Archives West Finding Aid

The Aitken Family Papers consist of correspondence, diaries, teaching materials, and photographs. The collection is arranged in series by type or format of material, and then by family member who created the material.

The Outgoing Correspondence of Alva Aitken, 1908–1951, comprises letters written to her mother Carrie and sister Geraldine. Arranged chronologically, these letters expose her daily life and her commitment to the Unitarian community. Those written while she lived in Waldo Hall at the Oregon Agricultural College, 1908-1910, are filled with details of simple college life.

The Outgoing Correspondence of Carrie Aitken consists of letters to her daughters, Alva and Geraldine between 1915 and 1946. Her letters contain family news and delightful reflections of the Unitarian community in Portland and its patriarch Thomas Lamb Eliot.

Outgoing Correspondence of Geraldine Aitken is arranged chronologically and covers the years 1909 to 1951. Her letters are written to her mother Carrie and sister Alva from her stay in Boston, Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey. Her letters reflect a professional life and a determination to remain independent of her mother and sister. Of some historical importance are her letters from Honolulu on and after December 7, 1941.

The Incoming Correspondence of Alva Aitken is arranged chronologically containing letters from Margaret Peacock and Harold Masten. Masten's letters make up almost the entire series, ranging in date from September 30, 1906–May 17, 1920. Masten, an Oregonian, was a student at Harvard, 1906–1909, and spent the summer of 1907 in Paris. His letters are usefully descriptive from both places. Peacock's letters are dated from November 19, 1929–February 15, 1953.

The Incoming Correspondence of Carrie Aitken, 1876–1947, but the bulk dating from 1884–1900, are letters from her husband Alvord Aitken, her father-in-law, John W.D. Aitken, two brothers-in-law, Hedrick D. and John M. Aitken, and J. Boughton, a businessman in Prescott, Arizona Territory. Except for the John W.D. Aitken letters this incoming correspondence all emanated from Prescott, Arizona and is filled with male gossip of that community. There are frequent references to social events, political matters, and personalities. Among the names commonly mentioned are Morris and Barry Goldwater.

Incoming Correspondence of Geraldine Aitken is one folder containing letters from her friends and one from her grandfather, John W.D. Aitken. The letters date from 1895–1909.

The Diaries of Alva, 1909-1969, are useful for day-by-day accounts of events; there is almost no reflection. A very small number of miscellaneous papers are included at the end of this series, including a baptismal certificate.

The diaries of Carrie are generally the same as Alva's, day-by-day accounts of events, but included in this series are autograph books and papers dealing with her own funeral service: cremation certificate, information of how it should be carried out, and a speech given by Dr. Steener at her funeral.

In 1895 Carrie received a diploma from Oregon Kindergarten Training School and went on to teach for five years in McMinnville and Portland. The diploma, class notes, and demonstration booklets constitute the ninth series in this collection.

The Personal Papers of Geraldine contain her baby book, passport, many music programs, 1938-1942, a photo diary, a photo album from her stay in Honolulu, a large scrapbook/photo album from Hawaii and one from her stay in New York centered around her music and the music there, and finally, her own will and testament.

Photographs are of the Aitken family, relatives and friends.

The Personal Papers of Alvord Aitken center around his death to include funeral notices, telegrams to relatives transmitting the news of his death, a speech given at his funeral, and formal court documents that distribute his property since his death was sudden and he had no will.