Title: William F. Allen Family Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1775-1950 (bulk 1838-1923)

Creator:

• Allen, William F. (William Francis), 1830-1889

Call Number: Mss 384; Micro 33; PH Mss 384; PH 76; M70-189

Quantity: 3.6 cubic feet (9 archives boxes and 1 flat box), 1 reel of microfilm (35 mm), and 26 photographs; plus additions of 609 photographs (4 boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Papers, primarily 1838-1923, of the William F. Allen family, a nineteenth-century academic family. The collection contains journals, correspondence, and writings. Papers are mainly of William Francis Allen and his second wife Margaret Andrews Allen, as well as some papers of their children, Katherine, Andrews, William Ware, and Philip Loring. The writings of William Francis document his personal life including a trip to Europe (1854-1856); and his professional career as a Freedmen's teacher in St. Helena Island, South Carolina, including several Negro spirituals and a couple of photographs (1863-1864); as an agent for the Sanitary Commission in Arkansas (1864-1865); and as professor of ancient languages at Antioch College (1865) and then of history and ancient languages at the University of Wisconsin (1867-1889). Margaret's papers include articles for and about children, and correspondence. The family papers also include genealogical information on the Allens, the Clarkes, and the Wares, as well as carte-de-visite portraits of family members.

Note:

There is a restriction on access to this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English, French

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00384

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William Francis Allen (1830-1889), son of a Unitarian minister, was born and raised in Northboro, Massachusetts. In 1854, three years after receiving a bachelor's degree from Harvard, he went to Europe for two years of travel and study. Before he earned his master's degree from Harvard in 1866, Allen's career was quite diversified and included positions as: a school administrator in Massachusetts (1856-1863); a freedmen teacher in St. Helena Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina (1863-1864); an agent for the Sanitary Commission in Helena, Arkansas (1864-1865); and a professor of ancient languages at Antioch College (1865). In 1867 he accepted a professorship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and taught history and ancient languages there until his death. During his career, William F. Allen produced more that 900 reviews and articles and achieved national recognition in academic circles.

Allen married Margaret Andrews (1839-1924) in 1868, three years after the death of his first wife, Mary (Molly) Lambert. Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Margaret Andrews was also raised by Unitarian parents and, like William, was well educated. Both Margaret and her sister Jane Andrews, a highly acclaimed author, wrote stories for children. Margaret also wrote articles about children and was active in Madison civic affairs.

All four of William F. Allen's children were educated at the University of Wisconsin and pursued professional careers: Andrews (1870-1931) was an engineer; William Ware (1873-1898) was a lawyer; and Philip Loring (1879-1908) was a newspaper editor. Katherine (1865-1940), Allen's daughter by his first wife, was the only one to receive a Ph.D. She taught Latin at the University of Wisconsin.

For more detailed information about William F. Allen, consult the Dictionary of American Biography; for Andrews and Philip see Who Was Who in America, Vol. 1.

This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 2 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

• Part 1 (Mss 384, Micro 33, PH Mss 384, PH 76): Original Collection, 1775-1940
• Part 2 (M70-189): Additions, 1850-1950

Frederick Jackson Turner Family Papers (Wis/Mss/AL Box 3) contain notes from a course offered by Allen

Emanuel L. Philipp Papers (Wis/Mss/JC Boxes 14-16) contain a study done by William F. Allen of state educational systems.

Published articles by William F. and Margaret Allen available in the Historical Society library.

Access Restrictions

Originals and typed transcripts of diaries in Mss 384, Box 1B are not available due to fragility. Use microfilm copy (Micro 33).

Acquisition Information

The bulk of the William F. Allen family papers were presented by Mrs. Frederick B. White (formerly Mrs. Andrews Allen Sr.), St. Paul, Minnesota, July 7, 1970. Several documents, including William Francis Allen's South Carolina diary, were presented by Katherine Allen, 1932, and through Dr. John D. Hicks, December 1940. Allen's diary and letters from Helena, Arkansas, transferred to the Allen Family Papers in 1967, were deposited by Louise Phelps Kellogg in 1941, shortly before her death. Dr. Kellogg was a friend of Katherine Allen and it is likely that she obtained these from her. Accession Number: M70-189

Processing Information

Processed by Patty Affholter, Rick Pifer, P. Tall, and Joanne Hohler, September 15, 1976.

