The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Frances Aspril Finley

Title:               Memorabilia

Dates:             1880-1923

Call No.:         Col. 298; Mic. 2652, Mic. 2697

Acc. No.:         77x648.1-.7

Quantity:        7 items and two reels of microfilm

Location:        9 B 1 and microfilm cabinet

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Frances Aspril Finley was a resident of Odessa, Delaware.  She was married to James Archie Finley, Sr.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Consists of a diary; genealogical information on the Ginn, Reynolds, Price, and Cleaver families; a playbill from Hofele's Theatre, Broadway advertising "Uncle Tom's Cabin;" a diploma from Goldey-Wilmington Commercial College presented to J. Archie Finley in 1900; wills for Jonathan K. Williams and Fanny Williams (grandparents of Frances Finley); and a trade card with directions for using the Imperial Self-Heating Flat Iron manufactured by the Imperial Brass Manufacturing Co., Chicago.

 

The diary was kept in the autumn of 1881 and documents a trip taken by Frances Finley from Pennsylvania to Iowa to visit relatives and friends and to see sights along the way.  In Iowa, she offered comparisons of farms there with farms in Delaware.  In Galena, Illinois, she stopped at the home of Ulysses S. Grant.  While in Chicago, Finley went to Pullman, the company town of the train car manufacturing firm.  She toured a woolen mill in New Albany, Pa., owned by a family friend by the name of Gebhart.  Finally, she witnesses the workings of the Oil Exchange in Oil City, Pa.

 

The genealogical information was kept in a notebook distributed by E, Mosher, outfitter from men and boys and advertising clothes made by Schloss Bros. & Co.  The first page contains a note "Frances A. Finley's aunt M.A. Ginn" as well as the notations "This book is the property of J.R. Ginn, son of M.T. Ginn and Emma J. Ginn.

 

Also forming part of the collection are microfilmed copies of four scrapbooks kept by Mrs. Finley.  They contain photographs, invitations, newspaper clippings, advertisements, postcards, letters, maps, report cards, etc.  Three scrapbooks dating 1860-1961 are on one reel, and the fourth scrapbook, dating 1870-1920, is on another reel.

           

 

ORGANIZATION

           

The items are in accession number order.

 

 

PROVENANCE

           

Gift of Mrs. James A. Finley, Jr.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Ginn family - Genealogy.

            Reynolds family - Genealogy.

            Cleaver family - Genealogy.

            Price family - Genealogy.

            Williams, Jonathan K.

            Williams, Fanny.

 

Topics:

            Goldey-Wilmington Commercial College

Imperial Brass Manufacturing Co.

Freedmen.

            Advertising.

            Manufacturing processes - United States - History.

            Irons (Pressing).

            Manners and customs.

            United States - Description and travel.

            Odessa (Del.) - Social life and customs.

            Odessa (Del.) - History, Local.

            Odessa (Del.) - Genealogy

 

            Diaries.

            Wills.

            Certificates.

            Playbills.

            Trade cards.

            Scrapbooks.

            Letters.

            Pictures.

            Maps.

            Postcards.

            Clippings.

            Invitations.

            Adverstisements.

            Travelers.

           

           

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 9 B 1

 

 

.1         Diary of Mrs. Finley’s trip from Odessa, Delaware, to Iowa, autumn 1881.  She stoped in Galena, Chicago, and Pullman, Illinois; New Albany, Indiana; and Oil City, Pennsylvania.

            [see entry M33 in E. Richard McKinstry, comp. Personal Accounts of Events, Travels, and Everyday Life in America.]

 

.2         Record of the Ginn-Reynolds-Price-Cleaver families, handwritten in a small memorandum book.  On front flyleaf: “This book is the property of JR Ginn, son of M.T. Ginn and Emma J. Ginn.”  A later hand penciled in “Frances A. Finley’s aunt M.A. Ginn.”  The notes relate to Martin Ginn (1842-1907) and his wife Emma J. Reynolds (1844-1917), who were married in Smyrna, Delaware, on February 16, 1870.

            The memo book was given by E. Mosher, dealer in men’s and boy’s clothes, from Rawlins, Wyoming, and Fort Morgan, Colorado.  The store sold clothes made by Schloss Bros. & Co. of Baltimore and New York.

 

.3         Diploma, Goldey-Wilmington Commercial College, Department of Shorthand and Typewriting, presented to J. Archie Finley, attesting that he is a competent stenographic amanuensis and typewriter operator; Wilmington, Delaware, March 23, 1900

 

.4         Trade sheet or official program, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” Hofele’s Theatre, Broadway, New York, N.Y., for October 20, 1879.  Lists cast members’ names and includes numerous tradesmen’s advertisements.  The back page serves as an advertisement for the play.  It proudly announces that “horses and real blood-hounds, and a full company of colored Jubilee singers (emancipated slaves) will be introduced….”

 

.5         Will, Jonathan K. Williams, St. Georges Hundred, Delaware, 1900, with codicil dated 1902.  Names wife and children.  Certified as true copy of will, 1924.

            [Williams was the grandfather of Mrs. J.A. {Frances Aspril) Finley, Sr.]

 

.6         Will, Fanny Williams, St. Georges Hundred, Delaware, 1923.  Certified as true copy of will, 1924.

            [grandmother of Mrs. J.A. Finley, Sr.]

 

.7         Card with “Directions for using the Imperial Self-Heating Flat Iron,” manufactured byt eh Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company, Chicago, n.d. [ca.1900-1920]

 

 

Mic. 2652, Mic. 2697              microfilm of scrapbooks kept by Mrs. Finley


Index to Co.. 298 (acc. 77x648.1-7)

 


Arch Street House     .1

 

Coup, J., & Sons       .4

Cramer Wagon Works    .1

 

Decker Brothers      .4

DeSota House     .1

Dumahaut    .4

Dupaw Glass Works     .1

 

Falk    .4

Finley, Frances A.    .2

Finley, J. Archie     .3

Finley, Mrs. James A.    .1

 

Ginn, Emma J.    .2

Ginn, J. R.    .2

Ginn, M. A.   .2

Ginn, M. T.   .2

Ginn-Reynolds-Price-Cleaver Families     .2

Goldey-Wilmington Commercial College     .1

Grant, (General)     .1

 

Haines Bros.     .4

Hofele's Theatre      .3

Hoffle, Ferdinand W.    .4

Hotel – Lucaa’s    .4

 

Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company     .7

 

Kabus, Robert    .4

 

Levintan, H.     .4

Lucaa's Hotel    .4

 

Mosher, E.     .2

 

Norwalk Oyster House    .4

 

Pettinger, Edward     .4

 

Ryder & Co. .4

 

Schloss Bros. & Co.    .2

Schuler    .4

Shannon, M. H.     .4

Studley, Mr. J. B.  .4

 

Walsh, John   .4

Wayne, [Anthony]    .1

Weber Piano-Fortes   .4

Williams, Fanny    .6

Williams, Jonathan K.   .5

 

Yeamans, Miss Jennie  .4