Guide to the Nanny Pearl Wolcott Narrative MS 647

Library & Archives Staff
California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives
2020-06-01


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives
Title: Nanny Pearl Wolcott narrative
creator: Wolcott, Nanny Pearl, 1896
Identifier/Call Number: MS 647
Physical Description: .01 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Date: 1905
Abstract: This file contains a narrative describing cross-country train travel in 1905.
Physical Location: Statewide Museum Collections Center

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research by appointment.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Patricia A. Clark, 2020

Arrangement

Arranged by page number.

Biography

Nanny Pearl Wolcott was born in August 1896 in a log cabin in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Her father, Frederick Jacob Wolcott was born in Gold Run, California in 1870 and was a ship's captain on the Great Lakes. He died from Bright's disease in Alameda, California in August of 1905. Nanny's mother, Pearl Lenox, was born in 1869 in Michigan. Nanny had two older siblings, Faye and Jack. Faye was born August 28, 1893 in Illinois and Jack was born in California. Jack died in Port Huron, MI on April 15, 1955. On April 6, 1918, Nanny Pearl Wolcott married Winfield Jacob Flagg. Nanny [Wolcott] Flagg died June 1977 and Winfield died August 1966. Both are buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Port Huron, Michigan.
In October 1905, widow Pearl Lenox Wolcott, traveled by train from Illinois with her children, Faye, Jack and Nanny. They were invited to live with Fredrick's mother (Victoria Holland Wolcott) in California where Victoria Wolcott ran a boarding house.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Nanny Pearl Wolcott Narrative, MS [MS number], California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Scope and Contents

This file contains a hand-written narrative describing cross-country train travel in October 1905 written by nine year old Nanny Pearl Wolcott. The document describes the features of the United States countryside as seen through the eyes of a nine year old as the family traveled by train from Chicago, Illinois to San Francisco, California.
Wolcott does not write about how she felt being on the train or features of the train trip (such as sleeping or eating on the train). She does write that they "crossed the Straits of Carquinez on on the largest fairy [sp] boats in the world the Solana."

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Narratives--personal
Personal narratives
Rail travel
Railroads--Travel
Train travel