p2256 OSCAR LORD MATHER: An Inventory of His Reminiscences Finding aid prepared by Kathryn A. Johnson. Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by Lyda Morehouse, November 1, 1999. Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Mather, Oscar Lord, 1867-1944. Oscar Lord Mather in the World War. [ca. 1927]. A reminiscent account (49 pp., typed) of Mather's experiences (Oct.1918-Oct. 1919) as an American Red Cross worker in Europe during and following the first world war. 1 item in folder. P2256 BIOGRAPHY OF OSCAR LORD MATHER

Oscar Lord Mather was born in Detroit (Mich.) on July 20, 1867, the son of Asher E. and Laura Lord Mather, and was educated in Detroit and Battle Creek schools. Mather married Alice Kernochan Hill (d. 1912) in Battle Creek in 1897, and Eva Marion Smith in Minneapolis in 1921.

He was the first postmaster and notary at LaPrairie (Hubbard County, Minn.) and was a partner (1891-1899) of Beckfield and Mather Company, Grand Rapids. From 1899 on he was a principal of a number of timber companies doing business in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. In 1905 he organized the Sheldon-Mather Timber Company and, the following year, the Sims Timber Company, Ltd. (Vancouver, B.C.)

In 1918 Mather volunteered for wartime foreign service with the American Red Cross, and ended up with the Swiss and Rumanian Red Cross commissions charged with conveying ARC relief supplies from Berne to Berlin and Warsaw.

Following World War I, Mather was president (1923-1932) of the People's State Bank, Madison Lake, Minnesota. He died in Madison Lake on May 1, 1944.

 SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

Mather's recollections include detailed observations on European conditions, especially civilian living conditions, food and clothing shortages, and war damage. He comments on goods delivered by the Red Cross, riots and other civil disturbances, his travels by various means, and information on the cities he visited. The descriptions of his Red Cross work assignments begin in Switzerland and move on, after the war's end, to Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria, Italy, and Rumania. He also describes his trip home via the Black Sea, the Dardenalles, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean.

The reminiscences of life in Switzerland include his journey by way of Canada, England, and France; Berne and other Swiss cities; caring for German refugees; the civilian relief organization LeComite de Rapartriement; Swiss life and sports; and Woodrow Wilson's Memorial Day address in Paris (1919).

The reminiscences are supplemented with a biographical sketches copied from published sources.

 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: Charities--Europe. Cities and towns--Europe. Prisoners of war--Europe. Refugees--Europe. Travelers--Europe. War relief--Europe. World War, 1914-1918--Europe--War work--Red Cross. Red Cross--Biography. Places: Europe--Description and travel--1919-1944. Europe--Economic conditions--1918-1945. Europe--History--1918-1945. Persons: Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924. Organizations: American Red Cross. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Mather, Oscar Lord. Oscar Lord Mather in the World War. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 2840

 Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, October 1997.

Catalog ID number: 09-00320358