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Frances Morehouse and Milton Townsend papers

 Collection
Identifier: UA-10.3.339

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of correspondence from Frances Morehouse and Milton Townsend. Most of the letters are between Frances and Milton but a few of the letters are also from their relatives and friends.

While professing their love for each other, Frances and Milton also talked about their day-to-day activities. Frances talked about her Home Economic classes, working on campus at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University), and events she attended. She also mentioned someone preaching about prohibition during church and how several students on campus came down with scarlet fever and the flu. Milton talked about his teaching job, projects he was involved in, and people he interacted with.

Included with some of the letters are extra items, such as newspaper clippings of poems, drawings, photos/negatives, valentines, swatches of fabric for dresses, an old stick of gum, letters from other people they wanted to share, extra stamps, and a piece of birch bark that Milton wrote on declaring his love for Frances.

Most of the letters to this collection are not dated. For that reason, the date on the envelopes was used to arrange the letters.

Dates

  • Creation: 1920 - 1923

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from Mary Federspiel through December 31, 2041. After this date, all rights to the collection are turned over to the University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University. Please contact the University Archives for Mary Federspiel's contact information.

Biographical Note

Milton Coan Townsend was born in 1897, attended Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University), and graduated in 1920 with a degree in Agriculture Science. He then took a teaching job in Hastings, Michigan, where he met his future wife, Frances Lucile Morehouse. Frances was born in 1903 and after graduating school, she attended Michigan Agricultural College in 1922 and lived in the Women’s Building (Morrill Hall). During her freshman year of college, she and Milton’s relationship became serious. By January 1923, they were engaged and were married March 25, 1923. Frances did not return to school after completing her first year.

Together, Frances and Milton had four children. After Milton quit his teaching job in 1926, he and Frances purchased a floral business in St. Louis, Michigan that they operated together until 1963. Frances died in 1984 and Milton in 1993.

Extent

1.5 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Legal Status

Copyright: Mary Federspiel until December 31, 2041. After this date, copyright belongs to Michigan State University.

Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Title
Frances Morehouse and Milton Townsend Papers
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
Jennie Russell
Date
February 11, 2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330