Search

The Wood family papers contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Much of the content pertains to education, family news, and politics.

The Wood family papers (4 linear feet) contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century.

The Correspondence series comprises almost all of the collection. Early items are incoming letters to James A. Wood, Rebecca D. Pillsbury (later Wood), and their daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood, from family members and acquaintances. James A. Wood's siblings wrote with updates on their lives, such as Caroline E. Wood's teaching career in numerous towns throughout New York. Rebecca D. Pillsbury also received letters from her brothers and sisters, and both Wood's and Pillsbury's correspondents discussed family matters, religion, and local news. Margaret Ann's letter of December 3, 1860, concerns her affection for a deceased baby sister, and an unidentified author's letter of September 4, 1861, describes the recent death of a grandmother. James A. Wood received an increasing amount of business-related correspondence, including letters from Charles W. Pierce, in the 1870s.

After the 1870s, most letters are addressed to Rebecca D. Wood and her daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood. Rebecca's children often wrote letters to their mother, and Helen received letters from cousins and friends from around the East Coast. George P. Wood, Helen's brother, often shared stories of his young son James and of his life in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D. C.; and Peekskill, New York. In one letter, George included a map showing the location of his home in Washington, D. C. (November 13, 1899).

In addition to family and social news, letters occasionally referred to current events. "Dana," one of Helen E. Wood's cousins, wrote from his United States Army post during World War I (December 28, 1917), and other friends discussed the impact of the war. Among Helen's correspondents were Ida McCollister of New Hampshire and Harry Sawyer, an old friend who shared news of his life in Kearney, Nebraska. In one later letter, George P. Wood expressed some of his political views about the 1924 presidential election (October 27, 1924). Correspondence was less frequent after Helen E. Wood's death in 1933, with most incoming letters addressed to Winchester R. Wood of Lynn, Massachusetts, a member of the family's Connecticut branch. Undated items include similar family correspondence, as well as one letter written on a printed program for the Public Meeting of the Philadelphian Society at Kimball Union Academy at Meridian, New Hampshire, on June 12, 1878.

The Essays series includes an "Autobiography of a Sofa," written by R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury, as well as a manuscript draft of the "Common School Repository...Published semi-monthly by L. J. Boynton & R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury," containing 8 pages of short pieces attributed, often only by first name, to various contributors.

Among the six Receipts, addressed to A. Wood (1 item) and Helen E. Wood (5 items) are two receipts for Helen E. Wood's educational expenses and two slips crediting her account at Citizens National Bank, Boston.

Maps and Blueprints comprise 7 items. These are several drawings of house layouts, one map showing the locations of two buildings, and two blueprints.

The Newspaper Clippings series has 6 items, one of which is an article entitled "What They Say: How Girls of Various Cities Behave When They are Kissed."

The Ephemera series contains 52 Christmas cards, greeting cards, postcards, calling cards, programs, and other printed items. Specific items include 2 Red Cross membership cards, a pamphlet advertising The Art of Living Long by Louis Cornaro, and a blank order sheet for Sears, Roebuck and Co. from the 1920s.

The Geiger family papers are primarily made up of correspondence written or received by Henry and Mildred Palmer Geiger, who lived in Galena, Illinois, and Sheldon, Iowa, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes letters that the couple wrote to each other during their courtship and letters that Henry received from his wife, siblings, parents, and children while he served with the Illinois National Guard during the Spanish-American War and with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

The Geiger family papers are primarily made up of correspondence written or received by Henry and Mildred Palmer Geiger, who lived in Galena, Illinois, and Sheldon, Iowa, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes letters that the couple wrote to each other during their courtship and letters that Henry received from his wife, siblings, parents, and children while he served with the Illinois National Guard during the Spanish-American War and with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. Henry Geiger wrote over 100 letters to Mildred Palmer between 1890 and 1894, during their courtship. Though he lived in Galena, Illinois, he frequently spent time in Chicago and Scales Mound, Illinois, while serving with the 6th Illinois National Guard. His letters, often lighthearted, provide details about their relationship and social lives and, to a lesser extent, describe his military service, which included duty in Chicago during the 1894 Pullman Strike. During the summer of 1893, he discussed his experiences at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. He visited national pavilions, rode the Ferris wheel, and went on other excursions. The collection holds only a few of Mildred's responses before their marriage.

