Collection Overview:

Title: Lilly Harris Long Collection

Dates: (1880-1907)

Bulk Dates: (1903-1907)

Creator: Lilly Harris Long

Accession/Call Numbers: DAL.MS.032

Repository: Drew Archival Library

Quantity: 1 box, 5 books

Language: English

Administrative Information:

Access Restrictions: The Lilly Harris Long Collection is open to researchers. There are no restricted materials in the collection

Acquisition Information: The collection was accessioned in 1993 as L93.4.  It was donated by Dorothy Wentworth who had received it from Gershom Bradford.

Administrative Note:

Related Collection: Lilly Harris Long lived with the Laurence Bradford family (Bradford Family Collection, DAL.MSS.024).

Preferred form of citation: DAL.MS.032, Lilly Harris Long Collection in the Drew Archival Library.

Finding Aid Prepared By: Colleen Leddie; October 2010.  Carolyn Ravenscroft, October. 2010 and Feb. 2019.

Scope and Content:

The collection contains 61 items, including 32 letters sent to Lilly (also spelled Lillie and Lily) Harris Long from friends and family primarily during the years of 1903-1907, prior to her marriage. The collection also contains insurance documents, invitations, short story books, a pocket bible, and some writings and poetry by Lily Harris.

Biographical Information:

Lilly Harris Long (also spelled Lillie or Lily) was born on May 2, 1884 in Washington, DC to Washington and Annie Harris. As a girl, she was brought to Duxbury, MA by Laurence and Hattie Bradford. According to the notes of former Duxbury Town Historian, Dorothy Wentworth, Lilly was brought from Washington, D.C. by Hattie Bradford to live and work in the Bradford’s Duxbury home.  In the 1900 US Census she is listed as a 16 year old “servant.”  She attended the Millbrook School with the Bradford’s sons. By 1903 she had left the family

In 1915 she married Dallas W. Long (1870-1839). He was born in North Carolina and later moved to Massachusetts. Together the Longs had one daughter, Hazel, b. 1911 in Philadelphia. The the Harris family resided at 9 Holyoke Street, Boston for a time. After her husband’s death, Lily Harris Long lived at Shawmut Ave.

Lilly Harris Long died in Boston on July 7, 1980 at age 96.

Organization:

The collection is organized into 4 series.

Series I – Correspondence (1903-1907)

Series II – Photographs (c. 18

Series III – Ephemera

Series IV –Books (1884-1907)

Series List:

Series I – Correspondence (1903-1907)

Folder 1:  Letters to Lilly Harris from Mabel and Ebba (1903-1905); 5 items

1. Cora Willburn (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Warren, RI), Dec. 2, 1903.
2. Kathryn (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (NY, NY), Feb. 14, 1904.
3. Priscilla (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (NY, NY), Feb. 24, 1904.
4. Mabel White (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Duxbury), December 22, 1904.
5. Irene (So. Duxbury, MA) to Lilly Harris (Plymouth, MA), Feb. 22, 1905.

Folder 2: Letters to Lilly Harris (June – Oct. 1906); 7 items

1. Floss (Plymouth, MA) to Lilly Harris (Philadelphia, PA), June 16, 1906.
2. Blanch (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Philadelphia, PA), June 30, 1906.
3. Mrs. Samuel J. Lee (Plymouth, MA) to Lilly Harris (Philadelphia, PA) Jul. 29, 1906.
4. Maud Currier (Roxbury, MA) to Lilly Harris (Philadelphia, PA), Sept. 8, 1906.
5. Helen Bradley (Boston, MA) to Lilly Harris (Philadelphia, PA), Sept. 30, 1906.
6. Irma Lee (Plymouth, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Oct. 7, 1906.

Folder 3: Letters to Lilly Harris (Nov. – Dec. 1906); 8 items

1. Selina (Philadelphia, PA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Nov. 11, 1906.
2. Selina (Philadephia, PA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Nov. 25, 1906.
3. Susie Ellis (Duxbury, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 6, 1906.
4. Blanche (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 8, 1906.
5. H. H. Bradford (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 8, 1907.
6. Selina (Philadelphia, PA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 20, 1906
7. Gershom Bradfrord (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 25, 1906.
8. Blanche (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Dec. 28, 1906.

Folder 4: Letters to Lilly Harris (1907); 15 items.

1. Floss (Plymouth, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Jan. 1, 1907.
2. Irma Lee (Plymouth, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Jan. 9, 1907.
3. Lena (Philadelphia, PA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA) Jan. 26, 1907.
4. Blanche (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Feb. 9, 1907.
5. Lena (Washington, DC) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), June 5, 1907.
6. Mamie E. Thompson (Boston, MA) to Lilly Harris (Duxbury), Aug. 6, 1907.
7. Ebba (Boston) to Lilly Harris (South Duxbury), August 6, 1907.
8. Marie Cooper (Boston, MA) to Lilly Harris (Duxbury, MA), Aug. 6, 1907.
9. Marie Cooper (Boston, MA) to Lilly Harris (Duxbury, MA), Aug. 29, 1907.
10. Washington Harris (Baltimore, MD) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Oct. 9, 1907.
11. Mrs. Hobrone (NY, NY) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Nov. 17, 1907.
12. H. H. Bradford (Millbrook, MA) to Lilly Harris (Boston, MA), Nov. 29, 1907.
13. Ebba (Boston) to Lilly Harris (Boston), n.d.
14. Two envelopes postmarked 1907.

Folder 5: Metropolitan Life Insurance Correspondence (1907)

Series II: Photographs (c. 1880-1900); 2 items.

1. Tintype of two young girls, one seated on a large toy horse.  One of the girls is possibly Lilly Harris (c. 1890-1900).  Unknown photographer.
2. Miniature photograph of house and girl (c. 1870-1900).  Photographer: F. J. Walsh, No. 353 Perry Street, Trenton, NJ

Series III: Ephemera

Folder 1: Cards

Floral invitation and greeting cards

Folder 2: Invitations; 6 items.

Invitations to parties, receptions, dinners, dances and graduations.

Folder 3: Poems and Obituary

2 short poems written by Lilly Harris and obituary of Hattie Phipps’ sister.