Guide to the William Righter and Mary Wager Fisher Papers, 1830-1934
[top]Descriptive Summary
TitleWilliam Righter and Mary Wager Fisher
Papers,
1830-1934
Creator
Fisher, William Righter
Extent
4.5 Linear Feet
2,850 Items
Repository
2,850 Items
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library
Language
English.
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Administrative Information
Access RestrictionsCollection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal
Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in
Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour
delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare
Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the William Righter and Mary Wager Fisher
Papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information,
see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare
Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Provenance
The papers of William Righter and Mary Wager Fisher were purchased
by Duke University in 1993.
Processing Information
Processed by Melissa J. Delbridge and Joann Kleinneiur
Completed June 30, 1996
Encoded by Stephen D. Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note
William Righter Fisher| 1849 June 27 | Born in Montgomery County, Pa. to Wiliam A. and Sarah Fisher |
| 1870 | Graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. |
| 1871-1874 | Attended Universities of Heidelberg and Munich |
| 1874-1876 | Taught modern languages at Dickinson College |
| 1876 Jan. 4 | Married Mary Wager |
| 1876 | Admitted to Philadelphia bar and began to practice law |
| 1932 Feb. 18 | Died in Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 1845 | Born in Lansing, N.Y. |
| 1864 | Graduated from Alfred University |
| 1866 | Taught freedmen at Dr. Manly's school in Richmond, Va. |
| 1870 | Became journalist, covering political events in Washington, D.C. |
| 1872 | Wrote series of articles entitled, "The Traveller Abroad" for The Rural New Yorker |
| 1876 | Married William Righter Fisher |
| 1915 July 1 | Died in Bryn Mawr, Pa. |
Collection Overview
The papers of the lawyer and educator William Righter Fisher and the
journalist Mary Wager Fisher consist primarily of correspondence, but also
include photographs (several of them tintypes and cartes-de-visite), financial
papers, diaries, clippings, printed material, and writings and speeches. Among
correspondents are many journalists, physicians, educators, and other notable
figures of the late nineteenth century including Lucy Abbott, Mercy Baker,
Jennie Chapin, Mary L. Booth, W.S. Burke, James Gowdy Clark, M.E. Dodge, Weston
Flint, P. Girard, S. D. Harris, Albert Leffingwell, Henry C. Olney, W.
Trickett, George Boyer Vashon, and Frank J. Webb. The collection also includes
letters from James B. Hazelton of the First Regiment, New York Artillery.
Hazelton's letters describe battles and political events of the Civil War,
including Lincoln's re-election campaign and the anti-draft riots. The papers
are particularly rich in documentation of women in medicine and women's medical
education in the second half of the nineteenth century; the Freedmen's schools
in the Reconstruction South; the movement for women's rights; and friendship
among American women in the late Victorian era.
The Correspondence Series includes letters from three prominent women
physicians of the period (Jennie Chapin, Mercy N. Baker, and Lucy M. Abbott) to
Mary Wager before her marriage to Fisher. In their letters they described their
medical education, their obstetrical experience, and the high cost of tuition
and living expenses at the Women's Medical College of Philadelphia. Letters
prior to her marriage in 1876 also attest to Wager's numerous romantic
involvements. Among her admirers was lawyer and educator Weston Flint, and the
Correspondence Series includes over 100 letters from him describing his
political, social, and literary interests as well as his deep affection for
Mary Wager. He also wrote about his wartime travels and his interest in helping
the contrabands medically and educationally. Flint detailed political events of
the Civil War, including Lincoln's re-election campaign and the anti-draft
riots, and mentions the Copperheads. He expressed particular interest in the
moral state of soldiers, decrying their drinking of alcohol and consorting with
prostitutes. Flint sometimes included poetry in his letters.
Also in the Correspondence Series are two letters (1870) from Frank J.
Webb, the author of The Garies and Their Friends (1857), a daring novel about
an interracial couple. In one of these letters dated May 5, he referred to a
500-page manuscript sent to Harper's for an unpublished novel, Paul Sumner,
which he considered to be superior to The Garies. In a four-page letter to
Wager (April 9, 1870), African American writer, attorney, and educator George
Boyer Vashon provided an autobiography. The events of his life were penned on
the letterhead of The New Era: A National Journal, Edited by Colored Men.
The collection offers insight into emotionally intense friendships
between women of the nineteenth century. Wager's female friends sent good
wishes, but expressed great jealousy at the time of her marriage to Fisher.
Young women wrote of both romantic and sisterly love for Mary, and sometimes
discussed such issues as women's education, women's dress, women's suffrage,
and temperance.
The bulk of William Righter Fisher's letters in the collection were
written between him and his parents. A small cache of letters from author and
dean of Dickenson College Law School William Trickett, who lived in Germany in
1872, provide a vivid illustration of the political climate and structure of
the Germany of Bismarck. Also to be found among letters to Fisher are several
written in the late 1860's by agents of the Freedmen's Bureau and the
Freedmen's school in Wytheville, Virginia.
