James W. Phelps Collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 2022-012

Staff Only

Content Description

This collection consists of materials from or related to Rochester, New York that were passed down through the family of James W. Phelps of Crawford, Nebraska. The materials were collected by Rochesterian Ida S. (Orwen) Phelps, who had moved to Nebraska with her husband, Clarence L. Phelps, around the turn of the 20th century. Her daughter, Caroline Phelps, reatined the collection as family heirlooms and ultimately passed them on to her grandson, James W. Phelps, who donated them to the Rochester Public Library. The collection includes numerous postcards, several photographs, envelopes and a souvenir book on the Rochester park system.

Dates

Creation: Circa 1900-1917

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use in any current or future manifestations must be obtained in writing from the Rochester Public Library Local History and Genealogy Division.

Biographical / Historical

Caroline Phelps was the daughter of Ida S.(Orwen) Phelps and Clarence L. Phelps. The Phelps family was originally from Rochester, New York, emigrating first to Iowa and than to Bellevue, Nebraska. They were resident in Bellevue by the turn of the 20th century. The family remained resident in western Nebraska for generations. Ida passed the materials in this collection to Caroline, who then passed them to her grandson, James. It was James who donated the collection to the Rochester Public Library.

A note on the photograph of Frank Nevel in the collection explains that Clarence Phelps' aunt married a man from Sidney, New York. Frank was Clarence's cousin on this side; the family connection with Sidney explains the materials from that town being in this collection.