Henry Harmon Spalding and Eliza Hart Spalding Papers

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About this Collection

In 1836, Henry Harmon and Eliza Hart Spalding, under appointment by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) to the Osage Indians, met Marcus Whitman and were persuaded to go to the Northwest as Presbyterian missionaries. The Spaldings and Whitmans made a hazardous six months journey, the wives being the first white women to cross the Rocky Mountains. The Spaldings established a mission among the Nez Percé in the Lapwai Valley (present Idaho). They opened a school, set up the first printing press in the Northwest, and trained the Indians in farming. In 1847, they escaped the massacre which claimed the lives of the Whitmans. The collection consists of eight original letters by Henry and Eliza Spalding to family members. View the collection guide to learn more. Featured image: Portrait of Henry Harmon Spalding by Matthew Brady, 1871.

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Title:
Letter from Eliza H. Spalding to Lorene Hart, August 5, 1850.
Description:
Letter from Mrs. Spalding, dated August 5, 1850 to her sister, Miss Lorene Hart at Holland Patent. Written from Calapooya, Oregon. Mrs. Spalding makes mention of the massacre; how they got out; the "guilty biogoted Catholic"; cost of living in Oregon; her own poor health, etc. [Caption from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Whitman, Marcus, 1802-1847., Hart, Lorene., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions., Whitman Massacre, 1847.
Geographic subjects:
Holland Patent (N.Y.), Calapooya Mountains (Or.)
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2161
Title:
Letter from Eliza H. Spalding to her family, April 28, 1843.
Description:
From Clearwater, April 28, 1843 - Mrs. Spalding to her family. Speaks of Dr. White's visit and especially of Dr. Whitman's leaving for the states. She writes: "Dr. W's object is to either get the mission reinforced or to obtain settlers to come and establish a colony." [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Whitman, Marcus, 1802-1847., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions.
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2149
Title:
Letter from Henry H. Spalding to Levi Hart, April 22, 1840.
Description:
Letter dated April 22, 1840 from Clearwater to Mr. Levi Hart from Mr. H.H. Spalding with a note added by Mrs. Spalding. Opening line: "More than two years have rolled away since the date of your last letters to us which came by Mr. Gray. I believe we have not failed to write to you a year since we have been in this country." Mr. Spalding writes of building of saw mill, flour mill, etc. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874. (author), Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Hart, Levi., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions.
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2132
Title:
Letter from Eliza H. Spalding to Mrs. Griffin, April 10, 1840.
Description:
Letter dated April 10, 1840, Clearwater, from Mrs. Spalding to Mrs. Griffin in Oregon which contains several references, evidently to Mr. Gray who had been causing trouble in the mission. The letter was sent to the Griffings [sic] to Fort Boise--latter [sic] Mrs. Griffin added a note to Mrs. Brown (youngest daughter of the Spaldings) explaining how it happened to be written and the history of the letter. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions.
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2121
Title:
Letter from Henry H. Spalding to his family, May 1, 1837.
Description:
Letter from Mr. Spalding, May 1, 1837 to "Dear parents, brothers and sisters. [sic] He tells of Mr. Gray's going east; of his visit to Colvile, progress of mission work, etc. Seemingly a second letter to her [sic] home. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions.
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2112
Title:
Letter from Eliza Spalding to her father, Levi Hart, February 16, 1837.
Description:
Letter from Eliza Spalding, February 16, 1837, to her father, Levi Hart. This appears to be her first letter home from the Lapwai station. She describes her new home--the buffalo tent in which they lived for a time and how their log cabin was built; their school; and is enthusiastic over the prospects of the work. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Hart, Levi., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Topics:
Indians of North America--Missions.
Geographic subjects:
Fort Lapwai (Idaho)
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2103
Title:
Letter from Eliza H. Spalding to Lorena Hart, April 4, 1834.
Description:
Letter from Mrs. H.H. Spalding, April 4, 1834 with a note from Mr. Spalding added March 31, 1834, while Mr. Spalding was a student in the Theological Seminary at Cincinnati. References are made to their life, finances, etc. Addressed to Miss Lorena Hart, Holland Patent. Eliza makes mention of studying Greek and Hebrew; of attending missionary meetings, etc. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author), Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Hart, Lorena., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Geographic subjects:
Holland Patent (N.Y.)
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2094
Title:
Letter from Henry H. Spalding to Levi Hart, Holland Patent, N.Y. September 1833.
Description:
Letter from Mr. H.H. Spalding to Mr. Levi Hart, Holland Patent, N.Y. September 1833 in which Mr. Spalding asks permission to marry Miss Eliza Hart that fall at Cincinnati rather than going back to her home. A double foolscape [sic] letter with a letter from Eliza Hart on the second page in which she pleads for the same permission. [Caption transcribed from Clifford M. Drury's notes.]
Creator:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874. (author), Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851. (author)
Subject names:
Spalding, Henry Harmon, 1803-1874., Spalding, Eliza Hart, 1807-1851., Hart, Levi., Drury, Clifford Merrill, 1897-1984.
Geographic subjects:
Holland Patent (N.Y.)
URL:
https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:2081

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