UAKMsSC225 Guide to the Adelaide Sutton Gilbert Correspondence 1876-1893 Gilbert (Adelaide Sutton) Correspondence Finding aid prepared by Edward W. Nolan Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture © 1987
2316 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201
Finding aid encoded by Rose Krause 2012 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). September 2023 Finding aid edited and updated by Jack Gassen Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture), Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives
2316 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201 Phone: (509) 363-5342 Email: archives@northwestmuseum.org
MsSC 225 Gilbert, Adelaide Sutton, 1849-1932 Adelaide Sutton Gilbert Correspondence 1876-1893 1 ft. Resident of Spokane, Wash. Letters to family members in New York state, chiefly detailing the daily life of an upper-middle class family. Includes information relating to Gilbert's husband, Frederick W. Gilbert, and his activities as civil engineer and division superintendent for Northern Pacific Railroad, domestic help, clothing, social life, the weather, and daily events in the Northwestern communities in which she lived prior to moving to Spokane, including Brainerd, Minn., Portland, Or., Missoula, Mont., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Sprague, Wash. English Biographical Note

As the wife of Frederick W. Gilbert, a civil engineer and division superintendent for the Northern Pacific Railroad, Adelaide Gilbert moved to wherever the railroad transferred her husband. Beginning in Brainerd, MN in 1881, they moved westward to Portland, OR in 1883, to Missoula, MT in 1885; to Coeur d’Alene in 1888; to Sprague, WA in 1890; and finally to Spokane in 1891.

The collection consists of nearly 300 lengthy letters written by Mrs. Gilbert to her mother and other family members in New York. Her letters detail the daily life of an upper-middle class family; trouble with the hired help, the children, her husband’s job, her preoccupation with clothing and style, and the day to day problems of running a household. However, she also had a great interest in the world around her, and usually commented at some length on business conditions, weather, social life, and daily events in the communities in which she lived.

Collection is not restricted.

 Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Museum Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher

Adelaide Sutton Gilbert Correspondence (MsSC 225), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.

Donated by Mary Anderson, Betty Finlay, Fred Gilbert, Herb Hamblen, Fran Hunner, Harriet McLean, and Charlotte Upton.

Nolan, Edward W. A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 1987).

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat database. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search WorldCat using these headings.

Gilbert, Adelaide Sutton, 1849-1932--Archives Gilbert, Frederick W. Northern Pacific Railroad Company Gilbert family Washington (State)--Social life and customs Spokane (Wash.)--Social life and customs Washington (State)--Transportation--Railroads Spokane (Wash.)--Transportation--Railroads Washington (State)--Family and personal papers--19th century New York (State)--Family and personal papers--19th century Minnesota--Social life and customs Brainerd (Minn.) Oregon--Social life and customs Portland (Or.)--Social life and customs Montana--Social life and customs Missoula (Mont.)--Social life and customs Idaho--Social life and customs Coeur d'Alene (Idaho)--Social life and customs Sprague (Wash.)--Social life and customs Northwestern States--Social life and customs Engineers--Washington (State) Middle class women--Washington (State) Middle class--Washington (State) Women--Washington (State) Railroad engineers--Washington (State) Railroads--Washington (State) Weather Clothing and dress Household employees--Washington (State) Women Spokane Washington (State) Railroads Home and Family