One of the most complete sources we have on how the school was organized and how the classes functioned are in reports that were printed in government publications such as the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. These reports represent the point of view of the government and are biased in favor of the school's administrators. The Pacific University Archives does not have original copies of these documents, but links to scanned copies are provided below.
Annual Superintendent's Reports
Each year, the superintendent of the Forest Grove Indian School made an official report to the Secretary of the Interior, which would be published by the Government Printing Office (GPO).
1880 Report
Wilkinson, M.C. “Report of School at Forest Grove.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1880 , 177–78. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1880. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1881 Report
Wilkinson, M.C. “Report of School at Forest Grove.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1881 , 198–200. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1881. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1882 Report
Wilkinson, M.C. “Report of Forest Grove School.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1882 , 187–90. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1882. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1883 Report
Minthorn, H.J. “Report of Forest Grove School.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1883 , 180–83. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1883. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1884 Report
Minthorn, H.J. “Report of Forest Grove School.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1884 , 202–7. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1884. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1885 Report
Coffin, W.V. “Report of Forest Grove School.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1885 , 222–25. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1885. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1886 Report (after the school moved to Salem)
Lee, John. “Indian Industrial School, Salem, Oreg." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1886 , 15-18. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1886. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1887 Report (after the school moved to Salem)
Lee, John. “Salem Indian Industrial School” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1887, 252–6. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1887. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
History of the Land for the Campus
1892 History of the Campus Sites (compiled after the school moved to Salem)
"Salem, Oregon (formerly Forest Grove," within report on "Indian School Sites." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1892, 891-894. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1892. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
Legislative Records
Records of debates, speeches and laws in the Congress of the United States and the State of Oregon provide context for how the Forest Grove Indian School intersected with state and national politics.
U.S. President Hayes Annual Message to Congress, 1879
One paragraph on Indian Schools. Citation: U.S. President Hayes, Annual Message to the Senate, Dec. 1, 1879. 46th Cong., 2nd sess., Congressional Record 10, pt. 1:7.
U.S. President Hayes Annual Message to Congress, 1880
Two paragraphs on Indian Schools. Citation: U.S. President Hayes, Annual Message to the Senate, Dec. 1, 1880. 46th Cong., 3rd sess., Congressional Record 11, pt. 1:8.
U.S. Senate Debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1882-3
See pages 2454-2463 for general debate on funding Indian Schools. Citation: U.S. Senate debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1882-3, Mar. 31, 1882. HR 4185, 47th Cong., 1st sess., Congressional Record 13, pt. 3:2454-2463.
U.S. House Debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1883-4
See pages 92-3, comparing costs at Indian Schools. Citation: U.S. House debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1883-4, Dec. 7, 1882. HR 6900, 47th Cong., 2nd sess., Congressional Record 14, pt. 1:92-93.
U.S. Senate Debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1883-4
See pages 412-6, comparing costs at Carlisle Indian School to Forest Grove. Citation: U.S. Senate debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1883-4, Dec 19, 1882. HR 6900, 47th Cong., 2nd sess., Congressional Record 14, pt. 1:412-6.
U.S. Senate Debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1883-4 (continued)
See pages 3150-1. Citation: U.S. Senate debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1884-5, Feb 23, 1883. HR 6900, 47th Cong., 2nd sess., Congressional Record 14, pt. 4:3150-1.
U.S. Senate Debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1884-5
Pages 4107-4110 of this volume cover the debate over funding construction of a new campus for the Forest Grove Indian School. Citation: U.S. Senate debate on the Indian Appropriation Bill for 1884-5, May 13, 1884. HR 6092, 48th Cong., 1st sess., Congressional Record 15, pt. 4:4107-4110.
Oregon Senate Memorial on relocating the Indian School, 1885
Senate Joint Memorial No. 3, Journal of the Senate of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, 13th Regular Session, 1885 (Salem: Byars, 1885), 184.
Oregon Senate Resolution on relocating the Indian School, 1885
Oregon State Senate Resolution No. 12, Journal of the Senate of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, 13th Regular Session, 1885 (Salem: Byars, 1885), 275.
Bi-Annual Employee Registers
Every two years, the Government Printing Office (GPO) published a list of federal employees, including employees of the Forest Grove Indian School. These listings have somewhat frequent typographical errors in the names and are not absolutely complete lists of everyone who worked at the school, but they do provide some details about both its white and Native workers.
1881 Register
“Indian Training Schools.” In Official Register of the United States , 1:617. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1881. https://babel.hathitrust.org.
1883 Register
“Indian Training Schools.” In Official Register of the United States , 1:586–87. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1883. https://babel.hathitrust.org.
1885 Register
“Indian Training Schools.” In Official Register of the United States , 1:541. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1885. https://babel.hathitrust.org.
Education Statistics
1880 Stats
"Table of statistics relating to population, education, &c., by tribes and their respective
agencies." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1880 , 177–78. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1880.
1881 Stats
"Table of statistics relating to population, education, &c., by tribes and their respective agencies.” In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1881 , 198–200. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1881.
1882 Stats
"Table of statistics relating to Indian education." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1882 , 187–90. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1882. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1883 Stats
"Statistics of Indian Schools." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1883 , 180–83. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1883. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1884 Stats
"Table of statistics relating to Indian education." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1884 , 202–7. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1884. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
1885 Stats
Table B, "Report of the Indian School Superintendent." In Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year 1885 , CXCII-CCI. Washington D.C.: GPO, 1885. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu.
Other Government Reports
Jackson, Sheldon. " Report of Sitka School ." Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs the Secretary of the Interior . Washington, DC: GPO, 1885. pp. 256-263.
Information by Sheldon Jackson, on John Walker, a full blooded Puyallup, educated at the Forest Grove Indian Training School. He later worked as the Industrial teacher at the school in Sitka, Alaska.
"Nisqually and S'kokomoish Agency." Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior . Washington, DC: GPO, 1883. pp. 147-149. Google Books .
Explains how many students were sent to the Indian Training School in 1883 from the Nisqually and S'kokomish Agency.
" Puyallup Indian Reservation ." Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior . Washington, DC: GPO, 1883. pp. 149-151. Google Books .
Explains how many students were sent to the Indian Training School in 1883 from the Puyallup Agency.
Jackson, Sheldon. "Report of Sitka School ." Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs the Secretary of the Interior . Washington, DC: GPO, 1885. pp. 256-263. http://images.library.wisc.edu/History/EFacs/CommRep/AnnRep85/reference/history.annrep85.i0034.pdf
Information by Sheldon Jackson, on John Walker, a full blooded Puyallup, educated at the Forest Grove Indian Training School. He later worked as the Industrial teacher at the school in Sitka, Alaska.