Lyons Family Correspondence, 1859-18951 box (0.25 linear feet).
Includes letters addressed mostly to Mary Lyons or her brother Frederick D. Lyons about friends and family in Greenfield and Colrain, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Topics discussed are sickness, death, accidents, an instance of probable wife abuse, recipes, Greenfield scandals, clothing, quilting, Methodist/Universalist bickering, and Aunt Mary’s investments.
The Lyons family correspondence consists mostly ofletters addressed to Mary Lyons or her brother Frederick D. Lyons regarding their friends and family in Greenfield and Colrain, Massachusetts, and in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Among the topics they discuss are sickness, death, accidents, allegations of spousal abuse (see Elkhart, 1883), recipes, scandals in Greenfield, clothing, quilting, bickering between Methodists and Universalists, and Aunt Mary’s investments.
Mary’s cousin J.L. Lyons of Greenfield, a frequent correspondent, was an undertaker and owned a furniture store formerly known as Miles and Lyons.
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: Lyons Family Papers (MS 133). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Acquired from Scott Peterson of Kenilworth, Illinois in 1986.
Processed by Linda Seidman, October 1986.
- Abused wives--United States--History--19th century.
- Clothing and dress--United States--History--19th century.
- Colrain (Mass.)--Biography.
- Colrain (Mass.)--Social life and customs--19th century.
- Cookery--United States--History--19th century.
- Greenfield (Mass.)--Biography.
- Greenfield (Mass.)--Social life and customs--19th century.
- Lyons family.
- Methodist Church--Relations--Universalist Church.
- Methodist Church--United States--History--19th century.
- Quilting--United States--History--19th century.
- Scandals--Massachusetts--Greenfield--History--19th century.
- Universalist churches--Relations--Methodist Church.
- Universalist churches--United States--History--19th century.
- Wife abuse--United States--History--19th century.
- Women--Massachusetts--Colrain--Correspondence.
