Oregon and Its Institutions: Comprising a Full History of the Willamette University, the First Established on the Pacific Coast

Rev. Gustavus Hines

Published by Carlton & Porter, New York, 1868

About this Item

Rev. Gustavus Hines. Book, titled, Oregon and Its Institutions; Comprising a Full History of the Willamette University, the First Established on the Pacific Coast (New York: Carlton & Porter, 1868). Original publisher?s cloth binding with an abbreviated title in gilt on the spine; engraved frontis portrait of the author plus three other full-page illustrations; 326 pp. Penciled name index on a separate piece of paper laid in on last free flyleaf. Spine is sun faded but the title is still legible; headband and bottom of spine show wear; corners bumped. Inside front cover appears to have had a book plate removed some time in the past. Interior is in VG to VG+ condition. A nice, solid copy of an important book relating to the history of the Christian church and one of the first institutions of higher education in Oregon. [21-DF] The author, the Reverend Gustavus Hines (1809-1873), was an early missionary in the Oregon Territory. Some of his experiences are included in the final chapter, which is titled, ?Reminiscences of Missionary Life?. He recalls the ?missionary tour? that he, two other missionaries (including Jason Lee), and an Indian guide made in 1840 from the old mission on the Willamette River to the Umpqua River region further south. However, the majority of the book tells the history of the Methodist Episcopal missionaries in the Oregon Country, the establishment of missions, and, eventually educational institutions. In telling his story, Hines also promotes an interest in Oregon. He writes in the introduction, ?In the excitement of the times the public, especially in the Eastern and Middle States, seem almost to have lost sight of Oregon, and one of the primary objects which the author has in view is again to awaken as interest in the community generally, and in the Christian Churches particularly, in relation to that distant and feeble member of this great family of states.? Hines left Oregon in the late 1840s, but returned in 1853. He was later a trustee for Willamette University. The four full-page engravings in the book include a portrait of Hines and engravings of the first church in Oregon, the Oregon Institute, and Willamette University. There is a fifth illustration on the top of page 140 of the Old Mission House in Oregon.

Seller Inventory # 000527

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Oregon and Its Institutions: Comprising a Full History of the Willamette University, the First Established on the Pacific Coast
• Publisher: Carlton & Porter, New York
• Publication Date: 1868
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good