Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Woodbridge and Michaelis families papers
- Dates:
- 1832-1926
- Creators:
- Michaelis (Family) and Woodbridge (Family)
- Abstract:
- A collection of material related to the Woodbridge and Michaelis families, including Major Francis Woodbridge, Eliza K. Woodbridge, Kate K. Michaelis, Major Otho Michaelis, and Lieutenant Frank Woodbridge.
- Extent:
- 3.84 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Woodbridge and Michaelis families papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
A collection of correspondence, documents, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera related to the Woodbridge and Michaelis families of Vermont and Michigan. The collection covers three generations of men and women who served in the American military during the 19th century; it documents several military campaigns against indigenous peoples in Florida, Michigan, the Dakotas, Montana, and elsewhere. The papers also describe the Army's role in scientific exploration and discovery, technological development, involvement in American political affairs, and the expansion of the United States from the 1830s to the 1880s. Also addressed are the internal conflicts that existed within the Army's officer corps, including its class structure and the constant pursuit of advancement followed by officers; and the relationship between the Army and American society. Courtship letters as well as correspondence between wives and husbands reveal the evolving patterns of relationships between men and women. Other subjects in the collection include: engineering, health and medical care, and the lives of women and children whose husbands and fathers served in the American military.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Francis Woodbridge (1816-1855) was the scion of a prominent New England family and a West Point graduate (Class of 1837); he began his military career in Florida during the Second Seminole War and subsequently served in the Mexican American War, on the Niagara Frontier, and throughout the Midwest. Francis Woodbridge met Elizabeth "Eliza" Cass Kercheval (1821-1873) the daughter of a prominent Michigan politician, Benjamin Berry Kercheval; Francis and Eliza married in April 1841, and together they had a daughter Catharine "Kate" Woodbridge (1846-1926) and, a son, Francis "Frank" Woodbridge (1853-1891). The elder Francis Woodbridge attained the rank of major for his "gallant and meritorious conduct" but died at the age of 39, while stationed at Fort Barrancas, Florida. In December of 1868, Kate Woodbridge married Captain Otho E. Michaelis (1843-1890) who was a German-born New Yorker and a career soldier; he fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and ended the Civil War as a chief of ordnance. Throughout his career he oversaw arsenals in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maine; in September 1881, he accompanied astronomer Samuel P. Langley on his expedition to California's Mount Whitney. Michaelis was also an accomplished chess player, ranked 25th in the world by Edo Historical Chess Ratings. Kate and Otho had nine children, six of whom survived into adulthood. Frank Woodbridge followed in his father's footsteps and entered the military; in the late 1860s and early 1870s, he held a clerical job at the U.S. Department of War while working as a part-time journalist. In 1876, he received a lieutenant's commission and was posted to Fort Shaw, Montana Territory; he married a cousin, Alice Field (1858-1939) in 1883.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased for the Huntington from Michael Brown Rare Books, LLC by the Library Collectors' Council, March 2022.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Gayle M. Richardson in October 2022.
- Arrangement:
-
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Manuscripts, documents, and photographs; 3. Ephemera.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Communication in marriage -- United States -- 19th century
Courtship -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Football -- United States -- History
Journalists -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Nez PerceΜ Indians -- Wars, 1877
Seminole War, 2nd, 1835-1842
Women -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Documents -- United States -- 19th century
Ephemera -- United States -- 19th century
Family papers -- United States -- 19th century
Family papers -- United States -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century
Love letters -- United States -- 19th century
Manuscripts -- United States -- 19th century
Military documents -- United States -- 19th century
Photographs -- United States -- 19th century
Photographs -- United States -- 20th century - Names:
- United States. Army -- Military life --
History -- 19th century
United States. Army -- Officers -- History -- 19th century
United States. Army. Ordnance Corps
Watervliet Arsenal (N.Y.)
Michaelis, Kate Woodbridge, 1846-1926
Michaelis, Otho E.
Woodbridge, Eliza Kercheval, 1821-1873
Woodbridge, Francis, 1816-1855
Woodbridge, Frank, 1853-1891 - Places:
- Canada -- History -- Rebellion, 1837-1838
Canada -- History -- 19th century
Dakota Territory -- History, Military
Florida -- History -- 19th century
Michigan -- History -- 19th century
Michigan -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
Montana -- History, Military
New England -- History -- 19th century
United States -- History -- 19th century
United States -- History -- 20th century
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
United States -- Social conditions -- 19th century
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-11-02 08:44:07 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
Photocopies in box 9 (7) cannot be copied or reproduced in any format.
- Terms of access:
-
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.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Woodbridge and Michaelis families papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191