LETTERS: Incoming correspondence to Nellie E. Douglas of Dover, Piscataquis County, Maine.
CORRESPONDENCE ARCHIVE
[Labor] Douglas, Nellie E., Incoming Correspondence to Nellie E. Douglas, of Dover, Piscataquis
County, Maine, 1865-1883
Collection of 36 letters, 138 manuscript pages, with 35 retained mailing envelopes, plus several enclosed textile samples, correspondence dated 20 June 1865 to 6 September 1883, written in ink and pencil, in legible hands, good condition.
An interesting collection of letters written to Nellie, mainly by her female cousins and friends, many of whom have moved away from Maine and work in textile and hat factories and a millinery shop. The letters discuss their lives, working conditions, activities, hopes and prospects.
All of the letters are addressed to Miss Ellen Esther “Nellie” Douglas of Dover, Piscataquis County, Maine. She was the daughter of farmer Edward F. Douglas and his wife Elvira Stoddard, both originally of Brunswick, Maine. At some point (before 1841) Edward moved to Dover, where Nellie was born on April 30th, 1841. Nellie remained single until after this correspondence ends on 6 September 1883, at which time she married a local farmer Frank A. Briggs on April 6th, 1885. She remained in the Dover area and died in 1925. Her husband followed her in July of 1926.
Most of the letters are written by Nellie’s cousins, and date from 1865-1883. Only one letter is from 1865, then the rest start in 1870 and run to 1883. Some of the correspondents are: Fannie E. Harmon, Nellie’s cousin, another more frequent correspondent is Nettie L. Young, of Auburn, Maine, (another cousin to Nellie, born in 1845). In the 1870 Census Nettie is living with her husband Frank E. Young (b. 1846) in Auburn’s 4-5 wards. Boarding with her is Edward F. Harmon (born 1840) and George H. Harmon (1841). George is also a correspondent to Nellie as is Edward and Frank E. Young. The Harmons appear to be brothers to Nettie L. Young, whose maiden name must have been Harmon. George works in a shoe factory. Millie Young, also of Auburn, Maine writes to Nellie.
Several other correspondents include a Lissi, who writes once from Lacrosse, Wisconsin, and several times from Natick, Massachusetts, and Auburn, Maine. Evi N. Douglas writes to Nellie, once, from Yonkers. A correspondent named L. Jenni. Douglas, of Orono, Maine, writes several letters. And there is at least one letter from a Mary Gilman, of Newport, Maine.
Out of the 36 letters, 9 are not dated, but from internal evidence the undated letters appear to be written prior to 1876, as two of Nellie’s cousins (Nettie and Edward mentioned above) die during this time period, as evidenced in the letters.
Before the second letter of this collection ends, (the 2nd letter chronologically), it shows that 6 years before Nettie dies she loses her infant son Eddie. Nettie ( whose full name is Henrietta) often writes Nellie and in one of those letters she discusses her “tuberculosis” of the lungs. It would appear that this letter is one of the last written before her death.
The letters have interesting content, for example Evvie (or Evie) works in millinery, and another woman is a wonderful seamstress at a hat factory. The women write about their respective jobs and working conditions to Nellie. Several of the letters (3) have pieces of original textile swatches included with them. One of the pieces of material has a gold embossed logo on it that says “Madonna” and is from the hat shop in Natick, Massachusetts, where Evvie is employed. The letters also provide information and detail about the lives of young working women in the Auburn, Maine and Natick, Massachusetts areas in the second half of the 19th century, their social activities, domestic lives, hopes and aspirations.
Sample Quotations from the letters: “Auburn Me. June 21st, 1865
My Dear Cousin Nellie, Another summer day is past, drawing to a close and having finished my toils for the day have wandered to my own little chamber to gaze away the twilight hour. But thinking of
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