Abby Williams Hill papers

Abby Williams Hill papers, 1850-1985

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Hill, Abby Williams
Title: Abby Williams Hill papers
Dates: 1850-1985 (inclusive)
18501985

1890-1943 (bulk)
18901943
Quantity: 22.4 linear feet, (39 boxes)
Collection Number: Mss.011
Summary: Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943) was a landscape artist best known for her oil paintings created en plein air, or outdoors, depicting the scenery of the American West. Her work was exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition (1893), St. Louis World's Fair (1904), the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland (1905), the Jamestown Tercentennial (1907), and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle (1909). The Abby Williams Hill papers include 39 boxes of correspondence, journals, sketchbooks, news clippings, printed material, ephemera, photographs, and artifacts documenting the life of Hill and her family. The University of Puget Sound also holds separately the Abby Williams Hill Memorial Collection, which contains approximately 150 oil paintings and ink drawings created by Abby Williams Hill between 1886 and 1934.
Repository: University of Puget Sound, Archives & Special Collections

Collins Memorial Library
1500 N. Warner St.
CMB1021
Tacoma, WA
98416-1021
Telephone: 2538792669
archives@pugetsound.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943) was a landscape artist best known for her oil paintings created en plein air depicting the scenery of the American West. Her work was exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition (1893), St. Louis World's Fair (1904), the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland (1905), the Jamestown Tercentennial (1907), and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle (1909).

Abby Rhoda Williams was born on September 25, 1861, to Henry Warner Williams and Harriet Porter Hubbard in Grinnell, Iowa. Hill showed an early aptitude for art and was taught by her aunt, Ruth Hubbard, a botanical watercolorist. Hill also studied painting at the Chicago Art Institute under H.F. Spread. In 1884, she moved to Berthier-en-Haut, Quebec, where she taught painting and drawing at a school for girls. In 1887, Hill moved to New York City to study with American painter William Merritt Chase at the Art Students League. She married Dr. Frank Hill of Marietta, Ohio, in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1888. In 1889, the couple moved to Tacoma, Washington. Soon after, Hill gave birth to a son, Romayne, her only biological child. The Hill's would later adopt three daughters, Ione, and siblings Ina and Eulalie DeRosier.

The Pacific Northwest offered Hill a plenitude of scenes for her continued artistic creation. She joined a 26-day camping trip to Mount Rainier in July 1895, followed immediately by a 12-day expedition to the Hood Canal. These trips contributed to Hill's interest in hiking, camping, and painting en plein air, and led to a brief career as a professional landscape painter for the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways.

Between 1903 and 1906, Hill accepted four commissions from the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways to paint scenery along their rail lines. This included views of the North Cascades and Mount Rainier in Washington and Yellowstone National Park, among other locations. The commissions allowed for extended stays in the wilderness, often in the company of her four children. Hill's paintings for the railroads were used in promotional materials and exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair (1904), the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland (1905), the Jamestown Tercentennial (1907), and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle (1909).

In addition to her work as an artist, Hill was the founder and first president of the Washington State chapter of the Congress of Mothers, now known as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She advocated for the importance of early childhood education and for equal education for immigrants and African Americans. Hill was also interested in Native American life and culture and visited many different reservations in the early 1900s, including a five-week stay on the Flathead Reservation in Montana with her children in 1905.

In the 1910s, Frank Hill suffered from a period of severe mental illness. The family relocated from Tacoma, Washington, to Laguna Beach, California, in hopes that the warmer climate would help him recover. There, Hill became a founding member of the Laguna Beach Art Association and painted scenery in the Laguna Mountains and along the Pacific Ocean.

In the 1920s, the family purchased their first automobile and traveled extensively around the western United States and Canada. During this time, Hill became concerned with the threat that increased tourism and development posed to the natural environment. In response, Hill created a series of paintings of the national parks in the American West during the late 1920s and early 1930s, which she considered her legacy to future generations. She also embarked on a letter writing campaign to create a system of national sanitariums for tuberculosis patients.

Abby Williams Hill died on May 14, 1943 in San Diego, California.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Abby Williams Hill papers include 39 boxes of materials, the majority of which date from 1890 to 1943. The papers are arranged in eleven distinct series: Correspondence, Journals, Sketchbooks and Drawings, News Clippings, Printed Material, Ephemera, Biographical Information, Photographs, Artifacts, the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill, and the Tom Kress Collection on Abby Williams Hill. The last two series (Smolenski and Kress) include materials donated in 2014 by persons unrelated to the Hill family.

These papers document the life of Abby Williams Hill and her family, Hill's artistic career including her commissions for the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways, her travels across the United States and Europe, her relationship with her husband and four children, and her passion for social causes. Significant topics represented in these records include Tacoma and Washington State history; hiking and camp life in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and California; Native American tribes in Montana and Washington, particularly the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation; the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama; the National Park Service; preservation and conservation of federal lands; early childhood education; the Congress of Mothers; and tuberculosis.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Name of document, date.] Abby Williams Hill Collection, Mss.011. University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections. Tacoma, Washington.

Restrictions on Use

Property rights reside with the University of Puget Sound. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

Some of the materials in the Abby Williams Hill papers have been digitized and are available to researchers online. In 2019, nine of Hill's journals focusing on her travels throughout the United States between 1895 and 1906 were digitized and transcribed. These journals can be accessed at: https://digitalcollections.pugetsound.edu/digital/collection/awhj.

A selection of the photographs have also been digitized and can be accessed at: https://digitalcollections.pugetsound.edu/digital/collection/awhphotos/.

Images of Hill's artwork can be accessed at this site: https://digitalcollections.pugetsound.edu/digital/collection/abbyhill.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Correspondence, 1861-1945, undatedReturn to Top

This series includes correspondence belonging to Abby Williams Hill and her family, including her husband, Frank Hill, and her children, Romayne, Ione, Ina, and Eulalie. The series has been divided into six sub-series: Family, General, Congress of Mothers, Native American Correspondents, Tuberculosis, and Postcards.

