Wheelon-Meacham families papers, approximately 1884-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Wheelon (Family : Wheelon, Charles Homer, 1888-1960)
Title
Wheelon-Meacham families papers
Dates
approximately 1884-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
10.47 cubic feet (30 boxes and 2 folders)
Collection Number
3954 (Accession No. 3954-001)
Summary
Correspondence and other materials between members of the Wheelon and Meacham families
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

Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Charles Homer Wheelon, who was known throughout his life as Homer, was a Seattle-based physiologist, general practitioner, and artist. He was born on June 29, 1888, in Santa Clara, California, and spent much of his early childhood moving from town to town with his brothers, John Clark, Burton, Frank, and George William, and his parents, George Washington and Minerva Clark Wheelon, as they sought to establish permanent Free Methodist congregations. The family ultimately settled in Seattle, where Homer attended the Seattle Seminary, a Methodist school that later became Seattle Pacific University.

One year after his high school graduation, Homer proposed to Lula Meacham, who was two years behind him in school. Lula was born in Theodore, South Dakota on April 7, 1890, to parents Edith Martina Ring and Wallace Chollar Meacham. Lula had seven siblings, Burton Meacham, Mary Meacham Seeley, Esther Meacham, Willis Meacham, Edith Meacham Stillwell Bonner, Henry Meacham, and Simon Meacham. The Meacham family had a silica mine in Roza, near Yakima, and eventually moved to the Tacoma area. Lula and Homer married in 1915.

Homer had a long interest in art and photography, but, at his parents’ urging, attended the University of Washington to study the liberal arts and became interested in biology. Following his graduation, he decided to attend medical school, but lacked many of the prerequisites. In order to complete these qualifications, Homer accepted a teaching and research assistantship at the University of Oregon, where he could also take classes. However, before he completed these courses, Homer was accepted to the medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago. Two years later, he transferred to St. Louis University to continue his studies and his research there.

In 1920, Homer and Lula returned to Seattle, where Homer began a group medical practice partnership with H. J. Davidson and founded Seattle’s Polyclinic. He was also a guest lecturer at the University of Washington and published clinical studies and textbook chapters. Homer also returned to his artwork, and exhibited many of his paintings and photographs. He also wrote poetry, and was particularly inspired by the work of his colleague, Dr. John Lingenfelter, who used rabbits to test for pregnancy in humans. Between 1933 and 1940, Homer wrote and illustrated a poem entitled “Rabbit No. 202,” which combined his interests in culture, science, and medicine. Many of the poem’s illustrations also came to be used as tailpieces in the American Journal of Physiology and the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Homer died in March 1960. Lula died in 1988 at the age of 98.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Biographical and genealogical materials; report cards, diplomas, yearbooks, and other school documents; club and organization yearbooks and meeting minutes; travel journals; professional correspondence, writings, and artwork; other writings and artwork, including the epic poem Rabbit No. 202; diaries and notes; and extensive correspondence between members of the Wheelon and Meacham families.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Homer Wheelon & Lula Meacham Wheelon's rights transferred to UW Libraries Special Collections.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged in 10 series.

  • Biographical Materials
  • Genealogy
  • School Materials
  • Clubs and Organizations
  • Travel
  • Professional Records
  • Writings and Artwork
  • Diaries and Notes
  • Miscellaneous
  • Correspondence

Acquisition Information

Donated by Lula Meacham Wheelon (10/10/1988) and Lawrence Schramm (8/13/1990, 4/27/1992, and 7/22/2019).

