An Unbalanced Bookshelf: Charles H. Carey's History of Oregon in Proposed Mural

The proposed critter and bookshelf mural for The Rivers on Court and Front Streets downtown has occasioned a good bit of comment, mostly positive, some of it as a useful newspeg for criticism about the Library's weeding policy and the questions about the current status of the Hugh Morrow Collection.

As it turns out, one of the books seemingly represented in it came out exactly 100 years ago.

History of Oregon by Charles Henry Carey at No. 1

I am pretty sure the three volume set indicated at No. 1 is the History of Oregon by Charles Henry Carey. The Salem Library appears to have one set, in the catalogue anyway, if perhaps not on the shelves. (Published in 1922, it is out of copyright and also is digitized here: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3.) 

It was a notable work a century ago!

Oregonian, October 1st, 1922

But while it is still useful today for some purposes, especially as it contains capsule biographies helpful with caution in genealogical research, it is not one we would generally regard as authoritative today. Notice in the Oregonian words like "romance" and "lore." To say "lore of state exalted" is to say there is an ideological aim, even propaganda aim, for the work. 

The process of "quieting the Indian title to the soil" is discussed with fairness to both sides.

Yet "quieting the Indian title" already shows where the balance of power is, and on whose side "fairness" is supposed to reside.

Its main use today might be as an historical document of settler colonialist historiography, rather than as a standard source for a contemporary narrative of history. Still, in both direct and indirect ways it is an important text for understanding local history.

The next month the book was announced in Salem.

November 22nd, 1922

The State Librarian, Cornelia Marvin, sought primary sources on the pioneer history and also mentioned the book as new.

November 25th, 1922

This context also makes clear the book was not just about history, but was part of a project, a project about the Pioneer Idea and for chartering the Origin Myth of Oregon. It belongs in the same conversation as the pioneer statuary of The Circuit Rider and the plaques of the D. A. R.

The book was also reviewed in more academic settings and, couched in some academic hedging, these themes emerged at least slant.

Washington Historical Quarterly, Jan. 1923

The reviewer is a little patronizing about the "industrious layman," but notes Carey is literally from industry and engaged directly and indirectly in promoting those industries. The review also notes what may be an element of "pay for play" in the capsule biographies.

Here it seemed that the design concept for the mural mainly reads as "old books" and not very strongly as "Oregon history books." Comments made on social media suggested that people were not particularly interested in specific titles and what they might signify. Indeed, in the current proposed design only specialists will be able to identify most of the books, and even when they can be identified, their significance is not necessarily obvious.  I think I see books by Herbert O. Lang and Robert Carlton Clark also in the two shelf section at top. The identification of others requires deeper knowledge.

via Twitter

Also in the book shelf of the proposed design (not pictured here) there is a six volume set. I cannot identify it for sure, but a strong candidate are the six volumes of History of the Oregon Country by Harvey Scott. He is in the news this week because Pacific University is denaming a building on campus formerly named after him.

Chinuk Wawa (2012) via OE

If we are serious about better relations with local Tribes specifically and about more nuanced and accurate history generally, we may need more context on these books, what they signified, and the ideological ends for which they were employed. Though a dictionary, Chinuk Wawa, is in the proposed design as a small note of counterpoint, the whole may need a greater contrapuntal theme. A real bookshelf on "Oregon history" will not just be a prompt for anodyne nostalgia, but will contain discord and conflict, and pose questions that will unsettle us.