Edward Dexter Emerson was born in 1832 and went to California during the Gold Rush around 1850. By 1860, Emerson had moved back to Providence, and in 1862 enlisted in the Civil War. Emerson died in 1897.
The collection consists of a typescript letter copied from the 1854 original. In the letter, Edward Dexter Emerson details to his sister, Anna Emerson of Providence, Rhode Island, the reasons why he had not written to her in over a year. In the letter, Emerson discusses the various jobs he held, including helping on a river claim, chopping wood, working a mine until he cut his foot, and taking up farming. He often discusses the weather, and money paid or owed to him.
Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
The collection is open for research.
Edward Dexter Emerson letter to Anna Emerson, MSS-0099, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.
The collection contains one item and therefore has no current arrangement.
Provenance of the collection is unknown. It was in the holdings of Special Collections prior to 2000.
The collection was described by Special Collections intern, Melissa Moniz, in 2023 under the supervision of Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Veronica L. Denison.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
Rhode Island College Special Collections also holds a letter written to Edward Dexter Emerson’s grandfather:
The collection is a transcribed letter of an original, however Special Collections does not have information on the location of the original.
This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections.