AMHERST H. WILDER FOUNDATION AND FAMILY:

An Inventory of Their Records and Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

Part or all of this collection is restricted.
For details, please see restrictions.


Expand/CollapseOVERVIEW

Creator: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, creator.
Title:Amherst H. Wilder Foundation records and family papers.
Dates:1864-2023.
Language:Materials in English.
Abstract:Family papers and business records of St. Paul pioneer businessman and philanthropist Amherst H. Wilder and his family, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, and its three predecessor charities that were formed by the wills of his wife Fanny S. Wilder and his daughter Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby, and the will of Amherst H. Wilder.
Quantity:58.75 cubic feet (61 boxes, 4 microfilm reels, 1 partial box, and 2 oversize folders, unboxed) and 1 compressed zip file directory containing 159 digital files.
Location:See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Expand/CollapseHISTORICAL NOTE

Collapse/ExpandAmherst H. Wilder

Amherst H. Wilder was a St. Paul pioneer businessman and philanthropist who arrived in the city in 1859 from New York. Why he came to St. Paul is unknown. He was born in 1828 and died of a kidney infection on November 11, 1894 at the age of 66. His business activities included interests in mercantile, real estate, transportation (including freight, stage coach, and railroads), banking, and lumber companies.

He married Fanny S. Wilder in 1861 and they had one daughter, Cornelia Day Wilder. Family trips to Europe in the late 1880s prompted Amherst H. Wilder to form up a will in case he and his family died traveling at sea. If this occurred, it specified that his fortune was to be used for charitable purposes in St. Paul.

Amherst H. Wilder's last will specified that one-third of his estate go to his wife, one-third to his daughter, and the rest to be placed in trust for the benefit of the children of his daughter. His last will stated that if his daughter died childless, then after the death of his wife a large portion of his estate should go toward the endowment of a charity “to aid and assist the poor, sick, aged, or otherwise needy people of St. Paul.” Both Amherst's wife and daughter had similar provisions in their wills to form charitable organizations after they died.

Amherst H. Wilder's business operations and family life were closely intertwined. He had numerous business interests beyond the Wilder charities and this is reflected in the Wilder family papers through the A. H. Wilder & Company records, the O. F. A. Insurance Company records, the Superior Water, Light, and Power Company records, stock and bond registers, and estate papers.

Collapse/ExpandFanny S. Wilder

Fanny Spencer came to St. Paul from Utica, New York to visit her brother and soon met Amherst H. Wilder. They got married in 1861. During the late 1880s their home was built on Summit Avenue in St. Paul near the James J. Hill residence.

Fanny S. Wilder survived both her husband and daughter, and she died April 5, 1903, three months after her daughter Cornelia.

She named Victor M. Watkins as the executive officer of the executors of her will and of any corporation formed with the provisions of her will.

Collapse/ExpandCornelia Day Wilder Appleby

Cornelia Day Wilder was born in 1868. It is thought that Cornelia's volunteer work with the poor influenced her parents philanthropy, and that she had a very close relationship with her father. She worked with her father during the last years of his life on ideas for an endowment to serve the poor and needy in St. Paul.

She married Dr. T. E. W. Villiers Appleby in 1897. She met him while volunteering for the Society for the Relief of the Poor, and he signed an ante nuptial contract reserving all power over the Wilder fortune to Cornelia Day.

Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby died childless on January 20, 1903. After Cornelia died Dr. T. E. W. Villiers Appleby attempted to have the ante nuptial set aside but the courts upheld it. Cornelia left him an annual income of $10,000. Dr. T. E. W. Villiers Appleby agreed to a cash settlement with the trustees of the estate.

Collapse/ExpandAmherst H. Wilder Foundation

The Wilder family's vision was to “aid and assist and to furnish relief and charity for the worthy poor, sick, aged, or otherwise needy people of the said City of St. Paul.” The wills of Amherst H. Wilder, his wife Fanny S. Wilder, and his daughter Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby set up charities to honor this vision.

Between 1903-1910 the Wilder estates and charities were involved in litigation as a result of potential heirs who sought to set aside the Wilder family wills. The wills were challenged in five different lawsuits. The Charity created by Amherst H. Wilder did not begin until 1906 and those founded by his wife and daughter did not start until 1909.

The three separate charities, all named for Amherst H. Wilder, merged in 1910 to become the Amherst H. Wilder Charity. The consolidation was approved April 17, 1909 and occurred in December 1910. The net worth of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity in December 1910 was approximately $2.6 million.

In 1953, the Amherst H. Wilder Charity's name was changed to the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.


Return to top

Expand/CollapseARRANGEMENT

These documents are organized into the following sections:

Wilder Family Papers
Amherst H. Wilder and Estate
Fanny S. Wilder and Estate
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby and Estate
Dr. T.E.W. Villiers Appleby: Watkins vs. Bigelow
Wilder Estate Papers
A.H. Wilder & Company Records
O.F.A. Insurance Company Records
St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company Records
Superior Water, Light and Power Company Records
Stock and Bonds Registers
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Records
Historical Information
Amherst H. Wilder Charity
A. H. Wilder Charity, Founded by Fanny S. Wilder
Amherst H. Wilder Charity, Founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Protestant Orphan Asylum and Children's Services, Inc.
Amherst H. Wilder Business Correspondence
Clippings
Oral History Project


Return to top

Expand/CollapseADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Access Restrictions:

Access to the microfilmed minutes and financial reports, 1910-1971 (M436), the microfilmed board meeting minutes, 1971-2006 (M679), and the zip file containing digital board meeting minutes, 2006-2023, is restricted for fifty (50) years from creation date. Please consult the reference staff for more information.

Includes private information about individuals. Records with private information are closed for 75 years from date of last entry in the record. Researchers must apply for permission to use these records. Please consult library staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and Family Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Master Files:

Digital masters are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.

Microfilm production:

M436: Minutes and financial reports, 1910-1971: St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, [197-?]. 35 mm.

M679: Board meeting minutes, 1971-2006: St. Paul, Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, August 2006. 35 mm.

Location of originals:

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation; St. Paul, Minnesota.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 2972; 10,229; 11,388; 12,334; 14,556; 15,845; 16,287; 16,634; 17,934

Processing Information:

This finding aid brought together three previously separate portions of records and papers created by the Amherst H. Wilder family and the charitable foundations they endowed. These were the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation records, originally 15.5 cubic feet; the Amherst H. Wilder and family papers, originally 15.0 cubic feet; and microfilmed Amherst H. Wilder Foundation minutes and financial reports (M436 and M679). These three portions were combined into one collection when the heavy presence of mixed family and Foundation records apparent in accession number 16634 prompted their integration.

NHPRC logo

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Processed by: Christopher G. Welter, November 2009; Alex Kent, May 2012; Leif Kopietz, December 2023.

Catalog ID number: 990017165150104294


Return to top

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Expand/CollapseWILDER FAMILY PAPERS

Family papers include records of the Wilder family and Wilder estates, arranged by family member, except for a few miscellaneous items. Estate papers can be found with each family member. Estate papers include financial records, wills, and documents related to litigation involving the Wilder estates. Some real estate records are also available.

Amherst H. Wilder's business interests (including railroads in Minnesota and Iowa, and water and power interests in Minnesota and Wisconsin) are reflected in records from the A. H. Wilder & Company, O. F. A. Insurance Company, St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company, and Superior Water, Light, and Power.


Expand/CollapseAmherst H. Wilder and Estate

LocationBox
149.G.1.10F1Amherst Wilder and Fanny S. Wilder passports, 1884, 1889.
Abstract of title to property in South Stillwater, Minnesota, August 20, 1891. 159 pages.
Amherst H. Wilder: Appointment as alternate commissioner to centennial celebration of 1883, 1880.
LocationBox
100/ov22Wilder House Dining Room pen and ink drawing, 1878.
Plan of Villa for Amherst H. Wilder, undated.
LocationBox
129.F.7.4F-13Financial records:
Balance books, 1869-1894. 3 volumes.
Cashbook, 1869-1872. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.7.4F-24Cashbooks, 1872-August 31, 1880. 3 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.5B-15Cashbooks, September 1, 1880-November 1, 1886. 3 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.5B-26Cashbooks, November 1, 1886-October 26, 1891. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.6F-17Journals, 1869-[1877?]. 2 volumes.
Cashbook, October 28, 1891-October 30, 1894. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.7.6F-28Ledger, 1869-1873. 1 volume.
Journals, 1878-1890. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.7B-19Ledgers, 1873-1894. 3 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.7B-210Bills receivable/payable, 1865-1894. 4 volumes.
LocationBox
149.G.1.10F1Estate papers:
Will of Amherst H. Wilder, 1895-1902.
Includes final decree and change of trustees.
Amherst H. Wilder will and estate, 1894-1905.
Fanny S. Wilder and Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby wills and legal papers, 1902-1905.
Watkins v Bigelow et al, 1904-1905.
State of Minnesota. Supreme Court. Victor M. Watkins and Charles Bell v Charles H. Bigelow, et al., respondents' brief, October 1904.
Dr. E. Villiers Appleby trust, 1908.
Merriman, Alanson Wilder trust fund, 1895-1905. 2 folders.
Miscellaneous, 1904-1910.
Amherst H. Wilder estate inventory, 1904-1906.
LocationBox
129.F.7.2F-211Final account and auditor's inventory of Amherst H. Wilder estate, 1895. 1 oversize folder.
Includes other documents used in preparing the formal Wilder estate inventory done in 1895.
Insurance register, 1903-1911. 1 volume.
Cashbooks, 1894-1906. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.7.3B-212Ledger, 1894-1896. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.7.8F-213Journal, 1894-1905.
LocationBox
149.I.15.5B56Amherst H. Wilder will, undated.
Amherst H. Wilder will and codicil, undated, 1894-1896, 1913.
Amherst H. Wilder estate settlement petition, mid 1890s-1904.
Amherst H. Wilder final decree of real estate, 1896.
Amherst H. Wilder balance sheet, 1891.
Amherst H. Wilder and Co. bank book, 1888-1894.
Agreement between Amherst H. Wilder and St. Lukes Hospital, 1892-1912.
Power of Attorney, Amherst H. Wilder to William R. Merriam, 1886.
William R. Merriam trustee resignation, 1899.
Amherst H. Wilder legal papers and estate inventory, 1903-1906. 2 folders.
LocationBox
129.F.7.8F-213Real estate, approximately 1870-approximately 1890. 2 volumes.
Includes plats of Fanny S. Wilder's homestead, and other properties sold across Minnesota.
LocationBox
121.G.7.114Rental register, 1896-1910. 1 volume.
Statement copybook (letterpress), September 30, 1889-May 31, 1909. 1 volume.
Letterpress book: Watkins, et al., trustees, March 20, 1901-April 14, 1903. 1 volume.
LocationBox
121.G.7.215Letterpress book: Watkins, et al., trustees, April 14, 1903-October 1, 1904. 1 volume.
Letterpress book: Watkins and Bell, trustees, October 3, 1904-July 15, 1907. 1 volume.
LocationBox
149.I.15.7B58Deeds, resolutions, and decrees:
Cook County deed, 1893.
Custer County, Montana, 1896.
LocationFolder
A2/ov8 Drawer 71Custer County, Montana (oversize), 1896.
LocationBox
149.I.15.7B58Jackson County deed, 1899.
Murray County deed, 1895.
Province of Manitoba deed, 1896.
Nobles County, Minnesota deeds, 1896-1910.
Ramsey County, Minnesota deed, 1896.
LocationBox
149.I.15.8F59Ramsey County, Minnesota deed, West St. Paul, R.E. improvement syndicate addition No. 2, 1886-1891.
Watonwan County and Cottonwood County land examinations, undated.
A. Gotzian's rearrangement of Sigel's addition, 1890.
R.E. and P.P. in Alexandria County, Virginia, 1895-1897.
Finch, VanSlyck, Young, and Company contract, 1890.
Northern Steamship Co. and Great Northern Railway Co. resolutions, 1891.
Amherst H. Wilder estate deeds, resolutions, and decrees, 1864-1913.
Ashland County, Wisconsin deed and correspondence, 1871-1910.
Osceola County, Iowa indenture, 1910.
Nobles County, Minnesota deed, 1888.
Chippewa County, Minnesota deeds, 1895-1899.
Obrien County, Iowa quitclaim deeds to Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad Co., 1890.
Obrien County, Iowa opinion, correspondence, and clippings, 1885-1895.

Expand/CollapseFanny S. Wilder and Estate

LocationBox
121.G.7.316Cashbook, November 1894-December 1896. 1 volume.
Ledger, December 1894-December 1896. 1 volume.
Estate: Ledger, May 14, 1903-December 21, 1909. 1 volume.
Trial balance, February 27, 1896-April 4, 1903. 1 volume.
Trial balance, September 26, 1906-November 30, 1910. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.7.3B-117Cash journals, January 2, 1897-April 1903. 2 volumes.
Ledger, 1897-1903. 1 volume.
LocationBox
121.G.7.418Journal, December 1894-December 1896. 1 volume.
Cash journal, May 14, 1903-Decmber 21, 1909. 1 volume.
Rentals, insurance, and taxes: A. H. Wilder Charity, approximately 1908-1912. 1 volume.
LocationBox
149.I.15.5B56Fanny Wilder: last will, 1903.
Fanny Wilder: Power of Attorney, Fanny Wilder to Gottlieb Schwartz, 1893.
Fanny Wilder: estate inventory and appraisement, 1903-1907.
Fanny Wilder: final decrees and schedule of real estate, 1905.
Fanny Wilder: schedule of real estate, 1905-1910.
Fanny Wilder: schedule of real estate, bonds list, and balances, 1904-1910.
Fanny Wilder: Amherst H. Wilder Charity founded by Fanny Wilder, 1903-1910.
Fanny Wilder: trust agreement with Alvina Eismann of Germany, 1903.
Ramsey County District Court brief regarding will of Fanny Wilder, undated, 1903-1904.
Specifically, the file contains: letters testamentary regarding estate of Fanny Wilder (1903); Ramsey County District Court Brief regarding will of Fanny Wilder (undated); and legal brief regarding will of Fanny Spencer and the corporation organized under Act of 1895 (1904).
Ramsey County District Court order fixing attorney fees and Ramsey County District Court - receipts to the Executors of Estate of Fanny S. Wilder, 1905-1909.
Fanny Wilder: Ramsey County Probate Court - final decrees, 1909-1911. 2 folders.
Fanny Wilder: leather bound, Articles of Incorporation of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity, founded by Fanny S. Wilder, 1909-1910. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseCornelia Day Wilder Appleby and Estate

LocationBox
129.F.7.3B-212Estate of Fanny S. Wilder and Estate of Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby, January 1907-August 1, 1912. 1 volume.
Journal, December 1, 1894-January 5, 1903. 1 volume.
Ledger, December 1894-January 1903. 1 volume.
Cashbooks, December 3, 1894-January 5, 1903. 2 volumes.
Estate:
Ledger, January 12, 1903-December 15, 1909. 1 volume.
Cashbook, August 25, 1906-December 15, 1909. 1 volume.
Cash journal, April 17, 1903-December 15, 1909. 1 volume.
LocationBox
149.I.15.6F57Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: last will and testament, 1903.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: State of Minnesota, Ramsey County, copy of final decree of Probate Court, 1905.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: legal papers, 1903-1931.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation founded by Cornelia Wilder statement of disbursements and correspondence, 1910.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: schedule of real estate, 1903-1910.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: estate inventory and appraisement, 1904-1910.
Letters testamentary regarding estate of Cornelia D. Wilder, 1903-1909.
Ramsey County District Court - receipts to the Executors of Estate of Cornelia Day Wilder-Appleby, 1905-1909.
Legal will opinion regarding Cornelia Wilder ante-nuptial agreement with Dr. Appleby, 1904.
Order of Ramsey County District Court and deeds from trustees V.M. Watkins and C.N. Bell to Amherst H. Wilder Charity founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby, 1909. 2 folders.
Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby: leather bound, Articles of Incorporation of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity, founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby, 1905-1910. 1 volume.
Amherst Wilder, Fanny Wilder, Cornelia Wilder-Appleby estate inventory and statement report by W.R.W. Co. Auditors, Chicago, 1906.

Expand/Collapse Dr. T. E. W. Villiers Appleby: Watkins vs. Bigelow

Legal and estate papers regarding Dr. T.E.W. Villiers Appleby's legal challenges to and settlements of the estate of his wife Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby following her death in 1903.
LocationBox
149.I.15.6F57Dr. Appleby trust and legal papers, 1903-1910.
Dr. Appleby trust ledger, 1908-1909.
Dr. Appleby cash journal, 1908.
Watkins vs. Bigelow resolution, 1908.
Watkins vs. Bigelow legal papers, 1904.
Watkins vs. Bigelow appellant's brief, 1904.
LocationBox
149.I.15.7B58Watkins vs. Bigelow Minnesota Supreme Court notice, 1904.
Watkins vs. Bigelow Ramsey County District Court answer, 1904.
Watkins vs. Bigelow Ramsey County District Court notice of motion, 1904.
Watkins vs. Bigelow Ramsey County District Court appeal, 1904.
The file contains the following documents: Watkins vs. Bigelow Ramsey County District Court appeal (July 20, 1904); Ramsey County District Court petition (July 20, 1904); Ramsey County District Court brief (undated).
Watkins vs. Bigelow Ramsey County District Court filing, 1904.
The file contains the following documents: Ramsey County District Court notice (1905) and Ramsey County District Court ruling (undated).
Watkins vs. Bigelow inventory and schedule of real estate, 1905.
Watkins vs. Bigelow correspondence, 1904-1905.
Copies of petitions in the matter of suit Watkins vs. Bigelow, et al, approximately 1903-1904. 2 folders.

Expand/CollapseWilder estate papers

LocationBox
149.I.15.7B58Victor M. Watkins papers, 1891-1905. 2 folders.
Power of Attorney, Amherst H. Wilder to Victor M. Watkins, 1884-1894.
State of Missouri vs. Firsee, 1904.
Plat map of H. Greve Building and Amherst H. Wilder and Party Wall agreement:
Party Wall agreement, March 18, 1884.
LocationFolder
A2/ov8 Drawer 72Plat map, undated.
Plat map of Simpson property, undated.
LocationBox
149.I.15.7B58Potomac Electric Co. papers, 1890s.

