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Ropes and Skinner families papers
MS 142
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Title: Ropes and Skinner families papers
Date (inclusive): 1826-1978, undated
Date (bulk): 1855-1917
Collection Number: MS 142
Creator:
Ropes and Skinner families
Extent:
20.48 linear feet
(46 boxes)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Abstract: This collection consists of diaries,
correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, and other material regarding the Ropes and Skinner
families and their involvement in the American Civil War. A significant portion of this
material dates from 1861-1865, including diaries from Hannah A. Ropes (matron of an army
hospital), Alice R. Skinner (employee of the Freeman's Bureau), and Jairus L. Skinner
(infantry captain and prisoner of war). Publications of the Grand Army of the Republic and
correspondence regarding the American Civil War are also included. Additionally, this
collection contains material that details the experiences of the Ropes and Skinner families
in California during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Includes
correspondence from members of the Perry family (related to the Ropes and Skinner families),
documents from Whittier, Fuller, and Co. (employer of Jairus L. Skinner), and literary
manuscripts, chiefly written by Alice R. Skinner and Jairus L. Skinner.
Languages: The collection is in English.
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be
protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements,
donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark
rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed
by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other
restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights
holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests
exclusively with the user.
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Ropes and Skinner families papers (MS 142).
Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
Gift of Alice Perry Van Boven, 1967.
Processed by Sara Seltzer and Russell M. Fehr, Student Processing Assistants,
2009-2010.
Hannah A. Ropes (1809-1863) was born Hannah Anderson Chandler and was married to William
Henry Ropes, with whom she later became estranged from. She spent most of her life in
Massachusetts and during the 1850s she spent time with her son Edward in Kansas, writing a
book about her experiences. During the American Civil War, she went to Washington D.C. to
serve as matron of a military hospital where she contracted, and eventually died from,
typhoid.
Edward E. Ropes (1837-1931) was the son of Hannah A. Ropes and William Henry Ropes. He grew
up in Massachusetts, but spent a significant portion of the 1850s in Kansas with his mother.
During the American Civil War he served as a private in the infantry, fighting in various
battles including the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war he relocated to Florida.
Alice R. Skinner (1841-1918) was born Alice Ropes to Hannah A. Ropes and William Henry
Ropes. She spent the latter part of the American Civil War working for the Freeman's Bureau
in North Carolina. In 1866, she married Jairus L. Skinner. During the 1880s, she worked as a
piano teacher in Sacramento, California and became active in the Woman's Relief Corps in the
1890s.
Jairus Leander Skinner (1838-1899) spent his early life working in various jobs throughout
Massachusetts. During the American Civil War, he served in the Massachusetts infantry,
rising to Captain, and spending time as a prisoner of war. From 1865 to 1876, he served as
Postmaster of Amherst. He also started a lifelong association with the Grand Army of the
Republic (GAR), rising to become Senior Vice-Commander of the Department of Massachusetts.
During the late 1870s, he moved to Sacramento, California where he worked first as a music
teacher and later as an employee of Whittier, Fuller, and Co. He also maintained his ties to
the GAR, serving as a member of the statewide Board of Administration. In the late 1880s, he
relocated to Los Angeles, California continuing to work for Whittier, Fuller, and Co, and
also beginning work as a lecturer of Swendenbourgism and as a writer/performer of poetry.
Alfred Parsons Skinner (1878-1920) was the son of Jairus L. Skinner and Alice R. Skinner.
After receiving an education, he held a string of jobs in various parts of the western
United States. He was active in the Sons of Veterans, at one point holding the position of
Captain.
Rose Skinner (personal dates unknown) was the wife of Alfred P. Skinner. The two appear to
have married sometime around 1902, and divorced sometime before 1909.
Esther S.Perry (1866-unknown) was born Esther C. Skinner to Alice R. Skinner and Jairus L.
Skinner. In 1899 she married John C. Perry, after working in various odd jobs (including as
a draughtswoman for an architectural firm) throughout the United States.
John C. Perry (personal dates unknown) appears to have worked at various odd jobs,
including Publishing, prior to and shortly after marrying Esther S. Perry. Around 1910, the
Perry family settled in Highland, California where John C. Perry became involved in the
citrus industry.
| 1861-1865 | During the American Civil War Jairus L. Skinner and Edward E. Ropes served in the army, Hannah A. Ropes worked at an army hospital, and Alice R. Skinner worked for the Freeman's Bureau. |
| 1864-1865 | Jairus L. Skinner was a prisoner or war, and, after one failed escape attempt, managed to reach the Union lines. |
| 1866 | Jairus L. Skinner and Alice R. Skinner were married. |
| 1876 | Jairus L. Skinner served as Senior Vice-Commander of the Department of Massachusetts Grand Army of the Republic. |
| 1865-1876 | Jairus L. Skinner served as Postmaster of Amherst. |
| circa 1880-1899 | Jairus L. Skinner was employed by Whittier, Fuller, and Co. |
| circa 1886-1889 | Jairus L.Skinner, Alice R. Skinner, and family relocated to Los Angeles, California. |
| 1899 | John C. Perry and Esther S. Perry were married. |
| circa 1913-1939 | John C. Perry, Esther S. Perry, and family were active in Southern California citrus industry. |
This collection consists of diaries, correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, and other
material regarding the Ropes and Skinner families and their involvement in the American
Civil War. A significant portion of this material dates from 1861-1865, including diaries
from Hannah A. Ropes (matron of an army hospital), Alice R. Skinner (employee of the
Freeman's Bureau), and Jairus L. Skinner (infantry captain and prisoner of war).
Publications of the Grand Army of the Republic and correspondence regarding the American
Civil War are also included. Additionally, this collection contains material material that
details the experiences of the Ropes and Skinner families in California during the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Includes correspondence from members of the Perry
family (related to the Ropes and Skinner families), documents from Whittier, Fuller, and Co.
(employer of Jairus L. Skinner), and literary manuscripts, chiefly written by Alice R.
Skinner and Jairus L. Skinner.
This collection is arranged into five series as follows:
- Series 1. Ropes family papers, 1837-1931, undated
- Series 2. Skinner family papers, 1854-circa 1970, undated
- Series 3. Perry family papers, 1874-1956, undated
- Series 4. Grand Army of the Republic and related organizations, 1862-1921, undated
- Series 5. General correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other material, 1826-1978, undated
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Perry, Esther S.
Skinner, Alice Ropes
Skinner, J. L. (Jairus Leander), 1838-1899
Ropes,
Hannah Anderson
Grand
Army of the Republic
United
States
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Correspondence
Diaries
Manuscripts
Photographs