ERNEST C. OBERHOLTZER: An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscript Collections

ERNEST C. OBERHOLTZER:

An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society


OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
	Creator:	Oberholtzer, Ernest C. (Ernest Carl), 1884-1977.
	Title:	Ernest C. Oberholtzer papers.
	Date:	1856-[198-].
	Abstract:	Papers of Ernest Carl Oberholtzer, noted conservationist, explorer, and wilderness philosopher of the Rainy Lake area. He is most closely associated with the Quetico-Superior Council of which he was a founder (1928) and president; with the President's Quetico-Superior Committee, on which he served from 1934-1968; and in general with the struggle to preseve the wilderness character of the border lakes region between the United States and Canada, especially as a founder and officer (1937-1967 of the Wilderness Society.
	Quantity:	52 microfilm reels, 2 maps.
	Location:	See Detailed Description section for reel numbers.

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BIOGRAPHY OF ERNEST OBERHOLTZER

Ernest Carl Oberholtzer was born February 6, 1884, in Davenport, Iowa and died June 6, 1977, in International Falls, Minnesota. He lived most of his adult life on an island in Rainy Lake near Ranier, in northern Minnesota. Oberholtzer is best known as a conservationist, explorer, wilderness philosopher, and authority on the Minnesota-Ontario boundary lakes and on the Ojibwe Indians of the border lakes area.

Oberholtzer was the son of Henry Reist Oberholtzer of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Rosa Carl of Davenport, Iowa. The Oberholtzer family was originally from the German portion of Switzerland and had settled in Pennsylvania before moving to Council Bluffs. Rosa Carl was the daughter of Ernest Samuel Carl and Sarah Marckley. Ernest Carl was born in Saxe-Coburg, Germany, and emigrated to the United States at age fifteen. He married Sarah Marckley when he was twenty and soon thereafter left for the California gold fields, only to be offered a position with the American consulate at Callao, Peru. He served as vice-consul for two years before returning to Davenport. There he was engaged briefly in the grain trade before taking a position as cashier at a bank. Sarah Marckley was born in Alexandria, Virginia to William Marckley and Sarah Allison. The Marckley family eventually moved to Davenport, where William carried on a small housing business.

Henry and Rosa Carl Oberholtzer were married in 1882 and had one other son, Frank, born in 1886. Frank died in 1891 and Henry and Rosa separated soon afterward. Ernest apparently never saw his father again. Rosa and her son lived in the Ernest Carl home until Carl's death in 1900. Ernest Oberholtzer attended elementary and secondary schools in Davenport. At age eleven he began playing the violin, an interest he pursued all his life. In the spring of 1900 he suffered a severe siege of rheumatic fever and doctors advised him to avoid all strenuous activities.

On the recommendation of Davenport friends, Oberholtzer attended Harvard University, 1903-1907, receiving a bachelor of arts degree. He stayed on for one year of graduate study in landscape architecture under Professor Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. While at Harvard, Oberholtzer became close friends with Conrad Aiken and Samuel Eliot Morison. In the summer of 1908 he accompanied Aiken on a bicycle tour of England and Scotland.

Oberholtzer made his first trip to the Minnesota-Ontario border lakes in 1906, a short trip out of Ely with his Davenport and Harvard friend Harry French. In 1909 he took his first extended canoe voyage through the border lakes and the Rainy Lake watershed, traveling 3,000 miles that summer. Arthur Hawkes, Canadian journalist and publicity agent for the Canadian Northern Railway, arranged for the company to purchase Oberholtzer's notes and photos for use in its promotional material. After this trip, Oberholtzer briefly served as editor of a newspaper in Moline, Illinois.

In the summer of 1910 Oberholtzer resumed his exploration of the border lakes, traveling for much of the time with Billy Magee, an Ojibwe Indian from Mine Centre, Ontario. When Oberholtzer returned to Rainer in late October, he found an invitation from Harry French to accompany him on a trip to Europe. Oberholtzer spent some time in London at the British Museum studying accounts of the exploration of the border lakes area and the Canadian "Barren Lands." The discovery of geographer J. B. Tyrrell's account of a trip through the Barrens fired Oberholtzer's ambition to make a similar journey. While in England Oberholtzer also presented a series of lectures/lantern slide shows based on his 1909 canoe trip, and lectured to the Zoological Society of London "On the Habits of Moose." In 1911 Oberholtzer served as American vice-consul in Hanover, Germany.

The spring of 1912 found Oberholtzer at Rainy Lake once again. He had wired the Mine Centre post office asking if Billy Magee would accompany him on a canoe trip to Hudson Bay. Billy wired back simply: "Guess ready go end earth." On June 26 Oberholtzer and Magee left The Pas, Manitoba, in a canvas canoe, embarking on a five-month trip that would take them through Nueltin Lake and the Thlewiaza River, Northwest Territories. Oberholtzer kept a detailed journal of the trip.

During the period from 1908 to 1915, Oberholtzer wrote a number of articles and short stories, some under the name Ernest Carliowa. Most of the stories were of the "boys adventure" genre and several were published by Youth's Companion and similar magazines. Many of the stories and articles were based on his canoe trip experiences.

In 1913 Oberholtzer moved to Rainy Lake permanently. At first he camped on various islands during the summers and lived in a houseboat on shore during the winter. About 1916 he began working for William P. Hapgood, owner of a group of islands near Ranier. Eventually he became a partner in Hapgood's project to develop the islands for agriculture and as a tourist camp. Oberholtzer was to landscape the largest island and supervise construction of buildings, clearing the center of the island for farming and preserving the shoreline for wilderness campsites. Owing to reverses in Hapgood's business, the venture was abandoned in the early 1920s.

Oberholtzer purchased one of Hapgood's islands, "The Mallard," in 1922. With the aid of local craftsman Emil Johnson, he began constructing a series of buildings that utilized native materials and conformed to the natural landscape. Given names like "Cedarbark House," "The Bird House," and "Old Man River Cabin," these marvels of native architecture served as home for Oberholtzer, his mother, and his many guests. Rosa Oberholtzer joined Ernest at Rainy Lake in 1916 and lived there until her death in 1929.

Summer generally brought a steady stream of visitors to The Mallard. Oberholtzer entertained his guests with canoe trips, violin concerts, and his gift for storytelling. He often arranged for his friends' sons and other boys to stay at The Mallard and accompany him on canoe trips.

In 1925 Oberholtzer became aware of industrialist Edward W. Backus' plans to construct a series of dams to harness the Rainy Lake watershed for power generation and industrial development. Oberholtzer and others spoke in opposition to the Backus plan at a hearing of the International Joint Commission held at International Falls in September 1925. In 1927 Oberholtzer was invited to a secret meeting with Minneapolis businessmen who were organizing opposition to Backus' activities. The result of this and subsequent meetings was the formation in 1928 of the Quetico-Superior Council, with Oberholtzer as president. The Council's program called for preserving the wilderness character of the boundary lakes area by setting aside Quetico Provincial Park, Superior National Forest, and parts of the Rainy Lake watershed as an international park.

