed; 18 copy negatives are also included in the collection. Several of the images were published in the 1916 Orange yearbook.

Images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Biographical / Historical Notes

W. Lester Powell attended Oregon Agricultural College during the 1912-1913 through 1916-1917 academic years. He enrolled initially as a forestry student, but changed to horticulture in 1915; he did not complete a degree from OAC. Powell was a photographer for the 1916 Orange yearbook and also for Ball Studio in Corvallis. During the 1920s and 1930s, he lived with his family on Kiger Island near Corvallis. William Lester Powell was born February 18, 1893 and graduated from Citrus High School in Azusa, California, in 1912. He died in 1978 in Medford, Oregon.

Powell's daughter, Mary Lou (known as Lou), was born July 21, 1918, in Seattle. She graduated from Corvallis High School in 1936 and attended Oregon State College in 1936-1937 and 1937-1938. Her married name was Lou Richards.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 317 photographs; 1 box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The photographs were donated to the OSU Archives in 1990 by Bob Zybach.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center includes many collections documenting the activities and experiences of Oregon Agricultural College students during the 1910s. These include the Leslie Miller Scrapbook (MSS Miller), John W. Trigg Photograph Album (P 227), Marshall S. Wright Photograph Album (P 276), and the J. Llewellyn Spriggs Photograph Album (P 285).

Preferred Citation: W. Lester Powell Photograph Collection (P 192), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

People, Places, and Topics

College sports--Oregon--Corvallis.
Corvallis (Or.)
Forestry schools and education--Oregon--Corvallis.
Local History
Natural Resources
Oregon Agricultural College--Students.
Powell, William Lester, 1893-
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
Wells (Or.)

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Photographic Prints, circa 1913 - circa 1956

Series I consists of snapshots, photographic postcards, and a few professional photographs; most have been removed from album pages. The photographs depict Oregon Agricultural College students participating in student activities and attending athletic events; Powell's fraternity brothers; forestry students and faculty, including George W. Peavy, in forest camps; and Marys Peak and forest scenes. Of special note are several duplicate prints of Wells, Oregon, a small town in north Benton County that was evacuated and demolished in the early 1940s to establish Camp Adair.

Extent: 89 photographs

Box-Folder 1.1

Item P192:001: Folk dancing woman
Item P192:002: Women performing folk dances at OAC
Item P192:003: May Pageant at OAC
Item P192:004: Mines Building: Batcheller Hall
Item P192:005: Working in college iron foundry, Summer of 1913 or 1914
Item P192:006: Gathering of students and faculty in front of Benton Hall
Item P192:007: Delta Upsilon Fraternity brothers: Includes W.L. Powell.
Item P192:008: Class of 1916 reunion, circa 1956
Item P192:009: Women engaged in tug of war competition
Item P192:010-P192:011: Crowd next to freight train
Item P192:012: Group of posing men
Item P192:013-P192:014: Fraternity group
Item P192:015: Ahneek recruits
Item P192:016: Group of posing men
Item P192:017-P192:019: Participants in minstrel show
Item P192:020: Fraternity group
Item P192:021: OAC runner
Item P192:022-P192:024: OAC baseball players: Images are available online: 22, 23, 24.
Item P192:025: Three OAC track runners
Item P192:026: Athletes standing outside armory
Item P192:027-P192:028: Serpentine lines
Item P192:029: Student body - pre-football game activity
Item P192:030: Serpentine line
Item P192:031: OAC vs. Whitman football game
Item P192:032: Halftime show
Item P192:033: Football game
Item P192:034: Track athlete
Item P192:035: Football at OAC
Item P192:036: OAC athlete
Item P192:037: Football at OAC
Item P192:038: Shot putter
Item P192:039: Student body - pre-football game activity
Item P192:040-P192:041: Serpentine line
Item P192:042: Halftime show
Item P192:043: Pruning class, 1935
Item P192:044: Marys Peak timber, circa 1915
Item P192:045: Forest river
Item P192:046: Forestry cooking school
Item P192:047: George W. Peavy at top of Marys Peak, circa 1915: Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 442. Image is available online.
Item P192:048: OAC faculty member at top of Marys Peak, circa 1915: Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 442.
Item P192:049: Marys Peak foresters camp, circa 1913
Item P192:050: Sawmill
Item P192:051: Rhododendron excursion to Newport, 1915
Item P192:052-P192:053: Guarding the fountain, 1914: Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 446.
Item P192:054: Stacked wood
Item P192:055: Oregon wilderness
Item P192:056: Gamma Tau Beta fraternity house: Burned after frat moved to 22nd St.
Item P192:057: Forestry building in Portland (Lewis and Clark Exhibition)
Item P192:058-P192:059: Forestry students in camp
Item P192:060: OAC foresters, circa 1915
Item P192:061-P192:062: Forestry camp
Item P192:063: Foresters, 1913
Item P192:064: Marys Peak
Item P192:065: Les Powell's car at Big Sulphur Springs, 1915: 1 of 3 cars on the OAC campus.
Item P192:066: Logs held for rafting
Item P192:067: Foresters at Windriver Nurseries, Washington: Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 452.
Item P192:068: Wind River Nursery, Washington
Item P192:069: Timber in Wind River, Washington, area
Item P192:070: Foresters, circa 1915: Published in 1916 Orange yearbook, p. 452.
Item P192:071: Foresters cooking
Item P192:072: Foresters
Item P192:073-P192:074: Along the Redwood highway, California
Item P192:075: Forest
Item P192:076-P192:077: Mountain views
Item P192:078: Willamette River, Corvallis
Item P192:079: Oregon wilderness
Item P192:080: Man in boat on Marys River, circa 1915
Item P192:081: Man in forest
Item P192:082: Forestry camping trip
Item P192:083: Forest and cabin (Probably California Redwoods)

