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FRESH OFF THE PRESS!
Docent Donn Smith has been busy poking around the attic of the Mather Homestead and he's found treasures abound! Check out his blogs which document his findings including artifacts from 250 years of American life - a bible from 1743, a girl's dress from the 1860's, Stephen Mather's camera, a love letter written by Stephen Mather to his wife ❤️ and more. Oh the stories they tell!
From The Petrified Forest to Poet of the West: A note to Stephen Mather from Norman Wicklund Macleod
In February 1929, Stephen Mather received a note from Norman Macleod, thanking Mather for his “kindness and courtesy.” Macleod was...
Mather Homestead Foundation
May 132 min read
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The man who gave up $25,000,000 for love. A note to Stephen Mather from Jordan Lawrence Mott
Among the letters Stephen Mather received from well-wishers in 1928 was one postmarked Santa Catalina Island from Jordan Lawrence Mott...
Mather Homestead Foundation
May 72 min read
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Hey, do we have any more unnamed mountains?Giving legacy to 6 Stephen Mather correspondents
Established in 1890, The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN), a federal body operating under the Secretary of the Interior...
Mather Homestead Foundation
May 62 min read
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Hey, do we have any more unnamed mountains? Giving legacy to 6 Stephen Mather correspondents
Established in 1890, The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN), a federal body operating under the Secretary of the Interior...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Apr 292 min read
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He put the National Parks on the map. The Park Service did the same for him.
We all know about the Mather plaques that can be found in so many of our National Parks. But beyond that, the National Park Service has...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Apr 291 min read
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Deacon Joseph Mather slated to be honored by the Sons of the American Revolution
In an earlier blog we looked at Deacon Mather’s efforts to secure his Revolutionary War pension. It was not until 1902 that the Bureau...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Apr 141 min read
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Prodigy, Pitchman, and the Deacon’s great-grandsonA brief look at “Professor” William Street Hutchings.
In the midst of shaking the Mather family tree for Civil War participants, we were confronted with a most unexpected, offbeat, somewhat...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 241 min read
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One Who Saved. One Who Was Lost. Added Mather descendants in the Civil War
We have recently found two more great-grandsons of Deacon Joseph Mather who served in Union Regiments. Assistant Surgeon Nathan Selleck...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 241 min read
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When Alfred, Horace, Joe, Will, George, and George come marching home…A first look at Mather men serving in the Civil War
We are all familiar with the Mathers’ commitment to America’s fight for independence during the Revolutionary War. But, recently, the...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 242 min read
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The Unexpected Connection of Two Groundbreaking NPS Women…
Among Stephen Mather correspondence at the Bancroft Library is a note from Edna Pinkley at the Casa Grande Ruins wishing Stephen better...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 242 min read
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Western Union, Borax, and HollywoodStephen Mather and Christian Zabriskie
Alphabetically, the first item in the Bancroft collection is a Western Union Holiday Greeting from Franklin Pierce Adams. Fittingly,...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 102 min read
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The Man Behind the Brush: Frank BensingStephen Tyng Mather’s Portrait Artist
We have documented Stephen Mather’s support of fellow Chicagoans’ artistic talents in his selection of Walter Burley Griffin to design...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 51 min read
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Stephen Tyng Mather, The “Gibson Man.”
An earlier blog (“Meet the Press…”) looked at letters from leading magazine and newspaper editors. Among them was George Lorimer, Editor...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Jan 192 min read
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Hail to the Chiefs: Stephen Mather and the Presidents
As another Inauguration approaches, here’s a quick look the U.S. Presidents with whom Stephen Mather worked to assure the growth and...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Jan 33 min read
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Stephen Mather ’87 and the fortunes (and misfortunes) of his Berkeley Bears.
Among the Stephen Mather materials in the Bancroft Library collection are three pieces that reflect Stephen’s rooting interest in...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Jan 31 min read
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This land is my land…This land is your land.Quest, Quandary and Conflict: NPS and the American Indian
In February 1929, Stephen Mather received a letter from Charles L. Ellis, District Superin-tendent, Department of the Interior, Office of...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Jan 32 min read
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It’s About Time: A Look at the Homestead’s Collection of Clocks
Each first floor room of the Homestead is graced by an antique clock imbued with history and the patina of timeless craftsmanship. In...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Jan 32 min read
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Stephen Mather and the Concessionaires. Part 2: Roe Emery of Glacier and more.
In his biography of Stephen Mather, Robert Shankland explores the advent of the transportation system in Glacier National Park: “To run a...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 12, 20241 min read
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Reappraising the Appraisal: Revealing the Roots of the “Rose of Sharon” sampler
Among the many samplers on display at Mather Homestead, one stands out for its detail, exceptional needlework, choice of verse, and its...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 10, 20241 min read
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Stitches in Time: 19th Century Samplers selected from the Homestead Collection
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, “Samplers depicting alphabets and numeral were worked by young women to...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 10, 20242 min read
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