Expand/CollapseA.H. Wilder & Company Records

Amherst H. Wilder's first job in St. Paul was working with James and Henry Burbank, his cousins. By 1866 he and his brother-in-law James C. Merriam bought out the Burbanks and operated the company as A.H. Wilder & Company.
LocationBox
129.A.2.4F19Bills payable, 1889-1891. 1 volume.
Journal, July 30, 1888-December 28, 1893. 1 volume.
Ledger, 1888-1894. 1 volume.
Ledger with W. R. Merriam, 1889-1893. 1 volume.
Cashbook and journal: A. H. Wilder special welfare fund, 1888-1894. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseO.F.A. Insurance Company Records

LocationBox
129.F.7.8F-213Cashbook A, undated. 1 oversize folder.

Expand/CollapseSt. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company Records

LocationBox
129.F.7.8F-120Trustee's ledger A, approximately 1880-1891. 1 volume.
Trustee's journal, 1880-1894. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseSuperior Water, Light and Power Company Records

LocationBox
129.A.2.4F19Ledger, approximately 1891. 1 volume.
Journal, 1891-1892. 1 volume.
Accounts: Revenues and expenditures, operating department, approximately 1889-1911. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseStock and Bonds Registers

For the Wilder family and estates.
LocationBox
146.K.15.10F21 1874-1899. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.8.1B-122 approximately 1887-1934. 3 volumes.

Return to top


Expand/CollapseAMHERST H. WILDER FOUNDATION RECORDS

Records of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and its three predecessor charities that were formed by Wilder family wills: the Amherst H. Wilder Charity, the A. H. Wilder Charity Founded by Fanny S. Wilder, and the Amherst H. Wilder Charity Founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby.

These records focus mostly on financial records (cashbooks, ledgers, journals, cash registers, balance books) and include real estate records, board meeting minutes, financial reports, published materials, subject and agency files, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and transcripts of an oral history project that interviewed Amherst H. Wilder board members and executives.


Expand/CollapseHistorical Information

LocationBox
149.G.1.10F1Biographical and research material, 1947-1948, 1966. 2 folders.
Includes drafts of article about the Wilder family and foundation and copies of oral history interviews with friends of the Wilder family by Jerry Vessels. Compiled by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
Pamphlets and printed material, 1952-1991.
LocationBox
149.I.15.9B60Wilder Forest: Morgan May binder, 1890-1993.
Disassembled binder. Includes written history of the Morgan May family and "Wilder Forest" as well as photographs and negatives of the May family, the property, and related subjects.
Morgan May was an early settler to Washington County in Minnesota. The Amherst Wilder Foundation purchased the family land holdings from the May estate in 1957. The Wilder Foundation and the Science Museum of Minnesota developed the land into an environmental science and nature center.

Expand/CollapseAmherst H. Wilder Charity

Founded by Amherst H. Wilder in his last will. Organized into a charitable corporation in April 1904.
LocationBox
129.F.8.1B-223Cashbook A, January 20, 1906-December 1, 1910. 1 volume.
Journal A, January 29, 1906-December 1, 1910. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.8.2F-124Ledger A, January 1906-December 1, 1910. 1 volume.
Cash register, September 15, 1909-December 1, 1910. 1 volume.
Balance book, March 30, 1906-November 30, 1910. 1 volume.
LocationBox
121.G.6.225Letterpress book, January 1906-October 1911. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseA. H. Wilder Charity, Founded by Fanny S. Wilder

Founded by Fanny S. Wilder in her will. Organized into a charitable corporation June 1903 and began operations in 1909.
LocationBox
121.G.6.225Land contracts, approximately 1896-1910. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.8.2F-226Cashbook, December 15, 1909-December 1, 1910. 1 volume.
Journal, December 15, 1909. 1 volume.
Ledger, December 15, 1909-December 15, 1910. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseAmherst H. Wilder Charity, Founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby

Founded by Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby in her last will. Organized in May 1905 and began operations in 1909.
LocationBox
129.F.8.3B-127Cashbook, 1908-1910. 1 volume.
Ledger A, 1908-1910. 1 volume.
Journal A, 1908-1910. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseAmherst H. Wilder Foundation

Formed in 1910 as the Amherst H. Wilder Charity through a consolidation of the three separate charities founded by the estate of each Wilder family member, the name of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity was changed to Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in 1953.
This series includes minutes and financial reports, financial records, board meeting minutes, subject and agency files, and published material.
LocationReel
M436 (Chaney Room)1Minutes and financial reports:
Restricted for 50 years (50) from creation date.
Volumes 1-4. November 14, 1910-June 2, 1971. 1 microfilm reel.
Volumes 1-2 include annual financial reports.
Volume 1 includes copies of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity's articles of association and bylaws.
Volume 3 also contains the changes in bylaws that were effected when the organization's name was changed to the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation on September 22, 1953.
LocationReel
M679 (Chaney Room)1Board meeting minutes:
Restricted for 50 years (50) from creation date.
Volumes 5-8. June 30, 1971-July 1, 1987. 1 microfilm reel.
LocationReel
M679 (Chaney Room)2Volumes 8-10. July 13, 1987-January 23, 1997. 1 microfilm reel.
LocationReel
M679 (Chaney Room)3Volumes 11-12. February 13, 1997-February 23, 2006. 1 microfilm reel.
Location
InternetA.H.Wilder_Foundation_Board_Minutes. 1 ZIP file (38.4 MB):
Board Minutes Index:
Board Minute Index.xls
Fiscal_year_2006:
01_19_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_23_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_23_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_27_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_22_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_25_05 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_29_05 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_27_05 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_17_05 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_15_05 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_year_2007:
01_25_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_22_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_22_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_27_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_24_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_28_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_28_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_26_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_21_06 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2008:
01_24_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_28_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_27_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_22_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_26_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_23_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_27_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_15_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_20_07 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2009:
01_22_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_26_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_26_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_24_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_28_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_25_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_25_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_23_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_20_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_18_08 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2010:
01_28_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_25_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_25_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_22_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_27_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_24_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
07_23_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_27_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_24_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_22_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_19_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_17_09 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2011:
01_27_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_24_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_28_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_26_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_23_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_23_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_28_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_18_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_16_10 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2012:
01_26_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
02_23_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_22_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
04_26_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_24_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_28_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_27_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_17_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_15_11 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2013:
01_24_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_28_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_23_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_27_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_27_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_25_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
12_20_12 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2014:
01_23_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_27_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_22_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_26_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_22_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_24_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_24_13 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2015:
01_22_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_26_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_28_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_25_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_28_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
09_25_14 Work Session Notes.docx
10_23_14 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
11_20_14 Work Session Notes.docx
12_18_14 Work Session Notes.docx
Fiscal_Year_2016:
01_28_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_24_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_26_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_23_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_27_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_22_15 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2017:
01_26_17 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
03_23_17 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_01_17 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
05_25_17 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
06_22_17 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
08_25_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
10_27_16 Board Meeting Minutes.doc
Fiscal_Year_2018:
1-25-2018 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
3-22-2018 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
5-24-2018 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
6-28-2018_Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
8-24-2017_Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
10-26_2017_Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
Fiscal_Year_2019:
August_23_2018_Final_Minutes_Addendems.pdf
January_24_2019_Final_Minutes_Addedums.pdf
June_27_2019_Final_Minutes_Addendums.pdf
March_28-2019_Final_Minutes2_Addendems.pdf
May_23_2019_Final_Minutes_Addendems.pdf
October_25_2018_Final_Minutes_Addendems.pdf
Fiscal_Year_2020:
01.23.2020 Board Meeting Minutes_with_Addendums.pdf
03.26.2020 Board Meeting Minutes_with_Addendums.pdf
06.01.2020 Special Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
06.25.2020 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
08.22.19 Board Meeting Minutes_with_Addendums.pdf
10.24.19 Board Meeting Minutes_with_Addendums.pdf
Special 07.26.19 Board Meeting Minutes_with_Addendums.pdf
Fiscal_Year_2021:
1.28.2021 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
3-25-2021_Board_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
5.6.2021 Special Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
5.27.21 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
6-24-21_Minutes 20210927.pdf
08.27.2020 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
10.12.2020 Special Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
10.22.2020 Board Meeting MinutesFinal.pdf
Fiscal_Year_2022:
01.27.2022 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
3.24.2022 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
06.23.2022 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
8.26.2021 Board Meeting Minutes 1.pdf
10.28.2021 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
Fiscal_Year_2023:
01-26-2023 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
8-25-2022_Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
10-27-2022 Board Meeting Minutes.pdf
LocationReel
M679 (Chaney Room)3Financial records:
Formed by merger of the three existing Wilder family charities in December 1910.
LocationBox
129.F.7.8F-213Real estate record, approximately 1900s-approximately 1910. 1 oversize folder.
LocationBox
146.K.15.10F21Ledgers, 1928-1939. 4 volumes.
Record of vouchers, 1906-1910.
Rentals, insurance, and taxes, 1910-1925.
Insurance register, 1928-1942.
Collection journal (bath, dispensary, day nursery), 1932-1936.
Anti-Tuberculosis Committee: Donations, 1910.
Vault index, undated.
LocationBox
129.F.8.3B-228Ledger A, December 1, 1910-November 1, 1921. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.8.4F-129Cashbooks:
December 1, 1910-January 31, 1913. 1 volume.
February 1913-April 30, 1916. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.4F-230 April 29, 1916-January 31, 1919. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.5B-131 February 1, 1919-April 15, 1922. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.5B-232 April 19, 1922-June 30, 1924. 2 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.6F-133Cash receipts and disbursements, July 1, 1924-June 30, 1929. 1 volume.
LocationBox
129.F.8.6F-234Cash registers:
December 1, 1910-March 15, 1915. 8 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.7B-135 March 15, 1915-February 15, 1918. 7 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.7B-236 August 15, 1918-May 15, 1922. 6 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.8.8F-137 May 15, 1922-June 26, 1924. 4 volumes.
LocationBox
121.G.6.338Bills receivable and payable, approximately 1911-1931. 1 volume.
Includes all three Wilder family charities (Amherst H. Wilder, Cornelia Day Wilder, and Fanny S. Wilder).
Balance book, December 1, 1910-July 31, 1917. 1 volume.
Includes balance book, estate of Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby, January 1-November 30, 1910.
LocationBox
129.F.8.8F-239Balance books, August 1, 1917-March 31, 1929. 3 volumes.
LocationBox
129.F.9.1B-140Balance books, July 1933-December 1937. 4 volumes.
LocationBox
142.G.1.3B-241Journal, 1927-1937.
Ledger, 1906-1910.
Includes index.
Index to charity applications made to Amherst H. Wilder, undated.