Henry Geiger received around 30 letters while serving in Company M of the 6th Illinois National Guard Regiment during the Spanish-American War. His siblings, parents, and other family members provided news from Galena, Illinois, and occasionally commented on the progress of the conflict. Henry served at Camp Alger and in Puerto Rico in the summer of 1898, and he wrote 1 letter during his service (August 21, 1898). His sister "Eda" enclosed a small woven United States flag in her letter of August 13, 1898. Henry also received around 35 letters from his wife and children when he was serving in various units during World War I; they discussed family news, the war, education, and their separation. Henry's brothers occasionally wrote about their careers.

In addition to Henry and Mildred's family letters, the collection contains 6 letters addressed to Effie Fowler, a schoolteacher who lived in Slater, Missouri, from 1905-1906 , including one letter of recommendation and other personal correspondence.

The Travel Manuscripts series is comprised of two sets of travel notes made while the unidentified authors visited Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, and Japan (6 index cards) and Israel (2 copies, 2 pages each).

The Financial records are receipts, accounts, and a check related to the financial affairs of the Geiger family and to Mrs. Lucy C. Wing of Marshall, Missouri. A small account book holding 2 pages of Wing's partially printed accounts is also included.

The Printed Items series consists of 4 newspaper clippings and an advertisement. Among the clippings are a recipe and an obituary for Mary Katherine Weinsheimer, Henry Geiger's mother. The advertisement in German announces Anna Heise's performance in Die Verfolgte Unschuld on May 3, 1930, in Philadelphia.

This collection is primarily made up of letters that brothers Charles B. and Clarence F. ("Freeman") Shaw wrote to their mother, Hattie C. Shaw of Swampscott, Massachusetts. Charles discussed his life in Schenectady, New York, prior to World War I and his life in Washington, D.C., in the early 1920s, when he was a clerk for General John J. Pershing. Freeman Shaw wrote to his mother about his experiences with the United States Army's 103rd Aero Squadron in the United States and France during World War I.

This collection (1.75 linear feet) contains correspondence and other items related to Hattie C. Shaw of Swampscott, Massachusetts, and her two eldest sons, Clarence F. ("Freeman") and Charles B. Shaw.

The Correspondence series (approximately 400 letters) comprises the bulk of the collection. The earliest items are personal letters to Hattie C. Shaw from her son Charles and from other correspondents, between 1905 and 1911. Charles B. Shaw began writing regularly to his mother after he moved to Schenectady, New York, in July 1915. He wrote about his daily life, including initial homesickness and leisure activities, such as attending dances, attending sporting events, and participating in bowling leagues. He described public gatherings such as parades and pro-war rallies, Union College events, and festivals, and mentioned local efforts to enlist volunteers after the country's entry into World War I in April 1917. A few letters briefly reference a large workers' strike in October 1915 and the presidential election of 1916. Shaw's final letters from this period concern his intention to accept employment in Washington, D.C., which he did just before joining the United States Army. Enclosures in these letters include a printed advertisement, newspaper clippings, and a certificate authorizing Charles B. Shaw to work as a stenographer for the state of Massachusetts (June 16, 1915).

The bulk of the letters written during World War I consist of Freeman Shaw's letters to his mother pertaining to his experiences in the United States Army. His letter of December 2, 1918, provides details about his service history, including the names of the towns and bases where he was stationed. Shaw wrote a few letters from Fort Slocum, New York, in August 1917 before joining the 103rd Aero Squadron at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. While in training, he shared details of camp life and conditions, often commenting about his uniform. After his arrival in Europe around December 1917, Shaw was briefly stationed in England before traveling to France. He commented on the scenery and the warm reception his squadron received from local citizens. His letters refer to his work digging trenches and performing guard duty, and his preference for working with the French army rather than the American army. By April 1919, he returned to the United States, where he awaited a discharge.

Charles B. Shaw wrote infrequently to his mother while serving at the American Expeditionary Forces' headquarters during the war, focusing mostly on his leisure activities, including concerts and sporting events held at the YMCA. From May-July 1919, he received a group of letters from the War Department Zone Finance Office, concerning the payment of his Liberty Loan bonds. Many of these letters enclose blank affidavits and similar forms.

