Correspondence: Mrs. Frank (Kate) Vanderhoof, 1896-1918

The Vanderhoof Family papers document the activities of several generations of the Vanderhoof Family from Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois. The papers are divided into four series: Diaries and Correspondence, School Papers, Farm and Business Records, and Photographs. The first series includes diaries written by Aurelia Hawley (1898), Robert Alexander (1902), Frank Vanderhoof (1872-1904), and Kate Vanderhoof (1899-1962). Diaries for Kate Vanderhoof are complete from 1899 to 1955 with Franks diaries scattered. Researchers should note that the 1905 diary of Kate Vanderhoof includes entries by Frank Vanderhoof from January 16-February 2. The diaries and correspondence include information on the family, weather events, day-to-day activities on the farm and in the household, and the families' dealings with national events such as the Great Depression, World War I and World War II. The correspondence is arranged by the recipient of the letter and the envelopes are filed after the letter. Also included in this series are assorted greeting cards and invitations, programs, membership certificates, newspaper articles, and an autograph book belonging to Kate Hawley. Series two, School Papers, include Margaret Christiansen’s papers while attending Northern Illinois State Teachers College (NISTC), papers from Dorothy Bartelt and George Vanderhoof, and a drawing by Grace Vanderhoof done while attending NISTC. The series also contains general information on NISTC, Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, University of Illinois, and James Shields School in Chicago, Illinois. Farm and Business records encompass the third series. These records include bills, receipts, income tax returns, bank statements, chattel mortgages, and account books for the Vanderhoof family farm and the Little House Tea Restaurant. Also included in this series are family and farm records for Art Ahrens, the J.W. Bartelt family, and Gust and John Swanson. General farm information such as agricultural pamphlets and Prairie Farmer/WLS Family Album also are included in this series. The photographs contained in series four are arranged alphabetically by families. Unfortunately there are a large number of unidentified individual and group shots.