Archives West Finding Aid

Eugene Merton Elliott was born on September 11, 1910 in Santa Fe, Kansas to Ernest Henry and Myrtle McCoy Elliott. He graduated from Stanford University in 1932 with his Bachelor's degree. After receiving his law degree from Washburn University in 1935, he practiced law in Tacoma, Washington until 1947. Elliott married Marjorie Pierce on December 20, 1933. He died on March 3, 2007 in Tacoma, Washington. Elliott collected and donated all materials in collection.

The historic Spring Grove Cemetery is located in Troy, Cincinnati, Ohio and is, to this day, considered a leader in cemetery design. In 1844, the Cincinnati Horticultural Society formed a cemetery association in order to address the growing opinion that their cemeteries appeared rundown and discomforting to grieving families as a result of the cholera epidemic. Headed by former Chief Justice and Secretary of Treasury, Salmon P. Chase (January 13, 1808-May 7, 1873), the cemetery association began researching proper location and design. The group traveled to many notable cemeteries along the East Coast and Europe to collected ideas. Chase and his colleagues, Nathaniel Wright, Timothy Walker and James Hall, constructed the charter on December 1st and by September 1st of the following year, the first internment was created. Robert Buchanan (1797-1879) was the Spring Grove Cemetery President from 1845 to 1879, proceeded by Henry Probasco Esquire (1820-1902) from 1879 to 1902. Adolph Strauch (1822-1883) was the Spring Grove Cemetery landscape gardener and Superintendent from 1854 to 1883 followed by William Salway (1841-1925) from 1883 to 1925.

Photographs contained in the "Francis Frith & Co. Series" were collected by Francis Frith. Francis Frith (1822-1898) was a British photographer and photograph collector. It has been noted that these images were most likely photographed by Frith's traveling employees, William Johnson and William Henderson. Most of the images are from Frith's India series.