From 1920-1925, Charles B. Shaw wrote weekly letters to his mother about his life in Washington, D.C., where he was a clerk in the office of John J. Pershing. He often used stationery of the American Expeditionary Forces' General Headquarters and the office of the General of the Armies. Shaw reported on Pershing's travels, the gradual downsizing of his office, and the general's retirement. Despite fears that he would lose his job, he remained employed until at least August 1925. Shaw also discussed his leisure activities, including bowling, playing tennis, going to the racetrack, and attending football and baseball games (including at least one contest that featured Babe Ruth). He occasionally wrote about his automobile. In his later letters, he referred to a female acquaintance named Mary, possibly his future wife.

The collection's Writings (2 items) are a typed copy of a speech by Chauncey Depew entitled "The Problem of Self-government," delivered by Charles B. Shaw in a prize speaking contest on May 26, 1911, and a brief essay regarding the "Fortification of the Panama Canal."

Five Financial Documents include a receipt to Charles Shaw for dental work (December 3, 1910), receipts for dues paid to the Swampscott Club (July 1, 1917) and the Supreme Temple of Pythian Sisters (February 8, 1922), and receipts related to Charles B. Shaw's policies with the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company (December 1, 1921, and undated).

The Photographs series (22 items) contains snapshots of unidentified men, women, children, and a cat at leisure outdoors. Four items show young men wearing sweaters with a large letter S sewn on the fronts.

The Printed Items and Ephemera series (4 items) is made up of a newspaper clipping with photographs of Russians in a queue and barracks in France, a social invitation for Charles B. Shaw, a wedding invitation, and a monogrammed napkin.

The collection consists of a 172-page diary, composed in the summer of 1906 (July 3-Sept. 2) about Helen Moorhouse’s experience as a hired musician at a hotel on Cape Cod, and a series of 32 letters that Moorhouse wrote from the Nichewaug Inn in Petersham, Massachusetts, to Alice E. Brown, the woman with whom she was romantically involved, in the summer of 1915.

The collection consists of a 172-page diary, composed in the summer of 1906 (July 3-Sept. 2) about Helen Moorhouse’s experience as a hired musician at a hotel on Cape Cod, and a series of 32 letters that Moorhouse wrote from the Nichewaug Inn in Petersham, Massachusetts, to Alice E. Brown, the woman with whom she was romantically involved, in the summer of 1915. The diary includes numerous photographs, concert programs, and other clippings related to her summer. Both the diary and correspondence reflect Moorhouse’s interests in music, botany, art, and reading.

I. Diary, 1906

Helen Moorhouse’s 172-page diary from the two months she spent as a contracted musician at the Hotel Mattaquason in Chatham, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1906 offers a detailed account of daily life at a summer resort on Cape Cod.

Positioned somewhere between the hotel’s wait-staff and guests, Helen and her fellow trio members, Mary Molly Durgin and E. Isabel Foster, performed twice each day, but otherwise seem to have spent much of their time reading, sewing, and going on outings to the beach or into the village of Chatham. The diary entries record these activities, along with anecdotes about the hotel guests and employees, with particular attention paid to how the music the trio prepared and performed was selected and received. Other figures that appear throughout the diary are Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Wilkey, the Hotel Mattaquason’s proprietors; hotel guest Mrs. Edward Arthur James, of Chicago, and her son Sydney L. James, a violinist who often played with the Middlesex Trio over the course of the summer; Miss Ellen L. Cabot, a hotel guest who frequently commented on the trio’s music; Miss Haddock, a guest who also performed music; and Mr. Middlemass, the hotel’s head waiter and a student at Harvard. Other entries of note include a lengthy description of ice on the Great Lakes (29-31), the visits of an Armenian trader to the hotel (59; 113), a description of meeting journalist Lillian Whiting, who wrote The House Beautiful (83), and the complaints of an old crank of a Women’s Club Woman (99-103).