Note that additional correspondence can be found in the series for the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Family This sub-series includes letters to and from members of the Hill, Williams, and DeRosier families. The DeRosier family is Ina and Eulalie Hill's biological family. Phil, Guy, Clifford, and Lucille DeRosier are their biological siblings and they remained in close contact with each other after the Hill's adopted Ina and Eulalie. Clifford DeRosier accompanied the Hill family on a trip to Europe in 1908. Of note in this sub-series is the significant amount of correspondence between Frank and Abby Hill between 1887 and 1935. They were often separated for long periods of time due to Abby's frequent and extended trips, and these letters reveal much about their relationship and activities. There are also several folders containing letters from Abby Hill to her son, Romayne Hill, from 1895 to 1897. During this period, Frank and Abby Hill were in Germany while their young son remained in the United States with relatives. The letters are particularly notable for their ink drawings by Hill. When known, the relationship between the correspondents has been noted.	1861-1943, undated
Box	Folder
1	1	Aunt Margaret [last name unknown] letter to Abby Hill	January 20, 1898
1	2	Beaton, Isabella letters to Abby Hill [with photograph] Isabella Beaton (1870-1929) is Abby Hill's cousin. Beaton was an accomplished pianist.	1905-1918
1	3	Buckley, Parke letter to Jeanette and Abby Williams Parke Buckley (1856-1925) was Jeannette Williams' husband and Abby Hill's brother-in-law.	September 7, 1881
1	4	Chevrier, Mollie McKittrick letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Mollie McKittrick Chevrier is Ina and Eulalie Hill's biological aunt.	1929-1935
1	5	DeRosier, Adeline letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Adeline DeRosier was Clifford DeRosier's wife and sister-in-law to Ina and Eulalie Hill.	1928-1937
1	6	DeRosier, Bette Lee letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Bette Lee DeRosier was Clifford and Adeline DeRosier's daughter.	1929-1938
1	7	DeRosier, Bette Lee letter to Romayne Hill Bette Lee DeRosier was Clifford and Adeline DeRosier's daughter.	September 25, 1928
1	8	DeRosier, Clifford letters to Abby Hill Clifford DeRosier (1891-1973) was the biological brother of Ina and Eulalie Hill.	1909-1912
1	9	DeRosier, Clifford letters to Frank Hill Clifford DeRosier (1891-1973) was the biological brother of Ina and Eulalie Hill.	1907-1909
1	10	DeRosier, Clifford letters to Ina Hill Clifford DeRosier (1891-1973) was the biological brother of Ina and Eulalie Hill.	1908-1909, 1924
1	11	DeRosier, Clifford letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Clifford DeRosier (1891-1973) was the biological brother of Ina and Eulalie Hill.	1933
1	12	DeRosier, Dolly letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Dolly DeRosier was Phil and Bessie DeRosier's daughter.	1938 and undated
1	13	DeRosier, Donald letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Donald DeRosier was Clifford and Adeline DeRosier's son.	1929-1933
1	14	DeRosier, Guy and Ruth letters to the Hill family [with photographs] Guy DeRosier (1884-1959) was Ina and Eulalie's biological brother.	1898, 1909, 1911, 1923-1932
1	15	DeRosier, Lucille letter to Ina Hill Lucille DeRosier (1894-1954) was Ina and Eulalie Hill's biological sister.	April 18, 1933
1	16	DeRosier, Phil letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill Phil DeRosier (1882-1952) was Ina and Eulalie Hill's biological brother.	1932
1	17	DeRosier, Phyllis letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill	1930-1939
1	18	DeRosier, Phyllis letter to Romayne Hill Phyllis DeRosier was Clifford and Adeline DeRosier's daughter.	September 25, 1928
1	19	Hill, Abby letter to Clifford DeRosier	August 14, 1909
1	20	Hill, Abby letters to Eulalie Hill	1900-1909 and undated
1	21-26	Hill, Abby letters to Frank Hill	1897 - July 1905
2	1-9	Hill, Abby letters to Frank Hill	August 1905 - 1935
2	10	Hill, Abby letters to the Hill children	1901-1909, 1923, 1928
2	11	Hill, Abby letter to Helen Hill	undated
2	12-13	Hill, Abby letters to Ina Hill	1901-1910, 1922-1940
2	14	Hill, Abby letters to Ione Hill	1905-1920
2	15-16	Hill, Abby letters to Romayne Hill These letters each contain several ink drawings by Abby Williams Hill.	1895-1896
3	1	Hill, Abby letters to Romayne Hill These letters each contain several ink drawings by Abby Williams Hill.	1897
3	2	Hill, Abby letters to Romayne Hill This folder contains the envelopes (empty) from Hill's letters to her son, Romayne.	1895-1896
3	3	Hill, Abby letters to Romayne Hill	1906-1928
3	4	Hill, Abby letter to Ruth Hubbard Ruth Hubbard is Abby Hill's aunt.	July 14, 1906
3	5	Hill, Abby letter to "Mother"	August 12, 1902
3	6	Hill, Angeline letters to Frank and Abby Hill Angeline Hill is Frank Hill's mother.	1898-1899
3	7	Hill, Edgar letter to Romayne Hill	January 20, 1898
3	8-11	Hill, Eulalie letters to Abby Hill	1901-1934 and undated
3	12	Hill, Eulalie letters to Frank Hill	1902-1913
3	13-14	Hill, Eulalie letters to Ina Hill	1907-1941 and undated
3	15	Hill, Eulalie letters to Ione Hill	1901, 1904
3	16	Hill, Eulalie letters to Romayne Hill	1914, 1938
4	1	Hill, Fanny Norris Burnette letter to Frank Hill	December 7, 1908
4	2-8	Hill, Frank letters to Abby Hill	1887-1908
5	1-5	Hill, Frank letters to Abby Hill	1909-1935 and undated
5	6	Hill, Frank letters to Eulalie Hill This folder contains a photograph of Frank Hill.	1906 and undated
5	7	Hill, Frank letter to Ina Hill This folder contains a postcard with an image of Hillcrest, the Hill family's residence in Tacoma, Washington.	undated
5	8	Hill, Frank letter to Ione Hill	August 8, 1902
5	9-10	Hill, Frank letters to Romayne Hill	1896-1931
5	11	Hill, Helen letters to Abby Hill Helen Hill was Frank and Abby Hill's niece.	1905-1906
5	12	Hill, Helen letter to Eulalie Hill	1906, 1922
5	13	Hill, Helen letters to Frank Hill	1906, 1923
5	14	Hill, Helen letters to Ina Hill	1906 and undated
5	15	Hill, H.L. letters to Abby Hill	1928, 1934
5	16	Hill, Ina letters to Abby Hill	1901-1907
6	1-4	Hill, Ina letters to Abby Hill	1908-1931 and undated
6	5	Hill, Ina letters to Eulalie Hill	1909 and undated
6	6	Hill, Ina letters to Frank Hill	1902-1913, 1934
6	7	Hill, Ina letters to Romayne Hill	1913-1915, 1928, and undated
6	8	Hill, Ina letter to Ada Park	June 6, 1943
6	9-10	Hill, Ione letters to Abby Hill	1904-1909
7	1	Hill, Ione letters to Abby Hill	1910-1920 and undated
7	2	Hill, Ione letters to Eulalie Hill	1909-1910
7	3	Hill, Ione letters to Frank Hill	1902-1908
7	4	Hill, Ione letters to Ina Hill	1901-1909
7	5	Hill, Ione letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill	1901-1902, 1906
7	6	Hill, Laura letters to Frank and Abby Hill Laura Hill was Frank Hill's sister.	1899-1932 and undated
7	7	Hill, Laura letters to Romayne Hill Laura Hill was Frank Hill's sister.	1906-1907
7	8	Hill, Romayne letters to Abby Hill	1904-1928
7	9	Hill, Romayne letters to Frank and Abby Hill	1911-1912
7	10	Hill, Romayne letters to Frank Hill	1898-1912, 1933
7	11	Hill, Romayne letters to Ina Hill	1908, 1931
7	12	Hill, Romayne letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill	1902, 1909
7	13	Hill, W.E. letter to Abby Hill	June 5, 1905
7	14	Hubbard, Harriet Porter to Abby Hill Harriet Hubbard (1833-1877) was Abby Hill's mother.	1876-1877, 1882-1888
7	15	Hubbard, Ruth letters to Abby Hill Ruth Hubbard was Abby Hill's aunt.	1868-1912
7	16	Hubbard, Ruth letter to Ina Hill Ruth Hubbard was Abby Hill's aunt.	April 7, 1922
7	17	Hubbard, Ruth letter to Romayne Hill Ruth Hubbard was Abby Hill's aunt.	undated
7	18	Janie [last name unknown] letters to the Hill family	undated
7	19	King, Olive letters to Abby Hill	undated
7	20	King, Olive letters to Ina Hill	undated
7	21	Latimer, Ada letter to Abby Hill	January 22, 1918
7	22	McMahan, George letter to Abby Hill	November 19, 1906
7	23	McMahan, Laura letter to Abby Hill	November 28, 1934
7	24	Park, Ada C. letter to Abby Hill	February 2, 1938
7	25	Park, Ada C. letters to Ina and Eulalie Hill	1900-1902
7	26	Sloan, David letter to Eulalie Hill	undated
7	27	Louis [last name unknown] letter to Abby Hill	January 22, 1924
7	28	[Unknown sender] letter to Romayne and Ina Hill	undated
7	29	Ward, Myrtle letter to Abby Hill Myrtle Ward was Ione Hill's daughter and Abby Hill's granddaughter.	undated
7	30	Williams, Annie letters to Abby Hill Annie Williams was Abby Hill's stepmother.	1906-1917
7	31	Williams, Annie letter to Eulalie Hill Annie Williams was Abby Hill's stepmother.	January 28, 1901
7	32	Williams, Gussie letters to Abby Hill	1876
7	33	Williams, Henry Warner letters to Frank Hill Henry Warner Williams (1830-1906) was Abby Hill's father.	1903
7	34	Williams, Henry Warner letter to Ruth Hubbard Henry Warner Williams (1830-1906) was Abby Hill's father.	September 28, 1861
7	35	Williams, Jeanette "Nettie," letters to Abby Hill Jeanette "Nettie" Williams (1860-1889) was Abby Hill's sister.	1877-1887
		General This sub-series includes letters belonging to members of the Hill family. Of particular note are letters and illustrations from German artist Hermann Haase, correspondence with the Northern Pacific Railway Company regarding Hill's art commissions, letters from American painter Edgar S. Paxson, African American educator and author Booker T. Washington, National Park Service landscape architect Merel S. Sager, and director of the National Park Service Horace Albright.	1882-1945, undated
Box	Folder
8	1	A.H. Abbott & Co. letter to Abby Hill Letter mentions having paintings by Abby Hill on exhibit.	May 6, 1890
8	2	Ahlers, Mary W. letter to Abby Hill	undated
8	3	Alston, Margaret letters to "Miss Hill"	1922-1928
8	4	Anderson, Jas. E. letter to Frank Hill	October 1, 1908
8	5	Andrew [last name unknown] letters to Abby Hill	1940
8	6	Association of Community Chests and Councils letter to Abby Hill	February 18, 1933
8	7	Barnes, A. H. letters to Abby Hill	1907
8	8	Beal, R.S. letter to Abby Hill	March 31, 1933
8	9	[Bearien], Annie E. letter to Abby Hill Letter discusses the death of Frank Hill.	January 14, 1938
8	10	Bennitt, Mark letters to Abby Hill Bennitt was the Superintendent of the General Press Bureau for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair / Louisiana Purchase Exposition.	1904
8	11	Billings, Frederick letter to Frank Hill	March 6, 1924
8	12	Bishop, Clara N. letters to Abby Hill	1901 and undated
8	13	Bismarck Mill Company letter to Seeley Company Letter regarding an invoice from Frank Hill.	July 25, 1905
8	14	Blalock, Shirl H. letter to Abby Hill	1908
8	15	Blalock, Shirl H. letters to Eulalie Hill	1908
8	16	Boyle, Hugh letter to Frank Hill	May 7, 1924
8	17	Bradney, Carrie V. letter to Abby Hill	undated
8	18	Brainerd, William letters to Abby Hill	1938 and undated
8	19	Bucher, Charles letter to Abby Hill	May 7, 1934
8	20	Burbridge, Clifford letters to Abby Hill Folder includes six photographs of the Burbridge family.	1930-1931, 1936, 1941
8	21	Caysine, Dorothy letter to Abby Hill	April 26, 1938
