Hulda Greenwood diaries and Fellows family papers, 1868–1902

Full finding aid (pdf)

Collection Scope and Content

This collection contains twenty diaries written by Hulda Greenwood, two diaries of Julia G. Brown, as well as photographs, genealogical data and correspondence pertaining to the Fellows family. The diaries of Hulda Greenwood and the Fellows family papers reflect rural living in Maine communities. Hulda Greenwood’s diaries document her life in Farmington, Maine from 1868-1892. Greenwood’s intimate written accounts detail the hardships of living in a rural Maine community. Greenwood frequently wrote and received letters from family and friends, which broadened her perspectives of communities outside of Farmington. The diary entries note distant communities of Lewiston, Augusta and Portland, Maine. Greenwood’s Farmington community played an active role in her daily life primarily through the close connection she maintained with her local church. The writing in these diaries gives a female perspective on the value of personal relationships and gives insight into the importance of written communication available to those living in rural communities during the late-nineteenth century.

The Fellows family documents consist of genealogical data collected by family members. There are nine photographs, including a photograph of Hulda Greenwood, which give insight into some of the people and places relevant to the Fellows family. There is correspondence between Fellows family members that further exhibit the family’s interest in genealogy. Two diaries of Julia G. Brown are present in the collection, which indicates evidence of the connection between the Greenwood and Fellows families. The final portion of the collection contains typed and hand written genealogical documents by Fellows family members. The genealogy documents date the Fellows family genealogical roots from the seventeenth century into the twentieth century.

Biographical/Historical Note

Hulda Greenwood was born May 25, 1796 and died in 1892, the same year she wrote her final diary. The Greenwood and Fellows families were connected through the marriage of Emily Merrill Fellows, daughter of Isaac Fellows, to Z.H. Greenwood on November 9, 1849. Both families lived in Farmington, Maine.