The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Mills, Cecil R. (Cecil Robert), 1877-1955    

Title:               Letters

Dates:             1899-1900

Call No.:         Col. 378

Acc. No.:        95x105

Quantity:        30 letters

Location:        34 K 5

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Cecil Robert Mills lived in Chicago, Illinois, at the turn of the 20th century.  He was a salesman and appears to have been an amateur singer as well.  He was the son of Mary Louise Fowler and Emory James Mills (both of whom had been born in Canada), and Cecil was born in Michigan in 1877.  His sister Ella Louise (whose nickname is something like Totes) was born in 1880; in the 1900 and 1910 censuses she was listed as a music teacher.  Father Emory was listed as a carpenter.

 

Cecil Mills marred Kate Scott in 1903.  They had two children.  Mills died in Florida in 1955.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

This collection of 30 manuscript letters was written by Cecil R. Mills of Chicago, Illinois, between November 1899 and September 1900.  The letters were addressed to his father, mother, and sister and were written while Mills was on an extended business trip to the western United States.  He travelled to Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, and Utah.  Most letters discuss family matters and correspondence with other people.  However, there is some mention of transportation which was primarily by train or stagecoach, and brief descriptions of small towns and scenic vistas along the way are also included.  Mills also recounted a narrow escape from being robbed at gun-point. 

 

Most letters are in ink and written on various hotel stationery.  Some stationery has lithographs of the hotel at the head.   There are 174 pieces including the matching envelopes.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The letters are in chronological order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Purchased from Carmen Valentino.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Business travel.

            Lithography - Specimens.

            Railroad travel.

            Stagecoach robberies.

            Stationery.

            Voyages and travels.

            California - Description and travel.

            Colorado - Description and travel.

            Idaho - Description and travel.

            Montana - Description and travel.

            Oregon - Description and travel.

            United States - Description and travel.

            Utah - Description and travel.

            Washington (State) - Description and travel.

Letters.

                        Travelers.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 K 5

 

 

 

Folder 1:

 

.1a-h    November 23, 1899, on stationery of The Cottage Inn, Billings, Montana, with envelope; has been walking around enjoying the sights of Billings; on the way there, stopped in Minneapolis and had a very pleasant visit with  Mrs. Barse[?] and family; while on train, played cards and joked with some other men; went through the Badlands; had beautiful sunset; write me at Big Timber; will probably stop in Butte

 

.2a-c    December 4, 1899, with envelope of The Park Hotel, Livingston, Montana; addressed to mother; am enclosing a postal order; very windy place; Billings is booming and rents are high;

 

.3a-f     December 19, 1899, on stationery of The McDermott, Butte, Montana, with envelope: addressed to mother; encloses a money order; went to dinner and a show last night; describes train trip from Bozeman; had nice talk with Mr. Moyer; went to church; discusses a problem with an express company; will miss being with them on Christmas

 

.4a-f     December 27, 1899, on stationery of Hotel Florence, Missoula, Montana; package received; mentions Christmas presents: pin, comb, neck tie, handkerchief, perfume; spent a pleasant Christmas day calling on people; beautiful snow fall;

both stationery and envelope illustrated with picture of hotel

 

.5a-e    January 5, 1900, on stationery of Page’s Hotel, Wardner, Idaho, with envelope (not from hotel); am doing well in business; will be sending soiled handkerchiefs to be done up – costs too much here to have that done;

 

.6a-i     January 12, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Yakima, North Yakima, Washington, with envelope: loved Spokane; took 85 orders; got Will Van into his crew; Will’s wife Anna “is in a – way” [i.e. pregnant]; wishes sister and father would write; hasn’t received music yet;

 

.7a-b    January 27, 1900, to sister, on stationery of Merchants’ Hotel, Everett, Washington, no envelope; pages one and two only; understands that her studies and music take much time and therefore she cannot write often; glad to receive photos of family; encloses a note for mother to send to Uncle Norman; glad to hear had a nice visit with Detroit folks;

                        [what follows are pages 3 and 4 of a letter also to sister, but those pages do not seem to be a continuation of this letter]

 

.8a-c    postmarked Feb. 8, 1900, pages 3 and 4 only, on stationery of Hotel Byron, New Whatcom, Washington, with hotel envelope addressed to his sister; expresses his love for sister;

                        [this does not seem to be a continuation of the above letter

 