8	22	Chauvet, J. letters to Abby Hill	1910-1912, 1925
8	23	Chew, Lenora letter to Abby Hill	May 7, 1934
8	24	Chittenden, Brigadier General Hiram M. letters to Abby Hill Chittenden (1858-1917) was the Seattle district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers from 1906-1908 and a Port Commissioner at the Port of Seattle. Folder includes a newsclipping titled "Chittenden, Seattle's Own General, Urges Government Development of Alaska's Mines."	1907-1912
8	25	Collins, Arthur and Gertrude letters to Abby Hill Letters discuss Eulalie Hill's adoption by Abby Hill.	1898
8	26	Crow, J.M. letter to Abby Williams Torn fragments, extremely fragile.	August 30,1888
8	27	Dement, John and Jane letters to Abby Hill	1939
8	28	Denman, A.H. letter to Frank and Abby Hill	April 4, 1912
8	29	Department of Botany, Iowa State College letter to Abby Hill Letter regarding receipt of two paintings by Abby Hill.	March 12, 1907
8	30	Department of the Interior letter to Abby Hill Letter regarding the naming of Mount Booker (after Booker T. Washington) in North Cascades National Park, Washington.	January 26, 1904
8	31	Donohue, Michael J. letter to Abby Hill	undated
8	32	Doyen, Dr. E. letter to Abby Hill	undated
8	33	Drahold, Alfred letters to Abby Hill	1932
8	34	Drummond, Elizabeth letters to Abby Hill	1906, 1911
8	35	Dudley, J. Lincoln letter to Abby Hill	August 20, 1935
8	36	Duffy, James (Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway Co.) letter to Abby Hill	August 8, 1930
8	37	Elder, J. Dwight letter to Frank Hill	August 6, 1905
8	38	Elliott, James A. letters to Abby Hill	1886
8	39	Emerson, O.F. letters to Abby Hill	1882 and undated
8	40	Evans, Bill letters to Abby Hill	1937-1939
8	41	Filloon, Mrs. [first name unknown] to Abby Hill	May 5, 1904
8	42	Fletcher, Annie letter to Abby Hill	1931
8	43	Fletcher, Mabel A. letter to Abby Hill	October 31, 1899
8	44	Gaebelein, Arno letters to Abby Hill	1934-1940
8	45	Goff, John letters to Abby Hill Letters regarding the California Pacific Exhibition.	1935
8	46	Goldscheider, Sigmund and Charlotte letters to Abby Hill	1907-1912
8	47	Green, A.J. letters to Abby Hill	1908-1909
8	48	Grinnell College letter to Ina Hill Letter regarding donation by Ina Hill to Grinnell College following Abby Hill's death.	February 9, 1945
8	49	Grody, Katie letter to Abby Hill	undated
8	50	Haase, Hermann letters to Abby Hill [with illustrations] Hermann Haase was a well known German illustrator. Abby Hill studied art with Haase while she was living in Germany with Frank Hill in the late 1890s. Several letters are written in German. Folder includes several newsclippings in German, as well as photographs and artwork by Haase.	1902, 1912, 1923-1935
8	51	Halyclow, Effie M. letter to Abby Hill	February 24, 1902
8	52	Hart, Clara letter to Abby Hill	June 16, 1934
8	53	Hill, Abby letters to Horace Albright Horace Albright (1890-1987) was the director of the National Park System from 1929 to 1933. He also held earlier positions as superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park. The letters discuss Hill's concerns about the environmental conditions at Seqouia National Park due to the increased number of tourists. Additional letters between Hill and Albright regarding Hill's ideas for the care of tuberculosis patients are included in the subseries for correspondence about tuberculosis.	1929-1930
8	54	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. Ball [first name unknown]	March 20, 1905
8	55	Hill, Abby letter to A.C. Bartlett Abby Hill writes to Barlett, editor of "The San Diego Sun" newspaper, about taxing unsold art.	August 17, 1934
8	56	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. Bogle [first name unknown] Hill reminisces about her life and career in this form letter sent to several of her friends. See letters to Mrs. C.W. Weyer and "Will and wife."	1940
8	57	Hill, Abby letter to Julian Dupuis The letter is a photocopy of the original.	October 30, 1929
8	58	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. Edwards [first name unknown] Letter discusses Abby Hill's daughter Ione's clothing.	c. 1908
8	59	Hill, Abby letter to Douglas Fairbanks Letter to actor Douglas Fairbanks regarding sale of Laguna Beach property.	undated
8	60	Hill, Abby letter to Grace [last name unknown] Abby Hill discusses her husband Frank's medical history.	November 4, 1932
8	61	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. Reath [last name unknown] Letter discusses Abby Hill's daughter Ione's clothing and the reasons why Ione did not accompany the Hill family to Europe in 1908.	August 19, 1908
8	62	Hill, Abby letter to Sadie and Ella [last name unknown] A lengthy letter describing various aspects of the Hill family's trip to Europe in 1908.	May 14, 1908
8	63	Hill, Abby letter to [recipient unknown]	c. 1905
8	64	Hill, Abby letter to Jack West Letter regarding Jerome Shaffer's estate. Correspondence between Abby Hill and Jerome Shaffer can be found in the subseries for correspondence about tuberculosis.	undated
8	65	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. C.W. Weyer Hill reminisces about her life and career in this form letter sent to several of her friends. See letters to "Mrs. Bogle" and "Will and wife."	March 17, 1940
8	66	Abby Hill letter to "Will and wife" [last name unknown] Hill reminisces about her life and career in this form letter sent to several of her friends. See letters to "Mrs. Bogle" and Mrs. C.W. Weyer.	1940
8	67	Hill, Eulalie letter to [recipient unknown]	January 10, 1906
8	68	Hill, Frank letter to W.C. [Barelsby]	June 16, 1923
8	69	Hill, Frank letter to C.A. Snowden C.A. Snowden (editor, Tacoma Ledger). Includes newsclipping titled "Wheeling Through Europe" which details the Hill's trip bicycling through Europe.	1897
8	70	Hill, Ione letter to Roger [last name unknown]	Undated
8	71	Howard [last name unknown] letter to Eulalie Hill	June 8, 1923
8	72	Irvine, J.M. letters to Abby Hill Letter regarding Frank Hill's health.	July 25, 1923
8	73	Johanne, Erick letters to Abby Hill	1937
8	74	Johnson, Esther letter to Abby Hill	May 4, 1940
8	75	Jolly, Franklin Pierce letter to Abby Hill Folder includes a one page advertisement for Jolly's entertainment and lecture services.	December 6, 1907
8	76	Katherine [last name unknown] letter to Ina Hill	undated
8	77	Kellogg, Dr. Francis letter to Abby Hill Letter regarding Abby Hill's eyesight.	May 5, 1928
9	1	Kieff, Hans letters to the Hill family [with photographs and journal] This folder also includes a narrative account of Kieff's travels from Tacoma, Washington to London, England in 1904, written specifically for the Hill family.	1904-1938
9	2	King, Bettie letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	3	Klahr, Evelyn Gill letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	4	Lansley, Ruth Page letters to Ina Hill	February 18, 1930 & undated
9	5	Larcker, Rose letter to Abby Hill	April 10, 1907
9	6	Leanne [last name unknown] letter to Abby Hill Folder contains four photographs.	January 13, 1937
9	7	Lecordier, Marcelle letter to Abby Hill [with photographs]	undated
9	8	Leeds, Deborah C. letter to Abby Hill	March 30, 1908
9	9	LeSort, Henry letters to Abby Hill	1904-1906
9	10	Lewis, Dr. J.R. letter to Abby Hill	December 27, 1911
9	11	Lormer, Florence letter to Abby Hill	October 18, 1931
9	12	[Mac...], Sadie R. letter to Frank Hill	October 31, 1904
9	13	Mackenzie, Glenn letters to Abby Hill	1924-1938
9	14	Mackenzie, Glenn letters to Ina Hill	1923-1924, undated
9	15	Main, John [President, Grinnell College] letter to Abby Hill	December 31, 1929
9	16	Malone, Cynthia letter to Abby Hill	January 1938
9	17	Martha [last name unknown] letters to Ina Hill Folder contains a program with handwritten notations titled "Conference Under Auspices League of the Southwest to Discuss Colorado River Problems and Indian Affairs of the Southwest, June 7-9, 1923."	Undated
9	18	Martin, Mrs. A. letter to Ina Hill	March 10, 1923
9	19	McKay, Ann letter to Abby Hill	c. 1912
9	20	Meurice, J. letters to Ina Hill Folder contains one photograph.	1923-1924
9	21	M.E.W. [full name unknown] letters to Ina Hill	1931-1934
9	22	Miller, Edwin [Pierce County, WA Assessor] letters to Frank Hill	1911
9	23	Miscellaneous correspondence to Abby Hill	1890s - 1939
9	24	Mitchell, Dr. S. Weir letter to Frank Hill Letter regarding Romayne Hill's medical condition.	January 23, 1902
9	25	Murray family letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	26	Newberry, Eva Buckley letters to Abby Hill	1906-1908, undated
9	27	Newberry, Eva Buckley letter to "Franklin" [Frank Hill]	July 27, 1905
9	28	Newberry, Eva Buckley letter to unknown recipient	undated
9	29	Nina [last name unknown] letter to Abby Hill	December 2, 1923
9	30	Northern Pacific Railway Company letters to Abby Hill Letters regarding Abby Hills contracts with the Northern Pacific Railway and her paintings for the Jamestown Exposition.	1904-1907
9	31	Oertel, Johannes letters to Abby Hill	1905-1908
9	32	Papst, Margaret letter to Abby Hill	April 24, 1912
9	33	Paris Fine Art Publishing Company letter to Abby Hill	May 21, 1906
9	34	Pasadena Sanitarium letter to Abby Hill Letter regarding Frank Hill's medical condition.	December 16, 1919
9	35	Paxson, Edgar Samuel letters to Abby Hill Edgar Samuel Paxson (1852-1919) is an American artist known for his portraits of Native Americans. One of his most famous paintings, "Custer's Last Stand," depicts the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass.	1907-1909
9	36	Penelope, Arlie letters to Ina Hill	1917-1938
9	37	Perry, Mary letter to Abby Hill	June 18, 1934
9	38	Peter [last name unknown] letters to Abby Hill	1928
9	39	Pick, Fritz letter to Abby Hill	June 7, 1907
9	40	Pietersgill, Anne letter to Abby Hill	December 22, 1939
9	41	Piney Woods Country Life School letter to Abby Hill Folder includes a souvenir program of the Piney Woods School Singers.	April 19, 1935
9	42	Powell, E. letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	43	Prentice, Fannie E. to Ina and Eulalie Hill	November 22, 1901
9	44	Price, Mrs. William H. letter to the Hill family	undated
9	45	Ray, W.G. letter to Abby Hill	September 20, 1882
9	46	Reynolds, Thurston letters to Abby Hill	October 8, 1923
9	47	Richardson, M.E. to Miss Hill	undated
9	48	Robbins, Annie Whitcomb letter to Abby Hill	January 27, 1927
9	48a	Robinson, Frank and Dorothy letter to Ina Hill [with photographs]	September 25, 1971
9	49	Sager, Merel S. letter to Abby Hill Merel S. Sager (1899-1982) is an American architect and landscape architect. He was employed by the National Park Services and worked in many different national parks in the western United States.	May 3, 1932
9	50	Sawyer, William P. letter to Abby Hill	November 19, 1909
9	51	Sewall, May Wright letter to Abby Hill	April 22, 1905
9	52	Shank, Jennie B. letter to Abby Hill	September 12, 1906
9	53	Shapiro, Harry letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	54	Shaw, Dr. Albert letters to Abby Hill Albert Shaw (1857-1947), an friend of Abby Hill's from Grinnell, Iowa, was a journalist and editor of the American edition of the publication "Review of Reviews."	1884-1926
9	55	Sibley, M. letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	56	Simon, Henry letters to the Hill family	1933-1936
9	57	Stone, Ellen letter to Abby Hill	undated
9	58	Streeland, Anna Louise letter to Romayne Hill	September 25, 1928
9	59	Sutherland, David letter to Abby Hill Letter regarding the death of Donald Sutherland's mother, Mary Sutherland of Grinnell, Iowa. Newsclipping of the obituary is included.	March 2, 1935
9	60	Sutherland, Mary C. letters to Abby Hill	1911 & undated
9	61	Tacoma Art League letters to Abby Hill	1910, 1912
9	62	Taggart, Harry letters to Abby Hill	1924
9	63	Texas Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Institute for Colored Youths letters to Abby Hill	1934, 1938
9	64	The Angola League of NYC letters to Abby Hill Letters introducing Abby Williams Hill to Lady Henry Somerset [Isabella Caroline Somers-Cocks] and Lady Trelawne of England.	March 23, 1908
9	65	Tomb, George letter to Abby Hill	November 22, 1939
9	66	Trujillo, Dorothy letter to Abby Hill	March 21, 1924
9	67	Unknown sender letter to Romayne Hill	June 13, 1905
9	68	van Schravendyk, Henry letters to Abby Hill Folder contains three photographs.	1904-1906, 1910
9	69	Verbeck, Ida S. letter to Abby Hill	February 12, 1898
9	70	von Cranach, Marie letter to Abby Hill	1896
9	71	von Hinckler, Julius M. letters to Abby Hill	1906
9	72	von Velton, Agnes letters to Abby Hill	1897
10	1	Washington, Booker T. letters to Abby Hill Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an American educator, orator, and author. He was the first principal of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Tuskegee, Alabama. Abby Hill visited the school in 1902 with her children, Romayne and Ione, where she met Washington. More information about this visit can be found in Hill's journals.	1901-1902
10	2	Wassmann, Karl letters to Abby Hill	1907-1909
10	3	Wassmann, Karl letters to Eulalie Hill	1909
10	4	Wassmann, Karl letter to Romayne Hill	1909
10	5	Whicher, G.M. letter to Abby Hill	c. 1882
10	6	White, Mrs. George (Esther) letter to Abby Hill	December 28, 1939
10	7	White, George E. letter to Abby Williams	December 4, 1880
10	8	White, Lily E. letter to Abby Hill	March 29, 1905
10	9	Willey, F.C. letters to Abby Hill	1901-1903
10	10	Willey, F.C. letters to Eulalie Hill	1902-1903
10	11	Winegar, Melissa Wheeler letter to Abby Hill	July 30, 1940
10	12	Winkler, [illegible] letters to Abby Hill	1906
10	13	Winkler, [illegible] letters to Eulalie Hill	1906
10	14	Woodland Avenue Savings & Trust letters to Abby Hill Letters address the last will and testament of Abby Hill's maternal aunt, Ruth Hubbard.	1920-1923
10	15	Wright, Beulah letter to Ina and Eulalie Hill	October 30, 1902
		Congress of Mothers This sub-series includes correspondence related to the Congress of Mothers, an early iteration of the Parent Teacher Association. The Washington State chapter of the Congress of Mothers was founded by Abby Williams Hill in 1905 and she served as its first president until 1911. The organization focused on education, health, and safety issues related to children and youth. In addition to this correspondence, other items related to the Congress of Mothers can be found in the News Clippings, Printed Materials, and Ephemera series.	1907-1934, undated
Box	Folder
10	16	Burlew, Myrta Preston letter to Abby Hill	May 24, 1907
10	17	Hill, Abby letters to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers	1931
10	18	Hill, Abby letters to Washington Chapter of the Congress of Mothers Folder includes an address given by Abby Hill to the Washington State Branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers in 1925.	1925, 1932, 1936
10	19	Malstrom, Kathryn letter to Abby Hill	undated
10	20	Martin, Governor Clarence D. letter to Abby Hill	May 29, 1934
10	21	Mears, Mary Grinnell letters to Abby Hill	1907-1908, 1924-1933
10	22	Mullen, Mrs. Roger B.W. letter to Abby Hill	undated
10	23	National Congress of Mothers letters to Abby Hill	1907, 1911-1912
10	24	Schoff, Mrs. Frederic letters to Abby Hill Mrs. Schoff was involved with the Philadelphia Child Welfare Association and worked with Hill via the National Congress of Mothers. Letters from Mrs. Schoff can also be found in Box 10, Folder 23.	1927, 1932
		Native American Correspondents This sub-series includes letters to Abby Williams Hill from Native American people belonging to the Flathead, Sioux, and Nez Perce tribes. Hill met and befriended many Native Americans, particularly from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana, where she and her children had a lengthy stay in both 1905 and 1906. A detailed account of her stay on the reservation can be found in the Northern Pacific Railway Commission (1905-1906) journal in the Journals series.	1905-1927
Box	Folder
10	25	Abeita, Pablo letters to Abby Hill Pablo Abeita (1871-1940) was the governor of Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico.	1926-1927
10	26	Andrew Nine Pipes letter to Abby Hill Andrew Nine Pipes was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	August 20, 1906
10	27	Charlo, Martin letters to Abby Hill Martin Charlo was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. He was the son of Chief Charlo (c. 1830-1910), leader of the Bitterroot Salish from 1870-1910.	1910
10	28	Cincee letters to Abby Hill Cincee was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	1907, 1910
10	29	[Cumbro] Paul E., letter to Abby Hill Paul [Cumbro] was a member of the Nez Perce tribe.	February 27, 1907
10	30	Laura Standing Bear letter to Abby Hill Laura Standing Bear was a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. Her husband was Luther Standing Bear, a Sioux chief. This letter mentions White Bull (Ta Tan Ka Ska).	February 25, 1907
10	31	Lucy (Mrs. Big Johney) letter to Abby Hill Lucy was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	September 28, 1907
10	32	Matilda Blue Breath letters to Abby Hill Matilda Blue Breath was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	1907, 1910
10	33	Moses, John letters to Abby Hill	1907
10	34	Peo Peo Tholekt letters to Abby Hill Peo Peo Tholekt (Bird Alighting) was a member of the Nez Perce tribe.	1907, 1909
10	35	Pichette, Peter letters to the Hill family Peter (Finley) Pichette was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. Pichette became blind at the age of thirteen. Some of the letters in this folder are written in Braille.	1907-1924
10	36	Susie [illegible] letter to Abby Hill Susie was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	February 1, 1910
10	37	Throssel, Richard letter to Abby Hill Richard Throssel (1882-1933) was a photographer who documented life on the Crow Reservation at the beginning of the 20th century.	January 22, 1906
10	38	White Bull (Ta Tan Ka Ska) letters to Abby Hill White Bull (Ta Tan Ka Ska) was a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. White Bull and Abby Hill became acquainted with each other while visiting the Flathead Reservation in the fall of 1905.	1905-1907
		Tuberculosis In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Abby Williams Hill embarked on a letter writing campaign urging officials in the United States government to create a system of national sanitariums in the southwest for the care of tuberculosis patients. This sub-series contains Hill's correspondence with various government officials and with several individuals diagnosed with tuberculosis, including Lolit M. Banerji, Spyridon Chrudas, and Jerome Shaffer.	1921-1938
Box	Folder
10	39	Banerji, Lolit M. letter to Abby Hill In this letter, Banerji inquires about Spyridon Chrudas and Malcolm Young. Additional correspondence between Hill, Chrudas, and Young can be found in this subseries.	May 27, 1930
10	40	Chrudas, Spyridon letters to Abby Hill [with photograph]	1931, 1938, and undated
10	41	Hill, Abby letter to Grace Abbott, Children's Bureau	November 14, 1930
10	42	Hill, Abby letters to Horace Albright	1930
10	43	Hill, Abby letter to Anti-Tuberculosis League	August 15, 1929
10	44	Hill, Abby letter to Newton D. Baker	January 3, 1933
10	45	Hill, Abby letter to Chairman, National Health Commission	April 26, 1930
10	46	Hill, Abby letters to Senator Royal S. Copeland	1931-1932
10	47	Hill, Abby letter to Madam Henri Cornet	January 7, 1931
10	48	Hill, Abby letter to General Cummins, National Public Health Service Bureau	April 2, 1929
10	49	Hill, Abby letters to Captain Hugh Barrett Dobbs	1930
10	50	Hill, Abby letters to James Garfield	1930
10	51	Hill, Abby letter to Blanche Haines, Children's Bureau	January 9, 1931
10	52	Hill, Abby letters to President Herbert Hoover	1930-1932
10	53	Hill, Abby letter to First Lady Mrs. Herbert Hoover	January 22, 1931
10	54	Hill, Abby letters to Representative Albert Johnson	1930
10	55	Hill, Abby letters to Senator Wesley Jones	1930
10	56	Hill, Abby letters to Representative Florence Kahn	1930
10	57	Hill, Abby letters to Senator Joseph Ransdell	1932
10	58	Hill, Abby letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt	February 12, 1934
10	59	Hill, Abby letters to Jerome Shaffer Letters relate to a debt owed to Hill by Shaffer.	1923
10	60	Hill, Abby letters to Albert Shaw	1930
10	61	Hill, Abby letter to Henry Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture	September 21, 1933
10	62	Hill, Abby letter to the White House Child Welfare Conference	November 19, 1930
10	63	Hill, Abby letter to Colonel Arthur Wood	November 16, 1930
10	64	Hygeia: The Health Magazine letter to Abby Hill	February 9, 1931
10	65	John H. Page & Co. Public Land Specialists letter to Senator Henry F. Ashurst	June 10, 1929
10	66	Johnson, Representative Albert letters to Abby Hill	April 12, 1930
10	67	Jones, Senator Wesley letters to Abby Hill	1930-1931
10	68	National Tuberculosis Association letters to Abby Hill	1932
10	69	Powell, Herman J. letter to Abby Hill Letter informing Abby Hill of the death of Jerome Shaffer.	September 17, 1927
10	70	Shaffer, Jerome letters to Abby Hill [with photographs] Jerome Shaffer was a musician who suffered from tuberculosis. He and Abby Hill befriended each other and he "adopted" her as his mother.	1921-1925
10	71	Swedish National Association Against Tuberculosis letters to Abby Hill	1930
10	72	Thompson, Raymond letters to Abby Hill Raymond Thompson was the attorney handling the estate of Jerome Shaffer. Hill was trying to recover money that Shaffer owed her and paintings of hers that she had gifted to him.	1928
10	73	Young, Malcolm letters to Abby Hill	1927-1928
		Postcards This sub-series contains inscribed postcards from various correspondents. The postcards are primarily from locations in the United States and Europe. Postcards that were collected but not inscribed are found in the Ephemera series.	1904-1938
Box	Folder
11	1-5	Postcards, inscribed	1904-1938
Box
33		Organic matter removed from correspondence Organic matter (locks of hair, pressed flowers, porcupine quills, etc.) removed from folders in the correspondence series and boxed separately for preservation purposes.	undated