The journal contains various pieces of ephemera related to the concerts, activities, and places described in the written entries. These additions include 65 photographs (18 of which are cyanotypes), of beach scenes, the village of Chatham, the hotel, and its guests and staff; 2 real photo postcards; 2 hand-drawn sketches, one a diagram of her room and the other the view from her window; 2 news clippings; 6 concert programs from the Middlesex Trio’s performances at the Mattaquason; 3 visiting cards; 4 dinner menus from the hotel; a letter of music recommendations from Mr. Herbert H. White; and several other miscellaneous pieces of the hotel’s promotional literature. A couple of the photographs show men outfitted in dresses to play a hybrid game of baseball and tennis with the ladies of the hotel (132-133).

Moorhouse seems, in part, to have kept the diary as a record of the summer to share later with her parents, who were themselves vacationing for part of the summer at the shore in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.

II. Correspondence, [1915]

This portion of the collection consists of thirty-two letters that Helen Moorhouse wrote between the end of June and mid-August 1915 to Alice E. Brown, a widow with whom she was romantically involved.

Moorhouse was in the midst of a nine-week contract to perform as a member of a music trio at the Nichewaug Inn in the central Massachusetts town of Petersham, while Brown was at home in Melrose, just outside Boston. During their time at the Nichewaug, Moorhouse and her fellow musicians, Susie Wells and a Miss Wilson, tended to practice music or paint landscape scenes in the mornings and performed each afternoon and evening in the hotel’s music room. The letters also reveal her keen interest in botany, art, and reading. In particular, she spent much of the summer reading the works of American philosopher John Fiske, whose son was the proprietor of the Nichewaug, as well as a history of architecture.

Moorhouse’s account of her days at the Nichewaug are interspersed with outpourings of longing for Alice, her Dear Heart, and candid reflections about how the couple was negotiating the familial and financial terrain of their relationship. News about Brown’s two children, Effie and George, as well as Moorhouse’s aunts feature prominently in the correspondence. A couple of the letters additionally contain Moorhouse’s thoughts on current events, including World War I, women’s suffrage, and the status of Native Americans living on reservations. In one of the letters, she included sketches of British war posters that a group of women fundraising for Belgian refugees had brought to the hotel to display and sell.

The Helen Buchanan papers contain incoming correspondence, financial records, ephemera, and photographs related to the life of Helen Buchanan (later Jones) in the early 20th century. Much of the correspondence is from her friend Juliana Conover, who discussed women's issues and her life in Princeton, New Jersey, during World War I, and from Buchanan's suitor and eventual husband, Walter McKnown Jones, who wrote about medical treatments he experienced and life on his coffee plantation in Puerto Rico.

The Helen Buchanan papers contain 5 linear feet of incoming correspondence, financial records, photographs, printed items, ephemera, and writings pertaining to the life of Helen Buchanan (later Jones) in the early 20th century. Much of the correspondence is from her friend Juliana Conover, who discussed women's issues and her life in Princeton, New Jersey, during World War I, and from Buchanan's suitor and eventual husband, Walter McKnown Jones, who wrote about medical treatments he experienced and life on his coffee plantation in Puerto Rico.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection and contains incoming letters and postcards addressed to Buchanan between 1906 and 1919, while she lived at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia; Washington, D. C.; Rome, Italy; and Hacienda Limon (near Villalba, Puerto Rico).

Helen's friend Juliana Conover wrote 258 letters advising her much younger friend on love and courtship, providing updates on her life in Princeton, New Jersey, and commenting on current events. In one early letter, she shared her horror at the recent Titanic tragedy (April 16, 1912). Much of Conover's correspondence concerns Helen's courtship with and engagement to Walter McKnown Jones; she often reported on his health, and she supported the relationship despite misgivings on the part of Helen's father. Conover dispensed candid advice on a variety of topics, including intimacy and birth control (April 12, 1916). Along with sending personal updates and news of friends in Princeton, she sometimes mentioned the war and the families whose sons served in the military (May 14, 1917). After the war, she worked with the American Library Association's Library War Service at Camp Dix, New Jersey.

Walter McKnown Jones, Helen's friend, fiancé, and (later) husband, wrote approximately 200 letters to her between 1914 and 1919, largely concerning their courtship and engagement. Early in their acquaintance, he spent considerable time attending to his ill health and undergoing medical treatments. After recovering in the United States, he returned to his coffee plantation in Puerto Rico, where he described his work and efforts to sell coffee; these included trips to New York City and other destinations throughout the late 1910s. Many of his later communications with Helen are telegrams reporting his current location and attempting to make plans to meet his wife.

The Family Correspondence subseries holds letters from many different writers, including several regular correspondents. James A. Buchanan, Helen's father, wrote 45 letters between 1906 and 1919, often regarding her financial situation and family news. He described his European travels, which included witnessing a review of German military troops in Berlin (September 2, 1908) and visiting a military cemetery in Brest, France, where war casualties and influenza epidemic victims were buried (March 4, 1919). John and Francis Buchanan, Helen's brothers, shared stories of their academic and athletic experiences. John wrote about Yale's stringent entry requirements and his preparation for entrance exams (August 14, 1911). Other family correspondence includes letters from aunts, cousins, and extended family members, who told Helen about their lives in various New York cities and in Ilchester, Maryland.

Much of the Friends Correspondence subseries consists of letters by Etta Dunham de Viti de Marco and her daughter Etta, with whom Helen lived while studying in Rome, Italy. The elder Etta frequently discussed her work with Italy's Montessori movement, and her daughter provided Helen with updates on her life at school in Ascot, England. Etta Dunham di Viti de Marco shared her opinions of the war and expressed her desire for U.S. intervention (July 4, 1915). Nora Davis Farrar, the wife of Frederick Percival Farrar, an English chaplain to King George V, wrote 44 letters between 1908 and 1914, describing her life in Pennsylvania and British Columbia. A variety of other correspondents related news of their lives in various European countries and in the United States. Several postcards depict black-and-white views of "Il Cerro" in Italy.

The Financial Records series (140 items) consists of bank receipts, notifications of charitable donations, and additional receipts for clothing, books, and household items, dated from 1908-1918.

The Photographs and Negatives series includes approximately 50 individual portraits of Helen Buchanan's friends, family members, homes, and properties. One photograph album contains 375 pictures taken between 1928 and 1935, depicting scenes from family vacations in Canada and people, dogs, and horses. Many photographs show men and women in equestrian competitions, and some later images depict Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia.

A "Theatre Record" chronicles Helen's theatrical excursions in Washington, D.C., between December 25, 1907, and December 25, 1908. She recorded her opinions of productions and players. Programs are pasted and laid into the volume.

The Printed Items and Ephemera series consists of calling cards, picture postcards, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and other items. Ephemera includes pamphlets and printed letters related to the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Drama League of America; postcards and programs related to the Societa Romana della Caccia alla Volpe; and other materials. Twenty-nine picture postcards from Italy and Puerto Rico are present.

The collection contains approximately 15 Writings and Fragments. These are poems, a manuscript speech on the play Candida, an inventory of articles owned by Helen, and other items.

This collection consists of letters that Lieutenant Randal H. Crouse wrote to his mother, Lillie M. Crouse, while serving with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Crouse described his experiences at Camp Hancock, Georgia, and in France, where he often commented on life near the front. The collection also has postcards, documents, photographs, and newspaper clippings.

This collection contains 85 letters that Lieutenant Randal H. Crouse wrote to his mother, Lillie M. Crouse, while serving with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. The collection also has 4 letters by other writers, 9 postcards, 4 documents, 15 photographs, and 29 newspaper clippings (including 7 duplicates) related to Crouse's time in the military.

The Correspondence series (89 items) comprises the bulk of the collection and consists mostly of the letters that Randal Crouse sent to his divorced mother, Lillie M. Crouse, from Camp Hancock, Georgia, and France between September 1917 and April 1919. At Camp Hancock, he discussed the reorganization of his Pennsylvania National Guard unit into the 112th Infantry Regiment and mentioned several specific training exercises, including some involving gas masks (January 27, 1918). He described other aspects of camp and military life and, upon his arrival in France around May 1918, provided his impressions of the scenery and people, as well as descriptions of his experiences at the front. Soon after his arrival, he reported hearing nearby artillery fire and shared his awe at the multicultural makeup of the allied forces, which included soldiers from a number of foreign countries (May 27, 1918). Though he remained optimistic about the war's imminent end, Crouse mentioned his participation in some difficult fighting, credited the Germans with putting up a strong resistance, and described airplane crashes he had witnessed (August 17, 1918). By October 30, 1918, he expressed his relief at being transferred to a safer area following weeks of hard fighting, and on November 3, 1918, he described a one-day visit to Paris.

