The Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester Papers, 1887-1955

COLLECTION SUMMARY

Creators: Chichester, Ethel Langhorne Wister, 1881-1977 Chichester, Arthur Mason, Jr., d. 1927 Haines, Ella Wister Starr, Sarah Logan Wister, 1873-1956 Wister, Jones, 1839-1917 Dates: 1887-1955 (bulk 1953-

Extent: 6 boxes (2 linear feet)

Repository: La Salle University. Connelly Library. Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester was born on June 12, 1881. Her father, Jones Wister (1839- 1917) was the fourth son of William Wister and Sarah Logan Fisher Wister. A detailed account of Jones Wister’s life can be read in his Reminiscences (published in Philadelphia, 1920). Ethel’s mother, Caroline de Tousard Stocker, was the granddaughter of Louis de Tousard (1749-1817) a French military officer who served in the American Revolution with Marquis de Lafayette. John and Caroline wed in 1868 and moved to Harrisburg, where he managed J. & J. Wister furnace. The couple had four children, Ella, Alice, Anne and Ethel. Ella died as a baby in 1871 and Alice at the age of nine in 1881. Sadly, Caroline herself died in 1884, when Ethel was only one year old. The family moved back to live at the Belfield Estate in the mansion at Clarkson Avenue, where they lived for ten years. In 1895 Jones Wister remarried, to Sabine J. D’Invilliers Weightman. The family lived at 1819 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, and summered at “Wister Cottage” on Beach Avenue in Cape May, New Jersey. In 1900 the Wister family took a grand tour to Europe and Egypt.

Ethel was educated at Miss Porter’s Boarding School in Farmington, Connecticut. She married Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr., a widower from Leesburg, Virginia, at St. Peter’s Church in Philadelphia on Philadelphia April 23, 1908. Her husband, a descendant of explorer Sir Francis Charles Chichester, had one son, Arthur Mason Chichester III, who was known as “George.” Throughout their married lives they lived at “Widworthy Manor” in Leesburg. Arthur died in 1927, and thereafter Ethel travelled for a long time throughout Europe (staying mostly in Paris). Ethel moved to Washington D.C. in 1934. She died in 1977, at the age of 96.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Includes correspondence (chiefly of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester, her father Jones Wister, and her husband Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr.), newspaper clippings on various Wister family matters, documents on Wister and Chichester family properties (including Belfield), and family photographs. Also includes items by and about Ella Wister Haines and references to Owen Wister. Of particular interest is the scrapbook of Jones Wister (1839-1917) containing clippings, poetry, and obituaries of many family members.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance:

These papers were donated to the La Salle University’s Connelly Library by Laura Haines Belman, niece of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester, in 1995. Two photograph albums, an autograph book, two diaries, manuscript copies of Jones Wister’s memoirs, and a number of books were donated along with these papers. These items have been individually cataloged and are maintained in the Department of Special Collections with in the larger Owen Wister and Family Collection.

Processing Information:

These papers were arranged by Dr. James A. Butler, Curator of the Wister Family Collection at La Salle University, and inventoried by a student in the La Salle University Honors Program in 1996. The papers were reprocessed in 2014 by Sarah Seraphin, Special Collections Librarian.

Access:

There are no special restrictions to access of this collection. It may be examined by library patrons under the normal rules and conditions of the Department of Special Collections.

Use of Materials:

The following is the acceptable citation for publication: Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester Papers, Department of Special Collections, Connelly Library, La Salle University.

SEPARATED MATERIAL

 [Letters to Kate Mann, 1868-1883] / Caroline de T. Wister]. CT275.W5842 A4 1868  [Poetry workbook / Ethel L.W. Chichester]. CT275.W5846 A5  [Quotation book, 1902 ; Diary, August 1-December 29, 1927 / Ethel L.W. Chichester] CT275.W5846 A3 1902-27  [Diary, January 2-August 25, 1928 / Ethel L.W. Chichester] CT275.W5846 A3 1927-28  [Photograph album of a trip to Europe and the Middle East / compiled by Ethel Langhorne Wister]. CT275.W5846 A35 1900  [Family photograph album / compiled by Ethel Langhorne Wister]. CT275.W5846 A352  [Jones Wister's reminiscences] Typescript with the author's (?) emendations. CT275.W5848 A29

CONTENTS

Box 1:

1:1 Childhood letters:  Thank you note to “Miss Kate” from young Alice Logan Wister (undated).  Note to Nellie B. Ripley from a five-year-old Ethel L. Wister (February 28, 1887).  Letter to Ethel L. Wister from niece Caroline; the letter mentions Sunday-night games, spotting pigeons, picking flowers, and a tennis tournament (undated).

