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Julia Wilbur papers
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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Although not as well known as many of her female contemporaries, Julia A. Wilbur was an active anti-slavery and women's rights proponent during the 19th century. The daughter of Mary Lapham and Stephen Wilbur, Julia was born into a Quaker family on August 8, 1815, near Rochester, New York. In 1844, Julia began teaching in the Rochester public school system. She notes several times in her journals her frustration at the wage gap between male and female teachers—an injustice that likely helped fuel her later engagement with women's rights efforts. One notable event is Julia's early life was her initial interaction with Harriet Jacobs in April of 1849. Jacobs, herself formerly enslaved, then freed, would eventually befriend Julia during their work with formerly enslaved people, both those freed and escaped, in Alexandria, Virginia. It is also important to recognize Julia's early involvement with the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society, for which she served as a correspondence secretary.
Julia's life changed markedly in April of 1858, when her sister, Sarah, died. As a result of this tragedy, Julia became the guardian of Freda, Sarah's daughter. Julia seems to have taken well to her new, motherly role. Yet, things took a turn for the worse in January of 1860, when Freda's father, who had recently remarried, decided to claim custody of Freda. Having her niece so abruptly pulled from her life was devastating for Julia; she was launched into a severe depression that continued for about two years. Fortunately, Julia's unhappiness did ultimately lift. This emotional shift was triggered in large part by her move to Alexandria, Virginia in October of 1862. Sent to Virginia by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society, Wilbur worked there alongside Harriet Jacobs providing supplies and education to freed formerly enslaved people. This work was emotionally and physically taxing for Julia and exposed her to the sufferings of others in a very personal way.
In 1865, Julia made yet another shift by moving to Washington, DC. She became increasingly involved with the women's rights movement and also took a job working in the U.S. Patent Office. According to a letter written by Julia's great-niece, Julia was the first woman admitted to work in this office. Julia spent her last years living in Washington D.C. with her sister, Frances, until her death in 1895.
Resources Consulted:
Baron, Erika. "Bridging Separate Spheres: the Life of Julia Wilbur." Haverford College, 1989. Print. [Haverford College senior thesis] Cox, Rob. "Finding Aid for Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society, 1851-1868." William L. Clements Library Manuscript Division Finding Aids. University of Michigan Digital Library, 1995. Roedner, Lauren. "First Step Toward Freedom: Women in Contraband Camps In and Around the District of Columbia During the Civil War." NCUR Proceedings 2012, printed online.
This collection is comprised primarily of Julia Wilbur's personal journals, which span from 1844 to 1895. It is important to note that Julia's journals vary in type. The first journal variety, which includes the years 1856-57 and 1860-95, are pocket-sized, individual books. The second journal style is larger in dimension than the first set. They are not bound books, but instead are individual pages that have been sewn together. These journals go from 1844 to 1873. There is some overlap in time among the different journal varieties, specifically for 1856-1857 and 1860-1873. Comparing corresponding entries reveals generally similar content, often with further elaboration in the entries of the second journal type due to the increase in writing space. Julia also wrote what she refers to as "journal briefs" for the years 1844 through 1862. These briefs offer summaries of her entries for those year and presumably represent what Julia saw as the most significant events that had occurred during those times. There are various other, miscellaneous items included in this collection as well. More specifically, there is a brief journal kept by Julia's sister, Mary L. Van Buskirk, during an 1881 trip to Washington D.C. There is also a compilation of loose journal pages that cover 1906 and 1907, as well as a bound journal written by Buskirk in 1908. There are two pictures of Julia in this collection in addition to a photocopy of an 1865 letter written by Julia to her sister, Mary, about the assassination of Lincoln. Finally, there is a letter written by the great niece of Julia Wilbur that summarizes many aspects of Julia's life.
Each set of diaries is organized chronologically.
The Julia Wilbur papers were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College in 1980, 1989, and 1990, by Douglas Steere.
Processed by Emily Kingsley; completed December 2014
People
Subject
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Emily Kingsley
- Finding Aid Date
- December, 2014
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is available for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S Title 17)
Collection Inventory
145 pages. Wilbur wrote brief, one-line entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year on the "Memoranda" pages of the almanac.
