The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Hedrick, Ellen A.
Title: Letters
Dates: 1889-1892
Call No.: Col. 1011
Acc. No.: 2019x32
Quantity: 10 items
Location: 34 J 6
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Ellen Annabella Hedrick was a student at Smith
College in Northampton, Massachusetts, at the time that she wrote and received
the letters in this collection. She was
born September 6, 1869, in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Mary Ellen
Thompson (1829-1905) and Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick (1827-1886). Mr. Hedrick worked in the patent office. Ellen graduated from Smith College in 1892
and returned to Washington, D.C., where she continued to live with her family
at 3321 N St., N.W. She was a librarian,
although the 1930 census record listed her as a cataloger in a museum. She never married.
Her older brothers
and sisters were John Thompson, Charles Joseph, Alice, Jennie, William Adam,
and Henry Benjamin, most of whom were mentioned in her letters. Her younger sister was Mary Elizabeth,
nicknamed Mamie. Jennie, to whom many of
the letters were written, never married and became a teacher of the deaf. Mary Elizabeth also never married and was
also a teacher. Ellen lived with Jennie
and Mary Elizabeth, and also with their brother Charles (1855-1922), who was a
patent attorney.
Sister Alice married Wareham Harry Olcott in 1884,
and they had several children. The baby
mentioned in the letter of March 22, 1891, was Alice Griswold Olcott, born in
June 1890.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Letters to and from Smith College student Ellen
(“Nellie”) Hedrick, whose family lived in Washington, D.C. Her sister and mother sent her news of the
family and their friends. Nellie sent
news of college life. Halloween
celebrations (with fortune telling and ghost stories), baseball teams, college
chapel services, Mountain Day, Illumination Night, visiting college friends, attending
lectures, and boarding expenses are all important events in Nellie’s
letters. Very rarely did she mention
classes. Apparently in an attempt to
save boarding costs, Nellie convinced Professor Pillsbury to let her have a
small oven from the lab, which she intended to use for some cooking. She sketched this in her letter of March 22,
1891.
A recurring theme in the letters was clothing, with
sketches of dresses and basques found as part of several letters. Nellie sought some advice about trimming her
dresses, but was also capable of making up her own mind about what she
wanted. She mentioned having drawers
reseated, an indication of the care she took of her clothing. (Although the Hedricks may not have been
poor, some economy was necessary.) The
Hedrick women often made their own dresses, although sometimes a professional
seamstress was employed. Shopping for
fabric and trim was a part of their lives, even for a busy college
student.
ORGANIZATION
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 Eclectibles.
RELATED MATERIALS
A
book by Ellen A. Hedrick, List of
References to Publications Relating to Irrigation and Land Drainage
(Government Printing Office, 1902) was prepared under the auspices of the
library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
(No copy in Winterthur Library.)
Special
collections in the libraries of both the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and of Duke University hold papers of Ellen Hedrick’s father Benjamin
Sherwood Hedrick. UNC-CH specifies that
its collection includes letters from his children to their mother Mary Ellen
Thompson Hedrick. However, the
description of that collection is not specific enough to indicate whether it
includes letters from Ellen A. Hedrick.
The collection at Duke does hold some family letters, but letters from
the children are not specifically mentioned.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Hedrick family.
Topics:
Smith College - Student
housing.
Smith College - Students.
Amusements.
Clothing and dress - 19th century.
College students
- Clothing.
Dresses.
Family life.
Fortune-telling.
Halloween.
Underwear.
Women college students.
Women’s clothing – 19th century.
Sketches.