II: Journals, 1877-1924Return to Top

This series contains journals created by Abby Williams Hill, Frank Hill, and three of their four children, Romayne, Ina, and Eulalie Hill. Abby Hill's journals provide a detailed account of the family's daily life and their extensive travels throughout the United States and Europe in the early 1900s. The series also includes several medical school journals belonging to Frank Hill as well as journals that the children kept for schoolwork and to document their travels.

Note that additional journals can be found in the series for the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
11	6-7	Abby Hill, Berthier-en-Haut, Quebec The bulk of this journal is written in French. It covers the period (1885-1886) when Abby Williams Hill was teaching painting and drawing at a school in Berthier-en-Haut (also known as Berthierville or Berthier) in Quebec, Canada. In June 1885 Hill went home to the United States for a lengthy visit. She writes about family life in Ohio and Iowa and her experience studying at the Chicago Art Institute. She returned to Berthier-en-Haut in October 1885 and remained there in her teaching position until July 1886, when she moved back to the United States. The French portion of the journal concludes in November 1887, with Hill writing about daily life and her blossoming relationship with her future husband, Frank Hill. At the end of the journal, Hill provides updates on her family life in 1900, 1901, 1904, 1906, and 1907. There is a single journal entry written in English for each of those years except 1907, when there are three entries. The updates include notes on Romayne Hill's birth and early life, Ione and Eulalie Hill's adoptions, Abby's father's (Henry Warren Williams) death and management of his estate, and the pending adoption of Clifford DeRosier, Ina and Eulalie (DeRosier) Hill's biological brother. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1885-1887, 1900-1907
11	8	Abby Hill, Mount Rainier and Hood Canal This 64-page journal is written in a narrative style and includes Hill's experience joining a 26-day expedition to Mount Rainier, a trip to the Hood Canal in Washington State with friends, and her travels east to visit her husband Frank's family in Ohio. The journal dates from July 23, 1895 to October 9, 1895. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1895
11	9	Abby Hill, Germany This 103-page journal is written in a narrative style and dates from September 1895 to July 1896. It includes Frank and Abby Hill's travels in Germany, where Frank studied medicine. Their son, Romyane, was left with relatives in Ohio for the duration of their trip. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1895-1896
11	10	Abby Hill, Germany [partial] Five loose pages detailing Hill's travels in Germany.	c. 1896
11	11	Abby Hill, Italy Twelve loose pages detailing Hill's travels throughout Italy, including Pistoia, Florence, Pompeii, Capri, Rome, and Vatican City.	c. 1896
11	12	Abby Hill, Europe The bulk of this journal is text, but it does include some sketches by Abby Hill drawn during her travels throughout Europe in 1897.	1897
12	1	Abby Hill, Vashon Island This 39-page journal is written in a narrative style and focuses on the summer of 1900, which Hill and her children spent in the town of Burton on Vashon Island in Washington State. The Hill family regularly rowed across Commencement Bay from their home in Tacoma, Washington, to camp on the island during the summer months. The journal dates from July 11 to September 17, 1900 and also includes a single entry from February 14, 1907. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1900, 1907
12	2	Abby Hill, United States Tour [daybook] This 88-page daybook covers nearly a year of travel around the United States by Hill and her children. Hill took brief notes on a daily basis about her activities and these notes inform her full, narrative style journal from the same year (see Box 12, Folders 3-5). This journal includes notes on Hill's travels from Seattle to Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Tuskegee, New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, the Columbia River Gorge, and various other locations. The daybook concludes with a two-month long camping excursion in Trout Lake, Washington. A typed transcription is available for this daybook.	1901-1902
12	3-5	Abby Hill, United States tour This 951-page journal is written in a narrative style and covers over a year of travel around the United States by Hill and her children. It dates from October 8, 1901 to October 23, 1902. These detailed journal entries were informed by the brief notes that Hill recorded in her daybook of the same year (see Box 12, Folder 2). The journal begins with Hill's trip east to Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, and various other locations between October 1901 and January 1902. In February 1902, she and the children traveled to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where Hill was a guest of Booker T. Washington and attended the Annual Farmers Conference there. Following that visit, Hill and her children went to New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Louisiana, where they remained for over a month. They then moved on to California, where they stayed in Los Angeles for two weeks before heading to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to camp in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. From there they traveled north to Oregon and then into Washington where they set up camp at Trout Lake and stayed for several months. They then traveled to Hood River and Warrendale, Oregon. The journal concludes in October 1902 with Hill and her children still at camp in Warrendale, Oregon. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1901-1902
12	6	Abby Hill, Great Northern Railway Commission [daybook] This 41-page daybook is an account of Hill's trip to the North Cascade mountains in Washington State in the summer of 1903. Hill was under contract by the Great Northern Railway to paint the scenery along their rail line there; her artwork was used in the railroad's promotional materials. In return, she received 1,000 mile railroad tickets for her and her children. In this daybook, Hill records brief notes about her daily activities. It dates from May 1 to September 15, 1903 and also includes a single entry from April 12, 1906. A typed transcription is available for this daybook.	1903
12	7	Abby Hill, First Northern Pacific Railway Commission [daybook] This 48-page daybook details Hill's first of three commissions painting scenery for the Northern Pacific Railway in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. It dates from July 21 to November 26, 1904. Hill took brief notes on a daily basis about her activities and these notes inform her narrative style journal from the same year (see Box 12, Folder 8). A significant difference between this daybook and Hill's 1904 journal is the inclusion of notes about her visit to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, in November 1904. These notes are not found in the journal, which ends in October of that year. A typed transcription is available for this daybook.	1904
12	8	Abby Hill, First Northern Pacific Railway Commission This 60-page journal is written in a narrative style and documents Hill's travels through the Cascade Mountains in Washington, to Lake Pend d'Oreille and Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, and the Clark Fork of the Columbia River in Montana in the late summer and autumn of 1904. Hill was under contract by the Northern Pacific Railway to paint the scenery along their rail line in these areas, her first of three contracts with the railroad. The journal dates from July 25 to October 7, 1904. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1904
12	9-11	Abby Hill, Northern Pacific Railway Commission This 701-page journal is written in a narrative style and covers approximately sixteen months of travel around the western United States by Hill and her children. It dates from August 8, 1905 to December 14, 1906. During this period, Hill was working on her second and third commissions for the Northern Pacific Railway, painting scenery in Yellowstone National Park in both 1905 and 1906. She also began a personal project to paint portraits of Native Americans. Hill and her children lived on the Flathead Reservation in Montana for approximately five weeks in the autumn of 1905 and returned again in 1906. They also visted the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho. A typed transcription is available for this journal.	1905-1906
12	12	Abby Hill, Northern Pacific Views [partial] This 19-page document consists of notes taken by Hill on various trips. The notes are not dated, but appear to be from her travels between between 1902 and 1906. The notes include details from a trip to New York, scenery Hill scouted in preparation for her first Northern Pacific Railway Commission, and her time living on the Flathead Reservation in Montana with her children. The end of the document contains lists of people that Hill wrote letters to in the summer and fall of 1905. These notes may be read alongside her full journals of the same years. A typed transcription is available for these notes.	c. 1906
13	1	Abby Hill, Europe This journal dates from April 10, 1908 to October 25, 1908. The journal is written as a series of letters to Hill's husband, Frank. Hill provides detailed descriptions her travels throughout Europe with her children, Romayne, Ione, Ina, and Eulalie. Ina and Eulalie's biological brother, Clifford DeRosier, also accompanied the family on this trip. Although the letters are addressed to Frank, they are circular letters intended for sharing amongst family and friends.	1908
13	2	Abby Hill, Europe [daybooks] This folder contains several bound daybooks as well as loose pages that Hill used to record brief notes about her activities in Europe in 1908. These notes inform her full, narrative style journal from the same year (see Box 13, Folder 1).	1908
13	3	Abby Hill, Europe This journal dates from December 18, 1908 to October 5, 1909. The journal is written as a series of letters to Hill's husband, Frank. Hill provides detailed descriptions her travels throughout Europe with her children, Romayne, Ione, Ina, and Eulalie. Ina and Eulalie's biological brother, Clifford DeRosier, also accompanied the family on this trip. Although the letters are addressed to Frank, they are circular letters intended for sharing amongst family and friends.	1909
13	4	Abby Hill, daybooks	1922, 1923
13	5-9	Eulalie Hill	1900-1905
14	1-5	Eulalie Hill	1906-1908, undated
14	6	Frank Hill	1877
14	7	Frank Hill [medical school journal]	1883
14	8-11	Ina Hill	1901-1902, 1904-1905
15	1-5	Ina Hill	1906-1908, 1924, undated
15	6-7	Romayne Hill	1905, 1908

