Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The Spring/Eldredge Family Collection spans five generations of women from the mid nineteenth century to 1998. The surnames of the successive generations are Hotchkiss, Hall, Spring, and Eldredge. The surname Avery, relations to the Hotchkiss family, is included in the collection. The Spring/Eldredge collection is one foot of correspondence, memoirs and diaries, World War II ration books, news clippings, a birth certificate, and photographs passed down to the daughter of each generation. These photographs provide examples of daguerreotype images, black and white photographs, and tintype images popular in the mid to late nineteenth century. The collection's materials provide an intimate view into American family life during the mid nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Spring/Eldredge Family Collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections by Edward H. Eldredge of Sylvania, Ohio on November 20, 2007. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. This register was completed by Pamela L. Bayer, Graduate Assistant in February 2008.

Biographical Sketch

The multiple generations of family materials contained in this collection was mostly maintained by Louise Hall Spring and her daughter Elinor Spring Eldredge. Avery, Heacock, Hotchkiss, Hall, Spring, and Eldredge are the collection's surnames and are from Connecticut, New York, Michigan, and Ohio.

Louise Hall Spring was born in New Haven, Connecticut on August 9, 1902. She was the youngest daughter of three girls born to Lucius W. Hall from New Haven, Connecticut and Minerva Hotchkiss Hall from Gloversville, New York. She graduated from Connecticut College in June, 1924, and married Ernest Spring on October 10, 1925. Ernest Spring was a 1924 alumnus of Yale University and the son of Professor and Mrs. Samuel Spring of Ithaca, New York. In the late 1920s Ernest and Louise Spring moved to Detroit, Michigan where they raised their four children, Samuel, Elinor, Peter, and Majory. Louise Hall Spring passed away in Jackson, Michigan on March 28, 1985.

Elinor Spring Eldredge, daughter of Louise Hall Spring, was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 5, 1929. Elinor Eldredge was a graduate of Redford High School, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan. In 1948, she married Edward H. Eldredge and was the mother to one daughter, Louise Spring Eldredge. Elinor's professional life was devoted to private practice in clinical social work in Ann Arbor, Michigan and she served in professional and community organizations. In 1985, Elinor retired and became an active volunteer at Flower Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio. After four years and nine months of battling illness, Elinor Spring Eldredge passed away in Sylvania, Ohio on December 9, 1998.

Scope and Content

This collection contains material passed down from five generations of mothers to daughters. The correspondences of the collection are mostly from the Spring family detailing upcoming marriages and everyday life in the early and mid twentieth century. Correspondences of particular interest are the photocopies of Fred and Marion Hotchkiss's 1867 letters to each other, including a detailed narrative of their courtship. Elinor Spring Eldredge's memoirs and diaries also provide a detailed account of courtship in the 1940s.

Louise Hall Spring's World War II ration books provide priceless personal information of not only her name, age, and address but her physical characteristics such as hair color, eye color, weight, and height. The newspaper clippings are mostly announcements of Louise and Ernest Spring's wedding. The electronic washing machine campaign advertisement, that pictures Louise and Ernest Spring, provides a glimpse into 1967's economy and technology.

The family photographs are the most extensive segment of the collection and they provide varying examples of individual cased daguerreotype images, black and white photographs, and tintype images that were popular in the mid to late nineteenth century. The nature of the Spring/Eldredge collection provides rare insight into American family life during the mid nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Furthermore, the collection is useful to genealogical research.

Series Description

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - FRED HOTCHKISS and MARION HEACOCK
1867
Arranged chronologically - Folder 1
A narrative account of the courtship of Fred Hotchkiss and Marion Heacock, including photocopies of their correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE - SPRING FAMILY
1925-1953
Arranged chronologically - Folder 1
A letter to Ernest Spring from his brother, John, congratulating him on his upcoming marriage to Louise Hall. A farewell poem, from friends and neighbors, wishing Ernest and Louise Spring good luck with their move to Michigan. Correspondence to Ernest and Louise Spring form their daughter, Elinor who was away studying at University. Two letters addressed to Louise Spring from her sister, Marion Clark.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

MEMOIRS AND DIARIES - ELINOR SPRING ELDREDGE
1947-1948
Arranged chronologically - Folder 2
Calendars with personal journal entries, a fraternity dance card/booklet, a florist card, a sugar packet memento, and two small fraternity announcements of Edward Eldredge and Elinor Spring's pre-engagement pinning.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

UNITED STATES WAR RATION BOOKS - LOUISE SPRING
Arranged chronologically - Folder 3
The first two World War II ration books in a series of four distributed by the United States government to ensure that a citizen can get a fair share of items that were in short supply due to the war effort and import restrictions.

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS

NEWSCLIPPINGS - SPRING/ELDREDGE FAMILY
1924 - 2003
Arranged chronologically - Folder 4
Miscellaneous news clippings: marriages and an advertisement with a picture of Ernest and Louise Spring. The 2003 Toledo Blade article about a daguerreotype image that was once part of the collection is of particular interest.

PRINTED MATERIAL

CERTIFICATE - LOUISE SHEPHERD HALL SPRING
1940
Folder 5
A 1940 birth certificate copy for Louise Hall Spring's birth in 1902.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

PHOTOGRAPHS
c. 1840s
Folder 6
Two individual cased daguerreotype images of Leonard and Julia Hotchkiss and Royal A. Avery's mother.

PHOTOGRAPH
c. 1850s
Folder 7
An individual cased daguerreotype childhood image of Marion Heacock Hotchkiss.

PHOTOGRAPHS
c. 1870s
Folder 8
A small Hotchkiss family album and two tintype photographs of Myrtie Hotchkiss that includes a note referencing that the lining of her cape in the photo was used to make doll's clothes.

PHOTOGRAPH
1887
Folder 9
A family photograph taken by Leonard Hotchkiss on Thanksgiving Day in New Haven, Connecticut, including a list that identifies the family members in the photograph.

PHOTOGRAPH
1899
Folder 10
A black and white photograph of Minerva Hotchkiss Hall.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Correspondence from the Hotchkiss and Spring families, 1867 - 1953
2. Memoirs and diaries from Elinor Spring Eldredge, 1947 - 1948
3. USA War Ration Books from Louise Spring, 1942
4. Newspaper clippings from the Spring and Eldredge families, 1924 - 2003
5. Birth certificate of Louise Hall Spring, 1940
6. Daguerreotype images of Leonard and Julia Hotchkiss and Royal A. Avery's mother, c. 1840s
7. Daguerreotype image of Marion Heacock Hotchkiss, c. 1850s
8. Hotchkiss family album and tintype image of Myrtie Hotchkiss, c. 1870s
9. Family photograph taken by Leonard Hotchkiss, 1887
10. Photograph of Minerva Hotchkiss Hall, 1899

Manuscripts by Subject | Family Collections