.9a-f     February 15, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Byron, New Whatcom, Washington, with hotel envelope; bad weather and illness have slowed progress; hotel proprietor, Capt. Byron, knows Geo. Gilbrath[?] and others with whom Cecil is also acquainted; asks about new drainage canal; going to a piano recital

 

.10a-h  March 4, 1900, on stationery of The Pacific Hotel, Aberdeen, Washington, with envelope from The Olympia, Olympia, Wash.; prefers Olympia over Aberdeen; busy week in Olympia with many social events in evening, especially calling on young ladies; went to church last Sunday and this Sunday; enjoys the Washington climate; will definitely call on Mr. So[illegible] while in Frisco; hopes to arrange to see Uncle Orin; has ordered a spoon from Seattle [evidently for sister’s collection]; will skip one town planned to visit because of smallpox there;

 

.11a-d  March 27, 1900, on stationery of The Portland, Portland, Oregon; with trade card of hotel illustrated with a view of the building, and a hotel envelope; arrived this morning and have been taking in the sights; encloses card with illustration of hotel

 

 

Folder 2:

 

.12       letter from uncle, no place, to Cecil, April 5, 1900; best to take steamer from San Francisco to Eureka and we can meet there

 

.13a-b  April 12, 1900, Lebanon, Oregon; encloses some stamp pictures [no longer present]; encloses letter from Uncle Orin [.12 above] and hopes to meet him later;

                        Someone added a note that letter was received April 17;

 

.14a-i   April 15, 1900, [Easter Sunday] on stationery of The Portland, but dated from Lebanon, Oregon, with envelope from The Willamette, Salem, Ore.; went to church in morning and in evening; spends many evenings in company of local people his age and meets many young ladies; forgot to send Uncle Orin’s letter [.12 above] earlier and encloses it now; finds that the fare to Eureka is too expensive so will not visit him; Uncle Orin has redwood on his land and redwood is valuable; gives itinerary for next few weeks; business is successful; hopes they went to the opera; my voice is grand; misses sister’s piano playing;

                        Back of envelope has ad for Willamette Transfer Co., Salem, Ore.

 

.15a-d  April 18, 1900, on stationery of The New Hotel Nash, Medford, Oregon, with hotel envelope; “Pullman service is far superior to the hotel service”; Oregon scenery is beautiful and weather is lovely; hasn’t heard from Florence; plans to send spoons tomorrow; sends itinerary: Ashland, Ore., Auburn, Calif., Frisco;

                        Both stationery and envelope illustrated with view of hotel;

 

.16a-k  May 23, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Petrolia, Santa Paula, Calif., with hotel envelope; was in Porterville last Sunday and it was too hot to write; now near coast and weather is delightful; hopes to visit Los Angeles in a few days; may have to return to Oregon which will extend the trip; enjoys sister’s class song and is sorry will probably miss her graduation; if May Powers asks “what line I am handling, you might say advertising novelties…”; not able to send money because needs to buy some new things; will get three coffee spoon with engraving; will try to get them showing the Golden Gate;

 

.17a-e  May 28, 1900, on stationery of Natick House, Los Angeles, Calif., with hotel envelope; spent Saturday at the sea shore in Ventura; took a tour of LA yesterday from a private observation car; “it is quite a sight to see hundreds of oil pumps stuck in the front and back yards of many mansions”; plans to visit Pasadena this afternoon, then on to Santa Ana and Redlands;

                        Both stationery and envelope illustrated with view of hotel;

 

.18a-l   June 3, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Windsor, Redlands, Calif., with hotel envelope; feels guilty that he is in such a lovely place and the family is back in “that miserable, dirty city”; visited an ostrich farm in Pasadena; saw [noted stage actor] John Drew in “The Tyranny of Tears”; also visited Long Beach and San Pedro before leaving for Santa Ana and also a stop in San Bernardino; visited Smiley Heights outside Redlands, the prettiest place ever seen; am “having a delightful trip with but very little work …” and first-class accommodations; will do what he can to help rest of family take a vacation to Canada, or at least to Detroit; sending sister a fan from the ostrich farm; more about coffee and souvenir spoons; didn’t see acquaintances in Los Angeles; hope grandmother is “comfortably installed in her new quarters”;

 

.19a-c  June 7, 1900, on stationery of French Hotel, San Luis Obispo, Calif., with hotel envelope; on a layover between steamers; visited the old mission;

