Overview
Daily diaries kept by Ellen O. Kraus Turner.
Dates
- Creation: 1882-1916
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Ellen O. Kraus as well as copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.
Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.
Extent
3 foldersCollection includes a photograph, letters, and three diaries written by Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner. Most of the letters in this collection, written to either Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner or David Turner before their marriage, are from friends or family members. Topics include visiting family, home life, health of family members, and mutual friends. One letter is from David Turner to Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner before their marriage. This collection also includes three diaries written by Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner. The first diary (1892-1893), contains entries about her health; teaching; university extension lectures; attending the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois; loneliness; unhappiness; and books read. The second and third diaries (1903-1909 and 1909-1916), chronicles Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner's unhappy marriage to David Turner. Topics include the birth of their three children, daughter Lorene contracting polio, moving in with Turner's mother, David Turner's treatment of Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner, life on the farm, raising chickens, depression, suicidal thoughts, and her conflicting emotions toward David Turner and their relationship.
BIOGRAPHY
Ellen "Ella" Olivia Kraus Turner was born on June 25, 1870, to Gustaf and Fredrika Kraus. Ellen "Ella" Kraus married David Evans Turner on November 25, 1902; they had three children: Lorene (born 1904), Lucile (born 1905), and David (born 1912). The Turners raised their family on a farm in Rockford, Illinois. Ellen "Ella" Kraus Turner died on October 7, 1961.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number: 80-M40
The papers of Ellen O. Kraus were acquired by the Schlesinger Library from The Manuscript Company in 1980.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital Surrogates of the items in this collection are available through the Adam Matthew online database Gender: Identity and Social Change (Access restricted to subscribing institutions).
Processing Information
Processed: July 1988
By: Jane S. Knowles
Updated and additional description added: April 2021
By: Cat Lea Holbrook
The Schlesinger Library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit. Finding aids may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Subject
- World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) (Organization)
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- Sponsor
- Processing of this collection was made possible by Pforzheimer Fund for the Schlesinger Library, Jane Rainie Opel ’50 Fund, and Zetlin Sisters Fund
- EAD ID
- sch01830
Repository Details
Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository
The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.