Manuscript collections

HENRY WALDO COE Papers

Ax 112

Biography

Henry Waldo Coe was born in Waupon, Wisconsin, on Nov. 4, 1857. He and his parents moved to Moristown, Minnesota, when Coe was five. After graduating from the local high school, Coe took courses at the University of Minnesota, and studied medicine with his father, Dr. Samuel Buel Coe. He graduated from Long Island (NY) College Hospital in July 1880, and moved to Mandan, North Dakota. Coe was the first physician to settle in North Dakota. In 1890 Coe was elected president of the State medical association, and was appointed as superintendent of the State board of health. In 1884 he had been elected to the last territorial legislature (1885) of Dakota Territory, before the territory was divided. Coe also served as mayor of Mandan.

Coe moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1891. He specialized in nervous and mental diseases, and owned and operated Morningside Hospital in Portland. Coe served in the Oregon State senate in 1894 and served as president of the City and County Medical Association. In 1893 he established The Medical Sentinel, an independent medical magazine.

Coe met Theodore Roosevelt while living in Dakota, and the two formed a long-lasting friendship. The county Roosevelt lived in, Billings, was part of Coe\'s district. Coe had a statue of Roosevelt made (by Phimister Proctor), which was donated to the city of Portland. Other statues which he donated to Portland were George Washington (by Pompeo Coppini), Abraham Lincoln (by George Fite Waters), and Jeanne d\'Arc (by Emmanuel Fremiet).

Coe was married twice and had three sons.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists mainly of correspondence. There is a file of letters from Theodore Roosevelt and the Roosevelt family, 1907-1918. The remainder of the correspondence concerns statues commissioned by Coe. Also included are newspaper clippings on and photographs of the statues. Note that patient information may be restricted.

Inventory

1907-1927

3 boxes
1.5 lin. ft.

Box/folder

1/1 Inventory

1/2 Biographical sketches

Correspondence

1/3 Roosevelt, Theodore, and Roosevelt Family. 1907-1918

Roosevelt statue by Phimister Proctor
1/4 1920-1922
1/5 1923, Jan.-June
1/6 1923, July-Dec.
1/7 1924
1/8 1925-1927
1/9 Clippings and photographs

Washington statue by Pornpeo Cappini
2/1 1924-1925
2/2 1926
2/3 1927
2/4 Clippings and photographs

Lincoln statue by George Fite Waters
2/5 1924
2/6 1925
2/7 1926 (includes photographs)
3/1 1927-1928

Jeanne d\'Arc statue by Emmanuel Fremiet
3/2 1924, Jan.-May
3/3 1924, June-Dec.
3/4 1925-1926
3/5 Clippings and photographs

3/6-7 Clippings relating to various works of art given to the city of Portland by Coe

Maintained by: N. Helmer, spcarref@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 10/30/2006