While the bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, some
speeches and writings by Mary Wager Fisher and Weston Flint are included. Of
particular interest is a photocopy of Mary Wager's article entitled
" Women as Physicians."
Also, the
Pictures Series includes both cartes-de-visite and tintypes.
The William Righter and Mary Wager Fisher Papers provide numerous
windows through which researchers can view aspects of late Victorian America.
The collection provides an unusual entree into the private and public lives of
nineteenth-century men and women, and particularly provides information about
the professionalization of American women, relationships between women in
nineteenth-century America, and race relations in the Reconstruction South.
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Subject Headings
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a
search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will
bring up other related research materials.
- Abbott, Lucy.
- Booth, Mary L. (Mary Louise), 1831-1889.
- Baker, Mercy.
- Chapin, Jennie.
- Fisher, Mary Wager, 1845-1915.
- Flint, Weston.
- Leffingwell, Albert, 1845-1916.
- Trickett, William, 1840-1928.
- Vashon, George Boyer, 1824-1878.
- Webb, Frank J.
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
- United States.--Army.--New York Artillery Regiment, 5th.
- Presidential candidates--United States--History--19th century.
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
- Draft Riot, New York, N.Y., 1863.
- Women in medicine--United States--History--19th century.
- Freedmen--Education--Southern States--History--19th century.
- Women teachers--Southern States--History--19th century.
- Women's rights--United States--History--19th century.
- Female friendship--United States--History--19th century.
- Tintypes
- Cartes-de-visite
- Fisher, William Righter, 1849-1932.
- Fisher, Mary Wager, 1845-1915
Detailed Description of Collection
Correspondence, 1830-1934 and undated
Letters to and from
Mary Wager and
William Righter Fisher and friends, family
members, and associates. Correspondents include many educators, artists, and
illustrious Americans of the period. (See list of correspondents).
1830 Jan. 18-1868 Dec. 31
(15 folders)
Box 2
1869 Jan. 6-1875 May 13
(19 folders)
Box 3
1875 June 5-1934 Mar. 12
and
undated
(12 folders)
Financial Papers, 1839 Apr. 11-1901 Apr. 1 and undated
Small personal account books, pages of
William Fisher's accounts with merchants in
Pennsylvania, and receipts.
1839 Apr. 11-1901 Apr. 1
and
undated
(2 folders)
Oversize Folder 1
1879 July 14
(1 item)
Pictures, undated
14 photographs, mostly portraits of unidentified young men and
women taken by
Philadelphia photographers. None of the
photographs are dated. Series includes cartes-de-visite and tintypes.
Box 3
N.d.
(1 folder)
Diary, 1879 Jan. 1-Dec. 1
Small personal diary belonging to
William A. Fisher. Entries are brief accounts
of daily activities.
Box 3
1879 Jan. 1-Dec. 1 (1
vol.)
Clippings, 1859 Mar. 9-1915 July 18 and undated
Clippings concerning friends and family members of the
Fishers, as well as items of general interest
to them. Includes poetry by
Mary Wager Fisher, her obituary, and a few
short articles about her.
1859 Mar. 9-1915 July 18
and
undated
(1 folder)
Oversize Folder 2
1869 Aug. 4-1915 July 18
(5 items)
Printed Material, 1861-1876
Transcript of
Supreme Court case,
" Elizabeth C. Acuff vs. John
Righter"
and the
Fishers' wedding invitation.
Box 3
1861-1876
(1 folder)
Writings and Speeches, 1862 Aug. 2-1864 July 21 and undated
Manuscript of
"Tempus Fugit,"
a poem by
Weston Flint; photocopy of article by
Mary Wager Fisher entitled
" Women as Physicians"
(copied from
The Galaxy, 1863 Dec.); anonymous
manuscript poem entitled,
" Watkins' Glen;"
fragments of
articles and speeches; and a page from a manuscript speech by
Mary Wager Fisher imploring the women of
Allegeny County to donate provisions for
soldiers and their families.
1862 Aug. 2-1864 July 21
and
undated
(1 folder)
Miscellaneous Papers, 1864 Jan. 23-1899 Jan. 2 and undated
Lease for the rental of a house belonging to
William A. Fisher, form letter signed by
Weston Flint requesting that a commanding
officer send the descriptive role to
U.S. General Hospital, an address book, list
of members of the
Peoples' Institute, drawings, calling cards,
and assorted covers.
1864 Jan. 23-1899 Jan. 2
and
undated
(1 folder)
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List of Correspondents
Abbott, Lucy M.
Baker, Mercy
Booth, Mary L.
Burke, W.S.
Chapin, Jennie
Clark, James Gowdy
Dodge, M. E.
Flint, Weston
Girard, P.
Harris, S.D.
Hazelton, James B.
Leffingwell, Albert
Olney, Henry C.
Trickett, W.
Vashon, George Boyer
Webb, Frank J.