Sub-Series 1: Wells, Oregon, 1917

Extent: 4 duplicate prints made in 1990

Box-Folder 1.1

Item P192:289: Wells warehouse: Photograph taken from Coffin Butte of area before Camp Adair. Cleve Williamson house. Large block walnut- Stelmaker place just south of the tree. Church about center.
Item P192:290: Wells Dale, Oregon Freight Depot
Item P192:291: Old electric train going through Wells: Also depicted in this photograph are Jonny Carter's store and houses belonging to Coleman and then Yenkel.
Item P192:292: Wells warehouse
Item P192:293: Grant St. and Catholic Hill area
Item P192:294: OSU forestry students at Washington camp

Series 2: Album Pages, circa 1913-1917

Series II consists of photographs affixed to black paper album pages. Most of the photographs are snapshots or photographic postcards. The photographs depict Oregon Agricultural students; athletes and athetic events; intramural teams; pageants; student events and activities; and picnics, camps, and outings. This series includes numerous images of football players and football games as well as the OAC freshman baseball team and individual players. Also of note are images of land being cleared for Grant Street in Corvallis.

Extent: 210 photographic prints

Box-Folder 1.3

Item P192:084-P192:106: OAC women performing folk dances at college May Pageant, circa 1914: Image 84 is available online.
Item P192:107-P192:108: OAC "Rooters", OAC vs U.W. Football Game, October 31, 1914
Item P192:109: Serpentine on football field
Item P192:110-P192:111: OAC "Rooters", OAC vs U.W. Football Game, October 31, 1914
Item P192:112-P192:114: O.A.C women performing folk dances at college May Pageant
Item P192:115: OAC football player
Item P192:116: Billie Brewer, OAC football player
Item P192:117: Darius H. "Hungry" Smyth, OAC football player
Item P192:118: Football game; goal posts
Item P192:119: Football game, 1914: Published in the Orange yearbook, p. 153.
Item P192:120: Billie Brewer
Item P192:121: Steve Schuster
Item P192:122: Pete Anderson
Item P192:123: Frank "Prunes" Moore
Item P192:124-P192:127: Individual football players
Item P192:128: OAC Football Squad, 1914
Item P192:129: Football players including place kicker
Item P192:130: Football player
Item P192:131: Paul Frank Hoerline
Item P192:132: Man on football field
Item P192:133: Thomas Everett May
Item P192:135: Football player
Item P192:136: "Art" Lutz
Item P192:137: Frank "Prunes" Moore
Item P192:138: Football player
Item P192:139: Men on football field
Item P192:140: Punter
Item P192:141: Paul Frank Hoerline
Item P192:142: Peck Huntley
Item P192:143: Leo Laythe
Item P192:144: Football player
Item P192:145: Students
Item P192:146: Students
Item P192:147-P192:149: Group of women
Item P192:150-P192:153: Freshman-Sophomore bag rush, 1914
Item P192:154-P192:155: Gathering at bandstand, circa 1915
Item P192:156: Freshman-sophomore bag rush, 1914
Item P192:157: OAC vs U.of O. scrimmage football game, 1914
Item P192:158: Football game
Item P192:159: OAC vs U.W. football game, October 31, 1914
Item P192:160: Football game
Item P192:161: Fans in stands at football game
Item P192:162: Football game
Item P192:163: Football game
Item P192:164: Football game
Item P192:165: Football game
Item P192:166: OAC vs U.W. football game, October 31, 1914
Item P192:167: Football game
Item P192:168: OAC freshman baseball team
Item P192:169: OAC freshman baseball player
Item P192:170: Roy Houck, OAC freshman baseball player
Item P192:171-P192:172: Football game
Item P192:173: OAC vs U.W. football game, October 31, 1914
Item P192:174-P192:175: Football players
Item P192:176: Football game
Item P192:177: Football game
Item P192:178-P192:182: Football game
Item P192:183: Female athlete
Item P192:184: Women running low hurdles
Item P192:185: Female shot putter
Item P192:186: Female relay runners
Item P192:187: De Witt Yeager
Item P192:188: "Billie" King
Item P192:189: Gus Hofer, Team Captain, 1914
Item P192:190-P192:195: Fans at OAC vs University of Oregon football game, 1914
Item P192:196: Forest with auto
Item P192:197: River
Item P192:198: Automobile
Item P192:199: Man and auto
Item P192:200-P193:201: Man fishing on river
Item P192:202: River
Item P192:203-P192:211: Women performing in a May Day pageant
Item P192:212-P192:222: Snow scenes: On campus and in Corvallis; dogs playing in snow.
Item P192:223: River
Item P192:224: Auto in woods
Item P192:225: Woman and two men picnicking
Item P192:226: Man and women leaning against fence
Item P192:227: Woman and man picnicking
Item P192:228: Two men posing with car
Item P192:229: Two men in the woods
Item P192:230: Two men posing with car
Item P192:231: Car traveling beside river
Item P192:232: Car parked at side of road
Item P192:233: Car traveling beside river
Item P192:234: Two men and at a campfire
Item P192:235-P192:236: Land clearing for Grant Street in Corvallis: Dynamiting tree stumps (?).
Item P192:237-P192:238: One of three cars on campus
Item P192:239: Cleared field
Item P192:240: One of three cars on campus
Item P192:241: Cleared field
Item P192:242-P192:243: Powell brothers in California: Studio portrait photographs of two boys.
Item P192:244: Parade
Item P192:245: Woman posing on stump
Item P192:246: Man and dog
Item P192:247: Dog in man's clothing
Item P192:248-P192:250: Land clearing for Grant Street in Corvallis
Item P192:251: House
Item P192:252: Men posing with tennis racquets
Item P192:253: House
Item P192:254: Man with tennis racquet
Item P192:255: House
Item P192:256: Car, probably one of the three on campus
Item P192:257: Mountain lake
Item P192:258: Camp
Item P192:259: Mountain
Item P192:260: Mountain lake
Item P192:261: Car camping
Item P192:262: Gamma Upsilon football team
Item P192:263: Osolito Club
Item P192:264: Popular members of an OAC club
Item P192:265: Football coach
Item P192:266: Gamma Upsilon vs. Ahneek, Scientific Football Game
Item P192:267: Ahneek Recruits
Item P192:268: Ahneek "Semi-Pro" scientific football team
Item P192:269: Foresters football team OAC, 1914
Item P192:270-P192:271: End of Ahneek, Gamma Upsilon football game
Item P192:272-P192:278: Mountain scenes with snow
Item P192:279-P193:280: May Day festival
Item P192:281-P192:282: Posing women
Item P192:283: May Day festival
Item P192:284: Men in graduation regalia
Item P192:285: Dogs by lake
Item P192:286: May Day festival
Item P192:287: Men in graduation regalia clowning around
Item P192:288: Camp in forest

Series 3: Copy Negatives, circa 1913-1917

Series III consists of copy negatives made in 1990 by the OSU Archives of snapshot photographic prints that were retained by the donor. These negatives depict Oregon Agricultural College students participating in campus activities. Of special note is an image labeled as bachelor's quarters and an image of a group of bachelors sitting at a dining table.

Extent: 18 copy negatives

Box-Folder 1.2

Item P192:295: Female runners
Item P192:296: Couple on a motorbike
Item P192:297: Woman dancing
Item P192:298: Group of standing men: One of the men in this image has his arms and legs bound.
Item P192:299: OAC Bookstore shortly after construction
Item P192:300: Lunch Counter, Kandy Kitchen, Ka-Jaz, G.S. Kerr
Item P192:301: Upstairs bachelors quarters, 1913
Item P192:302: Woman posing in a dress covered in flowers
Item P192:303: OAC Football Team
Item P192:304: Women and team of horses
Item P192:305: View of track and field
Item P192:306: Baseball game
Item P192:307: Bachelors, 1913
Item P192:308: Female hurdlers
Item P192:309: Group at the Lady of the Fountain
Item P192:310: Runners emerging from the Armory
Item P192:311: Women participating in tug-of-war
Item P192:312: Heating plant and shops