Oberholtzer's activities for the council included carrying on a voluminous correspondence, lobbying Congress and the Minnesota legislature, testifying before the International Joint Commission and other bodies, and building public support for the council's program. In addition, he made frequent canoe trips to gather first-hand information on developments in the Quetico-Superior area.

In 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the President's Quetico-Superior Committee to advise and coordinate government activity concerning the Quetico-Superior area. Oberholtzer was its first chairman, and served as a member until 1968.

Oberholtzer was one of the founding members of the Wilderness Society and served on that organization's executive council from its inception in 1937 until 1967.

Throughout his life at Rainy Lake, Oberholtzer maintained a deep interest in and affection for the Ojibwe Indians of the border lakes, especially Billy Magee's family and band from the Mine Centre area. He visited their camps frequently and they often stopped at The Mallard. Oberholtzer spoke fluent Ojibwe and was a serious student of their culture. As a young man he had been so eager to collect their lore that the Ojibwe named him "Atisokan," meaning "legend."

Ernest Oberholtzer, who never married, died without heirs in 1977 after an extended period of poor health. Following his death the children and grandchildren of his old Indian friends gathered at his Mallard home, made medicine, and placed a protective and reverential spell over the island.

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SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE PAPERS

The papers focus on northern Minnesota conservation issues, particularly the creation and management of Superior National Forest, the Quetico Provincial Forest Reserve (Canada), Kabetogama State Forest, the Boudary Waters Canoe Area, and Voyageurs National Park; lake levels and hydroelectric power development in the Rainy Lake watershed; and attempts to marshall support for forest reserves, natural resource conservation, and wilderness values in general among the United States and Canadian governments and public. There is also much information about the lives and customs of the Ojibwe Indians, and about Oberholtzer's personal life, friends, and activities. His correspondents included many noted conservationists and public figures.

The collection also includes Oberholtzer's short stories, essays, and articles; notes on photography; personal journals; detailed reports of his field investigations of flood and timber conditions; and information on International Joint Commission lake level hearings.

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ORGANIZATION OF THE PAPERS

		Biographical Information
		Personal Correspondence and Related Papers
		Short Stories, Essays, and Other Writings
		Miscellaneous Notes
		Journals and Notebooks
		Flood Damage Lawsuit Files
		Quetico-Superior Papers
		Wilderness Society Papers
		Andrews Family Papers
		Personal and Family Memorabilia and Other Miscellany
		Papers Not Microfilmed

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ARRANGEMENT OF THE PAPERS
	In part, these series maintain divisions that were established by Oberholtzer and others who had worked at organizing the collection prior to its donation to the Minnesota Historical Society by the Ernest C. Oberholtzer Foundation. However, Oberholtzer's filing system was far from precise or consistent, and many letters that are essentially personal also may include discussions of his conservation work, the flood damage cases, or Wilderness Society matters. Some attempt has been made to place obviously misfiled letters in the proper series, but often the subjects discussed in a letter properly fit into more than one series. Researchers should be aware of this overlapping of series content and should investigate all portions of the collection for information on topics in which they are interested.
	The papers in each series are arranged chronologically and/or topically. Within topical sub-series, items may be filed by date or first grouped according to subject and then filed by date. In chronologically arranged correspondence units, undated, partially dated, and questionably dated items generally, but not always, precede those that are fully dated. Although an effort was made to date the numerous undated items in the collection, many, especially Oberholtzer's writings and notes, remain undated. Dates in brackets have been supplied by the archivists who prepared the papers for microfilming; many were taken from postmarks or annotations on envelopes. It was not possible in all cases to verify the dates of items questionably or provisionally dated. Therefore, dates in brackets should be treated with caution.
	Whenever possible, enclosures are filmed immediately after their covering letters rather than under their own dates. On occasion, certain groups of related papers are filmed together under a single date or date span. These groups of papers are identified by typewritten or handwritten targets.
	Introductory "flash" targets, sometimes followed by item lists, identify the various units of the collection on the microfilm. A running target beneath each film frame gives the title and publisher of the microfilm edition and the frame number. Targets generally identify enclosures, incomplete or severely defective items, and materials filmed at reduction ratios other than the standard 14 to 1.
	While the majority of the Oberholtzer papers are generally legible and in good physical condition, many are not. Some materials are worn, and text may be incomplete due to tears. Some items may be difficult to read due to faint, faded, or smeared pencil or ink or because carbon copies are faint or "fuzzy." The passage of time has, in some cases, caused ink to bleed through the paper and the color of paper to darken. Many of Oberholtzer's handwritten drafts and notes are written in pencil on poor quality, tan- or brown-colored paper, resulting in poor contrast between the colors of the text and the paper, which makes them especially difficult to reproduce. Finally, some manuscripts are water damaged.
	Several techniques have been used in an effort to increase the legibility of certain items on the microfilm. Sometimes a page is filmed more than once at different camera settings, with a target identifying the intentional duplicate exposure. In some instances, photocopies have been filmed in place of faded, discolored, or otherwise defective documents where the photocopies produced superior film images. Finally, in instances where an item containing valuable information could not be legibly reproduced on film, a typed transcription of the text has been filmed with the original manuscript.
	Oberholtzer's notes present other problems in addition to those associated with being undated and difficult to read: some items not identified as such may be incomplete; the pages of some items may not be in correct order, because it was not always possible to determine their proper sequence; and the pages of some items found--and left--fastened together may not belong together.

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RELATED MATERIALS

Originals are held by the Minnesota Historical Society, microfilmed originals are closed to public use.

Quetico-Superior Council Records, and the United States President's Quetico-Superior Committee Records, both also in the Minnesota Historical Society, compliment and often directly overlap with the Oberholtzer papers. The Minnesota Historical Society's sound and visual collections include transcripts of series of oral history interviews with Oberholtzer, as well as photographs and home movies. Many of Oberholtzer's principal correspondents are represented in MHS collections with their own papers and/or oral history inteviews.

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OTHER FINDING AIDS
	Described in detail in a printed guide and supplemental appendices, filed in the repository as M530.