1:2 Wedding Details:  List of household items, their quantities and conditions (undated).

 Proposed wedding breakfast menu prepared by Trower Caterers and Confections. This menu includes changes annotated in pencil (dated April 23, 1908--the day of Ethel Wister’s wedding).

 Letter to Ethel L. Wister care of Jones Wister at Cape May, New Jersey (postmarked April 23, 1905 in Philadelphia).

 Easter card from “Cousin Edythe.” A picture of Saint Peter’s Church in Philadelphia is shown on the front of the card (1928).

 Wedding invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Jones Wister, to the wedding of Ethel L. Wister and Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr. on April 23, 1908. Invitation to the 1:00pm wedding breakfast at 1819 Walnut Street is also included.

 Typed list of wedding gifts received; the list is addressed to Mrs. A. M. Chichester (May 2, 1908).

1:2a Letter from Anne Wallis to Ethel L. W. Chichester concerning household sundries and wedding preparations (March 19, 1908).

Letters from Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr. to Ethel Langhorne Wister (1907-1909): 1:3 August 27, 1907 1:4 October 19, 1907 1:5 November 3, 1907 1:6 November 18, 1907 1:7 November 29, 1907 1:8 January 6, 1908 1:9 January 30, 1908 1:10 February 10, 1908 1:11 February 15, 1908 1:12 February 19, 1908 1:13 February 24, 1908 1:14 February 28, 1908 [letter 1] 1:15 February 28, 1908 [letter 2] 1:16 March 1, 1908 (am) 1:17 March 1, 1908 (pm) 1:18 March 2, 1908 (am) 1:19 March 2, 1908 (pm) 1:20 March 3, 1908 1:21 March 4, 1908 1:22 March 5, 1908 1:23 March 7, 1908 1:24 March 9, 1908 (am) 1:25 March 9, 1908 (pm) 1:26 March 10, 1908 1:27 March 16, 1908 1:28 March 17, 1908 1:29 March 18, 1908 1:30 March 19, 1908 1:31 March 20, 1908 1:32 March 22, 1908 1:33 March 23, 1908 1:34 March 24, 1908 1:35 March 25, 1908 (am) 1:36 March 25, 1908 (pm) 1:37 March 27, 1908 (am) 1:38 March 27, 1908 (pm) 1:39 March 31, 1908 1:40 April 1, 1908 (am) 1:41 April 1, 1908 (pm) 1:42 April 3, 1908 1:43 April 4, 1908 1:44 April 5, 1908 1:45 April 6, 1908 (am) 1:46 April 6, 1908 (pm) 1:47 April 8, 1908 (morning) 1:48 April 8, 1908 (mid-afternoon) 1:49 April 8, 1908 (evening) 1:50 April 10, 1908 1:51 April 14, 1908 1:52 April 15, 1908 1:53 April 16, 1908 (am) 1:54 April 16, 1908 (pm) 1:55 April 17, 1908 1:56 April 19, 1908 (am) 1:57 April 19, 1908 (pm) 1:58 April 20, 1908 1:59 May 26, 1908 (8:30 am) 1:60 May 26, 1908 (11:00 am) 1:61 May 27, 1908 (am) 1:62 May 27, 1908 (pm) 1:63 October 8, 1908 1:64 November 10, 1908 1:65 November 11, 1908 1:66 November 13, 1908 (am) 1:67 November 13, 1908 (pm) 1:68 November 14, 1908 1:69 November 15, 1908 1:70 November 16, 1908 1:71 November 17, 1908 1:72 November 18, 1908 1:73 February 1, 1909 1:74 February 3, 1909 (am) 1:75 February 3, 1909 (pm) 1:76 February 4, 1909 1:77 February 10, 1909

Letters between Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester and her sister Anne Barclay [during Ethel’s travels through Europe]:

1:78 Three letters from Ethel to Anne:

 November 30, 1928  December 1, 1928  December 6, 1928

1:79 December 7, 1928 1:80 December 10, 1928 1:81 December 27, 1928 1:82 March 30, 1929 1:83 March 12, 1931 1:84 March 20, 1931 1:85 March 27, 1931 1:86 April 7, 1931 1:87 April 15, 1931 1:88 April 18, 1931 1:89 April 19, 1931

Box 2:

Letters of Sympathy sent to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester regarding death of her husband Arthur Chichester, Jr.:

2:1 Sympathy note to Arthur Chichester, III from Anne Tennant, 1927. 2:2 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from “Bee”, January 28, 1927. 2:3 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Lydia Chichester Laird, February 3, 1927. 2:4 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from L. Harrison, February 4, 1927. 2:5 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Mary Pflaster, February 5, 1927. 2:6 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Ellen Wise, February 6, 1927.

