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Claire McGill Luce Western History Room
A Western Research Haven Located Within The Harney County Library
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Harney County is home to the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room which provides access to two 
special collections that most universities would envy - valuable collections donated to the library by two men who have since died: Walter McEwen, a Harney County rancher and Edward Gray, an author from Eugene who was fascinated with Southeastern Oregon. The collections include books on the exploration of the Northwest,and complete sets of the Oregon Historical Quarterly and the Bancroft books.
Karen Nitz is the primary archivist for the collection and is available to help library patrons until 5pm during regular library hours. Through the summer, the Western History Room is open Saturdays by request. Contact westernroom@harneycountylibrary.org for more information. Karen assists those interested in looking through the McEwen and Gray one-of-a-kind collections, which are curated in a locked room. Titles are cataloged in the main library computerized catalog system. The books in the special collections are not in circulation and can only be accessed in the Western History Room.
A collection of over 250 soft cover booklets and pamphlets which are not cataloged in the SAGE catalog system are indexed and on file for public access.
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE
Other information available for public use in the Western History Room includes Harney County newspapers on microfilm such as the East Oregon Herald, the Burns Times-Herald, the Harney County News and the Crane American as well as hardcopy issues of the Burns Times Herald newspapers from the last 10 years.
HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
The Western History Room provides access to historic photographs of Burns, Hines, and the people and communities of Harney County.
Over 1,000 photos are currently indexed in a searchable database which is continually expanding. Early photographers include John McMullen, Rufus Heck, A.D. Browning and Bob Lemons.
ORAL HISTORIES
Over 450 oral histories focusing on Harney County history and pioneers are available as written transcripts, WORD documents, original audio cassettes and digital audio files. Select oral history interviews are also available on VHS and DVD. The oral history project began in the 1970s and continues to add new interviews.
The Chester and Helen Felt Oral History Recording Room
Thanks to a generous grant from the Helen Felt Family, Harney County Library is home to the only known recording room in the region dedicated to recording and preserving the oral histories of it's citizens. The Chester and Helen Felt Oral History Recording Room is equipped with the latest digital technology for recording small interviews. The sound insulated room and it's recording equipment not only can preserve the voice of the storyteller but also the photographs and other small artifacts directly to a computer hard drive from which DVD copies can be made for permanent archival storage, for scholarly research, and for viewing by library patrons on our portable DVD players. Also available is a portable digital sound recorder for recording interviews on location.
The Chester and Helen Felt Oral History Recording Room is available for public use free of charge with the assistance of library staff. Appointments can be made by contacting the Western History Room.
GENEALOGY RESOURCES
Over 150 individual and family history files include diaries and 
genealogical information relating to past and current residents of Harney County. Other genealogical resources include indexes of birth, death and marriage announcements dating from the late 1800s and the Harney County cemetery records. Census records of Harney County from 1880-1930 are also available.
RESEARCH FACILITIES
The Western History Room provides three computers and a printer for research use along with work tables and a comfortable reading area. A microfilm reader is available for viewing and printing from the newspaper microfilm collection.
For more information about the collections or for research requests please contact the Western History Room at westernroom@harneycountylibrary.org
Check this website often as we will be adding photos and indexes to some of the most requested information.
The latest book about Harney County, compiled by staff of the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room, features photos from the combined collections of the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room and the Harney County Historical Museum along with photos from the private collections of families throughout the county. This book can be purchased at the Harney County Library and other local retailers.
To view more titles in this series, visit
100th Anniversary of the Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra in 2010!
Watch "Oregon Experience" on Oregon Public Broadcasting to view the newest episode about Mary Dodge and the roots of the Portland Youth Philharmonic which began in Harney County as the Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra.
Visit the Western History Room to learn more about the formation of this unique group and to view the Sagebrush Symphony episode on DVD.
Read about the show, view the episode online and find programming information online at OPB
View photos of the Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra archived at the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room in our photo gallery.
Celebrating Oregon's Sesquicentenial
As a proud partner in the Oregon 150 campaign, the Western History Room now has copies of the Official Oregon 150 Collector's Issue limited edition magazine available. Stop by and pick up your copy today, while supplies last!
