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Emma Johnson Power family papers
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Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 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
Emma Johnson Power (1855-1923) was the daughter of William A. Johnson (1828-1872) and Angeline Vandergriff Johnson (1830-1889), members of Green Street Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was in the Swarthmore College Class of 1882, but did not gradaute. Emma Johnson married Edward S. Power (1853-1922) under the care of Green Street on 4 mo. 9, 1885. He was a non-member, the son of Dr. Edward J. and Matilda Power, and a graduate of Bowdoin College, Jefferson Medical School, and Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Emma and Edward Power had two daughters, Edith Victorine (1886-1960) and Angeline Johnson (1888-1966?) who were received into membership at Green Street Monthly Meeting in 1894 on the request of their mother. Edward S. Power was a physician/pharmacist in West Philadelphia, and the family moved to Swarthmore, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Edith graduated in the Swarthmore Class of 1907 and married J. Warren Paxson. Angeline was in the Swarthmore Class of 1911, and in 1914 married Charles G. Thatcher (1891-1973), fellow Swarthmorean, Class of 1912. All were members of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting. Charles Thatcher taught engineering at Swarthmore College from 1918-1942 and returned to the College in 1945 to serve as the Business Manager until his retirement in 1956. He also was active in the community, serving on Borough Council, as Mayor and on the School Board. Angeline and Charles Thatcher had three children: Edith, Albert, and Edward P. Thatcher (the donor).
The collection contains primarily correspondence received by Emma Johnson Power, Swarthmore College Class of 1882 and a member of Green Street Monthly Meeting. A number of the letters were sent by her husband, Edward S. Power, a Philadelphia physician/pharmacologist, during his European travels. Also includes a file of genealogical and biographical information on the Johnson and Power families and a small amount of miscellaneous papers.
Received at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1992 from Edward Power Thatcher. HSP forwarded it to Friends Historical Library in 1993 since Emma Johnson Power was a Quaker and had attended Swarthmore College.
When received, the papers were processed in College Archives, Alumni: Ser. 10.1. Following the reorganization of College Archives in 1997, the collection was transferred from RG6/2 Alumni Reference to FHL, RG5, Individual and Family papers.
- Publisher
- Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
- Finding Aid Author
- Susanna Morikawa
- Finding Aid Date
- September 2021
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Friends Historical Library believes all of the items in this collection to be in the Public Domain in the United States, and is not aware of any restrictions on their use. However, the user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status before reproducing. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/.
Collection Inventory
Emma's mother, Angeline Vandergriff Johnson (1830-1889), from Emma and her siblings. Poems written by her husband, William A. Johnson. Includes a farewell letter from Emma to her brother, Edwin A. Johnson, care of A. V. Johnson. (Edwin A Johnson from Georgia, S. Carolina, and New Orleans)
Condolences on death of her father. Letters sent to Emma Johnson during his travels in Europe
Letters sent before their marriage. Also an undated "apology" from Edward to his wife, glad his "little girl" was not a militant suffragist. The 1914 letter to his wife explained his need to devote himself to work.
The letters describe the voyage and visits to Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, and France
Letters described his visits to Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Italy
Angeline Vandergriff Johnson died 9 mo. 2, 1889, a member of Green Street Monthly Meeting. Buried Fair Hill
Edward Power and their daughter Edith were touring Europe; Edward explained that his travels were not only for pleasure but provided a good education for Edith, and he wanted to investigate business opportunities that he didn't want to discuss with his wife.
Includes a letter from Charles Thatcher regarding his and Angelina's plan to marry. Charles grew up in Swarthmore, graduated from Swarthmore College in 1912, and then earned his Masters in Engineering from Cornell in 1916.
Letter to Edward Power from his father, Edward J. Powers advised that he pursue a degree as physician-pharmacist as his best financial plan. Emma and Hannah to Vic Power.
Living in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He mentioned local chickens and neighbors such as Richardsons.
Essay by daughter about Edward S. Power's college experience and his effort attending a Bowdoin reunion
Herbert W. Johnson (1850-1916), brother of Emma Johnson Power. He served as a New Jersey state senator and was appointed sheriff of Camden County in 1903. As a Quaker, he resigned shortly after taking office rather than be required to uphold the death penalty.
Notes by donor, Edward Power Thatcher, son of Angeline Johnson Power, concerning correspondence received from his grandmother, Emma Johnson Power; he was the eldest Power grandchild. Both sisters, Edith and Angeline, also lived in Swarthmore.
Emma Johnson Power