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University of Michigan William L. Clements Library

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Ethelda Coggan collection, 1853

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Summary

Creator:
Coggan, Ethelda, 1829-1906
Abstract:
This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.
Extent:
26 items
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Jayne Ptolemy, May 2023

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. In multiple instances, more than one student from a family appears to have written a poem, and the individuals from the same family used the same type of ribbons on their paper.

Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.

Biographical / Historical:

Ethelda Coggan was born on June 27, 1829, to William and Mary Coggan in Warren, Maine. By 1855 she had married Francis Mehan, a mariner with whom she had at least three children. She died in Thomaston, Maine, on March 3, 1906.

Acquisition Information:
2023. M-7785.3 .
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged by material type.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

Ethelda Coggan Collection, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan

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Collection

Ethelda Coggan collection, 1853
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Total components 1
Last indexed 2023-08-08