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Film reels were separated as Wheelon-Meacham Family Home Movies (PH0958). Photographs, negatives, and slides were separated and transferred to the Visual Materials Curator.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Biographical MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Homer and Lula Wheelon wedding invitation, speeches, and toasts
1915
1/2
Homer Wheelon's Selective Service medal
1940s
1/3
Replat of Island Park sale documents and treasurer's deed
1941-1942
26/1
Mortgage documents, 2611 Eastlake Avenue
1937
26/2
Mortgage documents, Lots 1 and 2, Block 4 of the Palisades
1928-1929
26/3
Mortgage documents
1931-1943
1/4
"Homer and Lula" scrapbook
1958
1/5
Homer Wheelon license and identification and membership cards
c. 1960
1/6
Homer Wheelon obituary
1960
1/7
Homer Wheelon autopsy report
1960
1/8
Homer Wheelon funeral materials
1960
1/9
Sympathy cards for Homer Wheelon's death
1960
1/10
Sympathy cards for Homer Wheelon's death
1960
1/11
Homer Wheelon Memorial Scholarship Fund
1960
2/1
Homer Wheelon scrapbook
undated
2/2
List of Homer Wheelon's residences
undated
2/3
Homer Wheelon: Artist, physiologist, physician, and poet article by Lawrence Schramm
1992
2/4
Susanna Croft Laboratories health and exercise routines for Lula Meacham Wheelon
1920-1922
2/5
Lula Meacham Wheelon diet information
1928-1930
2/6
Lula Meacham Wheelon dental x-rays
1940, 1974
2/7
Lula Meacham Wheelon hospital stay log
1967
2/8
Lula Meacham Wheelon 90th Birthday Celebration
1980
2/9
The DePaul Retirement Home and Lula Meacham Wheelon's retirement
1976-1984
26/4
Meals on Wheels
1987-1988
2/10
Lula Meacham Wheelon will correspondence
1984
2/11
Kay Wheelon adoption records and correspondence
1924-1927
2/12
Burton and Mildred Meacham biographical files
1964-1975
2/13
Edith Ring Meacham portrait unveiling
1958
2/14
Edith Ring Meacham estate and legal documents
1909-1965
2/15
Edith Ring Meacham funeral materials
1964
2/16
George B. Wheelon military papers and morgue tag
1939-1958
2/17
George Washington Wheelon obituary
1920
2/18
John Clark Wheelon memorial
1960
2/19
Simon Meacham memorial
1956
2/20
Deed history for 4327 11th NE
undated
2/21
Lu-Lon pedigree records
1947
26/7
Architectural drawings
undated

GenealogyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/1
Ring and Standish families
undated
3/2
Wheeler family
undated
3/3-3/4
Wheelon family
1875-1976
3/5-4/2
Meacham family
1950s-1980s, undated
4/3
Daughters of the American Revolution
1926

School MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
4/4
Lula Meacham Wheelon early report cards and writings
1900-1905
4/5
Lula Meacham Wheelon Seattle Seminary records
1908-1911, 1962, 1982
Box
29
Lula Meacham Wheelon diploma
Box/Folder
4/6
Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner graduation oration
1910
4/7
Homer Wheelon report cards and certificates
1897-1912
4/8
Homer Wheelon's University of Washington Tyee yearbook
1910
Box
29
Homer Wheelon diploma
Box/Folder
5/1
Burton Jones Wheelon commencement programs and clippings
1915, 1957
5/2
Kay Wheelon certificates
1934-1935

Clubs and OrganizationsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/3
Aspasia Club yearbooks
1930-1940
5/4
Pacific Northwest Chow Club meeting minutes
1950-1955
5/5
Puget Sound Specialty Association minutes and notes
1955-1956
5/6
Society of Mayflower Descendants
1958-1980
5/7
Order of the Eastern Star
1962-1981
5/8
Correspondence
1917, 1937
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/9
Lula Meacham Wheelon travel journals ("Wheelogue")
1926-1933
5/10
Lula Meacham Wheelon travel tickets
1975
5/11
"High County" travel account
undated
5/12-5/13
Mildred Meacham travel journals
1963-1980

Professional RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
6/1
St. Louis University and Bethesda Hospital
1918-1921
6/2
Homer Wheelon medical licenses
1918-1919
6/3
Homer Wheelon professional memberships
1914-1960
6/4
Homer Wheelon professional correspondence
1917-1950
6/5
Homer Wheelon published professional writings
1914-1941
Box
27
Scientific drawings
undated
Box/Folder
6/6
Homer Wheelon C.V. and list of publications
undated
Box
29
Homer Wheelon professional certificates
undated
Box/Folder
6/7
Lula Meacham Wheelon nursing school clippings
1913
6/8
Great Western Silica Company
1915-1922