Includes number of each application, and references to minutes and letterbook.
LocationBox
149.I.15.8F59Bank books, 1911-1937. 2 folders.
Cash journals, Volumes 1-4, 1910-1926. 4 volumes.
LocationBox
149.I.15.9B60Cash journals, Volumes 5-7, 1926-1937. 3 volumes.
LocationBox
149.G.1.10F1Subject and agency files:
Subject and agency files contain correspondence, statistics, reports, budgets, case histories, and miscellaneous information on a number of public and private health and social service agencies. Some larger files concern the Central Registration Bureau, 1915-1938; Community Health and Welfare Planning Council (an agency of the United Fund), 1957-1972; the Community Information System 1968-1973; day care centers, 1911-1980; a foster home study, 1960-1963; Metropolitan St. Paul Hospitals Committee, 1959-1969; St. Paul neighborhoods, 1969-1970; St. Paul Rehabilitation Center, 1949-1962; Selective Service screening project, 1942-1946; Wilder Dispensary, 1924-1960; and a WPA study, 1932-1936.
Administration, 1960-1962. 2 folders.
Correspondence, budget and payroll, and agency information.
Agencies annual reports, 1967-1968. 3 folders.
5 Agency Study, 1966-1969.
Alcoholics, 1960-1962.
American Indian Project, 1970-1971. 4 folders.
Bremer Foundation (Urban League), 1969.
LocationBox
149.G.2.1B42Bryant School, 1969.
Camp Wilder, 1964-1970. 4 folders.
Manual, correspondence, and newspaper clippings relating to the establishment of a permanent camp near St. Paul.
Central Registration Bureau, 1915-1923, 1932-1938. 4 folders.
Correspondence, reports, and statistics, relating to a central registration bureau to coordinate benefits and services to individual families by different agencies.
Charitable agencies, 1954-1969.
Miscellaneous correspondence relating to various organizations.
Civilian Defense Council of Saint Paul, Inc., 1941-1944. 2 folders.
Includes information on family welfare and emergency committee.
Community Action Center, 1972-1973. 5 folders.
Correspondence, agency profiles, and minutes regarding a church-sponsored ecumenical organization incorporating Christian values into social action.
Community Chests and Councils, 1953-1954.
Correspondence and workshop papers.
Community Health and Welfare Planning Council, 1957-1972. 10 folders.
This organization was part of the Greater St. Paul United Fund and Council. The Wilder Foundation Research Department did many of the research papers for the Greater St. Paul United Fund and Council. The folders include bylaws, correspondence, inventory of organizations, reports, papers of the Community Priorities Committee, the Loft (Summit University Teen Center) project reports, and information on unmarried mothers.
LocationBox
149.G.2.2F43Community Health and Welfare Planning Council, 1969-1972. 11 folders.
Includes neighborhood elections, Gerald B. Ouderkirk correspondence, multi-service policy, pilot center programs, and Robert Swanson correspondence.
Community Information System, 1968-1973. 9 folders.
Correspondence, proposals, agency statistics concerned with establishing a central information system to manage, compare and retrieve information from a variety of public and private agencies serving the community.
Community Planning Organization, Inc., 1977.
Day care centers, 1911-1980. 5 folders.
Includes statistics 1911-1980; minutes 1942-1943; and reporting procedures, 1951.
LocationBox
146.K.15.2F44Family Centered Project, 1955-1967. 3 folders.
Reports, papers, and subcommittee minutes.
Foster Home Study, 1960-1963. 6 folders.
Minutes, correspondence, active boarding homes, training manuals, and reports. Includes list of prospective boarding homes.
Handicapped Transportation Survey, 1958.
Health Survey, 1944. 7 folders.
Includes committee minutes, basic data, and an evaluation made by the American Public Health Association at the request of the advisory committee of the Council of Social Agencies.
Hospital Service of the St. Paul Public Library, 1921, 1923.
Reports by Perrie Jones on her experiences beginning the service, how it was received, and what was needed to make it more efficient. Includes a list of books ordered with a gift of the American Library Association.
Aronovici, Dr. Carol. Housing survey, 1918.
Mental retardation, 1965-1966.
Miscellaneous, 1946, 1959.
Metropolitan St. Paul Hospital Planning Council, 1961-1967. 16 folders.
This council surveyed hospital facilities in St. Paul prior to the building of the St. Paul Ramsey Hospital. Includes 1944 health surveys, analysis, reports, daily hospital census, resource data, medical staffing, and publicity.
LocationBox
146.K.15.3B45Metropolitan St. Paul Hospital Planning Council, 1959-? 44 folders.
Minnesota Department of Public Welfare, undated.
Minnesota Foundation, 1949-1966.
Neighborhoods, 1969-1970. 4 folders.
Includes material gathered to create neighborhood service centers, including correspondence, community profiles, minutes, and studies.
LocationBox
146.K.15.4F46Neighborhoods, 1969-1970. 18 folders.
Includes Lower East Side, Payne Minnehaha, South St. Anthony, Summit University, Thomas Dale (Frogtown), and West 7th neighborhoods.
LocationBox
146.K.15.5B47Nicollet Island, 1865-1925. 3 folders.
Includes indenture, quit claim deeds, memoranda, correspondence, blueprints, and miscellaneous material relating to land owned by Wilder and John Merriman.
Oakland Cemetery Deed, 1870.
Ordean Foundation (Duluth, Minn.), 1961-1963.
Correspondence and report by the Minnesota Foundation evaluating the health and welfare agencies in Duluth and the program of the Ordean Foundation. Includes data on expenditures for community health and welfare services in Duluth.
LocationBox
146.K.15.6F48St. Paul Foundation, 1960-1966. 4 folders.
Correspondence from Greater St. Paul United Fund and Council, Inc. relating to agency requests.
St. Paul Free Medical Dispensary: Articles of incorporation and bylaws, 1897.
St. Paul Hearing Society, 1963-1967.
St. Paul International Institute Agency Self Study, 1965-1966.
St. Paul Outpatient Center printed material, 1964-1965.
St. Paul Rehabilitation Center, 1949-1962. 6 folders.
Includes correspondence, annual reports, 1949-1951, building fund information, memoranda, admission statistics, and 1962 dedication of new facility.
St. Paul Schools, 1911-1912.
Report of medical inspections.
St. Paul Schools, 1969.
Community Services Committee.
Salvation Army, 1962-1964.
Selective Service Screening Project, 1942-1946.
The Wilder Foundation participated in this project; includes summary of methods and operations, correspondence, reports, and source data.
Social Service Department of City and County Hospital, 1914-1917.
Staff Activity and Executive Committee Reports, 1969-1970. 2 folders.
State Plan Service Amendment, 1957.
Material relating to state agencies administering approved public assistance programs.
Statistical reporting, 1948-1949.
Summer programs, 1968-1970. 3 folders.
Correspondence, program descriptions, and information on food and recreational programs.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Bureau Study, 1931, 1964-1967.
Training courses and instructions, 1962.
Travelers Aid, 1963, 1968.
Twin Cities Diabetics Association, 1962-1965.
Twin City Indian News, 1964-1965.
United Community Fund and Councils of America, 1960-1963. 3 folders.
Union Gospel Mission Association, 1964.
University of Minnesota (Upward Bound), 1966.
LocationBox
146.K.15.7B49Urban League Requests, 1967-1969.
Urban Renewal, 1967-1968.
Venereal Disease Control, 1961.
Veterans' Information Center correspondence and minutes, 1942, 1944-1947.
Visiting and instructive nurses, undated.
Includes history.
Visiting nurses, 1917-1921, 1936-1937, 1942-1943.
Includes St. Paul Baby Welfare Association and statistics.
Visiting Teachers, 1936-1940.
Delinquency project.
Volunteer Bureau, Inc., 1952-1968.
Volunteer Services Study, 1964-1967.
WAC application screening, 1944.
War on Poverty, 1964.
Welfare Action Committee, 1969-1970.
Wilder Administration Building contracts, 1911-1913.
Wilder Charity medical service study report, 1912, 1941.
Wilder Charity: Legal History and Documents, 1948.
Includes wills, articles of incorporation, and bylaws.
Wilder Charity: A Manual for Use by St. Paul Health and Welfare Agencies, 1949.
Wilder Child Guidance Clinic, 1924 1980. 3 folders.
Includes statistics and information about Dr. Hyman S. Lippman.
Wilder Clinic, 1954-1957.
Research studies.
Wilder Community Services, 1906-1966.
Summaries and activities of various agencies.
Wilder Dispensary, 1924-1960. 7 folders.
Correspondence, annual reports, 1947-1960; social service annual reports, 1949-1957; history, photograph album (partial), and statistics.
LocationBox
146.K.15.8F50Wilder Dispensary, 1950s.
Restricted
Patient personal and clinical cards.
Wilder Health Center, 1917-1921, 1952, 1962.
Correspondence, dedication of new building, 1952; and 1962 Open House.
Wilder Infirmary, 1966.
Newspaper clippings of strike and memoranda.
Wilder Planning Committee, 1945-1947. 3 folders.
Includes Frank Rarig report and memoranda.
Wilder Public Baths, 1913-1966. 3 folders.
Includes estimates, statistics, and contracts.
Wilder Residences, 1960-1966. 7 folders.
Dedication lists, and speech, newspaper clippings, floor plans, publicity, and other materials. Includes Wilder Infirmary and Victor M. Watkins Convalescent Home.
Woman's Free Dispensary Aid Society: Minutes, 1890-1896. 2 volumes in 2 folders.
LocationBox
146.K.15.8F50Woodview Detention Home, 1957.
Workhouse Committee, 1957-1962.
YMCA, 1960-1966. 2 folders.
Youth, 1962-1969. 3 folders.
Includes information on Youth Council, employment committee, and various projects.
LocationBox
146.K.15.9B51Inner City Youth League Study, 1970-1971.
Includes minutes, reports, and budgets.
Janet Nolan WPA Study, 1932, 1936-1938. 4 folders.
Includes statistics, case histories, and correspondence relating to families on relief.
Published material:
The Wilder Recreational Project, 1945.
Expenditures for Social Welfare, 1948.
Prepared for the Planning and Research Council, Greater St. Paul Community Chest and Council, Inc. by the Amherst H. Wilder Department of Research and Statistics.
Wilder Research Department. Comparison of Governmental Expenditures for Public Assistance, Child Welfare and Medical Care, Ramsey and Hennepin County, 1948.
Prepared 1950.
Amherst H. Wilder Department of Research and Statistics. Economic Assistance Services in Ramsey County, 1949.
Prepared 1950.
Amherst H. Wilder Department of Research and Statistics. Social Adjustment Services in Ramsey County 1949.
Amherst H. Wilder Department of Research and Statistics. Care of the Chronically Ill in Ramsey County.
Kanun, Clara; Wilder Research Department. The Residential Mobility of Ramsey County Public Assistance Recipients, September 1952.
Wilder Research Department. Expenditures for Social Welfare in Ramsey County 1950 & 1951, October 1952.
Wilder Research Department. Expenditures for Social Welfare in Ramsey County 1952, March 1954.
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Saint Paul and Adjacent Area: Census Tract Street Index, January 1957.
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Metropolitan St. Paul Hospital Survey, 1959.
Number of Participants in Leisure Time Agencies Ramsey County, Minnesota 1960.
Number of Participants in Leisure Time Agencies Ramsey County, Minnesota, 1961.
Number of Participants in Leisure Time Agencies Ramsey County, Minnesota, 1963-1964.
Self Study Report & Analysis of the Wilder Foundation Senior Citizens Center for the Fiscal Year 1967-1968, April 1969.
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Application for A Certificate of Need Review, 1973.
Wilder Foundation newsletter: Community Matters, Summer 2000.

Expand/CollapseProtestant Orphan Asylum and Children's Services, Inc.

Administrative records, financial records, histories, and photographs regarding an organization originally founded to serve children orphaned by the American Civil War.
The Protestant Orphan Asylum (POA) maintained an orphanage at a property near the intersection of Marshall and St. Albans in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1935, the Protestant Orphan Asylum dissolved, and became the Children's Service, Inc. In 1969, the Amherst Wilder Foundation bought the property, and the organization was absorbed into the mission and functions of the foundation.
LocationBox
149.I.15.9B60Protestant Orphan Asylum: by-laws, 1906.
Protestant Orphan Asylum: financial, 1908-1968.
Protestant Orphan Asylum: history, undated, 1930s.
Protestant Orphan Asylum: photographs, letter, and postcard, undated, 1919, 1965.
Protestant Orphan Asylum: Dorothy Knapp master degree thesis, 1944.
Report of the Combined Children's Committee, 1932-1933.
Protestant Orphan Asylum and Children's Department: annual report, 1933-1934.
Protestant Orphan Asylum and Children's Service, Inc.: annual report, 1934-1935.
Children's Service, Inc., Articles of Association, 1950-1955.
Children's Service, Inc., Function Committee, 1950-1953.
Children's Service, Inc., bank book, 1937-1965.
Children's Service, Inc.: Swift news clipping, 1951.
Children's Service, Inc.: general papers, 1951-1963.
Report on examination: Midwest Regional Conference of the Child Welfare League of America, Saint Paul, Minnesota, June 3, 1964.
Report on examination: Children's Service, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota, December 31, 1965.
Report of the study of the Children's Service, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota for reaccreditation Child Welfare League of America,, March 15-17, 1965.
Report on examination: Children's Service, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota, March 31, 1966.
Study of the children's agencies of St. Paul and Ramsey County, Minnesota with recommendations for their improvement and the development of a community plan made by the Child Welfare League of America, Inc.,, 1931-1932.
LocationBox
149.I.15.10F61Protestant Orphan Asylum minute book, Volume 3, pages 1-199, 1892-1898. 2 folders.
Transcriptions of original minutes volume.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - minutes, Vol. 3, 1892-1898.
Protestant Orphan Asylum, Recording Secretary, Volume 4, minutes, 1898-1905.
Protestant Orphan Asylum minute book, Volume 4, pages 1-152, 1898-1905. 2 folders.
Transcriptions of original minutes volume.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - minutes, Volume 5, 1905-1915.
Protestant Orphan Asylum minute book, Volume 5, pages 1-142, 1905-1915. 2 folders.
Transcriptions of original minutes volume.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - children admitted, 1865-1885.
Volume 1. Records of the Protestant Orphan Asylum, May 12, 1865-August 31, 1883.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - children admitted, 1879-1892.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - Matron's book, 1886. 1 volume.
Protestant Orphan Asylum - Records of the children, Vol. 3, 1899-1916. 1 volume.
[0.20 cubic feet empty, letter sized]