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INDEX TERMS
	This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.
	Topics:
		Bicycle touring -- Great Britain.
		Conservation of natural resources -- International cooperation.
		Conservation of natural resources -- Legislation.
		Canoes and canoeing.
		Dams -- Environmental aspects -- Minnesota, North Central.
		Environmental policy.
		Forest reserves -- Airspace utilization.
		Forest reserves -- Multiple use.
		Forest roads -- Minnesota.
		Forests and forestry -- Minnesota -- Flood damage.
		Hydroelectric power plants -- Minnesota.
		Lakes -- Minnesota -- Regulation.
		Logging -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.
		Moose.
		Ojibwa Indians.
		Photography.
		Roads -- Minnesota, North Central -- Location.
		Timber -- Minnesota.
		Water resources development -- Minnesota.
		Water-rights -- Minnesota.
	Persons:
		Backus, E. W. (Edward Wellington), 1860-1934.
		Magee, Billy.
		Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939.
		Monahan, Gene Ritchie.
		Monahan, Robert Hugh.
		Morison, Samuel Eliot, 1881-1976.
		Mowat, Farley.
		Murie, Margaret E.
		Murie, Olaus Johan, 1889-1963.
		Nadel, Michael.
		O'Hearn, Donald P.
		Oberholtzer family.
		Olson, Sigurd, 1899-
		Parkhurst, Grace, ca. 1860-1956.
		Roberts, Horace.
		Rutstrom, Calvin.
		Selke, George (George Albert), 1867-1958.
		Spelletich, Kalman.
		Stanley, Augustus Owsley, 1867-1958.
		Stiles, Bert, 1920 or 21-1944.
		Szarkowski, John.
	Organizations:
		International Joint Commission.
		Izaak Walton League of America.
		Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company.
		Minnesota and Ontario Power Co.
		Minnesota Power and Light Company.
		National Audubon Society.
		Quetico-Superior Council.
		United States. President's Quetico-Superior Committee.
		United States.
		Wilderness Society.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
	Use Restrictions:
		Citations to these papers should credit both the Minnesota Historical Society and the Ernest C. Oberholtzer Foundation as the owners.
	Preferred Citation:
		[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Ernest C. Oberholtzer Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
		See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
	Accession Information:
		Accession number: 14,151; 15,992
		Microfilm producer: Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society, 1989.
		Microfilm available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.
	Processing Information:
		Processed by: Gregory Kinney, 1989.
		Catalog ID number: 09-00000219

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and reel numbers shown below.

Biographical Information

A small group of biographical materials has been filed at the beginning of the collection. They include an autobiographical sketch prepared by Oberholtzer for his fiftieth Harvard class reunion. A biographical sketch prepared by Lucile Kane in conjunction with a series of oral history interviews focuses on Oberholtzer's childhood in Davenport, college days at Harvard, and early experiences at Rainy Lake. There is a copy of an obituary published in Arctic Profiles (undated).

Also present are a number of newspaper clippings, including three extended serializations from International Falls newspapers. These are: "A Clash of Giants: Ober & Backus," June 19 - November 6, 1977, by Newell Searle; "Atisokan: His Rainy Lake," September 24-October 15, 1978, a personal reminiscence by Ted Hall, although published anonymously; and "Adventures with Atisokan," January 19 - April 13, 1981, by Maurice Perrault, an Ojibwe from Fort Frances, Ontario, recounting canoe trips with Oberholtzer.

Location

Reel

M530

1957-1980s.

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Personal Correspondence and Related Papers

This series consists primarily of letters and other items received by Oberholtzer between 1909 and 1972, with some copies of his outgoing letters. All materials have been arranged chronologically, with the exception of a few correspondence and subject files placed at the end of the series. For descriptive purposes the personal correspondence can be divided into several sections based in part on subject matter and in part on correspondents and their relation to Oberholtzer.

The series begins with a small group of undated notes and miscellany. Correspondence dating from 1909 to about 1915 deals with Oberholtzer's early explorations of, and writings about, the Quetico and Rainy Lake area. The principal correspondent is Arthur Hawkes, then publicity agent for the Canadian Northern Railway. Hawkes had arranged for the railroad to purchase Oberholtzer's notes and photographs of his canoe journeys through the new Quetico Provincial Forest Reserve for use in CNR promotional material. There are also several letters to editors and publishers of magazines to whom Oberholtzer had submitted manuscripts based on his explorations.

A small but significant group of letters concerns Oberholtzer's 1912 canoe trip with Billy Magee to Nueltin Lake, the Canadian Barren Lands, and Hudson Bay. There are several letters dealing with preparations for the trip, but the more important are reports on the trip written in late 1912 and 1913. This exchange is principally with Hawkes; J. E. Chalifour, chief geographer for the Canadian Department of the Interior in Ottawa; and the Reverend Joseph Lofthouse, Bishop of Keewatin. It deals with Oberholtzer's attempt to determine the exact route he had followed, the proper names of places visited, and the preparation of maps of the voyage. Carbon copies of Oberholtzer's letters to other naturalists and geographers seeking or transmitting information on the area are also present.

The second major grouping consists of correspondence with relatives and friends from Davenport, with whom Oberholtzer maintained close contact. These letters discuss a broad range of personal, family, and community topics.

Far and away the most prolific correspondent was Oberholtzer's great-aunt Grace Parkhurst, a sister of his grandmother Sarah Marckley Carl. Grace, who was only two years older than her niece Rosa Oberholtzer, had been widowed at an early age and came to look upon Ernest almost as a son. A fiercely independent, somewhat eccentric woman, she wrote regularly, often several times a week, until her death in 1956 at age 96. Her letters deal primarily with personal and family matters but also include considerable comment on Davenport affairs, in particular bank failures and conditions during the 1930s depression. Other relatives who corresponded regularly were several members of the Beck family (Marckley relations), including Hattie Kinney, John and Marge Kinney, Florie Timm, and Lillian Bates. Adele Aufderhide and her daughter Camilla Jackson, who may have been relatives and were close friends of Rosa Oberholtzer, also wrote regularly. The letters of all of these primarily concerned personal and family matters.

Francis Henry (Harry) and Virginia (Gin or Ginny) French, Horace Roberts, Kalman Spelletich, Edmund Cook and his son John, Lewis and Edith Shorey, and Gilbert Dalldorf are among Oberholtzer's Davenport friends represented in the collection. Harry French, a boyhood friend, attended Harvard at the same time as Oberholtzer and the two traveled to Europe together in 1910. Horace Roberts and Kalman Spelletich were Davenport businessmen and family friends. Roberts' daughter Ginny married Harry French. French, Roberts, and Spelletich all owned property on Rainy Lake at one time. Edmund (Budge) Cook was a Davenport lawyer and family friend who sometimes advised Oberholtzer. John Cook spent several summers at The Mallard. Lewis and Edith Shorey were friends with whom Oberholtzer sometimes stayed when he visited Davenport. Shorey often looked after Oberholtzer's affairs in Davenport and in particular helped care for Grace Parkhurst. Gilbert Dalldorf had been a Boy Scout in a troop that Oberholtzer led in Davenport around 1909. Dalldorf later became a noted medical researcher with the New York Public Health Department and Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was one of Oberholtzer's closest friends and visited The Mallard several times. Oberholtzer often visited Dalldorf on his trips east.

The correspondence with these friends covers a broad range of topics but their interest in Rainy Lake provides some focus. All had at least a passing interest in Oberholtzer's conservation work and there are often short references to it. Oberholtzer's letters to these individuals frequently include comments on the progress of the Quetico-Superior program, the work he is currently engaged in, or his views on the prospects for the ultimate success or failure of the movement.

