Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers,

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1 Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers, Overview of the Collection Creator Carpenter-Richardson Family Title Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers Dates (inclusive) Quantity 4000 items. 8 linear feet of shelf space. Collection Number Cage 171 Summary Correspondence and other papers of Cle Elum banker Frank Carpenter, his wife Norah Carr Carpenter, their daughter Margaret and her husband Dr. John P. Richardson regarding the movement of the family from Illinois to Washington State, the operation of the Cle Elum State Bank, the education of Margaret Carpenter at Annie Wright Seminary and Sarah Lawrence College, the medical practice of Dr. Richardson, and personal relations of members of the family, among themselves and with aquaintances throughout the United States as well as members of the Carr family at Girard, Illinois. Repository Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Terrell Library Suite 12 Pullman WA Telephone: mascref@wsu.edu Access Restrictions This collection is open for research use. Languages Sponsor English Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Historical Note The Carpenter-Richardson family established itself in Cle Elum, Washington in 1906 when Frank Carpenter, a native of Girard, Illinois, arrived and organized the Cle Elum State Bank. Norah Carr, also of Girard, joined him at Cle Elum in 1908 and they married soon after. Their daughter, Margaret, was born at Cle Elum about two years after her parents' marriage. In 1943, she married Dr. John Purver Richardson, a physician from Ellensburg.Dr. Richardson died in 1953, Mr. Carpenter in 1959, Mrs. Carpenter in 1962, and Margaret Carpenter Richardson in During its sixty-seven years in Cle Elum, the family's place was among the community's relatively well-to-do elite. It was supported by Frank Carpenter's income from the Cle Elum State Bank, a small state bank with branches at Cle Elum and Roslyn, and from his various investments in local real estate. This income enabled his family 1

2 to conduct a style of life which included an expensive house, travel around the United States, and boarding schools for daughter Margaret. Margaret Carpenter, the principal figure in the Carpenter-Richardson papers, first attended Annie Wright Seminary in Tacoma and then Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Ill at ease in school, despite excellent academic performance, Margaret left Sarah Lawrence in her sophomore year and attempted to find a career in, successively New York, Washington D. C., and San Francisco. Meeting with little success, she returned to Cle Elum and a modest positon at the bank her father managed. She continued to travel, participate in amateur theatrical productions, and carry on correspondence with a cosmopolitan circle of acquaintances from her college days. In 1943, she quietly married Dr. Richardson, founder and partner in an Ellensburg clinic, and for several years continued her life much as before, adopting Dr. Richardson's name only in about After Dr. Richardson's death in 1953, Margaret returned to her association with her parents in Cle Elum. After their deaths, she adopted a daughter, Susi. She also became involved in various local volunteer activities, such as the Cle Elum Historical Society. She lost her sight in 1968, but remained active until her death in Content Description The Carpenter-Richardson papers consist of about 4,000 items, mostly letters received by the four members of the family, especially the two women. As each member of the family wrote to other members, the papers accordingly contain some letters written by the respective members and received by others. A larger portion of the papers, however, consists of letters written by persons outside the immediate family. Many from earlier dates are written by sisters and cousins of Norah Carr Carpenter. Those from a later time, addressed mainly to Margaret Carpenter, are also from cousins, aunts and so forth, but to a greater degree reflect a non-familial pattern. Many are from college friends or Central Washington figures of social circumstances similiar to those of the family. The papers also contain some materials relative to the education and occupations of the various family members. Use of the Collection Preferred Citation [Item Description]. Cage 171, Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA. Administrative Information Arrangement The papers are arranged into two series. The first series, correspondence, is divided into two subseries, one consisting of the letters written among the four members of the family, the other of letters received from persons outside the family. The second series consists of materials relative to the education, occupations, and interests of the four individual members of the family. Custodial History Prior to acquisition by the Washington State University Library, these papers were held at the University of Oregon Library, where provisional processing had been completed. 2

3 Acquisition Information The Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers, consisting primarily of letters received by Frank Carpenter, Norah Carr Carpenter, Margaret Carpenter Richardson, and John Purver Richardson of Cle Elum and Ellensburg, Washington, were accessioned by the Washington State University Library in January, Related Materials Carpenter-Richardson Family Papers, circa (unprocessed accession; MS ); United States two-and-one-half dollar coin, 1861 (Cage 5111). Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Correspondence Container(s) Description Dates Subseries 1.1: Carpenter-Richardson Correspondence items items items items items items items items items items items

4 items items items items. undated Subseries 1.2: Letters received 3 16 A's 3 17 Allen, Bruce 3 18 Allen, Mrs. Frank DeWitt 100 items Allen, Frank Carr 30 items Allen, Frank DeWitt 9 items Allen, Vera Ann B's 35 items Bartlett, Emaline 5 items Bergman, Erma 4 25 Bon, Frances Bond, Edna

5 4 27 Bowen, Ruth 13 items Bowersox Family 4 29 Bowles, Helen 5 items Burkhalter, Babs 4 31 C's 4 32 Campbell, Mary 14 items Carpenter, Charles 7 items Carpenter, Mayme 45 items Carr Family 4 36 Carr, Harmen 4 37 Chalkey, Dell 4 38 Cook, Anna 65 items D's 5 40 Davidson, Gertha 60 items Diller, Elizabeth

6 5 42 Donaldson, Georgia 40 items Dunham, George 5 44 E's 5 45 F's 12 items Fisher, Ella 5 47 Frederick, Frank 200 items Frierson, Rowenna 6 49 G's 6 50 Gage, Kate 6 51 Garretson Family 6 52 Griggs Family 6 53 H's 6 54 Haak, Noralee 50 items Harlan, Elizabeth 12 items Hoover, W. D

7 6 57 Houser, Ruth 6 58 Houser, Clifford Houser, Harold Houser, Vera 50 items Houser, Vera Houser, Vera 140 items J's 4 items Jaloneck, Edwin 8 69 Jamison, Neil 8 70 Johnson, Anna 6 items Johnsone, Charles 8 72 Jones, L. P. 12 items K's 12 items Kaden, Mary Kay, Judith

8 14 items Kearby, Alice 9 77 Kenworthy, June 9 78 Kine, Mary 9 79 L's 35 items LeMoyne, Clara 9 81 Liebes, Dorothy 9 82 Loveless, Minerva 9 83 Low, Roland & Mary 9 84 M's 50 items Melly, John 9 86 Menaglia, Catherine 35 items Mergentive, Marguerita 9 88 Mounts, Walter N's Newgord, Jules

9 10 91 O's Orr, Helen 30 items Ottiano, Bessie Richardson P's and Q's R's Reed, Charles Richardson, Margaret Sloan 3 items Russell, Katie S's 65 items Simmons, Mary Slasor, Roy Sloan, W. & J T's Tolan, Ella Univeralist Church

10 Vernaid, Mary W's 55 items Walker, Turnley Wallace, Gertrude Walker, Maxine Warren, Stryker 40 items Wesson, Miley 45 items Whitaker, Wendy and Skip 50 items Whiting, Bill Woods, Kate 12 items X's, Y's and Z's Unidentified Series 2: Subject File Container(s) Description Dates Subseries 2.1: Frank Carpenter 10

11 Cle Elum State Bank House Estate 30 items Material relative to death of father, Charles Carpenter Subseries 2.2: Norah Carr Carpenter Early life and education 60 items Marriage Material relative to death of father,harmen Carr 35 items Subseries 2.3: John Purver Richardson Medical papers Business papers 30 items Subseries 2.4: Margaret Carpenter Richardson Advertising

12 American Red Cross 12 items Biographies 4 items Cle Elum Historical Society 30 items Clippings Displaced persons 50 items Dogs 5 items Doctors Education undated Education Genealogies 5 items Girard, Illinois Golden Gate exposition Marriage Property 50 items Richardson, Susi, adoption 3 items

13 Small Towns Institute Subseries 2.5: Business Records Account books and note books, most from Carr family business at Girard, Ill Accession folder, including preliminary inventory prepared at the Library of the University of Oregon. 5 items Names and Subjects Personal Names : Carpenter, Frank, Carpenter, Norah Carr, ca Richardson, John Purver, Richardson, Margaret Carpenter, Corporate Names : Annie Wright Seminary. Students--Correspondence Cle Elum State Bank (Wash.) Family Names : Carpenter family--archives Richardson family Geographical Names : Cle Elum (Wash.)--History Occupations : Bankers--Washington (State)--Cle Elum--Records and correspondence Physicians--Washington (State)--Records and correspondence Finding aid prepared by Lawrence Stark 1975 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: