Laura R. Merrill papers
Scope and Contents
Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life.
The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most signficant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's mission with the L.D.S. Church and some Merrill family history.
The collection does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the Topaz Japanese internment camp library. Material associated with the Utah Relocation Camp include correspondence, mostly cards with brief notes and a few miscellaneous papers.
Dates
- 1917-1964
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Permission to publish material from the Laura R. Merrill papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
Laura Merrill was a long time resident of Logan, Utah. Born in Brigham City on 6 February 1876. After having only formal education to the eighth grade available to her, she studied and passed the teacher's exam and taught primary school. When requirements were raised, she attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, becoming one of the first women to attend. She then taught in Portage and Brigham City, Utah. Married to Lorin Asa Merrill on 13 June 1900, she bore eight children before her husband's death in 1919. Merrill then served six years as Cache County Recorder (1920-1926). In 1927, she studied Library Science at the University of Washington in Seattle, then returned to become the librarian at Logan High School, where she worked intermittently from 1922 through 1961. Merrill served two missions: Canada (1946-1948) and the Eastern States (1941-1943). Merrill also worked at the Topaz Japanese internment camp in 1944.
Extent
6 boxes (3 linear ft.)
Abstract
Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merrill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life. The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most significant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's missions with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and some Merrill family history. Material associated with the Central Utah Relocation Camp (Topaz Japanese internment camp) includes correspondence from former inmates (mostly cards with brief notes) and a few miscellaneous papers, but does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the camp library.
Arrangement
Outgoing letters are grouped by correspondent and are arranged chronologically within each group. Incoming letters to Merrill, have been arranged chronologically.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
No records detailing the donor of these records are on file, but they were likely donated by Laura's sons Asa and Dean Merrill.
- Title
- Guide to the Laura R. Merrill papers 1917-1964
- Author
- Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
- Date
- ©2008
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Revision Statements
- January 8, 2009.: Template information was updated to reflect Utah Manuscript Association best practices.
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu