Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Woodson Research Center, Rice University

Guide to Dillingham Family papers, 1858-1958



Descriptive Summary

Title:Dillingham Family papers
Dates: 1858-1958
AbstractThe Dillingham Family Papers, consisting of approximately 900 items or 1.25 linear feet, follows the history of a prominent Texas family from 1858 to 1958. Correspondence, manuscripts, printed material, photographs, journals, poetry, and newspaper clippings show the life style of a family who moved into Texas during the prosperous era of the late nineteenth century and played an important role in developing both the social and economic framework of Houston.
Identification:MS 257
Extent:1.25 linear feet
Repository:Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX

Biographical Note

Three Dillingham brothers "came to Salem with Winthrop in 1630" from Leicestershire in England. A member of the fourth generation, Paul Dillingham (1799-1891) lived in Waterbury, Vermont where he was a member of the State Bar, president of the bank, and later governor of the state. He had four sons and a daughter by his wife Julia Carpenter Dillingham.

One of their sons, Edwin (1839-1864), a captain in the Union Army, was killed at the battle of Winchester. Another son, William Paul, became a U. S. Senator. He served as chairman of the Committee on Immigration for several years and was an influential member of Congress. A third son, Frank (1848-?), moved to Texas where he was in the railroad business.

After serving as a colonel in the Union Army, Charles Dillingham moved to New Orleans where he stayed until 1885. At that time he moved to Houston as receiver of Houston and Texas Central Railway. When the South Texas National Bank was formed, he became first vice-president and later was promoted to president, then chairman of the board. In 1863 Charles married Frances M. Cutter of Cleveland, Ohio, and they had two children, a son Edwin Kirke, and a daughter Mary Pauline.

Pauline, or "Pucky" as her friends and family often called her, remained unmarried and devoted most of her time to her brother's family. She also wrote both poetry and fiction and had several pieces published. In poor health much of her life, Pauline usually spent summers at a family home in Camden, Maine escaping the stifling Houston weather. The rest of the year she lived with Edwin and his family in Houston and occasionally took trips abroad. In 1959, she and her brother donated their stately family home on Austin Street to the Child Guidance Council.

Pauline's brother, Edwin K. Dillingham, married Charlotte (Lottie) Parker, and they had two children, Elizabeth Randon and Charles. Elizabeth went to School in the east and married James Hart of New York City where the couple lived. Charles went to Yale and married Barbara Kibler with whom he had a son, Charles.

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Scope and Contents

The collection of the Dillingham Family Papers, consisting of approximately 900 items or 1.25 linear feet, follows the history of a prominent Texas family from 1858 to 1958. Correspondence, manuscripts, printed material, photographs, journals, poetry, and newspaper clippings show the life style of a family who moved into Texas during the prosperous era of the late nineteenth century and played an important role in developing both the social and economic framework of Houston.

The main portion of the collection is correspondence between various family members, with most written by the children and grandchildren of Charles K. Dillingham, who settled in Houston and played an integral part in the development of a predecessor bank of the Texas Commerce Bank. He, his wife Frances Cutter Dillingham, and their two children, Edwin K. and Mary Pauline, were very active socially, and the Dillingham name remains important in Houston.

Originally from Vermont, some of the members of the Dillingham family remained there and contributed to the prosperity of that state. Paul Dillingham was governor of Vermont, and his son William served as a United States Senator for several years. Both the personal and business papers of these men are included in the collection.

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Arrangement

The papers are arranged chronologically with respect to the individuals involved. Most letters are filed according to the person who wrote them, unless there are only one or two from an individual, in which case the letter is filed according to whom it was sent.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions; this material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Dillingham Family Papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

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Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)
Dillingham family - Correspondence.
Dillingham, Paul - Correspondence.
Dillingham, Charles K. - Correspondence.
Dillingham, William - Correspondence.
Dillingham, Frances Cutter - Correspondence.
Subjects (Places)
Houston, Tex. -- Family histories - Sources.
Vermont - Politics and government - 20th century.
United States - Politics and government - 20th century.
Subjects
Banks and banking - Texas.
Legislators - United States.
Governors - Vermont.
Formats
Correspondence.
Journals.
Manuscripts.
Clippings.
Photographs.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Dillingham Family Papers, 1858-1958, MS 257, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

Acquisition Information

The collection was a gift of the Dillingham family on 3 June 1966.

Processed by Kathy Cook, June 1977.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 
BoxFolder
11 Dillingham Genealogy 1630-1934

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BoxFolder
12 Paul Dillingham (Gov.), includes 2 photos 1863-1879

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13 Edwin Dillingham (Major), Commissions, Military Correspondence (including official correspondence re: his death; family correspondence) 1862-1865

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14 William Paul Dillingham Correspondence, includes 2 Calvin Coolidge letters 1885-1917

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15 William Paul Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1887-1915

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16 William Paul Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1890-1916

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17 William Paul Dillingham - Miscellaneous, includes 2 photos 1900-1923

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18 Charles Dillingham to Fannie Cutter Dillingham 1858-1916

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19 Charles Dillingham to Edwin Dillingham 1861-1864

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110 Charles Dillingham to Paul Dillingham 1861-1865

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111 Charles Dillingham to Julia C. Dillingham 1861-1869

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112 Julia C. Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1870-1895

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BoxFolder
113[?] Dillingham Clipping Book

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BoxFolder
114 Miscellaneous Clippings n. d.

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BoxFolder
21 Charles Dillingham Miscellaneous 1861-1917

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22 Charles Dillingham Photographs (8) 1863-[?]

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23 Charles Dillingham to Edwin Dillingham 1879-1911

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24 Charles Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1883-1912

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25 Charles Dillingham Business Papers 1896-1915

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BoxFolder
26 Miscellaneous Imprints - 8th Vermont Association Constitution and By-Laws, Year Book of Christ Church Parish, Houston, The Harvest Carnival Ball Program; Sweeny & Coombs Opera House Official Program, Dedicatory Service First Presbyterian Church, "The Legend of Houston," Kinkaid Almanac, 1888-19331888;1902;21 November 1893;31 March 1901;1933;5 December 1924

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BoxFolder
27 Charles Dillingham Clippings 189[?]-1917

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28 Frances C. Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1863-1916

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29 Frances C. Dillingham to Various Family Members 1863-1925

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210 Letters to Fannie Dillingham from Family and Friends 1890-1927

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211 Dairy of Frances Cutter Dillingham 1867

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212 Frances C. Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1886-1912

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213 Journal of Frances C. Dillingham 1899 June-Aug

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31 Journal of Frances C. Dillingham 1899 Sept-Oct

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BoxFolder
32 Journal of Frances C. Dillingham 1906-1907

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BoxFolder
33 Recipes - Fannie Dillingham n. d.

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BoxFolder
34 Arthur Cutter to Fannie Cutter Dillingham 1892-[1909]

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BoxFolder
35 Arthur Cutter to Pauline Dillingham 1889-1893

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BoxFolder
36 Various Family Members to Pauline Dillingham 1891-1893

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BoxFolder
37 Pauline Dillingham to Various Family Members 1892-1934

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BoxFolder
38 Pauline Dillingham - Miscellaneous 1892-1942

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BoxFolder
39 Psychology Notebook of Pauline Dillingham 1893

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BoxFolder
310 Poems of Mary Pauline Dillingham compiled by Charlotte Dillingham 1897

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311 Correspondence Between Pauline Dillingham and Horace Clark 1910-1944

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312 Songs by Horace Clark 1914

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313 Pauline Dillingham to Frances C. Dillingham 1926

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314 Pauline Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1929

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315 Pauline Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1933-1941

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BoxFolder
316 Pauline Dillingham Business Papers 1934-1942

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BoxFolder
317 Various Poetry Editors to Pauline Dillingham 1935-1939

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BoxFolder
41 Manuscripts of Poems and Short Stories by Pauline Dillingham n. d.

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42 Pauline Dillingham Clippings n. d.

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43 Draft of Will of Pauline Dillingham n. d.

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44 Edwin K. Dillingham to Arthur Cutter 1876

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BoxFolder
45 Edwin K. Dillingham - Miscellaneous 1879-1957

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46 Edwin K. Dillingham to Various Family Members 1889-1926

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47 Edwin K. Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1890-1944

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48 Letters to Edwin K. Dillingham 1926-1945

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49 Edwin K. Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1929

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BoxFolder
410 Lottie Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1909-1940

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411 Lottie Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1929

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412 Elizabeth Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1925-1929

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413 Elizabeth Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1930-1933

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414 Elizabeth Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1934-1956

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51 Elizabeth Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1923-1929

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52 Elizabeth Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1930-1933

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53 Elizabeth Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1935-1955

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54 Elizabeth Dillingham to Parents 1923-1929

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55 Elizabeth Dillingham to Parents 1930-1932

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56 Elizabeth Dillingham to Parents 1933-1952

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57 Elizabeth Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1928-1942

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58 Elizabeth Dillingham to Charles Dillingham 1925-[?]

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BoxFolder
59 Elizabeth Dillingham to "Grandma Dillingham" [?}-1925

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BoxFolder
510 Poems by Elizabeth Randon Dillingham [?]-1930

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511 James Hart to Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Dillingham 1930-1952

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61 Charles Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1926-1929

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62 Charles Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1930-1931

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63 Charles Dillingham to Lottie Dillingham 1932-1937

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64 Charles Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1926-1929

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65 Charles Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1930-1933

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66 Charles Dillingham to Edwin K. Dillingham 1934-1943

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67 Charles Dillingham to Parents 1926-1929

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68 Charles Dillingham to Parents 1930-1932

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69 Charles Dillingham to Parents 1933-1958

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610 Charles Dillingham to Pauline Dillingham 1930-1942

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611 Charles Dillingham, includes photo 19[?]-1929

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612 From Barbara and Charles Dillingham 1940-1952

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613 From "Chuck" Dillingham 1948-1958

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614[?] Miscellaneous

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BoxFolder
71 Letters to Lottie Dillingham 1927-1954

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BoxFolder
72 Miscellaneous Letters 1891-1941

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BoxFolder
73 Miscellaneous Photographs 1886-

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