Carlos A. Kenaston Papers, 1862-1897 | Oberlin College Archives

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I. Correspondence, 1865, 1868, 1881, 1883, n.d. (1 folder)

Consists of six letters, including one report written by Carlos Kenaston to the Ohio Valley Academy Board of Trustees. Two of the letters are invitations addressed to Kenaston, and one letter is unsigned.

Series II. Miscellaneous Clippings and Notes, 1870, 1872, 1881, 1891, 1893, 1895-1897, n.d. (1 folder)

Consists of a variety of newspaper clippings on topics such as John Brown’s Armory, an advertisement for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, a map of the north shore of Lake Superior, a signed agreement between Kenaston and Mr. Mathew Cook, written thoughts on books, financial related statements and a page of notes.

Series III. Notebooks 1862-1864,1865, n.d. (2 volumes)

Consists of two notebooks, one containing 11 pages of financial ledgers and the other containing written reports from teachers, including Carlos Kenaston, of the Ohio Valley Academy.

Series IV. Travel Journals, 1881, 1883, 1891 (4 volumes)

Consists of four notebooks containing maps, sketches, pictures, notes, and journal logs from various travels.

Kenaston, Carlos A. (1837-1905)

Carlos Albert Kenaston was born in Sherbrooke, Canada, April 12, 1837, to David and Sarah Kenaston. Four years later his family removed to Oberlin, and in 1852 he began study in the Preparatory Department of the College. Kenaston graduated A.B. in 1861. In 1864 he received a Master’s Degree from the College.

March 6, 1862, Mr. Kenaston married Lucy Kellogg Fairchild, a daughter of the late President James H. Fairchild, and also a graduate of the College with the class of 1861. In the fall of that year they went to Lansing, Mich., where Mr. Kenaston was for two years instructor in the Agricultural College. He was principal of the Decatur, Ohio, academy in 1865-66; professor in Pittsburg, Pa., high school, 1866-72; professor in Ripon College, 1872-81; civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, 1881-84; and railroad engineer in Wisconsin in 1884-85. During the period of his professorship at Howard, he went to Paris as special commissioner of the Interior Department on the subject of irrigation in France and Algiers; also to Labrador as geographer of the Bryant Expedition; and he published an account of its work in the Century Magazine. In 1892 he gave up his Washington professorship, and in August of that year was sent to Alaska by the Treasury Department in the interest of the preservation of the salmon fisheries. In October 1894, he went to Salt Lake City as professor in Salt Lake College and remained in this position until July 1897, when he returned to Oberlin, where he was engaged mainly in business up to the time of his last illness.

He suffered a stroke of apoplexy, from which his recovery was only partial, then failed rapidly during the last year and died at his home in Oberlin, November 19, 1905. Mrs. Kenaston and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Belle Goodall, survived him.

Source:

Alumni Catalogue of 1936

Author: Cara McKibbin

diaries
letters (correspondence)
manuscripts
maps
publications
records (documents)
sketches