Manuscripts Collection
The family history material (undated and 1929, 1935-1943, 1977) relates to Hildred Long's ancestry, which includes the Shelland, Carpenter, and Trickey families.
The bulk of the collection consists of daily correspondence which reflects the wartime experiences of Frank and Hildred Long. Frank Long was assigned to photography in the Army Air Corps and Engineer Corps. He never saw combat, but his letters provide detailed descriptions of basic training, the day to day routine of army life, his army schooling, and his service in Guam. Hildred's letters discuss her life at home including her work with the Farm Security Administration in Detroit Lakes and the Office of Price Administration in Ada (Minn.).
These documents are organized into the following sections:
Accession number: 14,580; 15,774; 16,178
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project
grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Catalog ID number: 001716525
This section is composed of material related to Hildred Long's family history and includes a booklet entitled "The Ancestors and Descendants of Adelbert David Carpenter," compiled by Hildred and Frank Long (1977); a photocopy of a paper entitled, "Ancestry of the Trickey Family: Line of William Deland Trickey From About 1614-1938," edited by Carl A. Titcomb; manuscript and typescript histories of the Shelland family; letters (1929, 1933) to Hildred from her grandfather Rev. James C. Shelland, as well as obituaries upon his death (Sept. 14, 1935); genealogical charts of the Shelland and Trickey families; legal documents related to the trust estate of Julia E. Bulkley Shelland (1940); three pamphlets from "The One Thing Needful" series authored by James C. Shelland; and several photographs of Shelland and Carpenter family members (undated and 1898).
This unidentified photograph album dates from the early twentieth century.
The earliest correspondence (1938-1942) is primarily related to Frank Long's attendance at University of Southern California summer sessions in Los Angeles. The primary correspondents include a friend, Don Bird, and Long's parents, Lester and Eunice Long. The letters between Long and Bird are mainly concerned with the planning and itineraries of their four automobile trips to California (1938-1941). Long's letters to his parents describe a bull fight he attended in Tijuana (July 3, 1939); various hiking and camping trips (Aug. 15, 1939, June 24, 1940, and July 9, 1941); and an earthquake in Santa Barbara (July 2, 1941). Don Bird remained in Los Angeles after the 1941 summer session and his letters to Long (Aug. 16, 1941-June 9, 1942) discuss his teaching position at the University of Southern California, his engagement, and his plans regarding the draft.
Frank Long married Hildred Louise Shelland (May 15, 1942) and was inducted into the army a month later (June 13, 1942). He was stationed at bases in the U.S. and Guam, and their daily correspondence (Sept. 1942-March 1943, March-Oct. 1945) makes up the largest portion of the collection.
Frank Long's letters to Hildred, or "Shelley" as he nicknamed her, give detailed descriptions of his basic training, the day to day routine of army life, his schooling, and his photographic work while stationed in the U.S. and in Guam. During most of this time Hildred remained in Detroit Lakes (Minn.), and her letters primarily concern her work with the Farm Security Administration (FSA), managing the couple's finances, family matters, and news from Detroit Lakes.
Long was inducted at Fort Snelling (Minn.), assigned to the Army Air Corps, and sent to the Air Corps Replacement Training Center at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri (June 31, 1942) where he was accepted as a photographer (July 9, 1942). He completed his basic training at Jefferson Barracks and was sent to Lowry Field near Denver, Colorado for a three month course in photography.
After completing his schooling Long was sent to Peterson Army Air Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado (Nov. 1942). He worked in camera repair until he was transferred to the cinematography and ground camera lab (Dec. 31, 1942) where he worked in the mosaics and copy departments. Long was promoted to private first class (March 1, 1943) and corporal (April 2, 1943). He remained in Colorado Springs until his squadron was moved to Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Oct. 13, 1943).
Hildred's letters during this period discuss her work with FSA, problems with her supervisor, her promotion to associate supervisor (Aug. 5, 1943), her plans to transfer to International Falls (Minn.), and her resignation from FSA (Oct 1943). She was able to join Frank in Oklahoma City (Nov. 29, 1943) and they lived together off base until Long was notified that he was to be shipped overseas (March 28, 1945).
Long was shipped by boat to Guam where he served for the remainder of the war. His letters during this period (April 17-Oct. 7, 1945) discuss the voyage over (April 17-May 12, 1945), his interest in the natural history of the island, the construction of their barracks and lab, instructions to Hildred on improving her photography (June 1945), reaction to the end of the war (August 14, 1945), his waiting for discharge, and his arrival at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin (Oct. 7, 1945).
Hildred's letters during this period relate her work with the Office of Price Administration in Ada, Minnesota (April-July 24, 1945) and her acceptance of a teaching position in Waubun, Minnesota (Sept. 1, 1945).
A final group of correspondence (June 1942-Oct. 1945) consists of Frank Long's letters to his parents while in the army. The letters duplicate a great deal of the content in his letters to Hildred. During the period when they lived together in Oklahoma City (Nov. 29, 1943-March 28, 1945) both Frank and Hildred wrote, and the topics of their letters include their adjustment to married life, Long's work as head of the copy and cinematography department, his transfer into the army engineers (Nov. 26, 1944), his promotion to staff-sergeant (Jan. 9, 1945), their uncertainty about the date Long would be shipped out, and the difficulty in making living arrangements until that date.
Bea and Hildred were sisters.
Hildred was Etta's daughter. The letters concern such matters as health, weather, and local news and gossip.
Includes letters between James (thought to be Hildred's grandfather) and Anna.
Contains Frank Long's descriptions of pheasant, duck, and deer hunting trips (1934, 1937-1941), one of his trips to California for summer school (June 6-17, 1938), and routine daily events (March 3-18, 1947).
Contains records related to Long's correspondence, bird watching, photography, hunting, automobile maintenance, and mail orders.
Contains sporadic entries consisting of personal reminders and notations of daily events kept by Frank and Hildred Long while Frank was stationed at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City.