Francis S. and Patricia L. Landrum Collection
Scope and Contents note
The collection focuses on Modoc Indians and the Modoc War of 1872-1873, John Charles Frémont's Second and Third Expeditions to the American West, and U.S. Supreme Court litigation between California and Nevada about a boundary dispute. It contains documents, photocopies, photographs, negatives and duplicates of stereographic images, maps, videocassettes and audio cassettes, and ephemera. The collection is composed of five series: Series I: Modoc War, Series II: Modoc War Symposium, Series III: Western Exploration and Nevada-California-Oregon Boundary, Series IV: Land of the Lakes History, and Series V: Maps.
Series I: Modoc War contains images and documents related to the participants and events of the Modoc War of 1872-1873. Series II: Modoc War Symposium contains images, audio/visual recordings and documents related to the Modoc War Symposium held at Lava Beds National Monument in March 1988. Series III: Western Exploration and Nevada-California-Oregon Boundary contains research materials gathered by Francis Landrum related to western explorations, especially material associated with defining the boundary between Nevada, California and Oregon in the Lake Tahoe area. Landrum’s personal correspondence on the boundary dispute is also included in this series. Series IV: Land of the Lakes History contains images, audio/visual materials and documents related to a wide variety of topics in the Land of the Lakes region. Series V: Maps includes maps documenting exploration of the American west, the Modoc War, and Oregon. Many items are originals, some are copies. Some were created by Francis S. Landrum.
Dates
- 1872-1986
Creator
- Landrum, Patricia L. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open for research use. Contact the library in advance to view the audio-visual materials in this collection.
Conditions Governing Use note
Before materials from the Shaw Historical Library may be quoted in print or otherwise reproduced in whole or in part in any publication, exhibit, broadcast or other manner, the user must obtain permission from the owner of the physical property and the holder of the copyright. Copyright status for collections in the Shaw Historical Library varies. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Biographical / Historical
Francis S. “Van” Landrum was a businessman and self-taught structural engineer/land surveyor in Klamath Falls, Oregon as well as a noted amateur historian and author. He was born in Pendleton, Oregon on January 14, 1924, and at the age of three his family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon where he lived for the rest of his life. After his high school graduation in 1941 he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps as a lieutenant and became a B-17 bomber pilot who flew 35 missions over Germany in World War II. After the war Landrum attended Oregon State University but left without graduating. He later became a registered engineer and businessman. In 1953 he founded Fremont Glass & Millwork, later Fremont Millwork, Inc., and continued to operate the family business until his retirement in 1985.
Landrum was considered an expert on Klamath Basin history, especially the Modoc War of 1872-1873. He created an extensive collection of materials about the Modoc War as well as other topics related to the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. From that research he wrote the book Guardhouse, Gallows and Graves: the Trial and Execution of Indian Prisoners of the Modoc Indian War by the U.S. Army, 1873 (1988) as well as several articles for historical journals. He was one of the organizers of the 1988 Modoc War Symposium. Landrum used his knowledge of surveying and history when he served as an expert witness for the state of Nevada during disputes over the boundary between Nevada and California around Lake Tahoe in the 1980s.
Landrum was active in the Klamath Falls, Oregon community serving as a founding Board member and President of the Shaw Historical Library, member of the Klamath County Museum Board, president of the Klamath Falls Rotary Club and chairing the Klamath County Roads Advisory Committee. He also served on the Oregon Geographic Names Board.
Francis S. Landrum married Patricia Schupp (born April 4, 1924) on July 27, 1947, and together they raised four children: Eloise, Colleen, Kenneth and Paul. Patricia Landrum joined Francis Landrum in many of his research activities. Francis Landrum died on June 16, 2002. Patricia Landrum died on September 7, 2008.
Extent
15 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection focuses on Modoc Indians and the Modoc War of 1872-1873, John Charles Frémont's Second and Third Expeditions to the American West, and U.S. Supreme Court litigation between California and Nevada about a boundary dispute. Francis S. “Van” Landrum was a businessman, registered engineer and land surveyor in Klamath Falls, Oregon as well as a noted amateur historian and author.
Arrangement note
The collection was re-described and arranged into subject-based series in 2011 and 2012. The series are: I. Modoc War, II. Modoc War Symposium, III. Western Exploration and Nevada-California-Oregon Boundary, IV, Land of the Lakes History, and V. Maps.
Location note
Shaw Historical Library
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Francis S. and Patricia L. Landrum donated portions of this collection between 1986 to 2003.
Separated Materials note
Francis S. Landrum's personal library of 442 books related to the history of the Land of the Lakes and the Civil War were individually cataloged into the Shaw Historical Library's collections.
General Physical Description note
15 boxes, 1 map case and 1 file cabinet
Creator
- Landrum, Patricia L. (Person)
- Landrum, Francis S. (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Francis S. and Patricia L. Landrum Collection 1872-1986
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Anne Hiller Clark and Barbara Ditman
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in: English English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Institute of Technology Libraries, Shaw Historical Library Repository