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Cage 28
Henry Thomas Cowley
Papers, 1871-1917

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. This collection was processed in November, 1972 by Terry Abraham.

Number of containers: 1
Linear feet of shelf space: 1/2
Approximate number of items: 115

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 

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
1917  Died January 28, San Diego, California

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). Approximately two-thirds of the collection consists of photocopies of material by and related to Cowley which Drury had collected for his biography and had turned over to the Cowley family. The photocopies 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. The original manuscript material in this collection is cited by Drury as the Paine Collection.

CONTAINER LIST

Folder  Description# of
Items
 
Series 1: Papers of Henry Thomas Cowley
 
1Indian Service Correspondence, 1880-1883 Correspondents: Guy Haines, H. Clay Wood, John B. Allen, Charles D. Warner, H. Price, G.H. Atkinson, Charles E. Monteith.9
2NPRR Land Suit Papers, 1880-1900. Correspondence, circular, summons, affidavits, title abstracts and other legal papers. Correspondents: Henry Villard, William Tecumseh Sherman, C.B. Wright.11
3Spokane Chronicle Papers, 1882-1887. Bills of sale and inventories of equipment and supplies.6
4 ["Concise review of town, 1874 to 1887."] ca. 1911. 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)1
5Clippings, 1914-1917. 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. 8
"H.T. Cowley, pioneer, dies," Spokane Chronicle, January 29, 1917.6
 
Series 2: Photocopies
 
6Records of the Office of Indian Affairs, National Archives, 1871-1883. Correspondents: John B. Monteith, Charles E. Monteith, Charles D. Warner, H. T. Cowley.13
7Records of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, Presbyterian Historical Society, 1871-1876. Correspondents: John C. Lowrie, H.T. Cowley, Edward R. Geary, H.W. Corbett, H.H. Spalding, William J. Monteith, John B. Monteith, George Ainslie. 48
8Clippings and other material, 1884-1916. 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.14
 
Series 3: Donor File
 
9Donor file, 1949. Includes preliminary list of the collection.5