Writings and ArtworkReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
6/9-7/2
Rabbit No. 202 manuscript draft
undated
7/3
Rabbit No. 202 illustrations
undated
Box
28
Rabbit No. 202 illustrations
Includes illustrations titled Symbols Given Meaning, Man assumed the Burden of Fire, Tides of Menses, Slow Ascent--Man, Theory, Great Paschal Fires, Mass Adapting Self in Forms, Pawns of Destiny, Symbols, Streams of Immortality, Caves--the Home of Man, Epilogue, Red Poppies and White Crosses, Myths, Released Ovum and Waters--Ruptured Follicle, Life Expressed in Forms, Rhythmic Reactions, The Environments of Life, Winter of Disbelief, System
undated
Box/Folder
7/4
Rabbit No. 202, Parts 1 and 2
1940-1941
8/1
The Quarterly of the Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity featuring Rabbit No. 202
1940-1941
8/2
Rabbit No. 202 copyright registration
1941
30/1
Rabbit No. 202
1940
8/3
Correspondence regarding Rabbit No. 202
1939-1967
8/4
Writings by Homer Wheelon
1934-1942, undated
8/5
Minerva Clark Wheelon poetry
1918-1939
30/2
Minerva Clark Wheelon poetry
1910-1920
8/6
First drawings by Homer Wheelon
1895-1911
26/5
Pencil drawings by Homer Wheelon
1904-1929, undated
8/7
Homer Wheelon's Christmas book from Palo Alto, CA
1905
Box
28
Artwork by Homer Wheelon
undated
folder:oversize
OS folder 1
One sketch titled "Palo Alto, Calif. '05" and one pencil and watercolor titled "The Pyramid" - by Homer Wheelon
1905, 1938
Box/Folder
9/1
Exhibition and clippings scrapbook
1926-1937
9/2
Avocations
June 1938
26/6
Parergon
1937, 1942
9/3
American Physicians' Art Association
1940
9/4
Other artwork by Homer Wheelon
undated
9/5
Artwork by Lula Meacham Wheelon
undated
9/6
Unidentified artwork
undated
9/7
George Washington Wheelon articles and notes
1876, 1897
9/8
Writings by others
1940, 1948

Diaries and NotesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
9/9
Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner early memories
undated
9/10
Minerva Clark Wheelon early memories
undated
9/11
Lula Meacham Wheelon early memories
undated
10/1
Lula Meacham Wheelon diary and letters (copies)
1901-1919, 1934
10/2
Lula Meacham Wheelon diaries
1910-1913, 1960-1982
10/3-10/4
Lula Meacham Wheelon notebooks
1947-1984
10/5-10/6
Lula Meacham Wheelon calendars
1962-1983
11/1
Lula Meacham Wheelon miscellaneous notes
1917-1985
11/2
Edith Ring Meacham miscellaneous notes
undated

MiscellaneousReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
11/3
Homer Wheelon clippings from scrapbook
1934-1940
11/4
Homer Wheelon's William Blake collection
1941-1964
11/5
Inventories of books and records for sale
1960-1961
11/6
Clippings
1896-1983
11/7-11/8
Miscellaneous
undated

CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
12/1-13/7
Homer Wheelon to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1907-1959, undated
13/8-14/8
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
1907-1959, undated
14/9
Ann and Wayne Hayward to Homer and Lula Wheelon
1935-1984, undated
14/10
Benjamin and Marge Wheelon to Homer and Lula Wheelon
1938-1988
14/11-15/1
Bertha Sable to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1941-1951
15/2
Incoming correspondence to Burton and Mildred Meacham
1962-1971
15/3
Burton and Mildred Meacham to Edith Ring Meacham
1940-1964
15/4-15/6
Burton and Mildred Meacham to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1910-1984
15/7
Incoming to Burton Wheelon
1914, 1919
15/8
Burton Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1909
15/9
Burton Jones Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
1914-1939
15/10
Burton Jones Wheelon to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1914-1940
15/11
Catherine Wharton to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1978-1983
15/12
David and Marion Dalgouette to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1970-1978
16/1
Dora to Edith Ring Meacham
1917-1918
16/2
Edith Meacham Downs to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1932-1933
16/3
Incoming to Edith Ring Meacham
1886-1963
16/4
Edith Ring Meacham to Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner
1920-1962
16/5-18/3
Edith Ring Meacham to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1903-1963, undated
18/4
Edith Ring Meacham to Simon Meacham
1932, 1939, undated
18/5
Edith Ring Meacham and Willis Meacham
1933, undated
18/6
Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner to Edith Ring Meacham
1916-1963
18/7-19/5
Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1907-1983, undated
19/6
Ethel Titherington to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1940-1944
19/7
Frank Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1906-1909
19/8
Frank Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
undated
19/9
Frank Wheelon to Minerva Clark Wheelon
1913, 1940
19/10
Incoming to George Washington Wheelon
1893-1917
20/1-20/2
George Washington Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
1908-1920
20/3
George Washington Wheelon to Minerva Clark Wheelon
1884-1906
20/4
George William Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1906-1919
20/5
George William Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
1916-1921
20/6
George William Wheelon to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1916-1921
20/7
H.C. Meacham to Wallace and Edith Meacham
1891-1921
20/8
Hazel to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1920-1934, undated
20/9
Henry Meacham to Edith Ring Meacham
1930
20/10
Henry Meacham to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1918-1937
20/11
Incoming correspondence to Homer Wheelon
undated
20/12
Homer Wheelon to Burton Jones Wheelon
1915-1919
20/13
Homer Wheelon to Edith and Wallace Meacham
1908-1948
20/14
Homer Wheelon and Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner
1919, 1958
20/15
Homer Wheelon to Frank Wheelon
1919
20/16
Homer Wheelon and the parents of Fred Ward
1918-1919
20/17
Homer Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1898-1920
20/18
Homer Wheelon to George William Wheelon
1917-1919
20/19
Homer and Lula Wheelon to John Clark Wheelon
1920-1921
20/20
Homer Wheelon to Minerva Clark Wheelon
1913-1939
20/21
Homer Wheelon to "Uncle Dan"
1921-1923
20/22
Homer Wheelon to Willis Meacham
1920
20/23
Irene Luna to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1962-1964
20/24
J. Earl Thomas to Homer Wheelon
1923
20/25-20/26
Incoming correspondence to Jim and Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner
1956-19780, undated
20/27
John Clark Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1906-1909
20/28
John Clark and Mertie Wheelon to Homer and Lula Wheelon
1916-1945
20/29-21/3
Incoming correspondence to Homer and Lula Meacham Wheelon
1908-1959
21/4-22/3
Incoming correspondence to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1960-1988
22/4-22/5
Incoming correspondence to Homer and Lula Meacham Wheelon
undated
22/6
Outgoing correspondence from Lula Meacham Wheelon
1920-1983
22/7
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Bertha Sable
1942-1950
22/8
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Bill and Mary Meacham Seeley
1915-1985
22/9
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Burton and Mildred Meacham
1914-1980
22/10
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Burton Jones Wheelon
1920-1961
23/1
Lula Meacham Wheelon chow correspondence
1940-1988
23/2
Lula Meacham Wheelon to David Dalgouette
1975-1980
23/3-23/6
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Edith Ring Meacham
1908-1963, undated
23/7-24/1
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Esther Meacham Stillwell Bonner
1917-1984, undated
24/2
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Hazel
1920-1921
24/3
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Helen Meacham
undated
24/4
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Kay Wheelon
1925, undated
24/5
Lula Meacham Wheelon and Kevin Manson
1974
24/6
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Minerva Clark Wheelon
1920
24/7
Lula Meacham Wheelon to Wallace C. Meacham
1908-1923
24/8
Lula and Homer Wheelon to the Wayne Miller family
1963-1976
24/9
Marte Johnson to "Grandma Peach"
1948-1952
24/10
Mary Meacham Seeley to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1911-1983
24/11
Mary Lou Jensen and Lula Meacham Wheelon
1964-1968, undated
24/12
Merike Nichols to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1974-1983
24/13
Incoming correspondence to Minerva Clark Wheelon
1884-1892
24/14
Minerva Clark Wheelon to George Washington Wheelon
1888-1911
24/15
Minerva Clark Wheelon to Homer Wheelon
1912-1921
24/16
Minerva Clark Wheelon to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1911-1938
24/17
Morgan and Jesse Padelford to Homer and Lula Wheelon
1929-1961
24/18
Simon Meacham to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1929-1949
24/19
Viola Nelson to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1913-1914
24/20
Wallace C. Meacham to Edith Ring Meacham
1888-1906
24/21
Wallace C. and Edith Ring Meacham to Homer Wheelon
1908-1958
25/1
Wallace C. Meacham to Lula Meacham Wheelon
1901-1929
25/2
Wayne Miller family to Lula and Homer Wheelon
1964-1983
25/3-25/4
Wes Frankhauser and Lula Meacham Wheelon
1970-1984, undated
25/5
Incoming correspondence to Willis Meacham
1932-1941
25/6
Willis Meacham to Homer and Lula Wheelon
1918-1939
25/7
Correspondence about Rowji in India
1904-1916
25/8
Miscellaneous correspondence and letter fragments
1892-1963, undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Meacham, Mildred Moseley, 1894-1983--Travel
  • Wheelon, Charles Homer, 1888-1960--Archives
  • Wheelon, Lula Meacham, 1890-1988--Archives

Family Names

  • Meacham (Family :   Wheelon, Lula Meacham, 1890-1988)--Archives
  • Wheelon (Family :   Wheelon, Charles Homer, 1888-1960)--Archives

Other Creators

  • Family Names
    • Meacham (Family :   Wheelon, Lula Meacham, 1890-1988) (creator)