In addition, there is a substantial body of letters to various Davenport real estate and insurance agents and lawyers relating to the management and sale of Oberholtzer's property in Davenport and to the settling of his mother's and Grace Parkhurst's estates.

Two other relatives with whom Oberholtzer corresponded regularly were Meta Hansen of Chicago and Anna Bloomer of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Meta Hansen was a Carl cousin of Rosa Oberholtzer and some of her letters include genealogical information on the Carl family. Anna Oberholtzer Bloomer was a sister of Oberholtzer's father, and her letters provide some information on Oberholtzer relatives.

A third group of correspondents centers on William P. Hapgood and the circle of people who came to Rainy Lake through him. Hapgood, president of the Columbia Conserve Co. of Indianapolis, owned the so-called "Japanese" group of islands in Rainy Lake, of which The Mallard was one. Oberholtzer bought The Mallard from Hapgood, and much of his correspondence with Hapgood and others from 1920 to 1926 concerns this purchase. Hapgood's niece Ruth, her husband Sewell Tyng, and their friends Penelope (Pep) Turle and John and Katherine (Kit) Bakeless were frequent visitors to Rainy Lake and guests at The Mallard during the 1920s. Tyng became deeply involved with Oberholtzer in opposing E. W. Backus' plans for power development in the Rainy Lake watershed. Between 1924 and 1929 there is significant correspondence on the early days of their collaboration. After the founding of the Quetico-Superior Council in 1928 most of their correspondence is found in Oberholtzer's Quetico-Superior papers (see below).

The letters of Pep Turle, a New York artist with Duluth connections, and Kit Bakeless often recount the summers they spent on Rainy Lake and Oberholtzer's hospitality at The Mallard. In particular they describe the canoe trips Ober planned for them and the "Mallard concerts" with Rosa Oberholtzer and Kit Bakeless playing piano and Ober the violin. The Bakeless correspondence also includes comments on the historical research of John Bakeless, especially his writing on Lewis and Clark.

Another group of correspondents includes individuals who had visited Oberholtzer at The Mallard and accompanied him on canoe trips. Among these were Ted Hall, Raymond Ickes, Pete Heffelfinger, Sam White, Jr., Harry Henderson, Bert Stiles, Dave Kelly, John Szarkowski, Charles A. Kelly, and Ron Lempi. Their letters often include recollections of the writer's experiences on canoe trips, plans for future trips, and personal information. There are some letters from Oberholtzer to these individuals, often containing information about activities at The Mallard, reports on Oberholtzer's Indian friends that the correspondent may have met on canoe trips, and occasional discussions of Oberholtzer's conservation work.

Ted Hall, who spent parts of eight summers working for Oberholtzer at The Mallard during the late 1920s and 1930s, became one of Oberholtzer's closest confidants. Hall's letters contain information about his experiences at The Mallard, local activities in Red Wing and Frontenac, Minnesota, his college days at Hiram and Antioch colleges in Ohio, service in the merchant marine during World War II, and work as a newspaper reporter and editor in Chicago and New Jersey. Oberholtzer sometimes visited the Hall home in Red Wing and also regularly corresponded with Ted's parents E. S. (Ned) and Lenore ("Bill").

There is a substantial amount of correspondence with Harold L. Ickes concerning his son Raymond's visits to The Mallard in 1925 and 1927. Oberholtzer's letters describe the facilities at The Mallard and outline the type of activities he would arrange for Raymond. They sometimes include comments on his role in the fight against Backus.

Oberholtzer became involved with the Heffelfinger family through his conservation work and developed a personal friendship as well. In 1937 he served as tutor to Peavey Heffelfinger, Jr. (Pete) while the latter was recovering from an illness at an Arizona ranch. Pete later spent several summers at The Mallard, and Oberholtzer made several trips to the West with the Heffelfinger family. Letters from F. Peavey Heffelfinger, Sr., include a number of "travelogues" on his personal and business travels around the world. Pete Heffelfinger later advised Oberholtzer on personal and financial matters and played a significant role in arranging the transfer of Oberholtzer's Quetico-Superior Council records to the Minnesota Historical Society in 1963-1965.

John Szarkowski, a photographer from Ashland, Wisconsin, who later became a director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, visited Oberholtzer at The Mallard and made several canoe trips to photograph Rainy Lake scenes for the Quetico-Superior Committee. Their correspondence includes information on Szarkowski's book about Louis Sullivan, his theories on photography, and his plan to do a photo-essay on Quetico-Superior.

Bert Stiles, a college student and aspiring author from Colorado, began writing to Oberholtzer after reading an article on Quetico-Superior. He spent part of the winter of 1939 at The Mallard and corresponded regularly until his death in World War II in 1944. Stiles had published a number of stories in Life and other magazines, and a collection of his stories written during the war was published in 1947 under the title Serenade to the Big Bird. Several of Oberholtzer's letters to Stiles include candid self-appraisals.

Charles A. Kelly, the son of Charles S. Kelly, Oberholtzer's colleague in the Quetico-Superior struggle, visited The Mallard several times and became Oberholtzer's close friend and confidant. Their correspondence, dating from about 1950 to 1970, often discusses activities at the Mallard and gives information about Oberholtzer's personal and financial affairs. There is also some correspondence with David Kelly, a brother of Charles S. Kelly. Oberholtzer had roomed with David Kelly when he was in Washington, D.C., in 1930 lobbying Congress on the Shipstead-Nolan Bill to protect the border lakes wilderness areas from commercial exploitation.

A final group of personal correspondents consists of friends from the International Falls and Ranier area. Among these were young men who at times worked for Oberholtzer at The Mallard, including Leo Anderson, Pete Reuter, Tabby Stone, and Bob Hilke. There are numerous letters from several members of the Monahan family, particularly Gene, Jean E. (Glazer), and Robert Hugh. The Robert Hugh Monahan letters include several from Vietnam in 1968. Letters from Ray Watt, engineer for the International Joint Commission (IJC) responsible for managing water levels on Rainy Lake during the late 1950s and 1960s, are primarily personal in nature but include information on flood conditions and IJC water level management policies. Oberholtzer's correspondence with Dr. Mary C. Ghostley, at times a public health officer in northern Minnesota, often discusses his Indian friends and their health problems. There are a number of letters from George Bliss and Grace Mudge of Mine Centre; these also frequently provide information on Oberholtzer's Indian friends.

There is also some significant correspondence, dating mainly from the 1940s and 1950s, with writers, scholars, and explorers interested in the terrain and native peoples of the Rainy Lake area and the Canadian interior. Among these correspondents are P. G. Downes, Farley Mowat, Gilbert Knipmeyer, and Calvin Rutstrum. In addition, letters and poems from Conrad Aiken are found occasionally from 1934 to 1964.