Subjects: Almanacs, American; Women--Diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Lectures and lecturing; Meetings; Sewing
Relevant locations: New York (State)
152 pages. Wilbur wrote brief, one-line entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year on the "Memoranda" pages of the almanac.
Subjects: Almanacs, American; Diaries; Women--Diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Lectures and lecturing; Meetings; Sewing
Relevant locations: New York (State); Ohio; Missouri; Kentucky
168 pages. Wilbur wrote small paragraph-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Content primarily reflects her depression and social life in the wake of losing custody of her young niece Alfreda Bigelow.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Quakers--Family relationships; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933; Foster parents; Housekeeping; Depression, Mental
Relevant locations: New York (State)
167 pages. Wilbur wrote small paragraph-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her social interactions and events of the Civil War. Frequently refers to losing custody of her niece Alfreda Bigelow.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Quakers--Family relationships; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933; Housekeeping; Books and reading; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Abolitionists; Anti-slavery movements
Relevant locations: New York (State)
166 pages. Wilbur wrote small paragraph-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her family life, events of the Civil War, and her work in Virginia aiding individuals who escaped slavery to Union territory during the war (who were referred to as "contraband"). Wrote "there is a great work to do here, & I am willing to do it as far as I can, I feel that I am working for an entire race and for all time to come." Makes multiple references to losing custody of her niece Alfreda Bigelow in 1859.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; War Diaries; Housekeeping; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Women and war; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Contraband of war; Fugitive slaves
Relevant locations: New York (State); Michigan; Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.)
372 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents events of the Civil War and her time in Alexandria, Virginia, where she worked alongside with African American activist Harriet Ann Jacobs aiding individuals who escaped slavery to Union territory during the war (who were referred to as "contraband"). Also describes spending extensive time with her family in New York.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; War Diaries; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Women and war; Abolitionists; Contraband of war; Fugitive slaves; Jacobs, Harriet A. (Harriet Ann), 1813-1897
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.); New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents events of the Civil War and her time in Alexandria, Virginia, where she worked alongside individuals such as Harriet Ann Jacobs aiding individuals who escaped slavery to Union territory during the war (who were referred to as "contraband"). Also describes spending extensive time with her family in New York. The memoranda at the end include literary excerpts as well as demographic statistics for Washington, D.C., and Virginia over time.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; War Diaries; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Women and war; Abolitionists; Contraband of war; Fugitive slaves
Relevant locations: Alexandria (Va.); Washington (D.C.); Philadelphia (Pa.); New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents events of the Civil War and early postbellum period, including her relief work for individuals who escaped slavery to Union territory during the war (who were referred to as "contraband") and freedmen. Relocated from Alexandria, Virginia, to work out of Washington, D.C., during this time. Records the assassination and funeral of Abraham Lincoln. Attended multiple post-war trials including that of Henry Wirz. The memoranda at the end include a list of patients, many Indigenous Americans, who Wilbur interacted with at the L'Ouverture Hospital for people of color in Alexandria.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; War Diaries; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women and war; Abolitionists; Freedmen; Indian soldiers
Relevant locations: Alexandria (Va.); Virginia; Washington (D.C.); Philadelphia (Pa.); New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her charitable work in association with the Freedmen's Bureau, and social/political events in the early postbellum period. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C., such as the passage of the Reconstruction Bill, and attended multiple White House receptions. Attended various lectures throughout the year. Spent extensive time with her family in New York. The memoranda at the end include statistics regarding the Civil War.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Freedmen; African Americans--Services for; United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; Women in charitable work; Women social reformers
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.); Virginia; New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her charitable work in association with the Freedmen's Bureau and social/political events in the Reconstruction era. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended congressional sessions, White House receptions, and various lectures throughout the year. Also describes spending extensive time with her family in New York. The memoranda at the end include miscellaneous notes, and excerpts from the Anti-Slavery Standard and Richmond Dispatch regarding African-American suffrage.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Freedmen; African Americans--Services for; United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; Women in charitable work; Women social reformers
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Richmond (Va.); Virginia; New York (State)
