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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!
Sympathy and the “Shoshone” A letter from Thomas Moran’s daughter to Stephen Mather
In a February 1929 letter from Monte Carlo, Ruth Moran wrote to Stephen Mather… “I was so sorry to hear of your illness last autumn, and...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 7, 20241 min read
“…we are very grateful that he was our friend…” A condolence note from the “world’s greatest woman explorer.”
Among the materials archived at the Bancroft Library is a two page note to “Dearest Jane and Betty” from Harriet Chalmers Adams, whom the...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Mar 7, 20242 min read
A holiday greeting…and an emphatic RSVP “Yes!” Correspondence from two of America’s leading journalists
From his days at the New York Sun to inviting Gilbert Grosvenor of National Geographic to join the 1915 Mather Mountain Pary, Stephen...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20242 min read
“…Everywhere there is quality and a willingness to serve…” A January 1929 letter from W.T. Grant to Stephen T. Mather
Fifty-six years before there was Walmart, there was W.T. Grant Department Stores. From its founding in Lynn MA in 1906, W.T. Grant...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20241 min read
“…wintriest winter even in the experience of Judge Fry…” An appreciation of NPS Superintendent Judge Walter Fry
In a letter to Stephen Mather, John Roberts White mentions Judge Fry, his predecessor, mentor, and moving force behind the development of...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20241 min read
And don’t forget to send me a postcard… A remembrance of the Haynes’ National Park photo shops.
In a letter to Stephen Mather NPS Superintendent John Roberts White writes, ”… It was good to see you even in the movies which were shown...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20242 min read
“…It is a tropic sunset done in stone…” John Roberts White’s letter to Stephen Mather from Bryce Canyon
Yes, there was a time, before texting and TikTok, when an indelibly evocative picture could be found in a written line…when a letter...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20243 min read
The Cleveland Connection... Three notes to Stephen Mather from two of his fifth cousins
On the Homestead site, under the “Mather Family Tree,” you will find that Stephen’s lineage traces back to Timothy, the “Farmer Mather,”...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 25, 20242 min read
Not often you get a lake named for you! Elwood Mead’s “Mather’s children” letter to Stephen T. Mather
Among the letters archived at the Bancroft Library, is a four-page hand-written note from Elwood Mead, the Commissioner of the Bureau of...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 18, 20242 min read
Warm words from a northern neighbor ... A letter to Jane Floy Mather from Mrs. Vincent Massey
In 1926, Canada’s Governor-General appointed Vincent Massey to be Canadian envoy to the United States, making Massey Canada’s first ever...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 18, 20242 min read
A guano bucket, gasoline lanterns, and more. Stephen Mather at Carlsbad Caverns and a remembrance.
The National Park Service’s history of Carlsbad Caverns includes these two entries… 1924 – March 20 to September 15, Dr. Willis T. Lee,...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 18, 20241 min read
“…I have learned to look upon you as a real friend… ”A letter from a Presidential grandson to Stephen Mather
At the Homestead, we are in the process of scanning and cataloging letters sent to Stephen Mather. The original letters are archived in...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 18, 20242 min read
The Cleveland Connection ... three notes to Stephen Mather from two of his fifth cousins
On the Homestead site, under the “Mather Family Tree,” you will find that Stephen’s lineage traces back to Timothy, the “Farmer Mather,”...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 18, 20242 min read
“Father, I am poison with poison ive…Bertha F. Mather”Letters from Bertha to her father Stephen T.
The archives now have 17 letters and telegrams sent by Bertha to her father. Stephen saved and obviously treasured them and Bertha saved...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 15, 20231 min read
Let evening come…Letters from the passing of Stephen Mather’s brother, Josie.
In Robert Shankland’s book, Steve Mather of the National Parks, Stephen’s younger brother is mentioned only three times, all in the...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 5, 20232 min read
Lasting beginnings…and a few side notes.Stephen Mather’s National Park Service Report of 1926
We recently looked at Stephen Mather’s National Park Director’s Report for 1920. We are fortunate to have a copy of his 1926 report as...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Dec 4, 20231 min read
So different and so much the same.Stephen Mather’s National Park Service Report of 1920
Each year, the Director of the National Park Service prepared a Report to the Secretary of the Interior. In 1920, Stephen Mather’s...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Nov 17, 20231 min read
1920’s second most visited National ParkWhat made Hot Springs National Park so hot?
Now the 13th most visited National Park, Hot Springs, in 1920, was a mecca for those seeking and believing in the healthful benefits of...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Nov 14, 20232 min read
The Games People Played…A look at a few pastimes from past times.
A chest in the Homestead attic holds a number of gaming items that undoubtedly belonged to Stephen Mather’s father, Joseph Wakeman...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Nov 9, 20231 min read
The Sermon and the Steamboat ... thoughts from Deacon Mather and a tragedy on the Sound
In a past blog (“What slave should be held any longer”) we have looked at some writings by Deacon Mather in favor of immediate...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Oct 9, 20232 min read
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