2:7 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Frank Campbell Littleton, February 7, 1927. 2:8 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Emma Willard, February 7, 1927. 2:9 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Mrs. W. Harding, February 8, 1927. 2:10 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Frank Moncure, February 11, 1927. 2:11 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from “Binie”, February 12, 1927. 2:12 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Margaret, February 16, 1927. 2:13 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Suzanne A. Wilson, March 6, 1927. 2:14 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Edward Jefferys, March 15, 1927. 2:15 Sympathy note to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester from Marie Waxman, April 5, 1927.

Miscellaneous items: Poem, Certificate, and Letters:

2:16 Ethel’s copy of a poem titled, “Runnymede”. 2:17 February 11, 1900: Ethel’s Pi Sigma Fraternity induction certificate. 2:18 November 16, 1952: Letter to Anne Barclay from her cousin Alice. 2:19 March 13, 1955: Letter from Anne Barclay to Ethel.

Documents & Photos Belonging to the Chichester Family:

2:20 Engagement and wedding announcements for Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester and Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr. [married April 23, 1908]. 2:21 Photographs of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester with various family members and friends, including many seashore views [probably Cape May] [ca. 1900], 50 photos total, 4 x 5 cm. 2:22 Documents, clippings, and correspondence to Elliot Roosevelt (son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt) regarding the lease of “Widworthy”-- Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s house in Leesburg, VA (1934-1935). 2:23 Property agreement between George Mason Chichester and Sara Edythe Chichester to sell two acres in Lower Merion Township (January 3, 1909). 2:24 Property agreement between the Chichester family and John G. Hopkins to sell a property of 360 acres known as “Ivon” in Loudon County, VA (July 3, 1919). 2:25 Letters of Arthur Mason Chichester, III [born 1901]. Stepson of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester. Four letters sent from Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA, to his father and/or stepmother (undated, 1914, 1915, and 1919). 2:26 Photographs of Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr., Arthur Mason Chichester III, and “Widworthy” in Leesburg, VA, as well as other Chichester family members: Garret, Haines, and Wister family members (35 photographs). 2:27 “A tribute to Ethel Wister Chichester” by Laura Belman (Mrs. Murray J. Belman). Read at a meeting of Chapter III (Decatur House, Washington, D.C.) of the Colonial Dames of America, January 9, 1978. With cover letter from the author. 2:28 Membership certificate of the “Daughters of the Cincinnati” for Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester (New York, December 14, 1938). 2:29 American Red Cross first aid certificate for Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester (July 9, 1917). 2:30 Eight letters from Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester to her sister Anne Wister Barclay about her “Grand Tour” of Europe (ca. 1900). 2:31 Material relating to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester and the National Society of Magna Charta Dames (3 items; 1 dated March 4, 1955) 2:32 Letter from Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester to Mary Gray (Mrs. Francis A. Gray), with postcard for Francis A. Gray, Jr. enclosed (San Diego, August 10, 1941). 2:33 Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s Life Timeline. An invitation to the White House, December 13, 1927, Calvin Coolidge). Invitation to 200th anniversary of John Wister’s arrival in America at “Grumblethorpe,” June 9th 1927. Newspaper clipping of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s letter to the editor on “Errors of Speech.” (August 19, 1907). 2:34 Genealogy of the French side of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s maternal ancestors, the de Tousard family. [N.B.: may be related to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s membership in the Society of Cincinnati, for, one of the de Tousard’s fought in the Revolution.] 2:35 Tax and property documents of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester including: Deed inquiry and survey of a property in Marple Township, Delaware County, PA; federal tax returns for 1926-1928; Leesburg and Loudon County, VA tax records for 1925-1934, 1937 and 1939. A lawyer’s letter on the estate of Anthony E. Stocker and Erlanger Theater bonds. 2:36 Letter from Mary Gray to Laura Belman regarding closing Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s apartment when she moved to the Potomac Valley Nursing Home (October 2, [1973]). 2:37 Scrapbook of Jones Wister (1839-1917) containing clippings and poetry. Contains clippings relating to his work in the iron industry, politics, and family obituaries (signed on the front and dated July 8, 1876). 2:38 Letter from Raffaelo Romanelli to Jones Wister presenting bill for a bronze statue of John Wister at Vernon on Germantown Ave (Florence, Italy, September 5, 1903). 2:39 Photo of an oil painting of one of the Wister brothers in Civil War uniform as painted by Jones Wister. 2:40 Bondholder document of the Nittany Valley Railroad Company by Jones Wister, acting as agent for Sabine Weightman Wister (1916). 2:41 Ten photographs of Jones Wister posing as his grandfather John Wister. Six taken ca. 1900 by James Wood, for sculptor Raffaelo Romanelli. Other photos undated [ca. 1908- 1910]. 2:42 Newspaper clippings of letters to the editor, and articles by and about Jones Wister. With patents, five letters of Jones Wister, and several obituaries. 2:43 Letter from Mohammed Shakrey regarding the Wister family’s visit to Cairo, Egypt (September 24, 1900). With letter from Mohammed Shakrey to Jones Wister congratulating Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester on her marriage (July 10, 1908). 2:44 “The Philadelphia of our Ancestors: Old Philadelphia Families XIII - Wister” by Frank Willing Leach in The Philadelphia North American (September 1, 1907). 2:45 “What’s in a name” Poem by Susan Stevenson [died 1910] on the difference between “Wisters” and “Wistars”. Written in 1885 for a family party of the children. With, William Rotch Wister’s “Poem for Mr. John Wister from Frances Brown Conti.” (annotated manuscript and typed transcript). 2:46 “The Wistar-Wister Family: a Pennsylvania family’s contribution toward American cultural development” by Milton Rubicam in Pennsylvania history 20 (1953), p. 142-64. (photocopy). 2:47 “Remarks at La Salle University, October 1, 1994,” by Laura Haines Belman on the occasion of the dedication of the Mary and Frances Wister Studio.

Box 3:

3:1 Wedding notice for Mary Channing Wister Dasburg (born 1899), daughter of Owen Wister (undated clipping from unknown newspaper shows photograph). 3:2 Materials on Fanny (Frances Anne) Kemble (1809-1893):  “Fanny Kemble and Butler Place” Germantown Crier v. 11, no. 2 (May 1959).  Program from an Ursinus College production of “A Matter Of Conscience: A New Play about Fanny Kemble” by Joyce E. Henry. 3:3 Glimpses Into History: A Brief Record of the Colonial Dames of America, Chapter II, Philadelphia, Ella Wister Haines, editor; published 1961 (photocopies of selected pages). 3:4 “Memories of a Victorian Childhood” by Ella Wister Haines in the Germantown Crier (September 1956). 3:5 Letter from Ella Wister Haines to Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester (April 14, 1921, photocopy of typescript). 3:6 Newspaper articles and obituaries (6 items, 1940-1969) on Ella Wister Haines (some photocopies). 3:7 Letter [possibly] from Kate Mann to Anne Wister Barclay (St. Davids, Delaware County, PA, August 17, 1890). 3:8 Newspaper clippings and obituaries (4 photocopied items) on Sarah Logan Wister Starr (1873-1956). 3:9 Obituary notice for Frances Kemble Wister Stokes (1901-1992) from the Philadelphia Inquirer. 3:10 Photograph of Wister family at Belfield ca. 1888 (reproduction). Seated (in black) is Sarah Logan Fisher Wister (1807-1891). 3:11 Belfield related memorabilia donated by Jennie C. Nieckel: letters, clippings, wedding invitations, and other items (8 items, 1896-1989). [See also folder 6:25] 3:12 Wister family papers found at Belfield in 1984, donated by Harry A. McManus: letters, clippings, invitations, and other items (16 items, 1893-1930). The bulk of this material consists of letters to Sarah Logan Wister Starr. 3:13 Wister and Chichester family Wills and related letters (13 items, 1875-1968). 3:14 Three letters from Caroline de Tousard Stocker Wister to Mrs. John (Sarah Tyler Boas) Wister (1 undated, 2 dated 1881). 3:15 Letter from Casper Wister to Dr. James A. Butler recounting a Owen Wister anecdote (November 13, 1994). 3:16 Legal papers, correspondence, petition, plea, and decree in the matter of Elsie (Elizabeth Harvey) Wister Keith, “a weak-minded person,” 1939-1841. 3:17 Miscellaneous items about Frances Anne Wister (1874-1956) (6 items, 1940-1994). 3:18 “A Wakefield Bride Comes to Germantown” by Frances Anne Wister (photocopy of Germantown Crier article, May, 1954). 3:19 Letter from Mrs. John C. (Gertrude) Wister to Laura Belman discussing several ancestors (February 2, 1984). 3:20 Obituaries, etc. for John Caspar Wister (1887-1982) (4 items). 3:21 Miscellaneous photos and articles on Langhorne Wister (1834-1891) (4 items). 3:22 Obituary notice for Mary Channing Wister (1870-1913) newspaper clipping. 3:23 Materials related to the naming of the Mary and Frances Wister Fine Arts Studio at La Salle and the 250th anniversary dinner at La Salle for Grumblethorpe (October 1994). 3:24 Obituary notice for Mary Eustis Wister (1845-1944) with photo of the William Rotch Wister residence, Germantown (February 29, 1944, photocopy). 3:25 Information on the film versions of Owen Wister’s The Virginian from the British Film Institute catalog. 3:26 “The Story of Chalkeye: A Wind River Romance” by Owen Wister, published in American West (January/February 1984), p. 37-47. With: “Owen Wister: A Creator of the Cowboy Myth, A Critical Essay” by Wallace Stegner, p. 48-52. 3:27 Newspaper clippings on the escape of Owen Wister’s pet monkey “Billy” from Butler Place, Germantown ca. 1902. 3:28 Obituary notice for Rodman Wister (1844-1913) (newspaper clipping with portfolio). 3:29 Marriage and obituary notices for Rodman M. Wister (1890-1922) (3 clippings). 3:30 Obituary notice and information on portrait of Sarah Logan Fisher Wister (1806-1891). [Portrait at Grumblethorpe was by her son Jones Wister.] 3:31 Obituary notice for William Rotch Wister (1827-1911) (clipping) and ”Some Recollections of the Philadelphia Bar” by William Rotch Wister (photocopy). 3:32 Obituary notice for William Wynne Wister (1807-1898) (clipping). 3:33 Inventory of the Wister and Chichester family papers donated to La Salle University, September. 7, 1995 by Laura Haines Belman (Ms. Murray J. Belman) (7 leaves). 3:34 “The House Across the Street” by F. Lewis (i.e. Thomas J.) Donaghy, FSC as published in Four Quarters (May 1963). 3:35 Credit searches for various Philadelphia properties, 1849-57. Found in the Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester papers (3 items). 3:36 Designation of Belfield as a National Historic Landmark, October 1966 (2 items). 3:37 Letter from S. Lindley Fisher at “Wakefield” in Germantown to her brother in the California gold fields, February 10, 1850 (with newspaper clipping about the discovery of the letter). 3:38 Wister family genealogy compiled by James Butler. 3:39 “They who love Germantown most are always cricketers” by Tom Melville in the Germantown Crier 42/3, p. 58-62 (photocopy). 3:40 “Belfield open to the public for the first time in history” by Jessie J. Poesch in the Germantown Crier 13/3 (September 1961), p. 7-8 (photocopy). 3:41 “Charles Wilson Peale’s garden at Belfield” by Geraldine Duclow in Germantown crier 35/2 (Spring 1983), p. 34-37 (photocopy).

Box 4:

4.1 Hand sewn “Birthday Greeting” with typescript poem sewn in. Signed by Isabelle Murray. “To E.W.C.” sewn into inside cover. Dated June 12, 1944.

4.2 Sleeves from Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester’s wedding gown. Wedding date, April 23, 1908.

Box 5: [Click to view selected photographic material online]

5:1 Framed photo: Anthony Eugene Stocker in Civil War Uniform. Size of original: 3.7" x 5.6". On back of photograph, Edith Langhorne Wister has written: "My grandfather, Anthony Eugene Stocker - in the uniform of the War between the States. This photograph was given to me by Dr. [?Astley] P.C. [?Ashaupt] from files of the Ep. Hosp. Phila. Pa. -"

5:2 Photographs of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester:  Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester, 1886, 4 years old. Photograph by Hinkle, Main Street, Germantown, PA. Handwritten on back: "Ethel Langhorne Wister / 4 years"  Anne Wister Barclay and Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester, 1886. Photograph by Hinkle, Main Street, Germantown, PA.  Ethel Langhorne Wister in her blue velvet coat & hat - called by her "my blue Belly" coat, ca. 1885. Photograph by William Curtis Taylor,1328 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA.  Ethel Wister ca. 1895. Photograph by Hinkle, Main Street, Germantown, PA.  Ethel Wister, 1897. Photograph is inscribed, “For Papa and Mother with best love from Ethel, Christmas, 1897.”  Ethel Wister ca. 1898. [Possibly a “coming out” photograph.”]  Ethel Wister with [Mr. Moyers?], while “staying with the Coffins,” 1898.  Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester and Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr. on their wedding day, April 23, 1908.  Ethel Wister Chichester dressed for a Colonial Dames party, undated.  Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester on horseback, undated. Photograph annotated by Laura Belman (7/95): "Ethel as a bride? She didn't like riding (and it shows). The horse looks miserable." Originally filed by Laura Belman with group of 35 photos of Arthur Mason Chichester and "Widworthy" in Leesburg, Virginia.  Group portrait, possibly showing Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester and Anne Wister Bradley. Tintype, undated.

5:3 Miscellaneous photographs and ephemera:  Photograph of the mantel in Vernon, the house of John Wister (1829-1900). Measurements: 8.5" x 6.6". Charles Dudley Arnold, Photographer: 586 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. This building was converted into a library building in Vernon Park in 1895.  Photograph of a silhouette of Sarah Wister (1761 - 1804). Measurements: 3.6" X 5.6". Author of Sally Wister's Journal, a True Narrative; Being a Quaker Maiden's Account of Her Experiences with Officers of The Continental Army, 1777-1778.  Image of Belfield from an unknown publication. Measurements: 5.6" x 3.6"  Postcard (ca. 1920s) of "Little Wakefield," then home to the National League for Woman's Service Demonstration Center. This building became the St. Mutien's Christian Brothers' Residence, of La Salle University in 1996. Measurements: 5.6" x 4.4".  Photograph [identified as] Caroline de Tousard Stocker (d. 1884) Mother of Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester (1881 - 1977), wife of Jones Wister (1839 - 1917). Measurements: 3.9" x 3.6".  Photograph of man and woman identified as "Ellicotts" by Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester (1881 - 1971). It is not known which of the Ellicotts are pictured here. Ethel Langhorne Wister Chichester was a descendant of Jonathan Ellicott (1756-1826). Measurements: 4.3" x 6.6".  Picture of an unidentified young child. Written on the back of the photo is “A Barclay?” Possibly thus one of the children of Anne Wister Barclay. Measurements: 2.5" x 3.4"  L. & R. Wister and Co. bankruptcy notice, December 17, 1912, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Photograph of colonial currency [See pp. 8-9 in Jones Wister’s Reminiscences for same]. Financier William Wister (1746-1800) endorsed colonial currency.  Colored Print, "Taking a Fly" (London: Published by Thos Mc Lean, 26 Haymarket).  Newspaper clipping giving ordinance to permit Grand Boulevard Street Railway Company to install tracks and overhead wires in the Twentieth Ward. Approved November, 1895, by Philadelphia Mayor Charles Franklin Warwick (1852-1913).

Box 6:

6:1 “Unveiling of Peale Sundial at Belfield, June 1933” (photocopy of newspaper article). With: Letter from Lillian B. Miller, editor of the Peale Family Papers. 6:2 History of Stenton by Sarah Logan Wister Starr. Philadelphia, PA: S.L.W. Starr, 1938. (27 p.: ill.; 23 cm) (photocopy). [See F158.8.S84 S8 for original] 6:3 Essays by Eugene Chesnick [inspired by Belfield] (3 items). With: “The Farm in the City” (poem) by Elaine Terranova (photocopies). 6:4 The Peale Family: Creation of an American Legacy, 1770-1870. Washington, D.C.: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1997. ([12] p.: col. III; 23 x 23 cm). Catalog of an exhibition April 25-July 6, 1997. 6:5 Materials on J. and J. Wister Co. and the Duncannon Iron Company (4 photocopied items). 6:6 “John Wister Loved Gay Garb In Youthful Days at Vernon” by Margaret Halsey (newspaper clipping from unknown source, dated January 19, 1967). 6:7 Recollections of the 12th U.S. Infantry & Regular Division, 1861-1865. By Francis Wister. Philadelphia, 1887. (15 p.; 24 cm) (photocopy). 6:8 William Logan Fisher (1781-1862) papers in the Clements Library, University of Michigan - description and index (9 pages printed from website). 6:9 Fifty photographs dated 1903-1905, mounted on album pages. Showing John Caspar Wister (1897-1982), Ella Wister Haines and others. Includes a few photographs of Belfield and other Wister properties. 6:10 Little Girl of Spruce Street by Ella Eustis Wister. (28 leaves: 1 ill.; 28 cm) (photocopy of typescript). 6:11 Three letters from Sarah Logan Fisher to Mary Rodman Fox (photocopies of originals in the Fox Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania). 6:12 Photographs of Langhorne Wister (1884-1891), dated 1874, and of Rodman Wister (1844-1913), dated 1885; with photocopies of obituary notice and two photographs of Rodman Wister; with photographs of Langhorne Wister’s grave marker in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, and of his unit’s memorials at Gettysburg 6:13 Photocopies of letters written from London by Frances Anne Kemble (1809-1893), to William Rotch Wister (1827-1911), her lawyer in Philadelphia (originals at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania).

 Letter in regard to the birth of William Rotch Wister’s son John Caspar Wister (1887- 1982) (April 6,1887).  A letter requesting that money to be sent to her (April 30, 1890).  Letter in regard to the death of William Rotch Wister’s brother Langhorne Wister (1884- 1891) (May 1,1891).

6:14 Frances Anne Wister, “A Wakefield Bride Comes to Germantown,” Germantown Crier, Vol. 6, no. 2 (May 1954), pp. 10-12. 6:15 Correspondence between Canadian Novelist Mary Meigs (1917-2003) and James A. Butler [Curator of the Wister Family Collection at La Salle University] about the Wister Family and about Belfield.

 James A. Butler to Mary Meigs: August 5, 1997; February 11, 1998.  Mary Meigs to James A. Butler: August 13, 1997; December 17, 1997; January 30, 1998; December 27, 1998.

6:16 Owen Wister, “The Pentecost of Calamity,” Saturday Evening Post, Vol. 188, no. 1 (July 3, 1915), pp. 3-5, 26-29. With: “The Pentecost of Calamity: Two Letters,” one by Nina Von Below and one by Owen Wister as a response, Saturday Evening Post, May 6,1916, pp. 29+. With: Owen Wister, “How One Bomb Was Made,” Saturday Evening Post, vol. 194, no. 23 (December 3, 1921), 3-4, 33-36, 39. Both tear sheets and photocopies of all articles. 6:17 Three Articles by Laura Haines [Belman]:  “There is No Job Description for a Housewife-Volunteer,” Washington Post, June 29, 1979, p. G3.  “Almost Heaven,” Washington Post Magazine, August 5, 1979, pp. 30-32.  “When a Mother Turns 40,” Washington Post, August 26, 1979.

