Title: Vilas Family Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1813-1950

Creator:

• Vilas Family

Call Number: Green Bay Mss 86

Quantity: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives and Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Correspondence of a family prominently connected with business and social affairs in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, together with some papers of their relatives in the Morse and Platt families also of that city. The majority of the correspondence consists of discussions of family matters, health, travel, and events received or sent by Cornelia Vilas Morse (1829-1916), her brothers and sisters, and her daughter Helen Vilas Morse (1871-?) and other children. Also included are letters concerning the military service of her husband, Cornelius W. Morse, in a Vermont regiment during the Civil War and correspondence from George W. Vilas concerning his experiences in France during World War I.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-gb0086

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The Vilas family can be traced to Peter Vilas (1704-1756) who came to New Hampshire from England during the 1730s. He and his descendants remained in New England until Joseph Vilas, Sr., (1790-1867) settled in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1822. Joseph Vilas was born in Ogdensburgh, New York and served in the War of 1812. His son Joseph Vilas, Jr., (1832-?) was a prominent businessman in Manitowoc and was a partner in a large mercantile business and the founder and president of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad.

Nathanial Vilas (1766-1852) had four sons: Nathanial Vilas (1795- ), Erastus Vilas (1793-1871), Royal Vilas (1804-1874), and Joseph Vilas (1790-1867). Joseph and wife Mary A. White Vilas (1799-1840) had five children:

• Mary Chandler Vilas Platt (1820- ), who married Jarvis Elyphalet Platt (1814- ) and had one daughter, Helen M. Platt (1858- ).
• Joseph Vilas Jr. (1832- ), who married Mary Platt Vilas (1833- ) and had one son, Joseph Stillwell Vilas (1858- ). Joseph Stillwell Vilas married Elizabeth Emery Vilas and had two sons: Ned Vilas and George W. Vilas. George had two daughters: Joan and Mary.
• Marcellus Bowen Vilas (1834- ), who married Sarah Vilas and had two children, Lillie E. Vilas Sorenson and Perry E. Vilas.
• Helen M. Vilas (1837-1857), who married John P. Arnold.
• Cornelia Vilas Morse (1829-1916), who married Cornelius Wick Morse (1833). They had three children: Norman Vilas Morse (1867- ), who married Josephine Thubanville Morse; Bowen Bigelow Morse (1869- ); and Helen Vilas Morse (1871- ). Cornelius had three siblings: Charlotte E. Morse Beeman, who had a son George Beeman; Fanny Morse Isham; and Norman B. Morse.

The Vilas Family papers are arranged alphabetically by writer of the letter and chronologically thereunder. Letters from outside the family circle are filed by recipient. Although the majority of the papers consist of correspondence, interspersed among the letters one will also find a few business and legal records, memoranda books, and miscellaneous writings. The letters primarily cover internal family matters: health, illnesses, education, marriages and deaths. Other topics of concern include recreation at home, social events, news of friends, severe weather conditions, travel, and social visits. There is little reference to the family's business affairs.

Although the correspondence is for the most part routine, it is of considerable interest because of its completeness because of the long period of time covered. Family relations for the entire 150-year span are well represented, and as a result, the collection documents especially well the communication patterns of an extended family.

The majority of the correspondence was written by or received by Cornelia Vilas Morse (1829-1916) or by her daughter, Helen Vilas Morse (1871-?). Also of note are some of the letters of her husband, Cornelius W. Morse, concerning his service in a Vermont regiment during the Civil War. The letters of George W. Vilas, a nephew, discuss his experiences while stationed in France during World War I. His letters touch on the treatment of Americans by the French, the Red Cross, and the Armistice.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Susan Vilas Manuel, Balboa, California, September 24, 1980. Accession Number: M80-520

Processing Information

Processed by Loralei Bloom and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1987.

Box   1 Folder   1	Arnold family, 1850s-1860s
Box   1 Folder   2	Barnes family, 1890-1915
	Beeman
Box   1 Folder   3-4	Charlotte E. “Lottie” Morse, 1882-1944
Box   1 Folder   5	George M., 1897-1914
Box   1 Folder   6	Chapin family, 1847-1901
Box   1 Folder   7	Dillingham, Jane H. Arnold, 1846-1883
Box   1 Folder   8	Fairchild, Lucy V., 1900-1948
Box   1 Folder   9	Fay, Emeline, 1840s
Box   1 Folder   10	Finley, Madelaine Bertha Vilas, 1900-1940
Box   2 Folder   1	Glover, Alice W., circa 1904-1928
Box   2 Folder   2	Goss, Alice Emery, 1921-1939
Box   2 Folder   3	Gowey, Emily Vilas, 1850s-1900, undated
Box   2 Folder   4	Graham, Mora “Posy” Vilas, 1890-1934
Box   2 Folder   5	Gray, A.H., 1860-1865
	Isham, Fanny Morse
Box   2 Folder   6	To C.W. Morse, 1883-1913
Box   2 Folder   7-8	To Helen V. and Bowen B. Morse, 1887-1946
Box   2 Folder   9	Kelley, Lola “Lulu” Barnes, 1889-1950
	Morse
	Bowen B.
Box   3 Folder   1-4	To Helen V. Morse, 1884-1935, undated
Box   3 Folder   5	To parents, 1882-1911
Box   3 Folder   6	Correspondence received, 1897-1916
	Cornelia W. Vilas, 1844-1905
Box   3 Folder   7	1844-1905
Box   3 Folder   8	Correspondence received, 1846-1905
Box   3 Folder   9	Poetry, diary, memoranda books, circa 1850-circa 1870
	Cornelius Wick
Box   3 Folder   10	To Cornelia W. Vilas Morse, 1866-1895
Box   3 Folder   11	To Bowen B. and Helen V. Morse, 1882-1909
Box   3 Folder   12	General correspondence, 1865-1907
Box   3 Folder   13	Correspondence received, 1864-1912
Box   3 Folder   14	Miscellaneous records re University of Vermont, 1854-1858
	Helen “Kitty” Vilas
Box   4 Folder   1-2	To Bowen B. Morse, 1889-1934
Box   4 Folder   3	To Norman Morse, 1883-1885
Box   4 Folder   4	To parents, 1882-1910
Box   4 Folder   5	To general correspondence, 1895-1945
Box   4 Folder   6-8	Correspondence received, 1884-1950, undated
Box   4 Folder   9	Miscellaneous school records, poetry, and other writings, circa 1879-1892
Box   5 Folder   1	Josephine “Nancy” Thubanville, 1889-1914
Box   5 Folder   2	Norman B., 1866-1883
	Norman Vilas
Box   5 Folder   3	1882-1910
Box   5 Folder   4	Miscellaneous school and military records, 1873-1889
Box   5 Folder   5	Paige, Grace A., 1895-1914
	Platt
Box   5 Folder   6	Helen M. “Nellie,” 1879-1939
	J.E.
Box   5 Folder   7	1853-1866
Box   5 Folder   8	Correspondence received, circa 1850-circa1870
Box   5 Folder   9	Mary C. Vilas, 1848-1873
Box   5 Folder   10	Ross, Nellie Lovina Scripture and Josiah M., 1878-1916
Box   5 Folder   11	Scripture, Marcy Gay Vilas, 1880-circa 1890
Box   5 Folder   12	Simons, Ida Hoskinson, 1909-1939
Box   5 Folder   13	Stilp, Ella Beach and Stephen R., 1888-1950
Box   5 Folder   14	Tilley, William Palmer, 1850s
	Vilas
Box   6 Folder   1	Fanny, 1860s
Box   6 Folder   2-5	George W., 1912-1939, undated
	Helen M.
Box   6 Folder   6	circa 1852-1855
Box   6 Folder   7	Correspondence received and miscellaneous school records, circa 1850s
Box   6 Folder   8	Henry C., 1863-1964
Box   6 Folder   9	Joan and Mary, circa 1937
	Joseph, Sr.
Box   6 Folder   10	1820-1858
Box   6 Folder   11	Correspondence received and miscellaneous business and legal records, 1820-1858
	Joseph, Jr.
Box   6 Folder   12	1848-1880
Box   6 Folder   13	Correspondence received and miscellaneous school and business records, 1848-1876
Box   6 Folder   14	Joseph Stilwell and Elizabeth Emery, 1870-1945
Box   7 Folder   1	Lillie E. and Perry E., 1881-1906
	Marcellus B.
Box   7 Folder   2	1855-1904
Box   7 Folder   3	Correspondence received, 1853-1863
Box   7 Folder   4	Mary Platt, 1862-1877
Box   7 Folder   5	Nathanael, Sr., 1813-1852
Box   7 Folder   6	Nathanael, Jr., and Erastus, 1834-1861
Box   7 Folder   7	Ned and Elizabeth, circa 1940
Box   7 Folder   8	Royal and children, 1849-1899
Box   7 Folder   9	Sarah McMullin, 1903-1924
Box   7 Folder   10	Weinand, Gertrude Vilas, 1903-1931
Box   7 Folder   11-13	White, Howard M., 1922-1946
Box   7 Folder   14	White family, 1820-1842
Box   7 Folder   15	Willard, Abby, 1852-circa 1870
Box   7 Folder   16	Unidentified correspondence and miscellaneous writings
Box   7 Folder   17	Unidentified family recipes