The collection documents the personal lives of the Ellingers, and particularly Flora, much more completely than it shows the way in which they amassed their wealth or operated their businesses. It also provides insights into the economic, political, and social history of Chicago and southeastern Wisconsin. The personal and general business correspondence is interesting and enlightening as it reveals some of the diverse social and political attitudes of the times. Political temperament is reflected in the correspondence which spans World War I, the Depression, and World War II. Some letters express bitter anti-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, anti-New Deal, and anti-labor union sentiments. Albert Ellinger was involved with Wisconsin's Progressive Republicans. One of Albert's closest friends was Theodore Kronshage, a staunch La Follette supporter of Milwaukee. Through Kronshage, Albert met and befriended Governor Francis McGovern and Oscar Fritz who later became Chief Justice of Wisconsin's Supreme Court. Among the correspondents in the papers are Congressman Henry Allen Cooper, who served nineteen terms in the House of Representatives between 1892 and 1930, and Judge William Smieding. Yet the collection is limited in these and other areas where one might hope for rich sources for research.
Although the Ellingers were litigious people, aside from the Equitable Life Assurance suit and the settlement of Albert's estate, the legal papers are often fragmentary and deal mainly with obscure points of business law discussed obliquely. The Michigan Avenue Syndicate is better documented than any other organization represented in this collection. Members of the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Holabird and Roche are frequent correspondents in connection with the syndicate's holdings. The files on other investment activities of Flora and Albert Ellinger are less complete. Perhaps most disappointing are the corporation papers. Albert Ellinger's correspondence in the Badger Manufacturing Company and Boston Store files show how he tried to obtain government contracts by enlisting the aid of his influential friends in Washington. However A. Ellinger and Company, Hofmeister Woolen Mills, Johnson Combined Pressing and Refinishing Iron Company are barely documented. The Boston Store and Espenhain papers, though more numerous, are also incomplete; the correspondence tends to document only routine transactions, and the other business records are very sketchy.
The papers are divided into six series: Biographical Materials; Correspondence and Miscellany; Legal Papers; Financial Papers; Corporation Papers; and Invention Papers. The researcher is cautioned that the divisions are not mutually exclusive. There is, for example, much legal material pertaining to specific corporations to be found in the Corporation Papers.
BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 1850-1976, are arranged alphabetically by family surname, and thereunder by first name. Apart from the family history they provide, these documents are miscellaneous in nature. Included are baptismal and birth certificates; clippings; obituaries and memorabilia from funerals; materials relating to the writing and publishing of Flora Ellinger's memoirs; and other personal miscellany. Ross' research notes were apparently written after Flora Ellinger's death, when Ross was attempting to identify photographs from this collection. An audio tape sent by Ronald Hansen to Ross in December of 1962, gives the flavor of life at Flora's Milwaukee home during her later years. The 1976 materials are newspaper clippings describing the transfer of the collection to the State Historical Society.
The CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANY, 1884-1967, is arranged in two subseries: Personal Correspondence and Miscellany, and General Business Correspondence. The subseries Personal Correspondence and Miscellany is divided into that of Albert Ellinger and Flora Hofmeister Ellinger. (This is the only portion of the collection in which “his and hers” and “personal and business” divisions have been made. For the most part Albert and Flora's personal and business lives and their separate business activities were so entangled that any meaningful distinction is impossible.) Albert Ellinger's personal correspondence, 1895-1918, begins with one folder of general letters arranged chronologically; the rest is Albert's correspondence to Flora, and miscellany relating to his life long affiliation with the Keystone Lodge, a Masonic organization.
Flora Hofmeister Ellinger's personal correspondence, 1897-1962, includes one folder of general outgoing letters arranged chronologically, followed by a large file of incoming and out going correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. The remaining correspondence consists of letters from unidentified people; these are arranged chronologically. The majority of Flora's correspondents were her relatives and business associates. The charts in Appendix A (for now on paper only in the archives) help to explain Flora's relationships with many of the correspondents.
Flora Ellinger's miscellany, 1910-1976, is arranged alphabetically by subject or person. In addition to the papers directly related to her, such as her address book, Christmas gift lists, and newspaper clippings about herself, there is also material relating to many of her relatives and other correspondents. The materials relating to Nelson Peter Ross and Ronald Hansen were created during the time in which they prepared Flora's memoirs.