III: Sketchbooks and Drawings, 1888-1908, undatedReturn to Top

This series contains sketchbooks and loose drawings created by Abby Williams Hill and her children. Of particular interest is the sketchbook created by Hill while she was studying at the Art Students League in New York City in 1888. Note that additional sketchbooks can be found in the series for the Tom Kress Collection on Abby Williams Hill.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
15	8	Abby Hill, Art Students League sketchbook	1888
15	9	Abby Hill, drawings [Europe]	1908
15	10	Abby Hill, drawings	undated
16	1	Hill children, sketchbook	undated
16	2	Eulalie Hill, sketchbook	1900-1905
16	3	Eulalie Hill, drawings [Crater Lake]	1904
16	4	Eulalie Hill, drawing [Christmas]	undated
16	5	Ina Hill, sketchbooks	1902, 1904-1905
16	6	Ina Hill, drawings	undated
16	7	Romayne Hill, sketchbooks	1904, undated
16	8	[Artist unknown], drawings	undated

IV: News Clippings, 1880-1948, undatedReturn to Top

This series contains news clippings collected by Abby Williams Hill and her family. Several articles have written notations. The clippings include articles and obituaries relating to the Hill family and reviews of Hill's artwork. There are also several articles written by Abby Hill for local newspapers. Other topics include Tacoma, the St. Louis World's Fair, medicine, Native Americans, art, nature, and love.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
17	1	Abby Williams Hill obituary	1943
17	2	Art and artists	undated
17	3	"Artist Says Tucson Should Wake Up Before Its Too Late to Save Scenery," Tucson Daily Citizen	May 12, 1929
17	4	"Chinese Viceroy and Chief of Revenue" Annotated by Abby Williams Hill, "Rode with on the Great Northern to Wenatchee".	undated
17	5	Congress of Mothers	1905-1948, undated
17	6	"Facing Death Daily in China: As Told By a Seattle Woman Missionary," Seattle Sunday Times	January 26, 1930
17	7	Frank Hill obituary	1938
17	8	Governor Roland Hartley [Washington Governor] recall These clippings were sent from Frank Hill to Abby Hill in 1926.	1926
17	9	"Grinnell Had Music and Art from the Beginning," Grinnell Herald [photocopy]	October 18, 1929
17	10	"Immigrant Mothers Need to Learn English," by Abby Hill, The Washington Parent-Teacher [Congress of Mothers]	December 1916
17	11	Isabella Beaton obituary Isabella Beaton is Abby Hill's cousin.	1929
17	12	Jeanette "Nettie" Williams Buckley obituary Nettie Williams Buckley is Abby Hill's sister.	undated
17	13	Jerome Shaffer	circa 1920
17	14	Marriage and love	1931, undated
17	15	Medical issues	undated
17	16	Mt. Booker [North Cascades National Park] Abby Hill named Mt. Booker in North Cascades National Park in Washington State after Booker T. Washington. Hill met Washington in 1902 during her visit to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.	1904, 1930, undated
17	17	Native Americans	undated
17	18	Nature	undated
17	19	"Our Prize Picture," The Washington Parent-Teacher [Congress of Mothers]	September 1924
17	20	"Planting Edelweiss on Mount Tacoma," Tacoma News Tribune	August 20, 1923
17	21	Relating to Abby Williams Hill and family	circa 1880-1931
17	22	"Remember the Sick," by Abby Hill, Tacoma News Tribune This folder contains a list of paintings loaned to the Fannie Paddock Hospital in Tacoma.	circa 1895
17	23	"Senate OKs Chittenden's Rise in Rank" [Brigadier-General Hiram M. Chittenden]	undated
17	24	Sent by Abby Hill to Frank Hill	1905-1906
17	25	Sent by Clifford DeRosier to Ina Hill	1908
17	26	Sent by Ina Hill to Frank Hill	1903
17	27	St. Louis World's Fair	1903-1904, undated
17	28	Tacoma, Washington	1905, undated
17	29	"The College and the Man," [Grinnell College, Leonard Fletcher Parker]	undated
17	30	"The Tuskegee Student"	1904
17	31	"The Wildflowers of California," The California Illustrated Review	May 1924
17	32	William McKittrick obituary McKittrick is the biological uncle of Ina and Eulalie Hill.	undated
17	33	William Merritt Chase, "Lady with a Fan" reproduction, St. Louis Post-Dispatch	February 7, 1926

IV: Printed Material, 1882-1926, 1985, undatedReturn to Top

This series includes printed pamphlets, souvenir booklets and travel guides, and art books used by Hill for reference purposes. This series is arranged alphabetically by the title of the publication. Of particular interest is the pamphlet titled "Scenic Washington along the Great Northern Line," which contains images and descriptions of Abby Williams Hill's paintings for the Great Northern Railway commission completed in 1903 and "Eulalie's Letters," a compilation of letters from Eulalie Hill while she was studying education under Maria Montessori.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
17	34	A Compendium and Question Book of Parliamentary Law: Systematically Arranged for Ready Reference in...Women's Clubs..., by Lilian Cole-Bethel	1892
17	35	A Summer Outing to Lake Chelan and the Valley of the Stehekin, by The Mazama Club	1899
17	36	Address of President Roosevelt Upon the Occasion of Its Opening...Souvenir of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition	1904
17	37	Book of Psalms	undated
17	38	Can Slums Be Abolished or Must We Continue to Pay the Penalty, by J.J. Kelso	undated
17	39	Child-Confidence Rewarded, by Mary Wood Allen, M.D.	undated
17	40	Combating the Cigarette in Public Schools: Interesting and Effective Methods, The Presbyterian Board of Temperance and Moral Welfare	undated
17	41	Courmayeur [Italy]	circa 1908
17	42	Die Stadt Nürnberg in Wort und Bild [The City of Nuremberg in Words and Pictures]	undated
17	43	Diet for the Prevention of Dental Diseases, by Dr. H.S. Hawkins	undated
17	44	Eighty Views of Washington [D.C.]	1901
17	45	Eulalie's Letters: Studying Under Madam Montessori in Rome, 1914, compiled by Dolores Sandegren	1985
17	46	Extension Post Card, 24 Views of Lewiston [Maine]	undated
18	1	General Guide to the British Museum, Natural History	1906
18	2	Grand Canyon National Park, United States Railroad Administration	1920
18	3	Guide to the city of Quebec and Environs, by Thomas J. Oliver	1883
18	4	Home Tours Around the World, by John L. Stoddard	undated
18	5	Ile de France	circa 1908
18	6	Illustrated Official Guide to the London Zoological Society's Gardens in Regent's Park, by P. Chalmers Mitchell	1908
18	7	Lend a Hand, by Edward E. Hale	1910
18	8	Les Precieuses Ridicules, by Moliere	1882
18	9	Luray Caverns [Virginia]	circa 1901
18	10	Montreal in Halftone, by Dr. W.H. Drummond	undated
18	11	National Congress of Parents and Teachers Handbook	1926
18	12	Outline of Work and Plans for Road Cadets...Good Roads for Child Welfare, National Congress of Mothers	undated
18	13	Pacific Monthly Magazine	January 1906
18	14	Pictures That Talk, by E.J. Pace, Christian cartoons from The Sunday School Times	undated
18	15	Potato Culture on the Island of Jersey, by Rev. Charles D. Merrill	1896
18	3	The Power of a Surrendered Life, by Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman	1901
18	16	Puget Sound Realty Associates	circa 1906
18	17	Rand McNally Economizer: A Guide to the World's Fair, St. Louis	1904
18	18	Report of the Acting Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park to the Secretary of the Interior, by Major John Pitcher	1903
18	19	Report of the Conference in Los Angeles," Congress of Mothers [photocopy]	September 1907
18	20	San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland Steam Ship Company	undated
18	21	Scenic Hot Springs, Washington: Ninety Miles from Seattle on Main Line Great Northern Railway	circa 1905
18	22	Scenic Washington Along the Line Great Northern Railway [images by Abby Williams Hill]	circa 1904
18	23	Singer Souvenirs of Washington [D.C.]	circa 1901
18	24	Souvenir de Versailles [France]	circa 1909
18	25	Teaching the Tenant, by Johanna von Wagner, National Housing Association	1911
19	1	The Art Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Chapman H. Hyams, Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans	1915
19	2	The Gateway to Nature	undated
19	3	The Power of a Surrendered Life, or, Turning Back at Kadesh-Barnea, by Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D.D.	1901
19	4	The Transformation of White Arm, by Howard B. Grose, The Crow Mission	undated
19	5	The Way of Life Made Plain, by John Ritchie	undated
19	6	Thrift: Ideas and Quotations Concerning Thrift Gathered and Compiled, by Mrs. J.L. Van der Veer, California Congress of Mothers	circa 1920
19	7	Uncle Tom's Trail, Grand Canyon National Park	undated
19	8	Vashon Island, Washington, Vashon Island Commercial Club	undated
19	9	Views of Quebec, Nelson's Viewbooks for Tourists	circa 1885
19	10	Wayside Notes Along the Sunset Route: West Bound New Orleans to San Francisco, Southern Pacific Railway	1901
19	11	Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park Company	circa 1920
31		Selections from Picturesque California: The Region West of the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska to Mexico, edited by John Muir	1888
31		Selections from Picturesque California: The Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Slope, edited by John Muir	1888
31		Selections from The Art of the World Illustrated in the Painting, Statuary, and Architecture of the World's Columbian Exposition, edited by Ripley Hitchcock	1893
32		Selections from One Hundred Crowned Masterpieces, Volume 1, published by Gebbie and Company	undated
32		Selections from One Hundred Crowned Masterpieces, Volume 2, published by Gebbie and Company	undated
32		World's Masterpieces of Modern Painting, Edition De Luxe, published by William Finley and Company	1893

V: Ephemera, 1850-1945, undatedReturn to Top

This series consists of material collected and received by members of the Hill family, including calling cards, receipts, postcards, programs, certificates, lists, notes, and other items. Blank postcards collected by the Hill family are included here (inscribed postcards are found in the Correspondence series) as well as bound and mounted "art appreciation" photographs and reproductions, including stereoscopic views of various subjects. Of note is Abby Williams Hill's contract with the Great Northern Railway, ephemera related to the family's trip to Europe in 1908 and 1909, a list of paintings exhibited for the Great Northern Railway at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, and various notes written by Abby Hill on topics including Native Americans, tuberculosis, and air quality for factory workers. Materials related to Hill's work with the Congress of Mothers can also be found in this series.