Letters.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J 6
All accession numbers begin with 2019x32
Folder 1 of 1:
.1a-d Ellen to Jennie, postmark Nov. [unclear
day], 1889:
did not go to church because
lost the pair of gloves she wears on rainy days; asks about the new cook; Alice
will have to have a house warming after fixing up her house; it would be nice
if Harry came to visit; describes what the different dormitories did for
Halloween (one staged a wedding, the residents of another dressed as characters
from Alice in Wonderland) and describes fortune telling games and someone
telling ghost stories; has joined the new baseball team at Smith (“Why
shouldn’t girls play base-ball as well as tennis, I would like to know.”) but doesn’t think the teams will last long;
will begin a sewing class for small children; going for a walk;
.2a-e Nellie, 4 Wallace House, to Mamma, March 4,
1890:
“What a time you are having
with servants!” weather is warmer, but
snow not melted; girls want to wear caps and gowns, but faculty opposed;
something about searching for a Jennesse Miller waist [a style of corset] for
Martha, whose corsets are worn out; [passage about the J.M. line being a fraud];
ordered some corset waists and tried them on – liked the Equipoise but not the
Ferris; can get gowns here [in Northampton] just as well as in Boston, but not
the kind of drawers she wears; encloses a sketch of a way to make her new brown
dress, but “make it though any way you want to and I shall be satisfied.”
On separate sheet (.2e): sketches of
front and back of a dress, numbered 7028, with a tongue-in-check description of
the dress, calling it “in the Jennesse Miller style”
.3a-e Nellie to Jennie, May 27, 1890:
Jennie has not written a
long letter in some time; Miss Anderson will not be able to visit in June; Miss
Anderson recently had a story published; have you heard rumor of Miss Bessie
Earle’s marriage? Heard Sir Percival
Chubb on “Socialism” and found it interesting; haven’t decided whether to stay
for commencement; “Tell Mamma not to have a fussy dress. Something simple and sweet is what she ought
to have.” Something about a dress for
Jennie to wear to a reception
.4a-e Nellie to Jennie, first page apparently
missing, but envelope postmarked June 4, 1890: [note that the pages were not
found in order and possibly have not been put into the original order, except
for the last page]:
Off-and-on rain caused
their plans for a outdoor dance to be a disappointment: decorations were put up
and then had to be taken down again; decided to have refreshments in the gym
because the grass was wet; eventually moved the dance to the gym as well, but
it was too small for everyone; there is to be a through train from Northampton
to Washington; sketches a dress with shirring at neck, waist, and bottom of
sleeves;
.5a-c [Ellen] to Mother, October 28, 1890:
[this corners of this
letter have been chewed by a rodent, and a few words are missing]:
“the great [illegible]
came off this morning” – describes ceremony in the Assembly Hall [drew a sketch
of it, and indicated where the classes sat]; gives the order of the chapel
service; we now leave books and wraps downstairs and the order of leaving is
organized; feared sophomore reception might be postponed because President
Seelye’s son is ill, but president doesn’t want it to be; Dr. Blodgett to give
a concert on Thursday; Halloween party planned on Friday; only had half-day off
for Mountain Day [a Smith College tradition], so expect to get another half-day
sometime; sewed lace on mull dress; has so little time that plans to have town
dressmaker sew her skirt and basque together; has earned some money by washing gauze
shirts, handkerchiefs, and collars; sent a box of witch hazel and ferns, but
fears they will shrivel in transit; received a paper from Charlie; love to all
.6a-c Ellen
to Jennie, March 22, 1891:
received the
letter with the pieces [of fabric]; especially likes the one from W. & L.
