Howe family papers , 1859-1939

Overview of the Collection

Title
Howe family papers
Dates
1859-1939 (inclusive)
Quantity
11.25 linear feet, (10 containers)
Collection Number
Ax 051
Summary
The Howe family comprises Henry Clay Howe (1832-1889) and his wife Letitia, their son Herbert C. Howe (1872-1940) and daughter Lillian Howe. The collection contains diaries, correspondence, photographs, and genealogical papers of the Howe family, manuscripts by Herbert C. Howe, and a ledger of the Oswego Canal Company of NY.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time. Glass plate negatives and lantern slides are restricted due to the fragility of the format. All decisions regarding use will be at the discretion of the curator for visual materials.

Additional Reference Guides

Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections and University Archives.

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Howe family is comprised of Henry Clay Howe (1832-1889) and his wife Letitia, their son Herbert C. Howe (1872-1940) and daughter Lillian Howe.

Henry Clay Howe (Herbert's father) was a graduate of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, read law, was an attorney in Fulton, N.Y., an active Republican, a supporter of Frank Hiscock for U. S. Senator, and a member of the New York Assembly from 1885 to 1887.

Herbert C. Howe (1872-1940) was born in Fulton, New York, and educated at Fulton Academy and Cornell University. From 1894 to 1900 he was a graduate scholar at Cornell and assistant to Jacob Gould Schurman, third president of Cornell. In 1901 he came to the University of Oregon as assistant professor of English and remained until 1940; from 1904 to 1925 Howe was head of the Department of English.

Lillian Howe was a student at the Academy of Mount St. Vincent, West Albany, New York. from 1879 to 1881, and from 1882 to 1884 a student at Houghton Academy, Clinton, New York. She later worked in the Boston Public Library, was on the editorial staff of Mentor, and was a secretary for the National Association of Woolen Manufacturers in Boston, Massachusetts.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Howe Family papers collection contains diaries, correspondence photographs, and genealogical papers of the Howe family, manuscripts by Herbert C. Howe, and a ledger of the Oswego Canal Company of New York.

Material by Herbert Howe includes diaries, letters to his sister, Lillian and to his wife, Georgia Emeny. His weekly letters to Lillian Howe contain a detailed recital of events at Fulton Academy, Cornell University, and the University of Oregon. There is also an autobiography from 1889, the year his father died. Professor Howe was a popular lecturer, writer, and essayist. The papers include manuscript poems, short stories, plays, two novels (one autobiographical), addresses, essays, lectures, student papers, class papers from Fulton Academy days, and Cornell class notebooks.

Material for Lillian Howe, Henry Clay Howe, and Letitia How includes diaries and letters, most of which is correspondence between one another. Howe family material includes genealogical data, photographs, and mementos. The photographs include ten glass-plate negatives, portraits, and ten prints primarily portraits of Herbert C. Howe and snapshots of him on campus. There is one print from the UO tour of Hollywood from the 1917 Rose Bowl visit.

Additionally, there is a one-volume ledger of the Oswego Canal Co. The ledger has been used as a scrapbook but is still legible for canal company data.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Authors, American--Oregon
  • College teachers--Oregon--Eugene
  • Lawyers--New York (State)--Fulton
  • Legislators--New York (State)
  • Poetry--Authorship

Personal Names

  • Howe, Henry Clay, 1832-1889
  • Howe, Henry Clay, 1832-1889
  • Howe, Herbert Crombie, 1872-1940
  • Howe, Herbert Crombie, 1872-1940
  • Howe, Herbert Crombie, 1872-1940

Corporate Names

  • Cornell University
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Oregon. Department of English

Family Names

  • Howe family
  • Howe family

Geographical Names

  • Fulton (N.Y.)--Biography

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Diaries
  • Genealogies (histories)
  • Ledgers (account books)
  • Manuscripts for publication