00026 RHODA J. EMERY: An Inventory of Her Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Kathryn A. Johnson Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul MN.

Finding aid encoded by Dennis Meissner December 22, 2003Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Emery, Rhoda J., 1872-1953. Rhoda J. Emery and family papers. 1840-1993. Family histories and genealogies, including charts (1598-1963); family correspondence and school papers (1842-1951); diaries (1889-1905); and photographs documenting the interrelated George and Emery families of Oronoco and Rochester (Minn.) and the Wood family of Douglas (Minn.). 1.0 cu. ft. (1 box). See Detailed Description section for shelf location. SCOPE AND CONTENTS

There are letters describing James George's Mexican War career and a manuscript on his Civil War career as a colonel in the Second Minnesota Regiment. The rest of the family papers detail family activities and problems; the school teaching careers (ca. 1890s-1930s) of James, Clara, and Rhoda Emery; and the newspaper activities in Bismarck and Duluth of Robert Emery. Three diaries (1889-1894) of Rhoda J. Emery and five diaries (1896-1907) of her mother, Helen George Emery, contain information similar to that found in the papers, albeit with more detailed information on Rhoda Emery's teaching career. Photographs (15 images) depict members of the George, Emery, and Wood families.

OTHER FINDING AIDS

A print version of this finding aid is available in the repository; filed in ALPHA notebooks under the heading: Emery, Rhoda J.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Reporters and reporting. Education -- Minnesota. Education -- South Dakota. Family -- Minnesota. Schools -- Minnesota. Women teachers -- Minnesota. Rural schools -- Minnesota. Newspaper employees. Persons: Clay, Wellington S., 1870-. Emery, Caleb Coxe, 1834-1927. Emery, Helen Mary George, 1844-1927. Emery, James George, 1870-ca.1928. Emery, Rhoda J., 1872-1953. Emery, Robert Caleb, 1890-. Emery family. George, Clara Emery, 1868-1951. George, James, 1819-1881. George family. Pearce family. Pierce family. Wood, Clara Emery, 1868-1951. Wood family. Places: United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 2nd (1862-1865). United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865. United States -- History -- War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Dodge County (Minn.). Douglas (Minn.). Olmsted County (Minn.). Oronoco (Minn.). Rochester (Minn.). Wasioja (Minn.). Document Types: Diaries. Photographs. Love letters. Autograph albums. Occupations: Journalists. Teachers. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Rhoda J. Emery and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 1794; 14,587; 14,936

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, January 1993

Catalog ID number: 09-00038046

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION 149.E.10.1B Genealogical and family history information, undated, [196-], 1993. 3 folders.

Information on the main family lines of Emery, George, Wood, and related families, with detailed and complete descriptions of the families. There are also handwritten notes taken from the Emery family Bible and historical sketches of the Emery family. There are two detailed genealogical charts prepared by family members--one of the Wood-Emery and related families [ca. 1598-ca. 1963] and one for the Emery-George and related families [ca. 1598-1960], and a genealogical chart prepared (1993) by the collection cataloger.

James George and Rhoda Pearce papers, 1840-1846. 3 folders.

Correspondence and invitations (1840-1842) addressed to Rhoda Pearce (Hamilton, Ohio) from a number of suitors, including James George, whom she married in 1842. James George's letters (1840-1846) are largely love-letters, but those from 1846 describe his Mexican War service, beginning with his voyage from Ohio to New Orleans, thence into Mexico, and ending in September with a description of the Battle of Monterey.

George and Pearce (later Pierce) family correspondence, 1846-1895.

Letters from various family members with information on routine life and family matters.

Edward George letters to Helen and Rhoda Emery, 1881-1927.

Rhoda Emery's brother Edward was a Crookston (Minn.) attorney. Family matters are discussed, particularly relating to land holdings. A small collection of Frank D. Wood's school records (Rochester, 1887-1895) are also included.

Caleb C. Emery family correspondence, 1865-1917.

Letters from family and friends.

Helen George Emery letters to Rhoda Emery, 1889-1918.

Contain information on family matters that transpired while Rhoda was teaching elsewhere.

Helen George Emery diaries, 1896-1907. 5 folders, containing 5 volumes.

Detailed information on daily routines and family matters. There are no 1900-1902 entries.

James Emery letters to family, 1885-1928. 2 folders.

His letters describe his teaching career in Minnesota schools at Stewartville, West Concord, and Rochester, and in Yankton, South Dakota. His subsequent life was spent in diverse occupations throughout the country.

Clara Emery Wood correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1875-1951. 2 folders, including 1 volume.

Letters to family members with information on her teaching career and family matters, as well as a few letters from her children. Also includes autograph book (1882) and her funeral service program (March 5, 1951).

Wellington S. Clay letters to Rhoda Emery, 1893-1950. 2 folders.

Clay, a Hutchinson (Minn.) resident was a lifelong suitor of Rhoda. The letters contain information on his life in Hutchinson. Information on the Clay family taken from the 1895 Minnesota state census is also included.

Rhoda Emery Papers, 1892-1951. 3 folders.

Letters from her family, friends, and associates, and teaching certificates and similar papers from her long career as a teacher in southern Minnesota and, later, in St. Paul. Folder 3 contains a number of letters from friends in England (1925-1926), including a letter (May 25, 1926) describing the British General Strike of 1926.

Rhoda Emery diaries, 1889-1894. 3 folders, containing 3 volumes.

Detailed information on her teaching career and on family matters. There are no 1891 entries.

Robert C. Emery papers, 1911-1914, 1934.

Letters to his family while he worked as a writer for Bismarck (N.D.) newspapers and for the Duluth News-Tribune. Also included is his manuscript describing James George's Civil War experiences, particularly his recruitment of men from Wasioja for the Second Minnesota Regiment and their subsequent actions in the war. Information on George's Civil War career from published sources is also included. The 1934 item is a pamphlet opposing Minnesota governor Floyd B. Olson, "Thirty Years From Now."

Miscellaneous Emery and Wood family papers, undated and 1862-1993.

Five partially identified letters from Emery family members (undated); a letter (Feb. 5, 1862) from Clinton S. Cilley, 2nd Minnesota Regiment (Pulaski, Ky.), to Helen George [?] with information on camp life, relatives and other Minnesotans in the regiment, and sentiments about Wasioja Seminary; George T. Wood's will (1869); two autograph books kept by Helen C. Wood (1908-1910) and Mary Emery (1886-1887); and two newspaper clippings (1992, 1993) with information on Frank Wood and James George.

Photographs, undated. 15 images.

Studio portraits; cartes de visite; group shots of George, Emery, and Wood family members; and a photograph of the Wood family farm near Douglas (Minn.). All are well identified.