Erna Stassburger, a friend of Flora Ellinger, started work on a fictionalized biography of Flora. Drafts of chapters of this abandoned project are found in this part of the collection.
Flora Ellinger's personal correspondence and miscellany is a fascinating section in which many of her biases and beliefs, along with those of her correspondents, are aired. Reactions to the Depression, World War II, relations between the races, and thoughts on religion can be found in this section. One also senses the tensions which arose among Mrs. Ellinger's relatives and friends stemming from the presence of this wealthy, childless “aunt” who not only paid for the education of some of their children, but also tried, to a great extent, to direct the way in which these children were raised. The letters toward the end of her life reflect her increasing isolation.
The subseries General Business Correspondence, 1884-1960, is subdivided into a chronological file and a subject file arranged alphabetically by subject or person. There are also two folders of miscellany. The records found under the General Business heading generally fall into one of three types: (1) “Housekeeping” correspondence concerning home purchase, improvements and repairs, the purchase of furnishings and objets d'art, purchase and care of automobiles, etc; (2) correspondence in which business and personal matters are mingled; and (3) correspondence in which business is being discussed in such an oblique way that the assignment of such correspondence to one of the specific business sections in the collection is impossible. Therefore, it is possible that correspondence concerning corporations or businesses whose records are elsewhere in the collection is found here. Prominent correspondents represented in the subject file of this section include: George Brandeis, Arthur Brisbane, Henry Allen Cooper, Oscar Fritz, Henry Hart, William Holabird, Francis McGovern, Charles Netcher Jr., Townsend Netcher, and Mollie Netcher Neuberger.
LEGAL PAPERS, 1884-1946, consist of two subseries: Correspondence and Records. The Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by law firm or legal case. The Records consist of printed and transcribed court records, legal briefs and memoranda, title searches, wills, itemized legal fees, and miscellaneous materials; these are arranged alphabetically by legal case. Not included in this series are legal correspondence and records specifically relating to the Michigan Avenue Syndicate or to other businesses included in the Corporation Papers.
The FINANCIAL PAPERS, 1885-1956, are divided into five parts: Banking, Insurance, Investment, Tax, and Miscellany. The Banking papers, 1897-1956, deal with personal and general business banking transactions. They are divided into correspondence, arranged alphabetically by bank, and records, including passbooks and a trust statement. The Insurance papers, 1889-1954, include one folder of correspondence, three folders of policies covering automobiles, furs, and homes, and a folder of notes about insurance coverage.
The Investment papers, 1885-1950, include correspondence, records and miscellany. This correspondence section begins with one folder each of Albert Ellinger's incoming and outgoing correspondence. The correspondence and the records are arranged alphabetically by firm, individual, or subject.
The miscellany consists of a few copies of The Economist, a newspaper dealing with real estate in the Chicago area, and newspaper clippings. Although these papers deal with all forms of investments, they pertain mainly to stocks and bonds and real estate. A large portion of the investment papers concern the Michigan Avenue Syndicate. The majority of the syndicate properties were in Chicago on Michigan Avenue, Wabash Avenue, and North Monroe Street (the site of its office). The two best known properties held by the syndicate were the F.W. Woolworth Building and the Montgomery Ward Building, both on North Michigan Avenue. Prominent correspondents in this section include the co-founders of the Michigan Avenue Syndicate; the prominent architects William Holabird, Martin Roche, and John C. Ruettinger; and Henry Hart, Fredrick Meckel, Harry C. Levinson, and Edward Renwick.
The CORPORATION PAPERS, 1886-1929, 1942-1955, consist of papers pertaining to seven companies which Albert and Flora Ellinger owned, operated, or had a close association with. These seven companies are arranged alphabetically.
The records of A. Ellinger and Company, 1886-1898, are very sketchy; and for the most part, they document the aftermath of a warehouse fire in 1896. The papers include correspondence concerning the fire and records concerning business, finance, insurance, and legal proceedings.
Two especially noteworthy aspects of Badger Manufacturing Company are brought out in its papers, 1888-1920. One is the attempt to increase production by “scientifically” dividing labor and not only paying workers by the piece but also making allowances for “the inches of efficiency of work performed” on pieces of garments. The other is Albert Ellinger's fluctuating fortune as a government contractor. The records include correspondence--a chronologically arranged general file followed by an alphabetically arranged subject file--and business records which include financial and legal records as well as records concerning government contracts, wages paid to workers, and miscellany.
The Boston Store, papers, 1902-1922, are composed of correspondence, business records, and clippings. The correspondence includes a general file arranged chronologically, followed by an alphabetically arranged subject file. The business records are extremely sketchy and fragmentary; the majority concern property tax assessment. The clippings include newspaper clippings about Mollie Netcher Neuberger, the Boston Store owner. Prominent correspondents in the Boston Store papers include Henry Allen Cooper, Henry Hart, and Charles Netcher Jr.
Espenhain Dry Goods Company papers, 1906-1931, include correspondence and business records. The correspondence begins with chronologically arranged general correspondence followed by alphabetically arranged correspondence with individuals and firms. The bulk of this latter correspondence is comprised of instructions from Albert Ellinger to the managers of Espenhain and replies to those instructions, and correspondence about Flora Ellinger's efforts to collect unpaid accounts receivable which were due to her after the sale of the business.
The business records include financial, tax, and legal records as well as general business records such as reports on department sales. Espenhain contracted with other companies to run many of its departments. Therefore, the records of Espenhain Furniture Store, the Loeb Company, the Hofheimer Company and other contractors are filed with the Espenhain papers.
Nothing is known about Hofmeister Woolen Mills beyond the two slim folders found in this collection, one containing correspondence and miscellany, the other bank savings passbooks. Since the mills were located in Racine, near Badger Manufacturing, and since the dates of the records, 1902-1918, nearly coincide with the dates of the records for Badger Manufacturing, it is possible that Hofmeister Woolen Mills was a subsidiary of Badger Manufacturing.
Only a little more is known about the Johnson Combined Pressing and Refinishing Iron Company. The name of the company came from a patented invention of Fritz Johnson, a business associate of Albert and Flora Ellinger. Information about the invention, a gas steam iron designed for commercial pressing application, especially in the manufacturing of clothing, can be found in the invention series. Albert Ellinger was president, Fritz Johnson was vice president and Flora Ellinger was secretary of the corporation. It is probable that a financial partnership existed between the Ellingers and the Johnson firm. The papers, 1909-1913, 1917-1919, include correspondence, a folder of legal documents and a folder of miscellaneous materials.
The Regnille Tool and Engineering Company Inc. papers, 1945-1954, include general correspondence, chronologically arranged; business records, mostly dealing with the financial state of the company; legal documents, and advertising and marketing materials.
Some additional information about some of the companies with which the Ellingers were associated may be found in the incorporation papers of the Wisconsin Secretary of State, now at the State Archives, State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The incorporation papers include all or some of the following records for each company: articles of incorporation and amendments to the articles; annual reports to the Secretary of State, including the number of shares of stock, and the names of officers and the members of the board of directors; and the statements of intent to dissolve the corporation. Appendix B shows the dissolution date of the corporation and the location of its file in the records of the Secretary of State.
The INVENTION PAPERS, 1896-1949, contain information pertaining to some of Flora Ellinger's inventions, and those of her business associate Fritz Johnson. Less than half of Flora's patented inventions are represented in these records. (For an overview of Flora's career as an inventor see the clippings in the Biographical Materials series and her memoirs, My First Century.) The records tell very little about the actual invention process, but do document applications for patents, production of the invention, and marketing of new products. Invention correspondence includes general correspondence chronologically arranged followed by an alphabetically arranged subject file; the latter is arranged by company, firm or person, rather than by invention. The majority of the correspondents are patent attorneys and representatives of companies supplying parts for the production of some of the inventions, drawings, patent applications, and patents. These files are arranged alphabetically by invention.
Photographs are dated circa 1890-circa 1970. They has been assigned call numbers PH 4818, PH 4822, PH 4823, and PH 4824. PH 4818 is an album of unidentified cabinet cards possibly collected by Flora Ellinger. PH 4822 includes images of the Ellingers, their family, and friends, primarily 1930s; includes images of Flora Ellinger, Emma Hofmeister, and the Ellinger residence on Linwood Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PH 4823 documents business pursuits of the Ellingers, including the Espenhain dry goods store in Milwaukee, an Espenhain's company picnic in 1919, and textile factory workers in Racine. Also included are drawings, primarily promotional and other materials, including mechanical drawings created by Brooks Stevens Industrial Design, circa 1947, for a hand-held dishwasher invented by Flora Ellinger. PH 4824 consists of photographs from the wedding of Helanne Bryan Ward and Bud Ward.