Following the signing of the Armistice, Crouse revealed more details about military actions he had participated in, including movements near Metz, and expressed his surprise upon hearing of the large scale of the influenza epidemic, from which the war had distracted him. In his letter of December 4, 1918, he copied several pages from a captured German diary that described the advance on Paris in September 1914; the letter also encloses a printed map of a portion of the Western Front near the end of the war. Throughout the spring of 1919, Crouse continued to discuss his travels through France and his anticipation of a return to the United States.

The series has 4 letters by other correspondents, including 3 by Lillie M. Crouse, who wrote a letter to her son while he attended a summer camp (July 13, 1908), prematurely reported Germany's surrender (November 7, 1918), and expressed her wish for military volunteers to displace active service veterans (March 31, 1919). Jordy L. Stafer, a soldier, also wrote a letter to Lillie M. Crouse, whom he knew from York (October 9, 1918).

The Postcards and Greeting Card series (7 items) contains mail that Randal Crouse sent to his mother during the war. The postcards show scenery in Germany and in Glasgow, Scotland, and one is a photographic postcard of Crouse in uniform. The Christmas card has a drawing of an American soldier reading with a young girl.

Documents (4 items) include a memorandum by W. H. Hay commending the service of the 28th Division of the United States Army, as well as 2 items related to the allotment of Randal Crouse's pay to his mother. Also present is a photographic card identifying Crouse as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces.

The Photographs series (15 items) has 6 snapshots of soldiers, including 2 taken in front of a cannon; 2 larger formal portraits of Randal H. Crouse; and 7 small snapshots of a soldier smoking a cigar and an old European building.

Newspaper clippings (29 items) primarily concern the actions of the 28th Division of the United States Army, including several reprinted letters that Randal Crouse sent to his mother while serving overseas, taken from the Gazette and Daily (York, Pa.) and other papers. Seven of the items are duplicates.

This collection contains correspondence between Charles W. Chase, Jr. ("Pete") and his wife, Harriet P. Johnson, during their courtship and throughout the early years of their marriage. The couple's courtship letters highlight social aspects of everyday life in the Florida Keys just before the First World War, and a series of letters from Charles illuminates the experience of a naval officer stationed along the Atlantic coast during the war.

This collection contains correspondence between Charles W. Chase, Jr. ("Pete") and his wife, Harriet P. Johnson, during their courtship and throughout the early years of their marriage. The couple's courtship began around 1912, and they wrote each other frequently before their marriage in mid-October of the following year. Pete, who worked for his father at the Florida Keys Sponge & Fruit Company, often mentioned aspects of his work and frequently made arrangements to see Harriet, who lived in Key West and who shared details of her active social life in her own letters to Pete. As the wedding approached, the couple focused on plans for the day, and both anxiously anticipated the ceremony, with Pete counting down the days by early October. After the wedding, they wrote less frequently until April 1917, when Pete joined the United States Navy in anticipation of the nation's entry into World War I. An ensign, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Barney at the Charleston Navy Yard, and though his military service was voluntary, he greatly missed his wife and young child, who lived for a time in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Several letters from 1918 reflect his efforts to find a local apartment where they could join him. While at Charleston and, later, Norfolk, Virginia, Pete regularly wrote of daily naval life, which he found tiresome, and about his leisure activities, which included many trips to movies and, occasionally, to the theater. By 1919, Chase, a lieutenant stationed on the U.S.S. Anniston, focused his efforts on obtaining a transfer to inactive duty following the war; his father intervened on his behalf, but it is unclear whether their efforts were successful. Pete later wrote to Harriet while he worked for several real estate companies located in Miami Beach, Florida, and also received several letters from his young daughter Sarah between 1931 and 1939.

This collection contains letters that 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Mitchell wrote to his mother in Illinois while serving in the United States Army during World War I. Mitchell discussed his experiences in training camps in the United States and his service and travels in France.