407 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Largely documents her charitable work in association with the Freedmen's Bureau, and social/political events in the Reconstruction era. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended various lectures throughout the year. Also describes spending extensive time with her family in Michigan and New York. The memoranda at the end include notes on the Freedmen's Bureau, demographics of Washington, D.C., a timeline of Civil War events, and newspaper excerpts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Freedmen; African Americans--Services for; United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; Women in charitable work; Women social reformers
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Michigan; New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities, charitable work, and employment at the United States Patent Office. Also records her attempt to register to vote with a group of other women in April. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C., including congressional sessions regarding African American suffrage and the trial of Minnie Gaines. Attended various lectures and social reform conventions. The memoranda at the end include quoted excerpts and notes on geography, demographics, and federal employment statistics.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); African Americans--Services for; United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service; Women--Employment; Women's rights; Women--Suffrage; Women in charitable work; Women social reformers
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and health as well as professional life at the United States Patent Office. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended congressional sessions as well as various lectures and conventions. The memoranda at the end include quoted excerpts and miscellaneous notes.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women in the civil service; Health
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
405 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. References her association with prominent individuals like Belva Lockwood and Frederick Douglass. Records her charitable work and participation in the women's rights movement, including her attempt to register to vote. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended congressional sessions and White House receptions, as well as various lectures and social reform meetings. Includes quoted excerpts and miscellaneous notes.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women social reformers; Women in charitable work; Women--Suffrage; Women's rights; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
407 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended congressional sessions, as well as various lectures and social reform meetings.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women in the civil service; Women's rights
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
407 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. Attended congressional sessions, as well as various lectures and meetings.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
408 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Actively observed and commented on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C., such as the passage of the Civil Rights Bill. Attended various lectures, meetings, and congressional sessions. The memoranda at the end include miscellaneous quotes/notes, as well as notes on the death and funeral of Charles Sumner.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
407 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her social activities and health. Records her observations on governmental proceedings in Washington, D.C. and her professional life at the United States Patent Office. The memoranda at the end include notes and statistics about women's education in the United States.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Women in the civil service; Health; Women--Education
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State); Philadelphia (Pa.)
407 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Comments on current political events. The memoranda at the end includes miscellaneous notes, as well as income and correspondence records.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service; Wages--Women; Centennial Exhibition (1876 : Philadelphia, Pa.); Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State); Philadelphia (Pa.)
427 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Frequently discusses two nieces who were living with her at this time, particularly Alfreda Bigelow. Provides commentary on governmental/political proceedings. The memoranda at the end include miscellaneous notes.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service; Women--Employment; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State); Philadelphia (Pa.)
427 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Documents her social activities and professional life at the United States Patent Office. Includes income records. Frequently discusses her niece Alfreda Bigelow and sister Frances Hartwell, who lived with her at the time. Attended various lectures and events. Mentions receiving an invitation from Susan B. Anthony to the Rochester Woman's Convention.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Wages--Women; Women--Employment; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State); Philadelphia (Pa.)
427 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries summarizing personally significant events for each day of the year. Primarily documents her social activities. Discusses her niece Alfreda Bigelow and sister Frances Hartwell, who lived with her. Attended various lectures and events. The memoranda at the end include miscellaneous notes and financial records.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State); Michigan
191 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries, dated 1880-01-01 to 1880-06-30, summarizing personally significant events for each day. Primarily documents her daily and social activities. Frequently discusses her niece Alfreda Bigelow, who lived with her. Attended various lectures and events.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.)
