IRVIN W. ROLLINS:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Rollins, Irvin W. (Irvin Washington), 1829-1895, creator. | |
| Title: | Irvin W. Rollins papers. | |
| Dates: | 1848-1936. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Diaries (1848, 1855-1895), two account books (1861-1893), and miscellaneous correspondence, probate papers, writings, and memorabilia of Rollins, a farmer near Elgin, Wabasha County (Minn.). His diaries comment on farm and social life, agricultural products, prices, meetings of local organizations, local and national elections, land claims, attitudes toward the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and the Civil War, local government, and other aspects of Wabasha County life. | |
| Quantity: | 0.75 cubic feet (2 boxes, including 36 volumes) and 3 microfilm reels. | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Irvin Washington Rollins was born in East Orange, Vermont, January 18, 1829, the son of Laban Clark (1802-1872) and Nancy (Colby) (1806-1891) Rollins. He was educated in the common schools of Orange County and at an academy in Corinth, Vermont. In 1855 he migrated to Minnesota, settling the following year on a farm in Elgin Township, where he remained throughout his life. He cultivated extensive fruit orchards and experimented with beekeeping. He served in numerous Elgin Township offices and was active in the Minnesota state agricultural and horticultural societies. He died February 15, 1895, and is buried in the Elgin Cemetery. On April 4, 1859, he married Ellen Keith (1833-1891). To this union four children were born: Ida (1860-1936), Flora (1862-1936), Francis (Frank, 1865-1949), and Mary (1867-1908).
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Irvin W. Rollins Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Microfilm Production:
St. Paul, Minnesota : Minnesota Historical Society, 1940.
Microfilm available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 5039; 9712; 17,129
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 990017305410104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P3075 | 1 | Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, undated, 1851-1894. 2 folders. | |||||||||
| Includes correspondence concerning maintenance of roads in Elgin Township, the Old Settlers Association, and with the state agricultural and horticultural societies; statements of accounts, receipts, business cards, election tickets, and traveler's insurance policies. Also includes a photograph of a five generation collage of Rollins family women (undated). | |||||||||||
| Probate papers, 1895-1896, 1908, 1936. | |||||||||||
| Writings, 1849, 1856. | |||||||||||
| Volumes: | |||||||||||
| The volumes describe social and economic life of a pioneer family in Wabasha County, Minnesota. Rollins describes his early life, family, education, and teaching career in Vermont. His Minnesota entries discuss farming, beekeeping, orcharding, and prices of agricultural products as well as education, homesteading, land claims on the "half-breed" tract, religious meetings, the Civil and U.S.-Dakota wars, town meetings, the Old Settlers Association, Grange meetings, epidemics, and economic conditions. The early diaries are more reflective rather than daily entries; in 1871 they begin as daily entries. Volumes 1-4, 6, 8-18 are reproduced on microfilm. | |||||||||||
| Volume 1, Diary, 1848. | |||||||||||
| Volume 2, Diary, 1855-1856. | |||||||||||
| Describes a trip from Vermont to Minnesota and homesteading in Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Volume 3, Diary, 1856-1858. | |||||||||||
| The first part of this volume is a history of the Rollins family and a description of Irvin Rollins' life in Vermont. Beginning with the entry for March 30, 1856, Rollins describes his life in southern Minnesota and describes in detail his land, cabin, and other buildings. An entry dated November 20, 1856, comments on the election of James Buchanan. | |||||||||||
| Volume 4, Diary, 1858-1862. | |||||||||||
| Includes comments on secession (February 3, 1861); the surrender of Ft. Sumter and Lincoln's call for troops (April 21, 1861); army enlistments and the U.S.-Dakota War (September 19 and October 1862); rumors of war with England and a genealogy of the Keith family (December 29, 1862). | |||||||||||