This collection contains around 85 letters that 2nd Lieutenant Joseph O. Mitchell wrote to his mother in Illinois while serving in the United States Army during World War I. Mitchell discussed his experiences in training camps in the United States (June 1917-September 1918) and his service and travels in France (September 1918-July 1919). The collection also contains ephemera items, writings, and a manuscript map.

Early items in the Correspondence series include a letter that Mary L. Mitchell received from Frederick W. Mann of the University of Illinois's Department of Architecture (April 19, 1912) and a letter that Joseph Mitchell wrote to his mother from Camp Wilson, Texas, during his time in the 1st Illinois Field Artillery Regiment (August 31, 1916). The bulk of the collection is comprised of Mitchell's letters to his mother from training camps in the United States and, later, from France and England, where he was a 2nd lieutenant in the 333rd Field Artillery Regiment. Mitchell commented on his daily activities at Camp Grant, Illinois; Camp Robinson, Wisconsin; Camp Mills, New York; and other camps. In the spring of 1918, he attended a lecture by Polish pianist Ignacy Paderewski (undated). While in France, he described his surroundings, especially after the armistice; he wrote less frequently about the war. Mitchell's letter of October 13, 1918, mentions the Germans' fear of African-American troops, and his letter of November 12, 1918, concerns the end of the war. An undated letter written around October 1917 contains a sketch of a sign depicting a German military helmet and a decorated German officer.

The Writings, Printed Items, Map, and Ephemera series (8 items) contains a 7-page typed account of the 161st Artillery Brigade's march from Camp Grant, Illinois, to Camp Robinson, Wisconsin, in 1918, attributed to Joseph O. Mitchell; the account encloses 9 labeled photographs of campsites. Other items include an unsigned note of commemoration for Mitchell's service from the "Architect's Office of the Board of Education;" a menu for a dinner held at Base Hospital 53 on May 8, 1919; a newsletter commemorating the 20th anniversary of officers' graduation from the Fort Sheridan Officers' Training Camps (1937); a note containing Mitchell's address; and 2 newspaper clippings. A manuscript map depicts the grounds of a monastery used to train and house American troops.

This collection is primarily made up of letters that Rochester Hart Rogers and his wife, Lois Smith Rogers, wrote to one another between 1917 and 1919. Rochester discussed his legal practice in Rochester, New York, and his experiences as an army officer at Fort Niagara, Camp Upton, and Camp Grant. Lois wrote about current events, family news, and daily life in Rochester and in Center Moriches, New York.

This collection (0.75 linear feet) is primarily made up of correspondence related to Rochester H. Rogers of Rochester, New York, and his wife, Lois Smith Rogers.

The earliest 4 items are letters from Estelle A. Boyden to Clinton Rogers (Rochester's father) and to her cousin Helen (Rochester's sister). Rochester and Lois Smith Rogers received a few additional letters from other family members and friends throughout the late 1910s.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Rochester H. Rogers and Lois Smith (later Rogers), including items written during the couple's courtship. These letters often refer to literature and to Rochester's life and legal practice in Rochester, New York, prior to the couple's marriage in April 1917. After August 1917, Rochester Rogers wrote to Lois about his experiences while serving with the United States Army at Fort Niagara, New York; Camp Upton, New York; and Camp Grant, Illinois.

Rogers sometimes remarked on his efforts in the defense of soldiers in legal proceedings and on his other duties, including miscellaneous office tasks and work with "raw recruits." His clients included a group of Russians who supported the Bolshevik cause (August 15, 1918) and an African-American soldier who had disobeyed a commanding officer. Rogers sometimes commented on the progress of the war and discussed politics. His letter of December 13, 1918, contains a discussion of the Hawaiian rebellions of the late 19th century.

Lois Smith Rogers wrote the majority of the letters to her husband during his military service. She provided news of their families and of their two young children, born around late 1917 and late 1918. Similar to her husband, she occasionally commented on the progress of the war and the involvement of European nations. While staying in Center Moriches, New York, in the spring of 1918, she considered volunteering for a Red Cross hospital; she also wrote from Rochester and Williamson, New York. Several letters from 1918 refer to the influenza epidemic and to wounded soldiers returning from the war. An envelope postmarked December 5, 1918, contains printed information about army administration, the use of intelligence tests, and corresponding ratings.

