Lucy Gearhart papers, approximately 1834-1961

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gearhart, Lucy
Title
Lucy Gearhart papers
Dates
approximately 1834-1961 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.87 cubic feet (7 boxes and 1 package)
Collection Number
0558 (Accession No. 0558-001)
Summary
Papers of a female temperance advocate from Tacoma, Washington
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The papers are open to all users.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Lucy Gearhart (Mrs. John W.) was a Tacoma, Washington, civic leader involved with the temperance and woman suffrage movements. During the 1950s she took a keen interest in writing about the temperance movement in the West. In particular, Mrs. Gearheart researched and wrote extensively on George Cotterill's (1865-1958) temperance activities and his lengthy career with the International Order of Good Templars. Gearhart was both a friend and admirer of Cotterill, a Seattle Democratic politician and advocate of temperance and prohibition. As an expression of her interest, Gearhart assembled a collection of temperance materials, which included books, original documents, ephemera, songbooks, medals, and even commemorative china. Gearhart also gathered bibliographies on the subject and took extensive notes from published and unpublished sources. She hoped to publish a history, either in the form of articles or a book, but apparently never accomplished this. In 1965 and 1966, she donated her temperance collection and her research notes to the University of Washington Libraries so that other researchers could use them.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Lucy Gearhart papers document Gearhart's interest in the temperance movement. The Temperance materials series contains original documents, ephemera, artifacts, and other materials that comprised part of Gearhart's temperance collection. The Personal papers series contains Gearhart's personal correspondence, primarily with dealers, her writings, notes, bibliographies, and other research materials. Some files contain transcriptions of original documents and verbatim copies from books in Gearhart's own hand.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from this collection in digital format.

Restrictions on Use

The creator's literary rights have not been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Lucy Gearhart papers are arranged in two series:

  • Temperance materials, approximately 1834-1961
  • Personal papers, approximately 1884-1960

Acquisition Information

Gift of Lucy Gearhart, July 28, 1965, and June 8, 1966.

Processing Note

Processing completed in 1993.

Separated Materials

Portions of Lucy Gearhart's collection were relocated to other divisions of the University of Washington Libraries. Fifty books went to the Libraries' main collection. Songbooks, temperance cards, and medals were relocated to the Special Collections Division's collections of published materials.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Temperance materials, approximately 1834-1961Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/1
Dolge (Alfred) and Son, pianoforte materials, Dolgeville, New York
1894
1/1
Good Templars, International Order of, Grand Lodge of England
1910
1/1
Gough, John B.
1884
1/1
Leonard, Mary
1846
1/1
Moulton, H. P.
1866
1/1
National Women's Suffrage Association
1888
1/1
Stone, Lucinda H.
1890
Women's Christian Temperance Union (National)
Box/Folder
1/1
Greenwood, Elizabeth
1892
1/1
Livingston, Deborah
1913
Women's Christian Temperance Union (World)
Box/Folder
1/2
Sanderson, Mary E.
1907
1/2
Slack, Agnes E.
1906
Box/Folder
1/2
Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, Board of Women Managers, Frances A. Marlette
1893
1/2
Postcard, unidentified
1908
Publications
Box/Folder
1/3
Miscellaneous
1890, 1903
1/4
Christian Herald Almanac
1913, 1914
1/5
The Flying Squadron of America
undated
1/6
A Loud Call, to the Citizens of this Nation...
1842
1/6
Mad Dogs and the Liquor Traffic (tract) by W. Jennings Demorest
1886
1/6
Pierce County Women's Christian Temperance Union directory and yearbook
1923
1/7
Purpose and Policy of Prohibition in All Its Phases
undated
1/7
Journal of the Proceedings of the Sons of Temperance of North America
1853
1/8
Temperance Almanac
1834
Reports
Box/Folder
1/9
American Temperance Society report
1835
1/9
"Temperance Report"
1852
1/9
U.S. War Department report: "A Report on a Plan for Transporting Wounded Soldiers by Railway in Time of War"
1875
1/9
"Report of Delegates from the General Aid Society for the Army and the Agencies of the U.S. Sanitary Commission"
1862
Box/Folder
1/10
News releases
undated
Subject files
Box/Folder
1/11
Cotterill, George
undated
1/12
Evangelism and temperance (E. Tennyson Smith and J.A. Jewel)
1905-1914, 1954-1959, undated
1/13
Suffrage
1909, 1915, 1961, undated
1/14
White Shield Home, Tacoma
undated
Box/Folder
1/15
Diploma
1864
1/16
Autograph cards
undated
1/17
Commemorative memorabilia
1917, 1925,undated
1/18
Photographs
1924, 1930
1/19
Cards
undated
package
8
Sheet music
1866, undated
Box
7
Ceramic tableware
Contains a cup, saucer, ornamental dish, and six plates.
undated
3
Temperance medals
4 items
undated
Box/Folder
2/1-3
Ephemera
undated
2/4-9
Clippings
1874-1916

Personal papers, approximately 1884-1960Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/10
Incoming letters from dealers
1937-1959
2/11
Incoming letters - miscellaneous
1955-1960
Speeches and writings
Box/Folder
2/12
"The Beginning of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Western Washington"
undated
2/13
Untitled
undated
Research files
Box/Folder
2/14
Biographies
undated
2/15
Biographies, Hill and others
undated
2/16
Blue Ribbon League, Olympia
1879
3/1
Cedar River
undated
3/2
Cotterill, George
undated
3/3
Early temperance history
undated
3/4
Gay Nineties
undated
3/5
How the West Was Won
undated
3/6
Lee, Jason and Rose
undated
3/7
Loyal Temperance Legion
undated
3/8
Minutes of Western Washington Women's Christian Temperance Union
1884-1893
3/9
Pioneer schools
undated
3/10
Powell, L. J.
undated
3/11
Railroad - Tacoma
undated
3/12
Social studies
undated
3/13
Temperance in early Lima, Ohio
undated
3/14
Willard, Frances
undated
3/15
Women's work - anti-slavery, temperance, sufferage
undated
3/16
World's Temperance Center Congress, Durkee
undated
3/17
World's Temperance Congress: Temperance in All Nations
1893
Box/Folder
4/1
Research notes
undated
4/2-3
Notebooks
undated
4/4-7
George Cotterill and temperance
undated
4/8-9
Temperance ephemera
undated
4/10-11
Publications
1951, 1958, undated
4/12
Bibliographies
undated
4/13
Ephemera
undated
4/14
Miscellany
undated
5/1-4
Clippings
undated
Box
6
Notecards
Originally organized with rubber bands dividing the cards into groups. The bands have been removed, and the original divisions marked with blue paper.
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Temperance--United States--Societies, etc
  • Temperance--West (U.S.)
  • Women civic leaders--Washington (State)--Tacoma--Archives
  • Women--Suffrage--United States
  • Women--Suffrage--Washington (State)

Personal Names

  • Cotterill, George F. (George Fletcher), 1865-
  • Gearhart, Lucy--Archives

Corporate Names

  • International Order of Good Templars
  • Woman's Christian Temperance Union
  • Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Western Washington