Ladies' Silk-Culture Society of California ledger, 1889-1890

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Summary

Title:
Ladies' Silk-Culture Society of California ledger
Dates:
1889-1890
Creators:
Ladies' Silk Culture Society of California
Abstract:
Extent:
1 volume
Language:
Preferred citation:

Ladies' Silk-Culture Society of California ledger. San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center

Background

Scope and content:

First volume entry records note about U.S. appropriations, July 1889, and last entry of August 13, 1890 records payment of $16.80 to Miss Lizzie Rollins for cocoons. Entries skip pages within the volume. Entries include payments to Samuel A. Luce, for his work as superintendent at Piedmont station, as well as wages for the Society's secretary, Mrs. Leonidas E. Pratt; payments to individual women for cocoons supplied; payment for labor and materials, horse shoeing, advertising, taxes.

Biographical / historical:

The Society was organized and incorporated in 1885, formed out of the California Silk Culture Association. The Society would promote silk culture and teach farmers' daughters how to cultivate cocoons and establish filatures (where silk is reeled from silkworm cocoons), with the goal of women supporting a family with a small amount of capital and labor. At its first meeting January 8, 1885, Charles Wolcott Brooks was elected president, and Mrs. Louise Rienzi secretary; board members included George C. Perkins, Theodore H. Hittell, Elise C. Hittell, and Ellen C. Sargent, amongst others. In 1886, a building and mulberry orchard of 6,000 trees was purchased at Piedmont, near Oakland, with 100 women being employed there. California would not make appropriations for sericulture after 1888, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture declined funding in 1891. Warren B. Ewer was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Society in April 1889. The Piedmont orchard proved to be a poor location for raising silkworms, and the property was sold to Ewer's son, Thomas B. Ewer.

Acquisition information:
Purchase

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid created by San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center staff.
Date Prepared:
1889-1890
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:55 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

Preferred citation:

Ladies' Silk-Culture Society of California ledger. San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center

Location of this collection:
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102, US
Contact:
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
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