Finding aid for the George and Elenora Adams diaries, letters, and other material 7086
Bo Doub
USC Libraries Special Collections
2019 March
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: George and Elenora Adams diaries, letters, and other material
creator:
Adams, George Everett, 1845-1887
creator:
Adams, Elenora Martin Learned, 1845-1921
Identifier/Call Number: 7086
Physical Description:
3.54 Linear Feet
6 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1856-1909
Abstract: The George and Elenora Adams diaries, letters, and other material contain 39 diaries, four letters, and various personal documents
and ephemera kept by George E. Adams and his wife Elenora Martin Learned Adams. Throughout the course of their lives--as documented
in their journals--George and Elenora worked as farmers, teachers, and store owners in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine
before moving to Duarte near East Los Angeles in 1887. In California, George and Elenora tried their luck as fruit-pickers,
real estate speculators, and store owners, including several months working on a relative's dairy farm and ranch in East Los
Angeles, before eventually settling in Pasadena as merchants. The collection comprises a historically important and richly
detailed first-hand account of a New England family's struggle to relocate during the California land boom of the mid-1880s
and become successful merchants in Los Angeles.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains 29 diaries by George E. Adams spanning the period from 1862 to 1895 (missing the years 1863, 1882,
and 1888-1890); and 10 diaries by Elenora M. Adams spanning from 1873 to 1885 (missing the years 1879, and 1881-1882). Accompanying
the diaries is an 1864 Civil War letter written by Elenora's two brothers (while both were serving in the 14th New Hampshire
Infantry); together with a few other personal letters and documents relating to George and Elenora's work as teachers and
store owners -- including three letterpress broadsheets advertising the various goods and services offered at their store
in Westborough, Massachusetts, and other store-related ephemera.
The diaries contain detailed and harrowing accounts of George Adams' two-year tenure (1873-1874) as an officer, teacher, and
night watchman at the Massachusetts State Reform School for Boys in Westborough, and of both George and Elenora's employment
at the State Reform School for Boys in Portland, Maine (1874-1876). In George Adams' final six diaries (from 1887 and 1891-1895),
he provides detailed accounts of his overland travel from Boston to East Los Angeles and of his first year in California working
as a fruit picker for the Porter Brothers Company and as a real estate broker at the height of the land boom in 1887. In his
other California diaries from the early 1890s, George details his efforts to make a living as a store owner and merchant,
while at the same time still managing his real estate holdings and continuing to work as an occasional fruit picker, dairy
farm laborer, and ranch hand.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections 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.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], George and Elenora Adams diaries, letters, and other material, Collection no. 7086, Regional
History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Between the Covers - Rare Books, Inc., February 26, 2019.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Duarte (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Archival resources
East Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History -- Archival resources
Migration, internal -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Advertisements
Correspondence
Diaries
Adams, George Everett, 1845-1887 -- Archives
Adams, Elenora Martin Learned, 1845-1921 -- Archives
Massachusetts. State Reform School (Westborough, Mass.)
Diaries of George E. Adams
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1862
Box 4
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1864
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1865
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1866
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1867
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1868
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1869
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire
1870
Box 1
George E. Adams / Dublin, N. Hamp.
1871
Box 2
George E. Adams / Westborough, Mass./ S.R.S.
1872
Box 4
Geo. E. Adams / Westboro' Mass., Worcester Co.
1873
Box 4
Geo. E. Adams / Westboro' Mass.
1874
Box 4
George E. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1875
Box 4
Geo. E. Adams / Portland, Maine, Maine S.R.S.
1876
Box 4
George E. Adams / Watertown, Mass.
1877
Box 5
Geo. E. Adams / Geo. E. Adams, Glassware & Crockery ... Watertown, Mass.
1878
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams ... / Geo. E. Adams, Glassware & Crockery ... Watertown, Mass.
1879
Box 2
[Ink stamp:] Geo. E. Adams, Glassware & Crockery ... Watertown, Mass.
1880
Box 5
[Ink stamp:] Geo. E. Adams, Glassware & Crockery ... Watertown, Mass.
1881
Box 5
Geo. E. Adams / Watertown, Mass.
