JULIE MENZEL LUCAS:
An Inventory of Her Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Lucas, Julie Menzel, creator. | |
| Title: | Julie Menzel Lucas papers. | |
| Dates: | 1881-1930. | |
| Abstract: | Diary and other papers of Julie Menzel Lucas documenting her 1882 emigration from Steinkirch, Germany to the United States, and her subsequent life with her family in Rochester, Minnesota. | |
| Quantity: | 0.25 cubic feet (1 box) | |
| Location: | P2392 |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Julie Menzel Lucas was born June 10, 1849 in Geibsdorf, Germany to Traugott and Eleonore Menzel. She married Eduard Lucas (1827-1921) and they had six children (three died in early infancy). In 1882 the couple emigrated to the United States, where they settled in Rochester, Minnesota. A seventh child, Freda, was born to them in 1883. Eduard considered moving the family to Nebraska to start a lumber business with a friend who had settled there, but the family decided to remain in Minnesota. Julie died at home on April 30, 1930.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Diary, correspondence, genealogical information, and other miscellaneous papers of Julie Menzel Lucas documenting her 1882 emigration from Steinkirch, Germany to the United States, and her subsequent life with her family in Rochester, Minnesota. Most materials are in German. A portion have been translated into English.
A diary (original German document, German typescript, and English translation) documenting Lucas's month-long journey from Germany to Minnesota and correspondence (about half has been translated into English) with family back in Germany comprise the bulk of the papers. Also included are miscellaneous personal papers of Lucas, including character references, and a German employment document.
The collection also includes a folder of papers of Lucas's youngest daughter, Freda Lucas Thorson (including a brief memoir describing the final days before Lucas's death in 1930); and genealogical information on the Menzel and Lucas families.
ARRANGEMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Julie Menzel Lucas Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples
Accession Information:
Accession number: 15,497
Processing Information:
Processed by: Lara D. Friedman-Shedlov, March 2000
Catalog ID number: 990017362570104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P2392 | 1 | Genealogical information. | |||||||||
| Immigration diary, April - May 1882. | |||||||||||
| Includes original German language diary, German typescripts, and English translation. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence, undated and 1882-1930. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| All letters are in German. Most have been photocopied in an enlarged size for ease of reading. Approximately half have German typescripts and English translations. | |||||||||||
| Much of the correspondence is from Julie's brother Gustav and his wife Marie, who remained in Germany and concerns family matters, economic conditions in Germany, and local people and events. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous papers, undated and 1867, 1881-1882. | |||||||||||
| Includes character references given to her before she left Germany, an employment record documenting her work as a domestic in Germany, photocopied German newspaper articles, a letter or greeting card given to Lucas by her son Heinrich, and other miscellaneous papers. | |||||||||||
| Freda Lucas Thorson papers, 1899, 1930. | |||||||||||
| Includes a humorous "will" written by the Rochester High School class of 1899 and Thorson's brief memoir describing the last days before Julie Menzel Lucas's death in April 1930. | |||||||||||
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:
- Germans -- Minnesota -- Rochester.
- Immigrants
- Immigrants writings.
- Women immigrants -- Minnesota.
- Persons:
- Thorson, Freda Lucas.
- Places:
- Rochester (Minn.) -- Emigration and immigration -- Personal narratives.
- Document Types:
- Diaries.
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