Fisher Family Papers, 1905-1935

Overview of the Collection

Title
Fisher Family Papers
Dates
1905-1935 (inclusive)
Quantity
.75 linear feet, (2 boxes)
Collection Number
MSS 160
Summary
Letters written by members of the Fisher family of Ririe, Idaho, to one another, chiefly regarding personal and family affairs. Principal correspondents include author Vardis Fisher (1895-1968), his sister Irene Fisher, brother Vivian Fisher, and their mother Temperance Fisher. Vardis Fisher's letters include several written from the University of Utah describing his life as a college freshman. Irene Fisher's letters reflect the life of a young unmarried Mormon woman in Salt Lake City, Utah. Also includes typescript poems by Vardis Fisher.
Repository
Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
1910 University Drive
Boise ID
83725
Telephone: 2084263990
archives@boisestate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is available for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection, consisting entirely of photocopies, is made up mainly of letters written by members of the Fisher family to one another between the years 1915 and 1935. Writers include the author Vardis Fisher (1895-1968), his wives Leona and Margaret, sister Irene ("Dot"), brother Vivian, Vivian's wife Mattie, and Vardis Fisher's mother Temperance. Most of the letters were intended for Joseph and Temperance Fisher, parents of Vardis, Vivian, and Irene, and were addressed to Mrs. Fisher. There are also a few other miscellaneous papers, including several poems by Vardis Fisher in typescript.

Family matters and personal affairs are the main subjects of discussion in the letters. Included are Vardis Fisher's first letters home from college (University of Utah in Salt Lake City). He asked his parents to save his letters for his autobiography (October 1, 1915). He also declared his devotion to home: "You may think down here I will rush about [,] forget about home and Idaho. Not me...I don't want to get weaned away from home" (October 15, 1915). Irene Fisher's letters home to her parents from Salt Lake City in 1927-1928 also shed light on Vardis Fisher's life, as he was living in Salt Lake City at the same time teaching at the University of Utah. Irene's letters also reflect the social life of an unmarried LDS woman in Salt Lake City and her courtship with her future husband.

Forms part of the Idaho Writers Archive.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[item description], Fisher Family Papers, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Chiefly the gift of Grant Fisher, son of Vardis Fisher, 1997 (ca. 80 items); with 25 additional letters donated by Tim Woodward, 1998.

Processing Note

The papers donated by Grant Fisher were discovered in 1990 in the "new" house that Joseph and Temperance Fisher built in the 1930s on their Snake River homestead near Ririe, Idaho. Workers remodeling the home for a new owner discovered them in a box built under the peak of the roof. They loaned the papers to Ricks College Library in Rexburg, Idaho, for photocopying. Ricks College retained a set of copies and presented another set of copies to Vardis Fisher's son, Grant Fisher. In March 1997 Grant Fisher donated his copies to Boise State University Library. The original letters are still in private hands. Boise State University makes this set available to the public for research after consultation with Ricks College and with the permission of Grant Fisher. A fuller account of the discovery of the letters was published in the October 1990 issue of the Idaho Librarian.

In 1998, Tim Woodward, author of the biography of Vardis Fisher, Tiger on the Road, donated copies of more letters that he obtained from private sources during the course of his research.

Related Materials

See also: Vardis and Opal Fisher Papers

Mabel Clore Collection on Vardis Fisher

Dorys Crow Grover Papers and Collections on Vardis Fisher and Ernest Hemingway

George E. Brown Jr. Correspondence with Vardis Fisher

Lloyd Jensen Collection on Vardis Fisher

Joseph M. Flora Papers and Collection on Vardis Fisher

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Letters written by Temperance Fisher (mother of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
To Vardis Fisher from Antelope, Idaho
 1915 (?) December 8
1 2
To Irene Fisher from Idaho Falls, Idaho
 1919 April 27

Letters and other papers written by Vardis FisherReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 3
Poems
5 items
1 4
To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
 1915 September 20
1 5
To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
 1915 October 1
1 6
To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
 1915 October 15
1 7
To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
 1916 January 21
1 8
To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
Main body of letter by Vivian Fisher; note by Vardis Fisher appended
1916 September 29
1 9
To "Folkes" [from Chicago, Illinois]
 1921 November 20
1 10
To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
 1921 December 4
1 11
To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
 1922 January 15
1 12
To his mother from Chicago, Illinois
 1922 April 11
1 13
To his mother [from Chicago, Illinois]
 1922 June 8
1 14
To "Folks" from New York, New York
 1928 November 10
1 15
To "Everybody" from Liverpool, England
 1930 June 10
1 16
To his parents
 undated February 12
1 17
To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
 undated August 15
1 18
To "Everybody" from New York, New York
 undated November 30
1 19
To his parents
(Text mostly obliterated)
undated December 23
1 20
To his sons
 undated

Letters written by Leona Fisher (first wife of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 21
To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
 1921 October 2
1 22
To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
 1922 March 15
1 23
To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
 1922 April 21
1 24
To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
 1922 June 22

Letters written by Margaret Fisher (second wife of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 25
To "Folks" from Iowa City, Iowa
With enclosure from Vardis Fisher, July 10.
1935 July 9
1 26
To "Folks" from Boise, Idaho
 1936 January 6

Letters written by Irene Fisher (sister of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 27
To her mother
 undated
1 28
To her parents and Dolly from Salt Lake City
 undated
1 29
To Vardis Fisher
 1922 August 23
1 30
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1926 September 25
1 31
To her parents from Salt Lake City
 1926 December 11
1 32
To "Darling Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1927 April 24
1 33
To "Darling Ones" from Salt Lake City
 1927 May 1
1 34
To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
 1927 May 19
1
To her parents from Salt Lake City
 1927 May 23
Folder
1 35
To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
 1927 May 26
1
To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
 1927 May 29
Folder
1 36
To her parents and Wayne ("Chubby") do.
 1927 September 21
1 37
To "Dear Ones at Home"
 1927 November 13
1 38
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1927 November 27
1 39
To her parents from Salt Lake City
 1927 December 14
1 40
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 January 3
1 41
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 January 8
1 42
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 January 15
1 43
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 January 22
1 44
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 January 29
1 45
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 February 11
1 46
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 February 21
1 47
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 February 26
1 48
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 March 8
1 49
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 March 14
1 50
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 March 30
1 51
To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
 1928 April 12
1 52
To "Dear Ones at Home"
 1928 April 21
1 53
To her parents
 1928 May 16
1 54
To her mother (postcard) from Ririe, Idaho
 1929 March 19
1 55
To her parents from Rigby, Idaho
 1929 April 3

Letters written by Vivian Fisher (brother of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 56
To Vardis Fisher
 [1915?] December 15
1 57
To Vardis Fisher
 1916 April 9
1 58
To "Everybody" from New York, N.Y.
 1933 April 4
1 59
To his parents, Irene Fisher from New York, N.Y.
 1934 October 1
1 60
To "Everybody" from Flushing, N.Y.
 1934 November 18
1 61
To his parents from Rigby, Idaho
 undated
1 62
To his parents from New York City
 undated
1 63
To his parents from New York, N.Y.
 undated
1 64
To his parents from New York, N.Y.
List of Christmas presents
undated

Letters written by Mattie Fisher (wife of Vivian Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 65
To "Folks" from New York, N.Y.
 1934 August 20
1 66
To "Everybody" from Forest Hills, L.I., N.Y.
 1935 January 6
1 67
To Temperance Fisher (card) from Tucson, Arizona
 1935 March 12

Other itemsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 68
Lester Bryan to Vardis Fisher from Rigby, Idaho
 1918 March 9
1 69
Gladys Miller wedding invitation
 1929
1 70
Miscellaneous

Letters and other papers written by Vardis FisherReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 1
To Father and Mother from Salt Lake City
 1915 October 29
2 2
To Father and Mother from Salt Lake City
 1916 February 10
2 3
To Father and Mother from Salt Lake City
 1916 March 12
2 4
To Father and Mother from Salt Lake City
 1916 March 20
2 5
To Father and Mother from Salt Lake City
 1916 April 24
2 6
To Sister from Salt Lake City
 1916 [May] 16
2 7
To Sister from Salt Lake City
 1916 [May] 20
2 8
To Sister from Salt Lake City
 1916 September 18
2 9
Poems
5 items
2 10
Homestead papers
2 items
 1916

Letters written by Irene Fisher (sister of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 11
To Vardis Fisher
 undated (1915?)
2 12
To Mother from Rigby, Idaho
 1915 May 8
2 13
To Vardis Fisher with letter by Vivian
 1916 February 24

Letters written by Vivian Fisher (brother of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 13
To Vardis Fisher with letter by Irene
 1916 February 24
2 14
To Parents from Salt Lake City
 1916 October 13

Letters written by Temperance Fisher (mother of Vardis Fisher)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 15
To Vardis Fisher from Antelope, Idaho
 1915 November 12
2 16
To Irene Fisher postcard from Lorenzo, Idaho
 1916 September 28

Letters written by others to Vardis FisherReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 17
From Mildred Jordan from Idaho Falls, Idaho
 1905 February 18
2 18
From Jane [his aunt] from Malad, Idaho
 1915 December 6

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • College students
  • Literature
  • Mormon Church
  • Mormon women
  • Social interaction
  • University of Utah
  • Women--Idaho

Personal Names

  • Fisher, Vardis, 1895-1968

Family Names

  • Fisher Family

Geographical Names

  • Ririe (Idaho)

Collection processed by Alan Virta, assisted by Kim Beeman and Anna Rutkowska
1998; updated 2023

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