[Woodward & Lothrop, Washington, D.C. department store] but fears it will
be too warm for late spring; pussy willows are out but not quite spring yet;
congratulates Jennie on having a finished pair of chemilettes; discusses style
of dress; glad Jennie can spend time with Alice and baby; inquired about a
train ticket to Washington; have been making inquiries about boarding;
Professor Pillsbury let her take the little laboratory bake oven [includes
sketch of it] - she didn’t tell him it was to use for cooking; recently had
maple syrup [i.e. sap] fresh from the tree – it had no maple taste; something
about a sophomore class activity; would like to see Helen in New York; has
climbed the peak that Elair[?] used to wander over; gymnasium is almost
finished; needs to go see Martha
.7a-b Nellie
to Jennie, April 19, 1891:
Received letter from
Mamma; has been sleeping through breakfast and arriving in chapel just on time;
campus is pretty with arrival of spring; girls are wearing their “giddy spring
gowns”; went to Mrs. Noble’s for [illegible]; walked back and was drenched in a
thunderstorm; will enclose some pussy willow blooms; studying ferns in biology
and have planted fern spores in hopes to see them grow; describes how Martha
fixed up a dress [includes sketch]; visited Mrs. Dun in the hospital; didn’t
her [i.e. Jennie’s] birthday ice cream taste good? Mr. Moulton from England lectured on Friday
on [topic is illegible]; love to all
[no envelope; this letter was in the
envelope, .8, postmarked May 18, 1891]
.8 envelope addressed to Mrs. Hedrick,
postmarked May 18, 1891; the letter of April 19 was found in this envelope; no
letter written on or just before May 18, 1891 is included with this collection
.9a-d Jennie to Nellie, Nov. 7, 1891:
“Charlie went down to
dinner today for the first time” – he is not well, but is improving; maybe one
of Nellie’s cheerful letters will do him good; finished Mamma’s dress and is
starting Mamie’s [includes sketch]; after Mamie’s, will do my own dress; Mamie
is getting her room fixed [mentions carpet, bureau, cost of wicker washstand;
corner sofa, maple curtain rod and rings, pitcher, bowl, soap dish, mug, and
silk for cushions]; Jennie is waiting for radiators in her room to be gilded;
if Mamma gets new parlor curtains, old ones will be put into another room; hope
to have all the improvements done by Christmas; Harry reports that former
servant Ida stole some items from Alice’s trunk; Henry has gone to farm;
Jennie, Mamie, and Eulah went to Observatory and were taken through the
buildings; Mr. Williams brought his new bride to church on Sunday; went to
cemetery after church; needs a nap so will close; Mamma’s hand is improving
.10a-d Nellie to Mamma, in envelope postmarked March
24, 1892:
Letters received; I’m
glad you think I may got to Boston because I want to very much; Grace says she
can stand my being in the way, and Martha plans to get her sewing out of the
way before my arrival; because of chemistry class, she will be unable to travel
with Grace and Martha, but will travel with Marion and May; when gets to
Boston, Grace will meet her and take her to Cambridge, where Oscar will show
them around; describes trim for a basque [and sketches it]; more about other
dresses; discusses expenses (board, washing, train ticket, etc.); more about
clothing [mentions chemilette]; Carters are having a hard time; hopes the
children do not catch the fever; girl in her house stayed up too late working
on a paper and is now “done in”; winter almost over and haven’t been able to
have a sleigh ride; Marion has a new baby cousin
.11a-d Jennie to Nellie, May 29, 1892:
Bought a new spring
dress for Mamie on Wednesday; Mamie went to a party at Miss Shipman’s; they
played a game of observation, testing senses of taste, touch, smell, sight and
hearing; Mamie won the booby prize for coming in last place; she met a Mr.
Keene who knows Miss Jennet who knows Nellie; finished the new dress for Mamie
and she wore it today [Sunday]; Mamie thinks the train is too long; Mrs. Joyce
had to postpone her party because of rain; [sketch of basque of Mamie’s dress];
hopes the drawers arrived; “isn’t Mamma splendid?” Going to Carline’s, Henry might take them in
buggy; Mamma’s carpet taken up, and have moved furniture around; discussions of
sleeping arrangements; Charlie is being careful; Henry may go to Northampton by
way of water to New York; Will went to farm; Mr. Holmes jubilant about his
wedding and is seeking a position at Hampton–Sydney College; can’t spend week
with Alice; Olcotts were expected to move yesterday; Mrs. Leetch[?] has a son;
dinner bell has rung;
[Enclosed
with letter is a sketch of two dresses, but as both are made from velvet, it
seems unlikely that either is the new spring dress for Mamie. Perhaps this sketch is a stray from another
letter.]