Intermixed with the personal correspondence are a number of letters from individuals whose principal association with Oberholtzer was through either the Quetico-Superior Council or the Wilderness Society. Among these are Charles S. Kelly, Frank B. Hubachek, Frederick S. Winston, and Robert Marshall from the Quetico-Superior Council and Harvey Broome, Howard Zahniser, Olaus and Margaret E. (Mardy) Murie, and Stewart M. Brandborg from the Wilderness Society. The bulk of the correspondence with these individuals is found in the Quetico-Superior and Wilderness Society series (see below). There is also personal correspondence with Clara Martin and Sylvia Thomas, former secretaries at the Quetico-Superior Council office in Minneapolis.

From the late 1950s through the 1960s, there is considerable interchange between Oberholtzer and various representatives of the Minnesota Historical Society, principally Russell Fridley and Lucile Kane. This correspondence concerns the Society's acquisition and processing of the records of the Quetico-Superior Council, a series of oral history interviews conducted with Oberholtzer, and proposals that the Historical Society acquire The Mallard as an historic site.

Filed at the end of the chronological correspondence are separate correspondent files for Samuel Eliot Morison and Gilbert Dalldorf, and subject files for the Birch Point Association and the West Davenport Improvement Company. There is also a file of miscellaneous financial records.

Oberholtzer and Morison became close friends at Harvard, where both lived at Hollis Hall. Oberholtzer served for a short time as caretaker for Morison's retarded younger brother, Bradford. Their correspondence, 1911-1972, includes reminiscences of their student days at Harvard and discussions of Morison's historical research, Oberholtzer's role in the struggle to preserve Quetico-Superior, Morison's visit to The Mallard in 1962, Oberholtzer's trips to Boston, and Morison's role in the awarding of an honorary degree to Oberholtzer by Northern Michigan University in 1966. Morison's eulogy for President John F. Kennedy is also included (November 24, 1963).

The Gilbert Dalldorf file consists of letters from Oberholtzer to Dalldorf, 1914-1948, with some information about Oberholtzer sent to Dalldorf by others, 1963-1979. The letters were donated by Mrs. Dalldorf for inclusion in the microfilm edition of the Oberholtzer papers. These letters complement correspondence in the chronological series but because of their provenance have been retained as a separate file.

The Birch Point Association was an organization of property owners on Birch Point, a peninsula on Rainy Lake near Ranier. Oberholtzer served as its secretary. The letters and other papers, 1916-1933, deal with the association's internal affairs, in particular with alleged misconduct by its treasurer. The file includes numerous receipts, bank statements, and other miscellany, many of which are undated.

The file of West Davenport Improvement Company papers, 1930-1938, includes minutes, correspondence, and data on finances and stock. The company, in which Oberholtzer had inherited some stock, owned property in Davenport but had become insolvent, and the papers deal with the directors' efforts to liquidate its assets.

The miscellaneous financial records, 1921-1970, consist of notes, worksheets, receipts, labor records, and other items relating to Oberholtzer's personal finances and to construction and maintenance at The Mallard. These include Oberholtzer's accounts with many of the boys and men who helped him at the island.

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Undated and 1909-1924.

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1925-August 1929.

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September 1929-1932.

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1933-1935.

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1936-July 1938.

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August 1938 - August 1940.

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September 1940-1941.

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1942-1943.

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1944-May 1945.

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June 1945-1947.

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1948-1949.

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1950-June 1951.

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July 1951-1953.

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1954-1955.

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1956-1957.

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1958-1959.

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1960-May 1961.

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June 1961 - June 1962.

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July 1962-1963.

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1964-September 1965.

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October 1965 - April 1967.

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May 1967-1972.

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Samuel Eliot Morison correspondence, undated and 1911-1972.

Gilbert Dalldorf correspondence, undated and 1914-1979.

Birch Point Association, undated and 1916-1933.

West Davenport Improvement Company, 1930-1938.

Miscellaneous financial records, undated and 1921-1970.

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Short Stories, Essays and Other Writings

This series includes notes, drafts, and finished copies of short stories and other literary works, magazine articles, and editorial pieces on the Quetico-Superior program, as well as notes and texts for several lectures. There is also a small file of Oberholtzer's school notes and compositions. The series has been divided into three sections: Short Stories and Other Literary Works (undated and 1908-1959); Essays and Articles on Quetico-Superior Themes (undated and 1909-1950); and School Notes and Compositions (ca.1901-ca.1907). Within each of these sections the arrangement is chronological, as well as could be determined.

Between 1908 and ca.1916, Oberholtzer wrote a number of short stories of the "boy's adventure" genre, some under the name Ernest Carliowa. Some of these were based on his experiences in the wilderness and a few were published in Youth's Companion and other magazines. In addition to these "finished" stories, there are numerous incomplete drafts, notes, and sketches for short stories, some with titles but most without. Also filmed with this section is one folder of material on Billy Magee and Indian legends that Oberholtzer had intended to incorporate into a story.

Among the essays and articles on Quetico-Superior themes are several on moose and the photographing of moose, including one, "On the Habits of Moose," published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London in 1911. There is a text and notes for a lecture to accompany a lantern slide show based on Oberholtzer's 1909 and 1910 canoe trips in the boundary lakes area, and texts for other lectures on his experiences in the wilderness. The series also includes copies of many of the articles Oberholtzer wrote in support of the Quetico-Superior Council's program.

The school notes and compositions consist of three notebooks and several loose essays, most pertaining to composition, storytelling, and related literary topics.

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Short stories and other literary works, undated and 1908-1959.