Mss 384	Part 1 (Mss 384, Micro 33, PH Mss 384, PH 76): Original Collection, 1775-1940 (bulk 1838-1923) Physical Description: 3.6 cubic feet (9 archives boxes and 1 flat box), 1 reel of microfilm (35 mm), and 26 photographs  Scope and Content Note The William F. Allen Family Papers contain correspondence, journals, and writings of family members and are arranged into four series: William F. Allen, Margaret Andrews Allen, Allen Children, and Allen, Andrews, Clarke, and Ware Families. Within each segment of the papers the arrangement is chronological, except the writing files, which are arranged alphabetically by title. The bulk of the papers pertain to William F. Allen, who kept a detailed record of his experiences throughout his life. His diaries contain his reactions to the people he met and the places he visited. Of particular note is the diary he wrote while a freedmen teacher in Beaufort County, South Carolina (1863-1864), which includes the music and words to numerous slave songs. His journals and notebooks consist largely of short, factual accounts of everyday life including material on architecture, finances, topography, weather, and other mundane activities. Allen's papers also contain several grade books from courses he taught at the University of Wisconsin, a sermon written in 1788 by Thomas Prentiss which Allen delivered in 1873, and correspondence with Herbert Baxter Adams. Many of William F. Allen's published and manuscript articles on such diverse topics as religion, history, and music can be found in this first series. The correspondence is mostly outgoing and starts in 1838 when he was a young boy, up through 1878. The diaries from his time in Beaufort County, South Carolina are typed transcripts; location of the originals is unknown. Besides her numerous articles and stories, Margaret Andrews Allen's papers include incoming correspondence, primarily letters of condolence following the deaths of William Francis, William Ware, and Philip Loring. Her notable correspondents include John Bascom and Charles Van Hise, but the substantive value of these letters is minimal. Several memorial articles were written about Margaret as well as about William Francis; these are included in their respective series. Unfortunately, the record is not as detailed for the children as for their parents. Little material remains that is pertinent to their adult years. While Katherine's papers sparsely document her adult life, William W. and Philip's lives after childhood are represented only by obituaries. The only material concerning Andrews' adulthood is the 1937 will of his second wife, Elizabeth Emerson. The material pertaining to the Allen children's childhood, however, is rather extensive. Margaret and William kept joint diaries about their children, beginning with the birth of Andrews in 1870. A wide variety of unusually sophisticated written and pictorial material produced by the children as youngsters is also contained in this series, as are the songs, puzzles, and anagrams that the entire family collected. Material pertaining to the Allen, Andrews, Clarke, and Ware families, collateral relatives of the William F. Allen family, includes genealogical information on three of these Massachusetts families: the Allens, the Clarkes, and the Wares. Also includes numerous manuscripts, probably by Jane Andrews, as well as a petition concerning copyright laws signed by numerous nineteenth century literary figures.
	Series: William Francis Allen
	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1-4	Outgoing, 1838-1878, undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Incoming, 1850-1888
	Diaries Note: Written as letters to parents and wife.
Box   2 Folder   2	Maine trip, 1853 July
Box   2 Folder   3-4	European trip, 1854 September 7-1856 May 5
Micro 33/Mss 384 Reel   1 Box/Folder   1B/1-4	Beaufort County, South Carolina: typed transcript, 1863 November 5-1864 July 13 Access Restrictions: Use microfilm. Note: Location of originals unknown.
Reel   1 Box/Folder   1B/5	Helena, Arkansas: typed transcript, 1864 September 15-1865 January 18 Access Restrictions: Use microfilm.
Reel   1 Box/Folder   1B/6	Autograph manuscript originals
Reel   1 Box/Folder   1B/7	Charleston, South Carolina: autograph manuscript originals and photocopy, 1865 April 14-July 10 Access Restrictions: Use microfilm.
Mss 384 Box   2 Folder   1	Typed transcript, created 2009
	Journals
Box   2 Folder   5	Northeastern U.S. trip, 1849 July 31-1850 August 8
Box   2 Folder   6-10	1853 July 1-1890 February 8
	Notebooks
Box   3 Folder   1	European trip, 1854-1856
Box   3 Folder   2	1862-1864, 1871, 1886
Box   3 Folder   3-4	Account books, 1856-1883
Box   3 Folder   5-7	Grade books, 1867-1890
Box   9	Diplomas and certificates Scope and Content Note: Included are two diplomas from Harvard, 1851 and 1866, and a certificate as corresponding member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1882.
	Writings
Box   3 Folder   8	As a child and a young man, 1840-1848
Box   3 Folder   9-10	Manuscripts
Box   4 Folder   1-6	Publications
Box   4 Folder   7	Obituaries and memorial articles about William F. Allen, 1889-1890
Box   4 Folder   8	Miscellaneous, 1788-1891
	Photographs
PH Mss 384	Freedmen's quarters, Helena, Arkansas, 1864-1865 Physical Description: 2 photographs  Note: Copied from an album owned by Allen.
Mss 384	Series: Margaret Andrews Allen	⇧
Box   5 Folder   1	Correspondence, 1881-1923
Box   9	Diplomas and certificates Scope and Content Note: Included is a diploma from the Oswego Training School, undated; a diploma from the Putnam Free School of Massachusetts, 1857; a diploma from the Massachusetts State Normal School, 1863; and a certificate from the Madison Committee of the American Fund for French Wounded, 1919.
Box   5 Folder   2	Journals of poetry, 1864-1865
	Writings
Box   5 Folder   3-7	Manuscripts, 1868, 1906, undated
Box   6 Folder   1-2	Publications, 1868-1923
Box   6 Folder   3	Material about Margaret A. Allen, 1884-1925
	Series: Allen Children	⇧
Box   6 Folder   4-5	Journals about the children, 1870-1887
Box   6 Folder   6	Writings and drawings
	Katherine
Box   7 Folder   1	Correspondence, 1873-1924
Box   9	Diplomas Scope and Content Note: Included is a B.A. diploma from the University of Wisconsin, 1887, and a Ph.D. diploma from the University of Wisconsin, 1898.
Box   7 Folder   2	Miscellaneous, 1879-1940
Box   7 Folder   3	Andrews, 1888-circa 1937
Box   7 Folder   4	William Ware, 1898
Box   7 Folder   5	Philip Loring, 1907-1908
	Series: Allen, Andrews, Clarke, and Ware Families	⇧
Box   7 Folder   6-7	Genealogical information, 1775-1842
Box   8 Folder   1	Allen Family, 1845-1890
Box   8 Folder   2-5	Andrews Family writings
PH 76	Cartes-de-visite portraits of family members Physical Description: 24 photographs
M70-189	Part 2 (M70-189): Additions, 1850-1950 Physical Description: 609 photographs (4 boxes and 1 oversize folder)  Scope and Content Note: Photographs include images of family members, houses, and locations in Wisconsin and New England, 1850-1950.	⇧
	Interiors
Box   1	Identified
Box   1	Unidentified
	Exteriors
Box   1	Identified Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box   1	Unidentified
Box   2	Images of William F. Allen
Box   2	William F. Allen and son, Will, in study
Box   2	Joseph Allen
Box   2	Newburyport views, etc.
Box   2	William W. Allen
Box   2	Albert Powers and Lucy Allen Powers Family
Box   2	Margaret Andrews Allen
Box   2	Katherine Allen
Box   2	Mary Allen Johnson
Box   2	Professors
Box   2	Engravings
	Identified portraiture
Box   3	Women
Box   3	Children
Box   3	Men
Box   3	Couples
Box   3	Groups
	Unidentified portraiture
Box   3	Women
Box   3	Children
Box   3	Men
Box   3	Couples
Box   3	Groups
Box   3	Painting of a child
Box   3	Ephemera
Box   3	Tintypes and other cased images
	Cabinet cards
Box   4	Women
Box   4	Men
Box   4	Cartes-de-visite
Box   4	Printing block portrait
OP Box   2 Oversize Folder   1	Miscellaneous