1883
Box 5
[No ownership signature or stamp]
1885
Box 5
[No ownership signature or stamp]
1886
Box 5
Geo. E. Adams, 115 Hawkins St. / East Los Angeles, California
1887
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams / Duarte, Cal.
1891
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams / Pico Heights, Cal.
1892
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams / Pico Heights, Cal.
1893
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams / East Los Angeles, Cal.
1894
Box 2
Geo. E. Adams / 1223 Pasadena Ave., East Los Angeles, Cal.
1895
Diaries of Elenora Martin Learned Adams
Box 3
E. M. Learned / alias E. M. Adams
1873
Box 5
Elenora M. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1874
Box 3
Elenora M. Adams / Dublin, N.H.
1875
Box 3
Elenora M. Adams / Portland, Me. / Watertown, Mass.
1876
Box 3
Elenora Adams / A new year's present from George
1877
Box 3
Elenora M. Adams / Watertown, Mass.
1880
Box 3
A present from George and to be kept for his express pleasure / Elenora M. Adams
1883
Box 3
Presented by George E. Adams to E. M. Adams
1884
Box 3
Elenora M. Adams / Watertown, Mass.
1885
Box 6, Folder 1
[Letters and documents relating to George and Elenora's teaching careers]
1856-1873
Scope and Contents
Five manuscripts and one printed flyer.
Box 6, Folder 2
[Civil War letter from Elenora M. Adams' brothers]
1864-07
General
Creators: Corp. Lewis D. Learned, killed at the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, and Corp. Marion D. Learned.
Recipients: Elenora M. Adams (née Learned) and Louisa Learned.
Extract: " ... Algiers is some like Carrollton but a little larger village. We get vegetables here but we have to pay very
high for them. We have not had much duty to do yet and it being so warm we do not feel much like running about and we have
a lot of spare time which we occupy in reading etc. The weather is very warm we have showers most every day sometimes it rains
quite hard then we do not get much at other times there are quite a lot of soldiers encamped at this place some come and some
leave most every day ... "
Scope and Contents
ALS. Octavo. 4pp. Algiers, La. Also includes typed transcription and biographical/historical information relating to the Learned
brothers printed from the web.
Box 6, Folder 4
[Fraternal organization certificates and letter]
1869-1883
Scope and Contents
Nine documents re: Independent Order of Good Templars (IOGT) and Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).
Box 6, Folder 5
[Price list for The Galvanized Eureka Sap Spout and Bucket Hanger]
1870
Scope and Contents
One broadside.
Box 6, Folder 6
[George E. Adams periodical subscription sales - checks and certification]
1870-1874
Box 6, Folder 7
[News clippings]
1870-1881, undated
Box 6, Folder 8
[Ephemera]
1871-1879
Scope and Contents
Reward of merit to George Adams; Republican Rallying Committee notice to Adams; bank check made out to Adams; Watertown Lecture
Course ticket; Portland Steam Packet 1876 Centennial Excursion ticket; various business and personal cards.
Box 6, Folder 9
[Promotional material for Adams' store]
1873
Scope and Contents
[3 Broadsides and one 4pp. brochure]. Advertising Geo. E. Adams store and available goods and services in Westboro', Mass.
, 1873.
Box 6, Folder 10
Certificate of Marriage
1873
General
George E. Adams and Elenora M. Learned, Dublin, N.H.
Box 6, Folder 11
[Family letter(s)]
1881-05-08
Scope and Contents
1-2 letters written on the same sheet of paper -- addressed "Dear Children."
Box 6, Folder 12
[Letter from George E. Adams to Mrs. Stone re: death of Elbridge O. Stone]
1909-01-15
Box 6, Folder 13
[Small tintype - possibly George E. Adams when a young man]
undated
Box 6, Folder 14
[George E. Adams business cards]
undated
Scope and Contents
[2 Business cards]. "Geo. E. Adams, Dealer in Papers & Periodicals, Pictures, Books, Stationery, Fancy Goods, &c. / Westboro',
Mass." [and] "Geo. E. Adams, Dealer in Crockery, Glass and Stone Ware, Pictures, Frames, Stationery, Games, Fancy Goods, &c.
Also Fruit and Confectionery / Watertown, Mass."