1. My Visit to the Phrenologist.

2. The Massacre.

3. Old Docked Bell.

4. The Bull Bronco [2 versions; published in Youth's Companion under the title "Pretty Good Horse," May 2, 1912].

5. A Day's Outing.

6. The Beacon.

7. A Proof of Friendship.

8. The Walrus Herd[:] A Story of the North.

9. A Lesson in Eskimo[:] A Story of the North.

10. A Persian Prison-Tale, November 1908.

11. Boys Will Be Boys[:] A Story of a River-Town in Iowa, November 1908.

12. Two-Handed Fate.

13. The Adoption of Gabe.

14. The Fire-Fighters [sold to Boys Magazine, August 9, 1912].

15. The Origin of the Robin.

16. A Guest on Martin River[:] An Adventure Story.

17. The Eternal Soldier, [1913].

18. In War Time [poem], January 6, 1915.

19. The River Rat.

20. The Card-Party [chapter for "Boys Will Be Boys"].

21. The Lesson [chapter for "Boys Will Be Boys"].

22. A Venture in Trade [chapter for "Boys Will be Boys"].

23. The Sacrifice of Old Mischief.

24. The Specter-Moose.

25. Story of the Fifth Old Maid.

26. Story About Iceland.

27. The Pensioning of Florie.

28. Through the Elephant's Legs.

29. Thunder Nest Falls.

30. Christmas Eve in Bethnal Green.

31. The Affair of the Bannock [opening paragraph].

32. Indians.

33. The Revolt at Reindeer Falls.

34. Magic.

35. The Man on the Divide.

36. A Dog Story.

37. Bear Island Lighthouse.

38. The Deer-Skin Glove.

39. In The Rice Fields.

40. Recipe Number One.

41. Caribou Cinderella.

42. Tess of the D'Urbervilles [notes on].

43. The Cruise of the "Dolly," [1908?].

44. Down the Manitou to the Cascades.

45. On Horseback by Charles Dudley Warner [notes on], March 3, 1910.

46. Monte Ascania Goes to War, April 20, 1945 [manuscripts, notes, and drafts].

47. In Quest of Wilderness, 1954-1955 [manuscript, draft, and notes].

48. Untitled draft for a story, with notes, February 24, 1959 [sequel to In Quest of Wilderness?].

49. Centenarians, March 4, 1959 [manuscripts and notes].

50. The Dignity of Soap-Suds[:] A Three Act Farce for Social Workers.

51. Notes on Davenport [for a projected "Story of Marysport"?, including information on Davenport events and personalities, particularly on Tom Burke, Oberholtzer's childhood friend and mentor].

52. Notes on Billy Magee and on Indian legends, storytelling, and language.

53. Miscellaneous drafts, notes, and sketches, untitled.

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Essays and articles on Quetico-Superior themes, undated and 1909-1950.

1. The Land of Moose[:] Where and what it is and how to see it, [1909] [written for the Canadian National Railway].

2. The International Forest, 1909 [submitted to Arthur Hawkes of the Canadian National Railway].

3. Our Largest Wild Animal, [1909?].

4. Modern Adventure in Ontario, [1910?] [possibly part of the material prepared for the Canadian National Railway].

5. The Top of A Continent [two versions].

6. Porcupines.

7. Pooh Bah [Portage] Route.

8. Introductions, texts, and notes for lectures/lantern slide shows in England on 1909 and 1910 canoe trips in the Quetico-Superior area.

9. A Cruise Among Lesser Lakes.

10. "Under the Quetico Pines" [negative photocopy; from Recreation, August 1910].

11. Lecture on Billy Magee and 1909 and 1912 canoe trips [manuscript and notes].

12. "On the Habits of Moose" [reprint of and notes for article published in Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, June 1911].

13. An Amateur Among Moose.

14. In Domestic Circles[:] Photographing a Cow Moose and Her Twin Calves.

15. Making Friends with Moose [published in American Photography as "Photographing Wild Moose," August 1915].

16. "President Roosevelt Acts to Save the People's Forest Among the Border Lakes" [reprint from The National Waltonian, September 1934].

17. "Attention, Please, for Quetico-Superior" [reprint from National Parks Magazine, July-September 1944].

18. "Editorial: On With the Quetico-Superior Project!" and "Hands Across the Border" [reprints from American Forests, September 1944].

19. "Hands Across the Border" [from Minnesota Sportsmen's Digest, September-October 1944].

20. "Portage Philosophy" [reprint from American Forests].

21. "The Lakes of Verendrye[:] A University of the Wilderness" [three articles reprinted from American Forests, September, October, and November 1929; published by the Quetico-Superior Council, ca.1945].

22. Quetico-Superior[:] A New-World Peace Memorial, April 11, 1950 [Written for Pro Natura magazine].

School notes and compositions, undated and ca.1901-ca.1907.

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Miscellaneous Notes

This series consists of notes on a variety of topics including Oberholtzer's reading, his literary writing, his perceptions of himself, and what he at times believed to be the failed and misspent aspects of his life. They range from the systematic notes Oberholtzer made on his reading in preparation for the 1912 canoe trip to random observations scrawled on the backs of envelopes.

Included in the series are Oberholtzer's notes on the journals of Samuel Hearne, the first white man to traverse the "Barren Lands" of Canada. These notes, apparently made while Oberholtzer was in London in 1910, are mostly excerpts transcribed from the journals, with occasional commentary by Oberholtzer. There are also notes on the journals of Pierre La V'erendrye, J. B. Tyrrell, and other explorers of or writers about the Canadian wilderness.

The second set of fairly systematic notes reflects Oberholtzer's reading in psychology and philosophy. These notes were apparently intended both for background for his literary writing and for self-understanding. Finally there is a large number of rather random notes on ideas for stories, the difficulty he had in writing, and what he believed to be the failures of his life. These sometimes take the form of exhortations to himself and provide significant psychological insights and reflections on his experiences. Most of these notes are undated, but they appear to span the entire period from ca.1908 to at least 1963. There seem to be significant concentrations of these notes for the years 1910-1920, the late 1920s and early 1930s, and 1953-1956.

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Notes on Canadian exploration, undated and [1910?].

Notes on psychology and philosophy, undated.

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Personal and other notes, undated and ca.1908-1963.

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Journals and Notebooks

Oberholtzer's journals and notebooks, totaling 147 volumes, include a detailed record of his 1912 trip to Nueltin Lake and Hudson Bay, accounts of his numerous canoe trips throughout the Rainy Lake watershed, notes on the Quetico-Superior program and related matters, and miscellaneous notes on photography and other topics.

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Hudson Bay Journals:

The Hudson Bay journals are a daily record of Oberholtzer's 1912 canoe trip with his Indian friend Billy Magee, a 3000-mile voyage through the "Barren Lands" of Canada to Hudson Bay. Oberholtzer and Magee, neither of whom had previously canoed north of Rainy Lake, left The Pas, Manitoba, on June 26. They proceeded through Reindeer Lake, up the Cochrane River, across Nueltin Lake, and down the Thlewiaza River to Hudson Bay. There they met an Eskimo family with whom they sailed south to Fort Churchill. Oberholtzer and Magee then resumed canoeing down Hudson Bay to York Factory and up the Hayes River to Norway House on Lake Winnipeg, where they arrived on October 19, only to find that they had missed the last steamer of the season. They were forced to make a desperate paddle across wintry Lake Winnipeg, arriving at Gimli on November 5.

Volume 1. June 13-August 6, 1912.

Also contains a handdrawn copy or tracing of "Father Egenolf's[?] map of Seal River," (Manitoba).

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Volume 2. August 6-22, 1912.

Volume 3. August 23-September 12, 1912.

Volume 4. September 12-October 1, 1912.

Also contains a receipt for goods purchased at Fort Churchill.

Volume 5. October 1-November 3, 1912.

Volume 6. November 3-12, 1912.

Also includes notes on Samuel Hearne's journal and notes on and citations to books and articles on Indians and northern exploration.

Transcript of Hudson Bay Journals, [ca. 1940].

A typed transcript prepared by Mrs. McGivern, a secretary for Chicago law firm of Hubachek and Kelly.

Volume 1, pages 1-32.

Volume 2, pages 33-62.

Volume 3, pages 63-92.

Volume 4, pages 92-121.

Volume 5, pages 122-146.

Volume 6, pages 147-150.

