Putnam papers
Scope and Contents
The Lucy Pepper Putnam Papers contain a letter and ten compositions and poems, all written during her year as a student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1845-1846. The letter, addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Clarke, primarily discusses her travel to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from New Hampshire and her reaction to her first three weeks at the school. Besides writing about her homesickness, Putnam describes her room in the Seminary Building, the furnishings, the rules, her domestic work, examinations, her schedule, the food, and Mary Lyon. There are six compositions as well as four poems. Two of the compositions, "A Visit to the Insane Asylum," (which describes an attempt to visit an insane asylum in Concord, New Hampshire) and "Character of Queen Esther," are probably creative pieces. The other compositions are entitled "Great Effects from Small Causes," "Female Education," "Early Rising," and "Uncertainty of Earthly Things." The poems are entitled "One Composition," "The Star of Bethlehem," "My Home," and "My Mother."
Dates
- 1845-1846
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted
Biographical Note
Lucy Pepper Putnam, the daughter of Benjamin Putnam, was born in Washington, Vermont on March 22, 1823. She entered Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in September of 1845 from Plaistow, New Hampshire, where she was residing at the time. She remained at Mount Holyoke only through the end of the 1845-1846 session. Putnam died on February 21, 1849 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, at the age of twenty-five.
Extent
1 boxes (x1848)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Putnam, Lucy Pepper, 1823-1849; Student. Attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1845-1846. Papers contain a letter, ten compositions and poems. Primarily documenting her travel from her home in New Hampshire to Mount Holyoke and her social life and activities at school.
Arrangement
Arranged in 2 series. Series 1. Correspondence. Series 2. Compositions and Poems.
- College students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- College students' writings, American Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Food Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College Manuscript Collections Subject Source: Local sources
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Buildings Subject Source: Local sources
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Domestic work Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Examinations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Furnishings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Housing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Schedules Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Student life -- 1845-1846 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Student papers -- 1845-1846 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Voyages and travels Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women college students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- examinations (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- poems Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Putnam papers, 1845-1846.
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Repository
50 College Street
8 Dwight Hall
South Hadley MA 01075-6425 USA
413-538-3079
archives@mtholyoke.edu