Note that additional ephemera can be found in the series for the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
19	12	Address Book, Abby Hill	c. 1897
19	13	Address Book, Ina and Eulalie Hill	undated
19	14	American Federation of Arts Convention program	1930
19	15	American Line passenger list, Philadelphia to Liverpool, England	1908
19	16	Bank Book, Abby Hill	1921
19	17	Berthier-en-haut, Quebec	1885-1886
19	18	"Birds Around Prospect Hill, Tacoma"	undated
19	20	Birth announcement, Myrtle Adelaide Ward Ione Hill's daughter.	October 27, 1911
19	21	Blank prescription pad, Dr. Frank Hill	undated
19	22	Books by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, list	undated
19	23	"Bridal Souvenir" booklet, Frank and Abby Hill	1888
19	24	Calling cards	undated
19	25	Certificate of Registration of American Citizens [Hill family]	1909
19	26	Certificate, Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University	1896
19	27	Chore list, Eulalie Hill	undated
19	28	Church programs	1906-1907, 1928
19	29	Congress of Mothers	1906-1912, 1923, 1928, undated
19	30	Contract, Great Northern Railway [Abby Hill]	1903
19	31	Cyclist Touring Club, Special Customs Tickets	1909
20	1	Daily Consular & Trade Reports	June 28, 1911
20	2	Exhibition card, "Collection of Recent Paintings by Mrs. Abby R. Hill"	1907
20	3	Frame sample, Pacific Picture Frame Co., Tacoma	1905
20	4	Gallery card, Italy	1897
20	5	Grinnell College Master of Arts degree, Abby Hill	1907
20	6	"Interracial Relations," letter to the editor [author unknown]	July 3, 1943
20	7	List of paintings for St. Louis World's Fair	1904
20	8	Map, United States [annotated]	undated
20	9	Memorial cards	1897, 1913
20	10	Mt. Rainier National Park, souvenir photographs	1913
20	11	Music composition notebook, Ina Hill	undated
20	12	Music programs	1904-1927, undated
20	13	National Park passes National Park passes for Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, Zion, and Mesa Verde.	1925-1929
20	14	Notebook [blank], Abby Hill	circa 1897
20	15	Notes on air quality for factory workers, by Abby Hill	undated
20	16	Notes on Andrew Nine Pipes, by Abby Hill Andrew Nine Pipes was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.	1906
20	17	Notes on Native Americans	undated
20	18	Notes on tuberculosis, by Abby Hill	circa 1935
20	19	Notes and fragments by the Hill family	undated
27		Notes and fragments by the Hill family These notes and fragments are organized into numbered envelopes. The envelopes are individually labeled in Abby Hill's handwriting with the names of countries, states, and other subjects. Each envelope contains notes relating to the subject on the envelope. Organic matter (pressed flowers and leaves) has been moved to Box 33 for preservation purposes.	undated
	Folder
20	20	Paintings loaned to First Presbyterian Church, Tacoma	1929
20	21	Pamphlets on religion	undated
20	22	Poems	undated
20	23	Postcard illustrated by Abby Hill	undated
20	24	Postcards depicting Native Americans	undated
20	25	Prescription for burns and scalds	undated
20	26	President Theodore Roosevelt inauguration program	1905
20	27	Prohibition and alcohol	1931, undated
20	28	Receipts	1898-1945
20	29	Recommendation to teach French, Abby Hill	1888
21	1	Souvenir prints, Europe	1908
21	2	"The Motoring Tourist," by Abby Hill	undated
21	3	The Orchard Home School / Bethesda Society financial statement	1938
21	4	Ticket, "President's Visit to Tacoma" [William Taft]	October 10, 1911
21	5	Translation, "Squaxadub" to English [Squaxin Island Tribe]	undated
21	6	United States Forest Service, Special Use Permit	1916
21	7	University of Bonn, certificate in political economy, Abby Hill	1896
21	8	Valley Fair Association tag	1911
21	9	"What the individual can do for erring and unfortunate children," by Abby Hill, Congress of Mothers	undated
21	10	White Bluffs Irrigation Company Statement [Frank Hill, President]	1908
21	11	Will of Ruth Hubbard Ruth Hubbard was Abby Hill's aunt.	1918
24	1-4	Postcards, blank [U.S. and World] This box contains blank postcards collected by the Hill family from the United States and abroad. Inscribed postcards can be found in the Correspondence series.	1850-1940
25	1-2	Postcards, blank [U.S. and World] This box contains blank postcards collected by the Hill family from the United States and abroad. Inscribed postcards can be found in the Correspondence series.	1850-1940
25	3-4	Stereocards	undated
26	1-4	Collected illustrations: "The Perry Pictures" This box contains various illustrations collected from a publication known as "The Perry Pictures." There are no notations on these prints.	undated
29		Collected art prints	undated
30		Collected art prints	undated

VI: Biographical Information, 1943-1951, undatedReturn to Top

This series contains biographical information about Abby Williams Hill, including a lengthy essay on her life titled "Peaceable Fruit: A Brief Biography of Abby Williams Hill." There is also a folder containing genealogical information about the Hill and Williams families.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
21	12	"Abby Williams Hill," [author unknown]	undated
21	13	"Abby Williams Hill, a [biographical] sketch," by Ina Hill
21	14	"Abby Williams Hill - Artist," by William Frothingham	1943
21	15	Genealogical information, Hill and Williams families	undated
21	16	"Peaceable Fruit: A Brief Biography of Abby Williams Hill," by E.M. Stetson	1951

VII: Photographs, 1865-1942, undatedReturn to Top

This series contains photographs and has been divided into four sub-series: Family, Miscellaneous, Native Americans, and Travel.

Family includes formal and candid photographs of Frank, Abby, Romayne, Ione, Ina, and Eulalie Hill, as well as their cousin, Helen Hill, who frequently accompanied them on trips.

Miscellaneous includes photographs of the Hill family's homes, pets, and other photographic prints and negatives, both identified and unidentified.

Native Americans includes photographs of Native American people that Abby Williams Hill met during her travels, both identified and unidentified.

Travel includes photographs of the places where the Hill family traveled. This sub-series may also include photographs of individuals in the Hill family. Of particular interest are photographs of the family in Bay St. Louis, Louisiana, Yellowstone National Park, the Canadian Rocky Mountains, France, and Thun, Switzerland.

Note that additional photographs can be found in the series for the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Family Photographs	circa 1865-1942
Box	Folder
21	17	Hill, Abby Williams [portraits]	1882-1930
21	18	Hill, Abby Williams [candids]	undated
21	19	Hill, Abby Williams and Jeannette Williams Buckley	circa 1865
21	20	Hill, Eulalie	undated
21	22	Hill, Frank	undated
21	23	Hill, Frank and Abby	1888-1938
22	1	Hill, Helen	undated
22	2	Hill, Ina	1908 - circa 1980
22	3	Hill, Ione	undated
22	4	Hill, Romayne	undated
22	5	Hill, Romayne and Ina	1942
22	6	Hill children [group photographs]	undated
22	7	Hill family [group photographs]	undated
		Miscellaneous	undated
Box	Folder
22	8	423 G. Street, Tacoma, Washington [Hillcrest] Hillcrest, located at 423 G. Street in Tacoma, Washington on the outskirts of Wright Park, was the Hill family home.	undated
22	9	1008 High Street, Grinnell, Iowa This home, located in Grinnell, Iowa, is where Abby Williams Hill was born.	undated
22	10	1610 Plumosa Way, Laguna Beach, California This home, located in Laguna Beach, California, is where the Hill family lived from 1932 until Abby Hill's death in 1943.	undated
22	11	Dr. Frank Hill's office, Chamber of Commerce Building, Tacoma, Washington	undated
22	12	Family pets	undated
22	13	Paintings by Abby Williams Hill Includes black and white photographic images of "Chelan Gorge," "Looking Across Lake Chelan," "Tumwater Canyon," two unidentified images of forest scenes, and one unidentified image of a "pioneer home" interior scene.	undated
22	14	Photography experiments	undated
22	15	Individuals, identified	undated
22	16	Individuals, unidentified	undated
22	17	Photographic negatives, unidentified	undated
22	18	Scenery, unidentified	undated
		Native Americans	1905 and undated
Box	Folder
22	19	Chief Charlo Chief Charlo (c. 1830-1910) was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. He was the leader of the Bitterroot Salish from 1870-1910.	undated
22	20	Chief Luther Standing Bear Chief Luther Standing Bear was a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe.	undated
22	21	Peo Peo Tholekt Peo Peo Tholekt (Bird Alighting) was a member of the Nez Perce tribe.	undated
22	22	White Bull (Ta Tan Ka Ska) White Bull (Ta Tan Ka Ska) was a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. White Bull and Abby Hill became acquainted with each other while visiting the Flathead Reservation in the fall of 1905.	1905
22	23	Native Americans, unidentified	undated
		Travel	undated
Box	Folder
23	1	Arizona Subjects include Grand Canyon National Park and Mesa Verde National Park.	undated
23	2	Bay St. Louis, Louisiana Two photographs of Romayne and Ina Hill with an unidentified woman.	circa 1902
23	3	Berthier-en-Haut, Quebec, Canada	circa 1884-1886
23	5	California Subjects include Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, Laguna Beach, Kings Canyon National Park, and Seqouia National Park.	undated
23	5	China	undated
23	6	France Subjects include photographs of the Hill family in Villa bon Port, France in 1908 and Saint Raphael.	undated
23	7	Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming	circa 1931
23	8	Iowa Subjects include Abby Hill's hometown of Grinnell, Iowa and other sights.	undated
23	9	Marietta, Ohio Marietta, Ohio is the birthplace of Dr. Frank Hill.	undated
23	10	Montana	undated
23	11	Rocky Mountains, Canada Subjects include Lake Louise and the Valley of the 10 Peaks.	circa 1926
23	12	Santa Fe, New Mexico	1920
23	13	Tacoma, Washington Subjects include the Tacoma waterfront and Port of Tacoma, Wright Park, and Mount Rainier.	undated
23	14	Thun, Switzerland	circa 1908
23	15	Washington State Subjects include the Yakima Reservation, Columbia River, Sunset Falls, the Tatoosh Range, and several photographs of unidentified women (presumably Abby Hill and her daughters) on a mountain.	undated
23	16	Yellowstone National Park Includes images of Abby Williams Hill, her children, and her aunt, Ruth Hubbard.	1905-1906
23	17	Zion National Park, Utah	undated