Notes and other materials relating to the Hudson Bay journals, undated and [1954?], 1960.

Includes text and notes for lectures on the 1912 canoe trip, picture lists and commentary, a chronology of the canoe trip, excerpts from the journals, an outline of the trip, and the beginnings of narrative accounts of the trip.

Canoe Trip Journals:

The Canoe Trip journals are handwritten notebooks recording Oberholtzer's routes, experiences, and observations on some of his canoe trips through the Rainy Lake watershed and the boundary lakes. Some constitute detailed daily accounts while others consist of only a few brief entries. Oberholtzer was often accompanied on these trips by guests at The Mallard, boys from International Falls, or some of his Indian friends. Many of the trips were made as part of Oberholtzer's "inspection tours," in which he surveyed conditions on the boundary lakes as part of his Quetico-Superior Council activities. Many of the journals record Oberholtzer's visits to his Indian friends at Seine River and Mine Centre, in particular Billy Magee.

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Volume 7. August 4-17, 1906; May 28-August 18, 1909.

Trip out of Ely with Duncan Cameron (1906) and trips with Paul Gerard and Pat Sears [Cyr] (1909). Followed by a typewritten transcript of the 1906 entries.

Volume 8. August 19-September 22, 1909.

Trips with Billy Magee.

Volume 9. September 28-October 29, 1909.

Trips with [Alexie?] and Gabriel Parrant. Also includes notes on the history of Canada and photography.

Volume 10. [1909].

Notes on a trip along the boundary between Minnesota and Canada with Pat Cyr and Billy Magee. Includes information on Cyr and Magee.

Volume 11. [1909].

Notes on the Minnesota/Canadian boundary trip with Pat Cyr and Billy Magee.

Volume 12. November 5-12, 1909.

A series of short trips. Also includes notes on Rainy Lake people, places, and events.

Volume 13. May 22-June 13, 1910.

Trip with Billy Magee. Also includes notes on ideas for stories, Ojibwe vocabulary, and other topics.

Volume 14. June 16-28, 1910.

Trip with Alfred Bruyere.

Volume 15. June 26-August 7, 1914.

Series of short trips. Includes much information on Indians.

Volume 16. August 8-December 3, 1914.

Continues volume 15, above.

Volume 17. June 28-July 30, 1915.

Trip with Horace Roberts. Also includes notes on Victor Hugo's Ninety-Three and other works.

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Volume 18. February 21-April 1, 1916.

Trip to the Mine Centre Indians. Includes much information on Billy Magee's family.

Volume 19. April 2-12, 1916; September 1917.

Continues volume 18, above.

Volume 20. June 13-15, 1922; August 25-30, 1923.

Trip with "Dr. Mary" [Ghostley?] (1922) and boat trip with Henry Priester, Hugo Kochler, and George Monahan (1923).

Volume 21. October 1924.

Trip to visit the Seine River Indians. Includes information on Billy Magee.

Volume 22. October 2-12, 1926.

Trip with Billy Magee from The Mallard to Magee's camp on the Seine River.

Volume 23. October 14-23, 1929.

Trip to see Billy Magee with Fred Winston.

Volume 24. September 1-7, 1934; August 15-September 1, 1935; August 9, 1936.

Trip with Ted Hall (1934), trip with Ted Hall and Billy Magee to Seine River and Big Turtle Lake (1935), and trip with Harry Henderson (1936).

Volume 25. August 6-13 and 31, 1937.

Trip with Harry Henderson (August 6-13) and trip with Bob and Sam White and Billy Magee (August 31).

Volume 26. July 5-10, 1938.

Trip with Peavey Heffelfinger, Jr., including a visit to Billy Magee's grave.

Volume 27. October 30-November 1, 1940.

Boat trip to visit Seine River Indians. Also contains entries for March 25 and 27, 1941, and miscellaneous notes.

Volume 28. August 13-29, 1941; July 31-August 20, 1942.

Boat/canoe trip with Leo Anderson (1941) and trip with Anderson through Namakan and Basswood lakes (1942).

Volume 29. 1942.

Miscellaneous notes, including some made on trip with Leo Anderson.

Volume 30. October 5-19, 1942.

Trip with Buddy Friday to Big Turtle Lake to photograph wildlife.

Volume 31. July 4-August 5, August 30-September 11, September 27-October 15, 1943.

Trip with Douglas Head to White Otter Lake (July-August), trip with Bill Wheeler (August-September), and trip with Bob Namaypoke to Big Turtle (September-October), followed by a typed transcript for September 27-October 6. Also includes notes on Ojibwe words.

Volume 32. October 16-20, 1943; October 9-14, 1948.

Continues trip with Bob Namaypoke from volume 31 (October 16-20), visit to Johnny Jones' family at Red Gut and another short trip (October 9-14), and notes on Ojibwe bird names.

Volume 33. July 1-19, 1944.

Trip with Ray Anderson and Leonard ("Punk") Webster.

Volume 34. September 1-24, October 14-19, 1944.

Trip to see the Seine River Indians, wild ricing with the Charlie Friday party, and trip to Mathieu logging camp on Robinson Lake (September); trip with Bob Struve to see Charlie Friday and the Seine River Indians (October). Also includes notes on the Quetico-Superior program.

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Volume 35. March 23-April 11, 1945.

Trip to visit the Mine Centre Indians.

Volume 36. March 28-April 26, 1945.

Notes on Mine Centre Indian families and Oberholtzer's reaction to the death of Franklin Roosevelt; quotes from letter to Ted Hall (April 26).

Volume 37. May 23, May 29-June 22, 1945.

Trip to George Mudge's on way to Whitefish Lake (May 23), and trip with Pinay [Kizins?], half-brother of Bob Namaypoke (May 29-June 22).

Volume 38. July 2-8, 1945.

Trip with John Cook to Sawbill Lake.

Volume 39. September 12-October 1, 1946.

Trip with Jimmie Boshkegin. Also includes notes on wilderness and Ojibwe words.

Volume 40. September 5-19, 1947; August 29-31, 1948.

Trip with Frederic Dalldorf (1947) and trip to Red Gut and Seine River to visit Indians (1948). Also contains notes on Charlie Friday's camp and Ojibwe words.

Volume 41. July 3-4, 1947; January 25 and September 2, 1951.

Boat trip with Hugh Monahan (1947). Also includes notes on life at The Mallard and a conversation with Alfred Anderson (1951).

Volume 42. May 2-4, 1949; December 1949-January 1950.

Trip to visit Seine River Indians (May 1949), and activities at The Mallard and miscellaneous notes (December 1949-1950).

Volume 43. October 12-23, 1953.

Trip with Jimmie Boshkegin to the Northwest Angle, Lake of the Woods.

Volume 44. October 13-25, 1954.

Trip with Pinay. Also contains a single, detached sheet (August 8, 1954) giving Oberholtzer's [Quetico-Superior] travel route, possibly for an inspection trip.

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Volume 45. September 19-October 21, 1955.

Trip with Ron Lempi, John Szarkowski, and Pinay. Also includes a list of supplies for the trip as well as notes on Szarkowski's hints on photography and a memorandum on the tribal allotment record for Charlie Friday's maternal grandfather.

Volume 46. July 26-August 5 and August 25-29, 1957.

Trip to upper Seine River (July 26-August 5) and trip with Jimmie Banks (August 25-29). Also includes notes on photography.

Volume 47. July 14-22, 1960.

Trip with Richard Niemi to Quetico to inspect logging operations and to see the area first visited with Billy Magee in 1909. Also contains miscellaneous notes dated 1956-1957.

Volume 48. September 23-October 12, 1960.

Trip with Howard Willie.

Volume 49. September 25-October 12, 1960.

Notes on trip with Howard Willie.

Volume 50. September 7-18, 1961.

Trip on the Namakan River with Howard Willie. Also contains observations dated September 14-26.

Volume 51. October 4-16, 1962.

Trip with Howard Willie.

Volume 52. August 3-11, 1963.

Trip with Bob Hilke to Nueltin Lake, revisiting sites of 1912 trip with Billy Magee.

Volume 53. September 17-27, 1963.

Trip with Pinay to White Otter Lake and miscellaneous notes.

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Volume 54. August 28-September 5, 1964.

Trip with Richard Niemi around Isle Royale in memory of Frances Andrews.

Volume 55. August 4-26, 1936.

Typed copy of a journal kept by Harry Henderson, Jr., on trip with Oberholtzer to Big Turtle Lake that includes a drawing of Billy Magee and pen-and-ink and watercolor paintings of scenery by Henderson. Followed by Oberholtzer's notes on the journal and additional artwork by Henderson.

England Trip Journals and Notebooks:

The England Trip Journals (1908-1911) include a two-volume record of a bicycle tour of England and Scotland made with Conrad Aiken in 1908 and a single volume recording Oberholtzer's 1910 trip to England and the continent with Harry French. The two England Notebooks date from Oberholtzer's stay in England in 1910-1911. They consist primarily of addresses of newspapers and publishers to whom he hoped to sell stories and articles. There are a few brief notes about the lectures Oberholtzer gave on his explorations of the boundary lakes.

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Volume 56. July 8-September 3, 1908.

Trip to England and Scotland with Conrad Aiken.

Volume 57. September 3-October 8, 1908.

Trip to England and Scotland with Conrad Aiken. Continues volume 56, above.

Volume 58. July 3-September 19, 1910.

Trip to England and the continent with Harry French.

Volume 59. [1910-1911].

Miscellaneous notes from stay in England.

Volume 60. [1910-1911].

Miscellaneous notes and names and addresses from stay in England.

Quetico-Superior Notebooks:

The Quetico-Superior Notebooks (ca.1916-1946) consist mainly of notes on matters related to the Quetico-Superior Council's program. They include Oberholtzer's notes and comments on hearings and official reports of the International Joint Commission, congressional hearings on the Shipstead-Nolan Bill, Minnesota legislature debates on conservation issues, and names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior program supporters. They also contain incidental notes on a variety of other topics.

Volume 61. [ca. 1916-ca. 1918].

Mostly names and addresses and miscellaneous notes, some on the purchase of sheep for William Hapgood.

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Volume 62. [ca. 1928?].

Notes on lake levels controversy and Algot Erickson's suit against E. W. Backus.

Volume 63. [ca. 1928].

Notes on Crawford's lake level tables, names and addresses, and brief notes on Indian rock paintings. Also includes a 1952 entry for a trip to Kettle Falls.

Volume 64. 1928.

Notes on International Joint Commission (IJC) hearings and reports, names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior supporters, and notes on other miscellaneous Quetico-Superior matters.

Volume 65. 1928.

Notes on IJC hearings and reports, names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior supporters, and notes on other miscellaneous Quetico-Superior matters.

Volume 66. 1928.

Notes on IJC hearings and reports, names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior supporters, and notes on other miscellaneous Quetico-Superior matters.

Volume 67. 1928-1929.

Notes on IJC hearings and reports, names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior supporters, and notes on other miscellaneous Quetico-Superior matters. Also includes notes on congressional hearings.

Volume 68. October 15-18, 1928.

Notes on trip to Atikokan to view flood damage and miscellaneous notes.

Volume 69. [ca. 1928-ca. 1929].

Miscellaneous notes on Quetico-Superior and Gabbro Lake lumbering.

Volume 70. November 1929.

Notes on trip with Fred Winston on Quetico-Superior business and miscellaneous Quetico-Superior notes.

Volume 71. [ca. 1929-ca. 1930?].

Notes on E. W. Backus, Shiptead-Newton bill hearings, and lake water levels.

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Volume 72. 1929.

Reading notes on exploration of the Rainy Lake area and the upper Mississippi Valley and notes on the Minnesota Senate debate on a resolution supporting passage of the Shipstead-Newton bill.

Volume 73. 1929.

Notes on Francis Parkman's A Half Century of Conflict and other books on the Rainy Lake region and on the Minnesota House of Representatives debate on a resolution supporting passage of the Shipstead-Newton bill.

Volume 74. [1931].

Miscellaneous notes, some on the Quetico-Superior program.

Volume 75. [1931].

Miscellaneous notes on the Quetico-Superior program and some on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation.

Volume 76. [1932].

Notes on the international boundary report and the IJC final report.

Volume 77. [1932].

Notes on the IJC engineer's report.

Volume 78. October 23-29, 1932.

Notes on boundary lake water levels taken on a trip with Sewell Tyng, Ralph Sargent, and others.

Volume 79. [ca. 1935].

Miscellaneous notes on the Quetico-Superior program, names and addresses of potential Quetico-Superior supporters, and notes on Rainy Lake region history.

Volume 80. [1946?].

Miscellaneous notes on the Quetico-Superior program and some notes on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation.

Volume 81. December 10-13, 1946.

Notes on hearings of the Ontario Royal Commission on Forestry.

Daily Journals:

The Daily Journals, which Oberholtzer kept periodically from 1949 to 1962, record his observations on current events and activities at The Mallard. The most significant of these is volume 82, which Oberholtzer wrote while in Washington, D.C., in 1949. It contains much information on the Quetico-Superior airspace reservation, the draft treaty with Canada establishing a peace memorial forest, Oberholtzer's relations with Charles Kelly and Sigurd Olson, and many personal reflections.

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Volume 82. February 11-May 31, 1949.

Notes on lobbying for the airspace reservation, the presentation of the draft of the treaty establishing the peace memorial forest, Oberholtzer's relations with Charles Kelly and Sigurd Olson, and Oberholtzer's literary works.

Volume 83. 1955.

Notes on the weather and activities at The Mallard.

Volume 84. January 27, 1957-February 23, 1958.