193 pages. Wilbur wrote page-length entries, dated 1880-07-01 to 1880-12-31, summarizing personally significant events for each day. Primarily documents her daily and social activities. Frequently discusses her niece Alfreda Bigelow. Attended various lectures and events.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (State)
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail. Much of diary discusses her working conditions at the Patent Office and her correspondence. Other themes include her health, her relationship with her sister Frances Hartwell, and the assassination and funeral of President James A. Garfield. The diary also discusses congressional sessions and White House receptions which Wilbur attended throughout the year, as well as a women's suffrage convention in January and a temperance convention in October. The notes in the back of the diary record over a decade of Memorial ("Decoration") Day events Wilbur attended and summarize her finances. See also mc1158_06_06_001, a diary kept by Wilbur's sister Mary Van Buskirk during a visit to Washington in September 1881.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service; Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881; Presidents--Assassination; Funeral rites and ceremonies; Memorial Day
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.)
443 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail. Recurring themes are her work at the Patent Office and her social activities, including attending White House receptions. Also describes her travels in Massachusetts and eastern New York. The memoranda at the end include a reflection on the year as a whole and a summary of the state of her family.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Boston (Mass.); Arlington (Mass.); Lexington (Mass.); Concord (Mass.); Worcester (Mass.); Leominster (Mass.); Canaan (N.Y.); Lebanon (N.Y. : Town); Chatham (N.Y.); Hudson (N.Y.); Poughkeepsie (N.Y.); Milan (N.Y. : Town)
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail. Recurring themes are her work at the Patent Office and attending White House receptions and congressional sessions. The memoranda at the end include a reflection on the year as a whole, a summary of the state of her family, a list of objects she saw at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and various facts and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Rochester (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.)
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail, including attending White House receptions and Congressional sessions. The memoranda at the end include a reflection on the year as a whole, a summary of the state of her family, descriptions of her time vacationing in north-eastern New York in August, and various facts, figures, and literary extracts she found interesting.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Keeseville (N.Y.); Clinton County (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.); Rochester (N.Y.)
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail, including attending White House receptions and Congressional sessions. The memoranda at the end include a list of the year's "principle events," an account of her summer travels, a list of vacations she took between 1876 and 1885, and various facts, figures, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Rochester (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.); New York (State); New York (N.Y.); Philadelphia (Pa.); Norfolk (Va.); Hampton (Va.)
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing significant events in detail, including her political activism. Wilbur was dismissed from the Patent Office in January 1886 and spent several months unemployed before being rehired in May. The memoranda at the end include a reflection on the year as a whole, a summary of the state of her family, a description of things she saw on a visit to Philadelphia, and various facts, figures, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; United States. Patent Office; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Lockport (N.Y.); Rochester (N.Y.); Philadelphia (Pa.)
392 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her family and various facts, figures, and literary extracts,
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.);
392 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her family, her expenses for the year, and various facts, figures, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.)
432 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail, including her trips to Providence, New York, and Philadelphia. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her health and her family, her finances for the year, and various facts, sayings, and literary extracts, including an abolitionist poem by James Russell Lowell and a quotation from Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Norfolk (Va.); Providence (R.I.); New York (N.Y.); Poughkeepsie (N.Y.); Hudson (N.Y.); Philadelphia (Pa.)
429 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. Of note are her vacation in New York and her sister Frances's illness. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her family, her finances, various facts, figures, sayings, literary extracts, and other miscellany.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.); Rochester (N.Y.)
442 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. The memoranda at the end include an account of her sister Angeline Van Wagoner's death, a summary of the state of her family and her finances, and various facts, figures, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (N.Y.); Hudson (N.Y.); Rochester (N.Y.); Michigan
431 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her family and her finances as well as various facts, figures, sayings, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (N.Y.)
433 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. The memoranda at the end include a summary of the state of her family and her finances as well as various facts, figures, sayings, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); New York (N.Y.); Hudson (N.Y.); Rochester (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.)
430 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing events in detail. Memoranda at the back include a summary of her finances and various facts, figures, and literary extracts.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Rochester (N.Y.); Lockport (N.Y.); New York (N.Y.)
136 pages. Wilbur wrote daily page-length entries describing her activities in detail. Frequently describes medical treatments and attending women's suffrage councils.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women in the civil service; Sick; Electricity in medicine; Women--Suffrage
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.)
The digital objects for this series do not always correspond to the series's physical arrangement; some digital objects contain material spanning multiple physical folders.
790 pages. Loose material with text has been scanned on the page it precedes. Semi-daily entries describe Wilbur's daily life; teaching career; participation in the anti-slavery movement, including attendance at anti-slavery meetings and association with Frederick Douglass; observations of racism against African Americans and racial discrimination in education; extensive attendance at various lectures and meetings on subjects including science, temperance, teaching, abolition, and women's rights; presence during speeches of prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, Wendell Phillips, Lucretia Mott, Abby Foster Kelley, and William Lloyd Garrison; participation in the women's rights movement and association with Susan B. Anthony; and family relationships.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Women in education; Discrimination in education; Congresses and conventions; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Rochester Ladies' Anti-slavery Society; Slavery; Fugitive slave law (United States : 1850); Fugitive slaves; Colored National Convention (1853 : Rochester, N.Y.); Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895; Temperance; Women's rights; Lectures and lecturing
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Lockport (N.Y.)
383 pages. Semi-daily entries describe Wilbur's daily life; teaching career; participation in the anti-slavery movement, including attendance at anti-slavery meetings; extensive attendance at various lectures and meetings on subjects including science, religion, temperance, teaching, abolition, and women's rights; presence during speeches of prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, Wendell Phillips, and William Lloyd Garrison; participation in the women's rights movement; and family relationships.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Women in education; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Rochester Ladies' Anti-slavery Society; Temperance; Women's rights; Lectures and lecturing
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Lockport (N.Y.)
352 pages. Semi-daily entries describe Wilbur's daily life; teaching career; participation in the anti-slavery movement, including attendance at anti-slavery meetings; extensive attendance at various lectures and meetings on subjects including science, religion, temperance, teaching, abolition, and women's rights; presence during speeches of prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison; participation in the women's rights movement; and family relationships.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Women in education; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Rochester Ladies' Anti-slavery Society; Temperance; Women's rights; Lectures and lecturing
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Lockport (N.Y.); Irondequoit (N.Y.)
413 pages. Semi-daily entries describe Wilbur's daily life; travels; teaching career; participation in the anti-slavery movement, including membership in the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society; attendance at various lectures and meetings on subjects including science, religion, temperance, teaching, abolition, and women's rights; and domestic life and family relationships. Includes several pressed plant specimens.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Voyages and travels; Women teachers; Women--Education; Women in education; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Rochester Ladies' Anti-slavery Society; Temperance; Women social reformers; Lectures and lecturing; Foster children
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Lockport (N.Y.); Somerset (N.Y. : Town); Illinois; New York (State)
190 pages. Semi-daily entries discuss domestic activities and daily life with a focus on Wilbur's struggle with her widowed brother-in-law Revilo Bigelow over her relationship with her niece Alfreda Bigelow.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933; Aunts; Nieces; Foster children; Foster parents; Families; Grief
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Lockport (N.Y.)
96 pages. Semi-daily entries focus on Wilbur's grief over losing custody of her niece Alfreda Bigelow to Freda's father Revilo and Wilbur's attempts to see Alfreda. Also describes Wilbur's daily life, her family's activities, and lectures she attended.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Bigelow, Alfreda, 1856-1933; Aunts; Nieces; Foster children; Foster parents; Families; Grief
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.); New York (State)
96 pages. Journal of Julia Wilbur containing brief entries summarizing personally significant events, dated May 1, 1844 to December 31, 1862; there are corresponding entries in her larger journals where content is elaborated upon. Documents Wilbur's teaching career; participation in the anti-slavery movement, including attendance at anti-slavery meetings, work on the Underground Railroad, and association with Frederick Douglass; observations of racism against African Americans and racial discrimination in education; extensive attendance at various lectures and meetings on subjects including science, temperance, teaching, abolition, and women's rights; presence during speeches of prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, Wendell Phillips, Lucretia Mott, and William Lloyd Garrison; participation in the women's rights movement and association with Susan B. Anthony; family relationships, particularly with her niece Alfreda Bigelow; and work during the Civil War aiding individuals who escaped slavery to Union territory during the war (who were referred to as "contraband").
Subjects: Women--Diaries; War diaries; Women teachers; Women--Education; Discrimination in education; Congresses and conventions; Abolitionists; Antislavery movements; Slavery; Fugitive slave law (United States : 1850); Fugitive slaves; Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895; Temperance; Women's rights; Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906; Lectures and lecturing; Death; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Women and war; Contraband of war
Relevant locations: New York (State); Rochester (N.Y.); Somerset (N.Y. : Town); Rush (N.Y. : Town); Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.)
4.3 x 3 in. Portrait of Julia Wilbur, taken by J. H. Kent, photographer, 58 State Street, Rochester, New York.
Subjects: Photographs; Portraits; Wilbur, Julia, 1815-1895
Relevant locations: Rochester (N.Y.)
3 pages. 4.3 x 2.8 inch standing portrait photograph of Julia Wilbur with associated notes; includes Wilbur's signature.
Subjects: Photographs; Wilbur, Julia, 1815-1895; Autographs
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.)
2 pages. Contains two hymns, the Camp Meeting Hymn, beginning "Within the hallowed forest shade," and another beginning "It is the hour of time's farewell." Accompanied by a note, possibly by Julia Wilbur, saying these hymns were sung by Millerites.
Subjects: Hymns
3 pages. Photocopy. Discusses Julia Wilbur. A typed note by Cragg's daughter Virginia Cragg Gates discusses a flag and several corsets made by Wilbur.
Subjects: Wilbur, Julia, 1815-1895; Biography
2 pages. Photocopy. Discusses the assassination and funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the public reaction.
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; Presidents--Assassination; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Assassination; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Death and burial
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.)
55 pages. Detailed account of Van Buskirk's visit to her sisters Julia Wilbur and Francis Hartwell in Washington, D.C., from September 15th to 30th, 1881. About half the book is spent detailing Mount Vernon, which the sisters visited. It also describes in detail the death and funeral of president James A. Garfield, including a speech given by Frederick Douglass. The rest describes visiting various places in Washington and Alexandria, including the Navy Yard, pens that had been used to hold enslaved people, the "colored home for the friendless and orphan children," Howard University, the Capitol, Lafayette Square, Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, Georgetown, Long Bridge, Oak Hill Cemetery, the Patent Office, the Corcoran Gallery, the Dead Letter Office, Arlington Cemetery, and the National Museum at the Smithsonian Institute. Compare Julia Wilbur's diary for 1881, which describes some of the same events.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Washington, George, 1732-1799; Mount Vernon (Va. : Estate); Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881; Funeral rites and ceremonies; Washington Navy Yard; Howard University; Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church (Washington, D.C.); African American churches; Oak-Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.); Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, Va.); Smithsonian Institution; United States National Museum
Relevant locations: Washington (D.C.); Alexandria (Va.); Mount Vernon (Va.); Lafayette Park (Washington, D.C.); Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)
39 pages. Mary L. Van Buskirk was Julia Wilbur's sister. Describes her daily activities during the period from January 1st to February 15th, 1906, most of which she spent in the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Battle Creek Sanitarium (Battle Creek, Mich.); Sanatoriums
Relevant locations: Battle Creek (Mich.); Detroit (Mich.)
166 pages. Mary L. Van Buskirk was Julia Wilbur's sister. Describes her daily activities between February 17th and December 31st, 1906. The first 70 pages deal with her time at Battle Creek Sanitarium. Pages are out of order; some may belong with the following diary.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Battle Creek Sanitarium (Battle Creek, Mich.); Sanatoriums
Relevant locations: Battle Creek (Mich.); Detroit (Mich.)
134 pages. Mary L. Van Buskirk was Julia Wilbur's sister. Describes her daily activities at Battle Creek Sanitarium between January 1st and May 5th, 1907.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Battle Creek Sanitarium (Battle Creek, Mich.); Sanatoriums
Relevant locations: Battle Creek (Mich.)
86 pages. Mary L. Van Buskirk was Julia Wilbur's sister. Account of her daily activities between January 1 and June 30, 1908.
Subjects: Women--Diaries; Neuralgia
Relevant locations: Harrisville (Mich.)