 

.20a-d  June 14, 1900, San Francisco, with envelope from The Stewart, San Bernardino; arrived yesterday by steamer; visited Cliff House and toured San Francisco; Chinatown is quarantined so cannot go there; glad to hear sister did so well at conservatory; has ordered spoons for her; going to play this evening; called on Sonntag but not at home;

 

.21a-d  June 17, 1900, San Francisco, with envelope; have had a busy week; getting ready to leave for Medford, Oregon; never saw Sonntag as he was ill;

 

.22a-d  June 20, 1900, on stationery of McClallen House, Roseburg, Oregon; with hotel envelope; received the High School announcement and wishes he could be there for class day; plans to be home by Sept. 1 and advises them to go on their vacation as soon as possible; hopes father can join them; sends list of places expects to be over next three weeks [mostly in Oregon, ending in Huntington, Utah];

 

.23a-g  July 1, 1900, from Scio, Oregon, but on stationery of Yosemite Hotel, Madera, Calif., with envelope; received letter and commencement announcement showing sister winning highest honor; has put on weight and feeling quite well; has not been yielding to temptations facing travelers; very thankful for having the opportunity for this trip although it has meant separation from family; describes a lovely view from hotel; hopes they have a nice 4th and don’t get hurt; plans to spend the 4th in Corvallis; will return to dentist in a few days for more fillings; news about Florence;

                        Stationery is illustrated with view of Yosemite Hotel;

 

.24a-f   July 14, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Perkins, Portland, Ore., with hotel envelope; have been very busy; enjoys the climate of Willamette Valley; encourages family to leave Chicago and go on trip; will get a spoon for May; includes list of stops to be made between Portland and Salt Lake City, all in Oregon or Idaho;

                        Hotel envelope illustrated with view of hotel, although part of if was torn off when the envelope was opened;

 

.25a-i   July 21 [or 22], 1900, Wallowa, Oregon, with envelope; very hot in eastern Oregon; yesterday had a very dusty 30 mile stage ride; looking forward to returning home; plan to stop a few days in Salt Lake City, but promises not to turn Mormon; please read all his letters to grandmother;

 

.26a-g  July 29, 1900, on stationery of Hotel Warshauer, Baker City, Oregon, with hotel envelope; written to father; have been traveling by stage, sometimes by night; one night, robbers tried to stop them but the stage driver managed to outrun them and get out of range of their “reckless firing”; will not mention this in letter to mother and sister; sorry father was not able to go to Canada, too; perhaps will return to West Coast to work, but wants a good visit home first;

                        Both stationery and envelope illustrated with views of hotel, but the views are different (that on envelope is from a photograph);

 

.27a-h  August 8, 1900, on stationery of Delta House, Delta, Colo., with envelope from The Smith Central, Montrose, Colo.; letter is continued on Aug. 9, in Montrose; envelope addressed to Mrs. Mills, Ethel, Ontario; wrote last Saturday from Salt Lake City, where enjoyed his stay; was glad to receive letters from family; sorry she heard about experience with robbers, but all is well now;

 

.28a-h  August 14, 1900, from Leadville, Col., but written on stationery of The Stewart, San Bernardino, Calif., using envelope from The Portland, Portland, Ore.; addressed to Mrs. Mills, Ethel, Ontario; glad mother and sister left Chicago before extreme heat; met Mr. Graham last night and they decided they had enough work for a couple more weeks; the scenery on the recent train ride from Montrose to Leadville was the most beautiful of the sojourn; made use of the observation car

                        Stationery illustrated with view of the hotel;

 

.29a-g  August 19, 1900, from Cripple Creek, Colo., written on stationery of The Knutsford, Salt Lake City; to sister and mother; mentions sorrow in Mrs. Barse’s family; glad his family is having a good time despite the heat; Cripple Creek is a mining camp and very interesting; plans to stay and week and then go to Manitou Pikes Peak, and Denver; extols the works of God as manifested in the splendors of Royal Gorge and beautiful landscapes of the West;

 

.30a-c  September 6, 1900, Des Moines, Iowa; on stationery of Hotel Savoy, Ewins-Dean Hotel Co., Kansas City, Mo., with envelope from Cliff House, Manitou, Colo.; addressed to father; has arrived in Des Moines;