Laura R. Merrill papers, 1917-1964

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963.
Title
Laura R. Merrill papers
Dates
1917-1964 (inclusive)
Quantity
6 boxes, (3 linear ft.)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 119
Summary
Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merrill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life. The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most significant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's missions with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and some Merrill family history. Material associated with the Central Utah Relocation Camp (Topaz Japanese internment camp) includes correspondence from former inmates (mostly cards with brief notes) and a few miscellaneous papers, but does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the camp library.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Laura Merrill was a long time resident of Logan, Utah. Born in Brigham City on 6 February 1876. After having only formal education to the eighth grade available to her, she studied and passed the teacher's exam and taught primary school. When requirements were raised, she attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, becoming one of the first women to attend. She then taught in Portage and Brigham City, Utah. Married to Lorin Asa Merrill on 13 June 1900, she bore eight children before her husband's death in 1919. Merrill then served six years as Cache County Recorder (1920-1926). In 1927, she studied Library Science at the University of Washington in Seattle, then returned to become the librarian at Logan High School, where she worked intermittently from 1922 through 1961. Merrill served two missions: Canada (1946-1948) and the Eastern States (1941-1943). Merrill also worked at the Topaz Japanese internment camp in 1944.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life.

The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most signficant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's mission with the L.D.S. Church and some Merrill family history.

The collection does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the Topaz Japanese internment camp library. Material associated with the Utah Relocation Camp include correspondence, mostly cards with brief notes and a few miscellaneous papers.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the Laura R. Merrill papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Laura R. Merrill papers, 1938-1964. (COLL MSS 119). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Outgoing letters are grouped by correspondent and are arranged chronologically within each group. Incoming letters to Merrill, have been arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

No records detailing the donor of these records are on file, but they were likely donated by Laura's sons Asa and Dean Merrill.

Related Materials

Laura R. Merrill Newberry & Caldecott Book Award WinnersCOLL MSS 090

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 To Dorothy Bailey 1949
1 2 To Elizabeth Burnhamer 1946
1 3 To Asa J. and Ann Merrill 1946-1961
1 4 To Dean Merrill undated
1 5 To Dean Merrill 1940
1 6-7 To Dean Merrill 1941
1 8-11 To Dean Merrill 1943
1 12-13 To Dean Merrill 1944
1 14-15 To Dean Merrill 1945
1 16-17 To Dean Merrill 1946
2 1 To Dean Merrill 1947
2 2-3 To Dean Merrill 1948
2 4 To Dean Merrill 1949
2 5 To Dean Merrill 1950
2 6 To Dean Merrill 1951
2 7 To Dean Merrill 1952
2 8 Io Dean Merrill 1953
2 9-10 To Dean Merrill 1954
2 11 To Dean Merrill 1955
2 12-13 To Dean Merrill 1956
2 14-15 To Dean Merrill 1957
2 16-17 To Dean Merrill 1958
2 18 To Dean Merrill 1959
3 1 To Dean Merrill 1959 July
3 2 To Dean Merrill 1959 August
3 3 To Dean Merrill 1959 September
3 4 To Dean Merrill 1959 October
3 5 To Dean Merrill 1959 November
3 6 To Dean Merrill 1959 December
3 7 To Dean Merrill 1959
3 8 To Dean Merrill 1960 January
3 9 To Dean Merrill 1960 February-April
3 10 To Dean Merrill 1960 September-December
3 11 To Dean Merrill 1960
3 12 To Dean Merrill 1961 January
3 13 To Dean Merrill 1961 February-March
3 14 To Dean Merrill 1961
3 15 To Mrs. Lorin C. Merrill 1941
3 16 To Katherine Milhouse 1952
3 17 From Dorothy Bailey 1948
3 18 From Claire Hulme 1960-1961
3 19 From Amy Merrill 1946-1962
3 20 From Effie Merrill 1947-1962
3 21 From Jo Merrill 1945
3 22 From Clementine Churchill, September 1948. From Charles DeGaulle undated
3 23 From Japanese students that Laura taught at Topaz
Mostly brief cards; 3 letters from Tommy and May Meyasaki in Idaho.
1950-1961
3 24-25 Miscellaneous incomlng correspondence filed alphabetically undated
4 1 Incoming correspondence to Laura Merrill, no surnames undated
4 2 Incoming correspondence to Dean Merrill 1963-1964
4 3 Dorothy Bailey to Dean Merrill 1960
4 4 Claire Hulme to Dean Merrill 1957-1963
4 5 Sherman Lloyd to Dean Merrill 1959
4 6 Amy Merrill to Dean Merrill 1960-1964
4 7 Margaret White to Dean Merrill 1945
4 8 Incoming correspondence to Milton Merrill 1963
4 9 Unknown correspondents undated
4 10 Letters about Rees Relatives undated
4 11 David And Laura Rees genealogy undated
4 12 Tracting essay by Laura Merrill undated
4 13 Testimony of Laura Merrill undated
4 14 Notes by Laura Merrill on the Discourses of Brigham Young undated
4 15 Notes by Laura Merrill on the Life Story of Brigham Young undated
4 16 Notes and personal writings of Laura Merrill undated
4 17 Baptism and missionary papers 1917-1941
4 18 Topaz material, including two memorial addresses given by Shigeo Shimada and Masaru Narahara, Topaz Times 4 Nov 1944, and one page description of the library undated
4 19 Merrill family funeral announcements 1961-1965
4 20 Merrill family chronology chart undated
4 21 Correspondence from Langston Hughes 1945
4 22 Book of poetry "The Sunshine of Life" 1912
4 23 "The Affair at the Inn" by Charles J. Finger, inscribed 1930
5 Journals kept by Laura Merrill, 1-15 undated
6 Journals kept by Laura Merrill, 16-21 undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mormon women--Utah--Correspondence.
  • Mormon women--Utah--Diaries.

Personal Names

  • Merrill, Asa Rees, 1903-
  • Merrill, Asa Rees, 1903---Correspondence.
  • Merrill, Dean Rees, 1907-1981--Correspondence.
  • Merrill, Dean Rees, 1907-1981.
  • Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963--Correspondence.
  • Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963--Diaries.
  • Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963.
  • Shimada, Shigeo, 1906-. Memorial address for Private Nobuo Kajiwara.

Corporate Names

  • Central Utah Relocation Center.

Family Names

  • Merrill family.
  • Reese family.

Geographical Names

  • Logan (Utah)--History.
  • Topaz (Utah)--History.

Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
2008

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