6:18 Nine typewritten pages of comments by “H. M. C.” on Ella Wister Haines’ Reminiscences of a Victorian Child, accompanied by a letter from “Hal” from “Little Pond, Sherborn” to Ella Eustis Wister Haines (April 16, 1955). [Many of H. M. C.’s comments are about the Channing ancestors of Ella Wister Haines (1879-1969).] 6:19 Ella Wister Haines, “Memories of a Victorian Childhood,” Germantown Crier, vol. 8, no. 3 (September, 1956), pp. 9-12+. [Cover of issue has photograph of Fisher’s Mills, which stood at Belfield and what is now Lindley, just off La Salle University’s southern border.] 6:20 Letter from Sarah Tyler Boas Wister (1842-1922) from Belfield, Germantown, December 17, 1907, about the following: a fire at Belfield, which destroyed barn, and the subsequent rebuilding of that barn; the birth and christening of her grandson John Wister Wurts; the 80th birthday party (held at Belfield) for her brother-in-law William Rotch Wister (1827-1911). Letter is addressed to Rev. W. L. Walter, St. Aidan’s College, Birkenhead, England, then forwarded to 24 Aldridge Rd [Villas], London W1. With the letter is the envelope and four additional empty stamped envelopes postmarked 1904, 1905, 1906. Also with this material is a wedding invitation to “Mr. and Mrs. Walter’s for marriage of Margaret Wister to Edward Browning Meigs, June 8, 1910, and to breakfast at Belfield on the same day. 6:21  Check signed by William Wister (1801-1881), February 11, 1873, as Treasurer of the North Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 407 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. William Wister lived at Belfield.  Check signed by Mary Channing Wister (1870-1913), as Treasurer of the Civic Club, payable to municipal reformer Clinton Rogers Woodruff, Treasurer of the Municipal League, April 17, 1894. [As of May 5, 2014 this item is missing] 6:22 Letter from John Wister (1829-1900) to his uncle Lindley Fisher (1818-1852), from Duncannon, Pennsylvania, August 21, 1850, about operations at the family’s iron mill. [John Wister later lived at Belfield.] 6:23 Photocopy of Deed of Sale from William Rotch Wister (1827-1911), John Wister (1829- 1900), Jones Wister (1839-1917), and Rodman Wister (1844-1913) to Thomas Gibb Belfield estate), July 15, 1893. Deed of Sale also traces prior transfers of property from Charles Wilson Peale (1741-1827) to William Logan Fisher (1781-1862) to Sarah Logan Fisher Wister (1805-1891). (Original at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania) 6:24 Information about service of James Starr (1870-1947) in the First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, in Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War. James Starr (1870-1947) at Belfield, October 15, 1901. [Printed from the Internet, 2002] 6:25 Invitation for Mr. and Mrs. Haffley to attend the marriage of Sarah Logan Wister (1873- 1956) to James Starr (1870-1947) at Belfield, October 15, 1901. [Note: this material was originally filed with the Belfield related memorabilia donated by Jennie C. Nieckel which is filed in folder 3:11.] 6:26 Obituary notice of Francis Wister (1841-1905), with photographs and related items (all photocopies). Details of his Civil War service. 6:27 Photocopy of letter from Owen Wister (1860-1938) to his brother-in-law John Caspar Wister (1887-1982). Letter written from Saunderstown, Rhode Island, May 13 [no year], about landscaping at Owen Wister’s “Crow field” in Saunderstown. 6:28 Article on the then recently deceased Jones Wister (1839-1917), which also extensively discusses his brothers William Rotch Wister (1827-1911), John Wister (1829-1900), Langhorne Wister (1884-1891), Francis Wister (1841-1905), Rodman Wister (1844- 1913) (Publication unknown; date is September 9, 1917.) 6:29 Photograph of house “Wister” (Wister and Clarkson Streets, Germantown, PA), home of William Rotch Wister (1827-1911) and Mary Eustis Wister (1844-1944) and their four children. Built 1876, demolished 1956. 6:30 Program of the Forty-Eighth Annual Dinner of the Shakespeare Society of Philadelphia, April 23, 1900. Signed by all seventeen of the members present, including Owen Wister (1860-1938), Talcott Williams (1849-1928), and Horace Howard Furness, Jr. (1865- 1930). This copy belonged to member Richard S. Hunter. With: Program of the One Hundred Forty-Eighth Annual Dinner of the Shakespeare Society of Philadelphia, April 25, 2000. 6:31 Two manuscript letters to Franz Emmerick, Hazelton, PA, from “Better,” mentioning Owen Wister’s The Virginian (September 13, 1911, and undated). 6:32 Greeting card from Francis Anne Wister (1874-1956), showing the gazebo built at Belfield on the site of Charles Wilson Peale’s summer house, ca. 1926. 6:33 Description of Fall River Textile Archive (auctioned to unknown buyer), indicating that this Massachusetts firm had as its investors: William Logan Fisher (1781-1862), Ellicott Fisher (1840-1908), Letitia Harvey Ellicott Fisher (1803-1881), and Sarah Logan Fisher Wister (1806-1891). This archive also includes letters of William Rotch Wister (1827- 1911) and Ellicott Fisher (1840-1908). 6:34 Ella Wister Haines (1879-1969), “Folly of Foundling Bay, Part I,” The Farm Journal, September 25, 1925, pp. 16+. Continuation on p. 88 is missing. 6:35 Information about (and a photograph of) a painting of Wister Woods in 1875 by Edmund Rodman (1824-1902) of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The painting shows the course of the Wingohocking Creek before it was encased and buried in a sewer now under the present Belfield Avenue. Present location of the painting is unknown.