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, and other items related to Nathan Tufts, a native of Massachusetts who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his future wife, Dorothy Day of Connecticut.

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, and other items related to Nathan Tufts, a native of Massachusetts who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his future wife, Dorothy Day of Connecticut.

The Correspondence series (1.5 linear feet) comprises the bulk of the collection. Incoming letters to Nathan Tufts at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, are dated as early as November 11, 1915. His correspondents included his mother, who wrote of life in New York City and Lawrence Park, New York, and Elbridge Stratton, a friend, who anticipated their matriculation at Yale. Dorothy Day received early letters from friends and family while she attended Miss Wheeler's School in Providence, Rhode Island. Friends and family continued to write letters until the late 1910s, and the Tufts received many letters of congratulation following their engagement around May 1918.

Tufts began corresponding with Day in the fall of 1916. He wrote about his experiences and activities at Yale and expressed his romantic feelings for her. After the declaration of war against Germany in April 1917, Tufts reported on his participation in drills and related activities for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He later described his training experiences at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. In Kentucky, he commented on the Central Officers' Training School, travels in the South, fellow soldiers, camp life, and kitchen duty. After the Armistice, Tufts anticipated his return to civilian life and his future with Day; he returned to Yale in 1919 and wrote about vacationing in Maine. His final telegram is dated February 21, 1920. Enclosures include a postcard showing the Rocky Broad River (November 3, 1918) and photographs of a military camp (October 18, 1918).

The couple's other wartime correspondents included Corporal Francis Harrison, who discussed his preparation for front-line duty in France in August 1918, and "Clark," a friend of Dorothy, who served at the Plattsburgh Barracks after September 1917. Clark discussed his training at the Reserve Officers Training Camp and his later service in the 302nd Machine Gun Battalion at Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In his letter of October 6, 1917, he described his unit's preparations for military exercises in trench warfare, and his expectation that the infantry would "sit in trenches and fire once in a while" in France.

The Diaries series contains two items. Dorothy Day kept a daily diary (unbound) between January 17, 1916, and August 16, 1919, writing mostly about her social life and her relationship with Nathan Tufts. She sometimes remarked on news, such as the results of the 1916 presidential election and the country's declaration of war against Germany. In 1918, she wrote about Tufts's military career; some of her entries from this period are constructed as letters to him. Day usually wrote daily entries on one side of each page, copying quotations, poetry, and other miscellany on the reverse side. A calling card, a printed advertisement, a flower, and a photograph are laid into her diary.

The Nathan Tufts diary covers much of his active-duty service at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. From August 18, 1918-November 14, 1918, he wrote intermittent journal entries, often addressed to Day, about his daily routine at Camp Jackson, military training exercises, other soldiers, the good reputations of Yale students and alumni, and the end of the war. Journal entries by Day, apparently mailed to Tufts, are interspersed among his later entries; her final journal-letter is dated January 23, 1919. A military pass, United States Reserve Officers Training Corps patch, and newspaper clippings (often of poems) are pasted into the volume.

The School Papers series (9 items) pertains to Nathan Tufts's education at the Taft School and at Yale College's Sheffield Scientific School. A group of printed entrance exams for Yale College and its Sheffield Scientific School, dated June 1914 (1 item) and June 1915 (5 items) contain questions related to Latin, American history, ancient history, and trigonometry. A printed exam given by the college entrance examination board from June 19, 1916-June 24, 1916, contains questions about American history, the German language, and English literature. An exam requiring a translation of lines by Virgil is dated 1916. A bundle of examinations and school documents belonging to Nathan Tufts includes Yale College's semi-annual examination for June 1917, with questions in subjects such as physics, history, English, German, and Latin; a printed course timetable and list of professors and classrooms for Yale College freshman during the 1916-1917 term, with manuscript annotations by Nathan Tufts; and a typed military examination for Yale students, given on June 4, 1917 or 1918. The subjects of the military examination are hygiene, military law, topography, and field artillery regulations and drill.

The Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, and Ephemera series contains around 50 items, including visiting cards, invitations, Red Cross donation certificates, and a printed program. Many of the newspaper clippings contain jokes or brief articles about World War I. A group of photographs includes a framed portrait of a United States soldier, a negative, and several positive prints.