Expand/CollapseAmherst H. Wilder Business Correspondence

Includes correspondence addressed to Victor M. Watkins after the death of Amherst H. Wilder. The correspondence also includes substantial information about the Breck Mission and Farm School (also known as Breck School and the Wilder Farm College).
Victor M. Watkins was the financial secretary and a close advisor for Amherst H. Wilder. He became the first president of the Amherst H. Wilder Charity until he died in 1921. He served as a trustee for the Wilder estates.
LocationBox
129.J.14.4F52 Undated, 1866, 1884-1897. 25 folders.
LocationBox
129.J.14.5B53 1898-April 1905. 32 folders.
LocationBox
129.J.14.6F54 May 1905-1918. 23 folders.

Expand/CollapseClippings

LocationBox
146.K.15.11B55 1891-1966. 5 volumes.
Includes newspaper clippings about the Wilder family, the Wilder wills, court cases involving the wills, Dr. E. W. Villiers Appleby, the Wilder Foundation, agencies and people connected with the Foundation.
LocationBox
129.A.2.4F19 1891-1966. 7 folders.
Location
148.C.3.4FScrapbook of newspaper clippings, 1895-1922. 1 volume.

Expand/CollapseOral History Project

LocationBox
129.A.2.4F19 2005-2006. 4 folders.
The oral history project consists of various interviews conducted with board members, past and present, and leaders of the Wilder Foundation.
In the interview of Leonard H. Wilkening, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Wilder Foundation, some of the topics discussed include his childhood and family history; his employment with the YMCA in Iowa; working for the United Way; initial work for the Wilder Foundation; meeting and working with Frank M. Rarig, Wilkening's predecessor for the Chief Executive Officer position; some early programs Wilkening was involved with, such as the Candlelight program; empowering women back in the 1970s; health needs of the community and the Miller Hospital; issues in need of addressing such as crime, housing, senior needs, etc; concentration of efforts on the poor communities; decision making system and roles of the board; budgeting and finances; children's services; the Energy Park; reaching out to the community in various ways; importance of the Saint Croix Camps and the Wilder Forest; race and diversity issues; the inner city; and his retirement.
Another set of interviews was conducted with five of the Foundations former and current board members: Kennon V. Rothchild, Molly McMillian, Elizabeth “Sandy” Kiernat, G. Richard Slade, and Charlton H. Dietz.
In addition to mirroring much of what was discussed by Leonard Wilkening, some of the common ideas and subjects discussed by the interviewees include joining the Wilder Foundation and the initial projects; the board/staff relationship; Wilder Foundation as the fabric of Saint Paul; issues pertaining to diversity, socio-economic class, children, health, the elderly, housing and others; areas of particular interest to each narrator; demographics of the board over the years; and their passion for community outreach programs and helping others.
The other two interviews conducted were of Marilynn M. Lee, the former Vice President of Services to Children and Families, and Tom Kingston, the current (as of 2006) President of the Amherst Wilder Foundation. In her interview, Mrs. Lee discussed her work over the years in children and family services, beginning with an intern position at the Wilder Child Guidance Clinic, and later as the Vice President of Services to Children and Families. Tom Kingston, in his interview, discussed his initial involvement with the Wilder Foundation; initial projects and areas of focus; the Wilder mission and nondiscrimination; housing and health issues; presidency years; cultural needs of programming; children and elderly services; mental health and school services; challenges faced during his presidency; finances and program funding; and what the Wilder Foundation means to Kingston.

Return to top


Expand/CollapseRELATED MATERIALS

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation photograph collection is cataloged separately in the Minnesota Historical Society sound and visual collections.

Return to top

Expand/CollapseCATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:
Child welfare -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Charities -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Community health services -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- Utilization.
Community organization -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Day care centers -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Depressions -- 1929 -- Minnesota.
Endowments -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- Officials and employees.
Foster home care -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Health facilities -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Health surveys -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Hospitals -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Housing -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Indians of North America -- Minnesota -- Urban residence.
Life care communities -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Medical care -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Neighborhoods -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Public baths -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Public health -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Rehabilitation -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Visiting nurses -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Welfare recipients -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief.
World War, 1939-1945 -- War Work.
Youth -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
Persons:
Appleby, Cornelia Day Wilder, 1868-1903, author.
Jones, Perrie, 1885-1980, author.
Rarig, Frank, author.
Wilder family.
Wilder, Amherst H. (Amherst Holcomb), 1828-1894, author.
Wilder, Fanny Spencer, 1837-1903, author.
Appleby, T.E.W. Villiers, author.
Watkins, Victor, M., author.
Organizations:
Greater St. Paul United Fund & Council.
Ordean Foundation (Duluth, Minn.).
United States. Work Projects Administration.
Protestant Orphan Asylum (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.
Children Services, Inc. (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.
St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company, author.
Superior Water, Light and Power Company (Superior, Wis.), author.
O.F.A. Insurance Company, author.
Places:
Nicollet Island (Minn.)
Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Endowments.
Document Types:
Oral histories (document genres).
Microforms.
Photographs.
Files (digital files).
Occupations:
Philanthropists -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Return to top