This collection contains correspondence from Anna Mason Bronson (1830-1910) in the mid 1800s to her parents while she was a student at Thetford Academy in Vermont and a worker at a cotton mill in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Anna Dorothy Mason (1830-1910) was born in September 1830, in Grafton, New Hampshire. Of the five children of Jesse and Dorothy Mason, she was the only daughter. After completing public school, she studied the classics at the Thetford Academy in Vermont. In 1851, the family financial situation worsened and Anna felt compelled to leave the Academy and seek employment. Like thousands of other young New England women of the time, Anna chose to work in some of the many cotton factories which had sprung up in the region since 1815. She spent almost six years in the mills in Manchester, New Hampshire. Working first at the Manchester Corporation as a weaver, Anna later worked in the drawing room of an Amoskeag Corporation factory. She labored twelve to thirteen hours Monday through Friday and also worked a shorter day on Saturday. After hours she lived in a factory owned and supervised boarding house. For all this her pay rarely exceeded $4.00 a week. Her parents, who had moved to Greensboro, Vermont, repeatedly urged her to come home and teach, but Anna refused all offers. Most certainly, the money was better in the mill. However, sometime between August 1856 and March 1857, Anna did quit the factory and moved home. On March 23, 1857, she married William D. Bronson of Greensboro, Vermont. Residing on Brondale Farms until her death in 1910, Anna raised three children and apparently never again worked outside the home.

1.25 Linear Feet (1 box )

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.