VIII: Artifacts, circa 1880-1930, undatedReturn to Top

This series contains items collected by Abby Williams Hill. Of particular significance is her paint box, which she traveled with and used while painting outdoors, and the gold medal awarded to her at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, Washington.

Also of note are the Native American artifacts in this series. While it is unknown how these items came to be in Hill's possession, we can assume based on her journals and correspondence that they were either purchased by Hill or gifted to her. When known, the tribes that created the artifacts are identified.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
28	Framed portrait of Romayne Bradford Hill by Abby Hill	c. 1890
28	Gold medal, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition The medal is inscribed with Abby Hill's name.	1909
28	Homemade papoose trinket	undated
39	Paint box belonging to Abby Hill	undated
	Native American artifacts These artifacts were gifted to or purchased by Abby Williams Hill during her travels in the early 1900s. An independent appraiser provided a detailed description of these items to the University of Puget Sound in 2007.	circa 1880-1930
Box
38	Beaded Hat / Head Band Loom beaded hat or head band. Thread sewn with glass opaque seed beads in a repeating geometric design. The band is joined to create a circle.	circa 1905
36	Leather quiver and 10 arrows [Athabascan] Athabascan arrow quiver made from Native tanned leather with leather carrying strap. Quiver is decorated with trade cloth, paint, and beads. 10 arrows [9 Athabascan, 1 Northern Plains tribes] include six with copper points, three with iron points, and one with the shaft carved to form a barbed point. All of the arrow shafts are made from hand carved wood.	undated
38	Moccasins [Crow] Constructed of white Native tanned leather, sinew sewn, with upper cuff and hard parfleche soles. Fully beaded with seed beads, vamps have pink field with geometric design in translucent green, cobalt blue, and white.	circa 1905
37	Moccasins [Iroquois] Constructed of chrome tanned commercial leather, sewn with thread, with upper cuff of black velveteen trimmed with red braid, soft commercial leather soles. Beaded with pony beads, vamps have a floral design and a round green and white target design on the field. Lined with light pink muslin.	circa 1880-1930
37	Moccasins [Northern Plains tribes] Constructed of white Native tanned leather, sinew sewn, with upper cuff and hard parfleche soles. Fully beaded with seed beads, vamps have dark green field with geometric design in translucent green, powder blue, red, and white.	circa 1905
38	Parfleche [Plateau tribes] Parfleche envelope used for carrying food, clothing, and other essential items while traveling. The design on this parfleche is most often seen on Crow or Nez Perce parfleches. Made of rawhide and never used.	circa 1910-1930

IX: Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill, 1880-1943, undatedReturn to Top

The materials in this series were donated to the University of Puget Sound in 2014 by Bonnie Smolenski. Smolenski is not related to the Hill family. This series contains two boxes of materials relating to the Hill family, including correspondence, journals, ephemera, and photographs. Note that some correspondents in the Bonnie Smolenski Collection on Abby Williams Hill may also be found in the Correspondence series.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Correspondence	1910, 1918, 1922-1940, undated
Box	Folder
34	1	Banerji, Lolit M. letter to Abby Hill	May 6, 1929
34	2	Browne, Belmore letter to Abby Hill	April 2, 1936
34	3	Burbridge, Clifford letters to Abby Hill	1934 and undated
34	4	Burbridge, Joan letters to Abby Hill	1929, 1934
34	5	Chrudas, Spyridon	1930, 1932
34	6	Curran, Charles letters to Abby Hill	1936
34	7	Glaser, Cecilia letter to Abby Hill	December 21, 1934
34	8	Hellmann, Mamie letter to Abby Hill	March 10, 1940
34	9	Hill, Abby letter to the City Planning Commission of Los Angeles	April 13, 1929
34	10	Hill, Abby letter to Eulalie Hill	August 30, 1935
34	11	Hill, Abby letters to Frank Hill	1933, 1936-1937
34	12	Hill, Abby letter to Mrs. Louis Henry	1940
34	13	Hill, Abby letter to Romayne Hill	November 14, 1918
34	14	Hubbard, Ruth letters to Abby Hill	1910
34	15	Hudson, [Mariel] letter to Abby Hill	October 30, 1933
34	16	[Illegible], Frank (Department of the Interior, Superintendent of Southwestern Monuments) letter to "The Custodians" This is a letter introducing Frank and Abby Hill to the custodians of the Southwestern Monuments, where Abby Hill planned to camp and paint the scenery.	January 24, 1927
34	17	Iowa State College letter to Abby Hill	October 28, 1932
34	18	Kellogg, Dr. Francis B. letter to Abby Hill	July 7, 1940
34	19	Kemmery, Mrs. C.J. letter to Frank Hill	c. 1930
34	20	"Leading Women of America" [publication] letter to Abby Hill This folder includes biographical information about Abby Hill.	1940
34	21	Meurice, [Illegible] letter to unknown recipient	undated
34	22	Meyer, Ruth letter to Abby Hill	January 15, 1934
34	23	Powdrill, M.H. letter to Abby Hill	October 5, 1940
34	24	Quan, Madeline letter to Abby Hill	May 15, 1940
34	25	Richard, Joseph letter to Abby Hill	1938
34	26	Savage, L. letter to Abby Hill	1910
34	27	Verien, Jean letter to Abby Hill	1922
		Journals	1896-1932, undated
Box	Folder
34	28	Abby Hill, Europe [daybook]	1909
34	29	Laura Hill	1923-1927
34	30	Author unknown [possibly Laura Hill]	1896-1987
34	31	Author unknown [possibly Ina Hill]	1929-1932
		Ephemera	1880-1943, undated
Box	Folder
35	1	Abby Hill, message to Washington State Branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers	May 2, 1936
35	2	Autograph Book, Abby Hill	c. 1880
35	3	Biographical information, Sophie DeWitt Potocka and Anton Graff	1924
35	4	News clippings	undated
34	5	New Testament Bible, Eulalie Hill	1923
35	6	Obituary, Abby Hill, "The News-Tribune," Tacoma	June 13, 1943
35	7	Reprints, "Mt. Booker" and "Papoose" by Abby Hill	undated

X: Tom Kress Collection on Abby Williams Hill, 1890-1926Return to Top

The materials in this series were donated to the University of Puget Sound in 2014 by Tom Kress, who found them in a roll top desk at a local construction site. Kress is not related to the Hill family. This series contains three folders including two sketchbooks and a certificate for Dr. Frank Hill from the California State Homeopathic Medical Society.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
35	8	Sketchbook: Hill children	1905-1906
35	9	Sketchbook: Abby Hill	1890-1926
35	10	California State Homeopathic Medical Society certificate, Frank Hill	1901

Elizabeth Anderson Collection on Abby Williams Hill, 1878-1925, undatedReturn to Top

The materials in this series were donated to the University of Puget Sound in 2023 by Elizabeth Anderson. Anderson was the great-great-niece of Abby Williams Hill. She was the great-great-granddaughter of Hill's sister, Jeanette "Nettie" Williams. This series contains five folders of materials relating to the Hill and Williams family, including correspondence, ephemera, and photographs. Note that some of the ephemera in the Elizabeth Anderson Collection on Abby Williams Hill may also be found in the News Clippings and Bonnie Smolenski series.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
35	11	News Clippings	1889, 1923, undated
35	12	Photographs of Israel Hubbard and Rhoda Hurlbut	undated
35	13	Reprints, "Mt. Booker", "One of the Little People", and "Waiting For Her Warrior" by Aby Williams Hill	undated
35	14	Reprint, "Our Prize Picture" from The Washington Parent-Teacher	1924
35	15	Williams, Jeanette "Nettie" and Stella [last name unknown] letters to Abby Williams Hill	1878, 1887

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

African Americans--Education
Elementary and secondary education
Native Americans
Railroads
Tuberculosis
Women painters--Washington (State)--Tacoma

Corporate Names

Great Northern Railway Company (U.S.)
National PTA (U.S.)
Northern Pacific Railway Company
United States. National Park Service

Geographical Names

Northwest, Pacific
Washington (State)
West (U.S.)--Description and travel

Form or Genre Terms

Drawings (visual works)
Landscape painting

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents