Wilmer Atkinson Family Papers, 1881-1948
General International Standard for Archival Description
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399 Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728
Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, May 2002.
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Gertrude Atkinson (1874-1948)
Biographical History for: Wilmer Atkinson Family Papers, 1881-1948
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL Wilmer Atkinson was born June 13, 1840, the son of Thomas and Hannah (Quimby) Atkinson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was a birthright and lifelong member of the Society of Friends. Atkinson was educated at the Foulke Boarding School at Gwynedd and then at Freeland Seminary, which became Ursinus College. He served briefly in the Civil War, and in 1866 he married Anna Allen, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Allen of Philadelphia. His sister, Mary Anna Atkinson, married Howard M. Jenkins, who became a business partner. Wilmer and Anna had three daughters, Elizabeth Allen, Emily Quimby, and Gertrude. The youngest daughter, Gertrude (1874-1948) never married and compiled the scrapbooks in this collection. Wilmer Atkinson was an editor of newspapers in Wilmington, Delaware, and Norristown, Pa., with his brother-in-law, Howard Jenkins. In 1877 he founded the Farm Journal, a monthly farm journal published in Philadelphia, Pa. His nephew, Charles Francis Jenkins, longtime member of the Swarthmore Board of Managers, succeeded him as editor of the Farm Journal. Atkinson was a journalist and active in social concerns, especially women's suffrage. He died May 10, 1920.
SCOPE AND CONTENT Wilmer Atkinson (1840-1920) was a Philadelphia, Pa., Quaker journalist and publisher of the Farm Journal. The collection includes scrapbooks containing clippings and memorabilia concerning the Atkinson, Allen, and related families, and a typed journal which Atkinson kept in 1917 concerning the War. The family was involved with Ursinus College, women's suffrage, and Buck Hill Falls.
Quakers -- Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania -- Quakers
Farm journal
Quakers -- World War, 1914-1918
Scrapbooks
Atkinson, Wilmer, 1840-1920
Allen family
Atkinson family
Quimby family
Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa
series
Ser. 1. Journal and notebooks, 1917, n.d.
War Journal of Wilmer Atkinson
Creation of War Journal of Wilmer Atkinson
Time of Creation of War Journal of Wilmer Atkinson
2 notebooks on family matters, genealogy
Misc. genealogical correspondence and biography of Atkinson by his daughter, Emily Ellis
Ser. 2. Scrapbooks, complied by Gertrude Atkinson, 1893-1948, n.d.
Scrapbook "W.A." on life and death of W. Atkinson
Loose items removed from scrapbook, condolences, etc.
Family Records, 1893-1948
Family Records
Creation of Family Records
Time of Creation of Family Records
Samuel Allen Family Record Book
Historical clippings