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Jacob R. Elfreth Jr. diaries

Notifications

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.

Overview and metadata sections

Jacob R. Elfreth Jr. (1837-1924), the son of Jacob R. Elfreth Sr. and Abigail Pierce Elfreth, was born on October 22, 1837, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker merchant, elder, and minister. Initially apprenticed for five years to J.R. Sowers & Co., dry goods, Elfreth started a carpet business with his brother, James Elfreth. Elfreth Jr. never married and died November 14, 1924, in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania.

This collection is composed of 64 volumes of the bound, handwritten diaries of Jacob R. Elfreth, Jr. Early diaries, from 1861 to 1867, focus on military movement and battles during the Civil War, reactions to President Lincoln's assassination, and the political tensions during the aftermath of the war.

The majority of entries detail day-to-day activities, family news, news of Elfreth's carpet business, attendance at Quaker meetings, social calls, accounts of weather, and births, deaths, and marriages within the Quaker community.

In later entries, beginning in 1882, Elfreth discusses his work as the School Director for Darby Borough's schools.

Unknown.

Processed by Kara Flynn; completed June, 2015.

Publisher
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Finding Aid Author
Kara Flynn
Finding Aid Date
June, 2015
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Collection Inventory

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 1, 1861.
Volume 1
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 2, 1862.
Volume 2
Scope and Content note

Discusses military movements and battles.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 3, 1863.
Volume 3
Scope and Content note

Hicksite meetings described. Records Rebel troops movements, particularly General Lee's troops. New York City draft riots. This volume includes a list of remedies at the back for "bite of mad dogs," "smallpox," "broken bones," and the "bite of rattle snakes."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 4, 1864.
Volume 4
Scope and Content note

Descriptions of Hicksite meetings, records civil war battles.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 5, 1865.
Volume 5
Scope and Contents note

Entries describe celebrations in the streets of Philadelphia when General Lee's army surrenders. Describes reactions to Lincoln's assasination, both personal reactions, and the reactions of the people of Philadelphia. This volume includes a typed, transcribed copy of the entry concerning Elfreth's initial reaction to Lincoln's assasination. Final entries describe the end of the war.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 6, 1866.
Volume 6
Scope and Content note

Includes "remedies" or "cures" for; neuralgia, hydrophobia, dyspepsia, and cholera, as well as a "cholera preventative."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 7, 1867.
Volume 7
Scope and Content note

Entries describe political upheaval after the end of the civil war, especially concerning new president Andrew Johnson. Legislation establishing rights for formerly enslaved people.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 8, 1868.
Volume 8
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 9, 1869.
Volume 9
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 10, 1870.
Volume 10
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 11, 1871.
Volume 11
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 12, 1872.
Volume 12
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 13, 1873.
Volume 13
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 14, 1874.
Volume 14
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 15, 1875.
Volume 15
Scope and Content note

Entries include discussions of Hicksite meetings.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 16, 1876.
Volume 16
Scope and Content note

Entries include discussions about issues within the local meeting, including increases in disownment. Volume includes paper cut out with the note; "given to me by Hannah Smith 4-21-1876."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 17, 1877.
Volume 17
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 18, 1878.
Volume 18
Scope and Content note

European politics discussed, particularly as related to Russia.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 19, 1879.
Volume 19
Scope and Content note

Darby schools discussed, including books bought for the schools, supervising the building of new school houses.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 20, 1880.
Volume 20
Scope and Content note

Business related to schools, including vaccinating of school children.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 21, 1881.
Volume 21
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 22, 1882.
Volume 22
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 23, 1883.
Volume 23
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 24, 1884.
Volume 24
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 25, 1885.
Volume 25
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 26, 1886.
Volume 26
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 27, 1887.
Volume 27
Scope and Content note

Entries related to the Darby Home Protection Society and school taxes. Includes school tax notices for 1882, and a pamphlet with the "list of signers for license to sell liqours for year 1887, in the Buttonwood Hotel, Darby."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 28, 1888.
Volume 28
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 29, 1889.
Volume 29
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 30, 1890.
Volume 30
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 31, 1891.
Volume 31
Scope and Content note

Included in this volume; funreal invitation, advertisement for a "ten minute headache cure."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 32, 1892.
Volume 32
Scope and Content note

Obituary for Morris Cope inside.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 33, 1893.
Volume 33
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 34, 1894.
Volume 34
Scope and Content note

Entries discuss urban development and the disappearance of Smith's Island.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 35, 1895.
Volume 35
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 36, 1896.
Volume 36
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 37, 1897.
Volume 37
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 38, 1898.
Volume 38
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 39, 1899.
Volume 39
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 40, 1900.
Volume 40
Scope and Content note

Entries related to foreign politics, including the Boer War, China, and Russia. Inside: Six pound note (1776), New Jersey, Fifty shillings (1773), Pennsylvania.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 41, 1901.
Volume 41
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 42, 1902.
Volume 42
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 43, 1903.
Volume 43
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 44, 1904.
Volume 44
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 45, 1905.
Volume 45
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 46, 1906.
Volume 46
Scope and Content note

Entries discuss the rising popularity of the automobile and Elfreth's negative reactions to them.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 47, 1907.
Volume 47
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 48, 1908.
Volume 48
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 49, 1909.
Volume 49
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 50, 1910.
Volume 50
Scope and Content note

Workers strike in Philadelphia.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 51, 1911.
Volume 51
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 52, 1912.
Volume 52
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 53, 1913.
Volume 53
Scope and Content note

Lock of hair inside, discussion of Quaker "seperation."

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 54, 1914.
Volume 54
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 55, 1915.
Volume 55
Scope and Content note

Entries discuss aging and events related to WWI.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 56, 1916.
Volume 56
Scope and Content note

Entries discuss WWI, the Peace Party.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 57, 1917.
Volume 57
Scope and Content note

Foreign politics- China, Russia.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 58, 1918.
Volume 58
Scope and Content note

Entries related to WWI, the American government's control of foreign trade.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 59, 1919.
Volume 59
Scope and Content note

Foreign politics, particularly Germany, Russia, and peace treaties. Inside volume; two "fractional currency" three cent bills, dated 1863.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 60, 1920.
Volume 60
Scope and Content note

Entries related to gardening.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 61, 1921.
Volume 61
Scope and Content note

Foreign politics, particularly Eastern Europe.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 62, 1922.
Volume 62
Archival Resource Key. Vol. 63, 1923.
Volume 63
Scope and Content note

Entries related to gardening.

Archival Resource Key. Vol. 64, 1924.
Volume 64

Print, Suggest