| Volume 5, Diary, 1859. | |||||||||||
| Describes a trip to Vermont and return; contains a brief description of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | |||||||||||
| Volume 6, Account book, 1861-1864. | |||||||||||
| Volume 7, Account book, 1861-1893. | |||||||||||
| Volume 8, Diary, 1863-1868. | |||||||||||
| Includes general comments on the Civil War, particularly on the raising of money for bounties; the nomination of Ignatius Donnelly for Congress (September 7, 1864); the tally of votes cast for the presidency in Elgin, Minnesota (November 8, 1864); and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, and the capture of Lee's army (April 17, 1865). | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P3075 | 2 | Volume 9, Diary, 1871. | |||||||||
| Volume 10, Diary, 1872. | |||||||||||
| Volume 11, Diary, 1872. | |||||||||||
| Volume 12, Diary, 1873. | |||||||||||
| Volume 13, Diary, 1874. | |||||||||||
| Volume 14, Diary, 1875. | |||||||||||
| Volume 15, Diary, 1876. | |||||||||||
| Volume 16, Diary, 1877. | |||||||||||
| Volume 17, Diary, 1878. | |||||||||||
| Note at the end of the volume mentions the prices of meat and grain. "Times are getting hard and getting worse…" "Taxes are high and money is hard to get." | |||||||||||
| Volume 18, Diary, 1879. | |||||||||||
| Volume 19, Diary, 1880. | |||||||||||
| Volume 20, Diary, 1881. | |||||||||||
| Mentions the death of President James A. Garfield (September 20). | |||||||||||
| Volume 21, Diary, 1882. | |||||||||||
| Volume 22, Diary, 1883. | |||||||||||
| Comments on a tornado and destruction in the Elgin area (August 21-25). | |||||||||||
| Volume 23, Diary, 1884. | |||||||||||
| Volume 24, Diary, 1885. | |||||||||||
| Mentions the death of former president U.S. Grant (July 23). | |||||||||||
| Volume 25, Diary, 1886. | |||||||||||
| Volume 26, Diary, 1887. | |||||||||||
| Volume 27, Diary, 1888. | |||||||||||
| Volume 28, Diary, 1889. | |||||||||||
| Volume 29, Diary, 1890. | |||||||||||
| Volume 30, Diary, 1891. | |||||||||||
| Volume 31, Diary, 1892. | |||||||||||
| Volume 32, Diary, 1893. | |||||||||||
| Describes a trip to the Chicago World's Fair (September 11-17); mentions seeing Governor William McKinley (September 14). | |||||||||||
| Volume 33, Diary, 1893. | |||||||||||
| Describes a trip to the Chicago World's Fair. | |||||||||||
| Volume 34, Diary, 1894. | |||||||||||
| Volume 35, Diary, 1894. | |||||||||||
| Volume 36, Diary, 1895. | |||||||||||
| The greater part of this diary was kept by Frank Rollins after the death of his father early in 1895. | |||||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M701 | 1 | Diaries: Volumes 1-2, 1848-1856. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M701 | 2 | Diaries: Volumes 3-4, 6, 8-12, 1856-1873. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M701 | 3 | Diaries: Volumes 13-18, 1874-1879. | |||||||||
CATALOG 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:
- Agriculture -- Minnesota -- Wabasha County.
- Dakota Indians -- Wars, 1862-1865.
- Education -- Minnesota.
- Education -- Vermont.
- Elections -- Minnesota.
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Minnesota -- Wabasha County.
- Local government -- Minnesota -- Wabasha County.
- Log cabins.
- Pioneers -- Minnesota -- Wabasha County.
- Persons:
- Bryant, George.
- Farrar, George.
- Keith family.
- Mayo, William Worrall, 1819-1911.
- Richardson, John Q.
- Rollins family.
- Rollins, Ellen Keith, 1833-1891.
- Rollins, Francis L., 1865-1949.
- Rollins, Orvis Van Buren.
- Organizations:
- Minnesota State Grange.
- Old Settlers Association (Wabasha County, Minn.)
- Meetings:
- World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
- Places:
- Minnesota -- Description and travel -- 1849-1858.
- Minnesota -- Description and travel -- 1858-1898.
- Minnesota -- Economic conditions -- 1858-1898.
- Minnesota -- Politics and government -- 1849-1858.
- Minnesota -- Politics and government -- 1858-1898.
- Minnesota -- Social life and customs -- 1858-1898.
- Minnesota.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
- Vermont -- Social life and customs.
- Wabasha County (Minn.)
- Document Types:
- Genealogies.
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