Vanderhoof Family Papers (Campton Township, Kane County)

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-228

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

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.

Dates

created: 1853-1962
Other: Date acquired: 06/20/1997

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

The Vanderhoof Family lived in Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois. According to the 1870 Federal Census the family consisted of the 37-year-old mother Esther from New York. She is listed as keeping house for her five children. The children were Phylance born in Michigan and 16 years old, Frank also born in Michigan and 14 years old, and Harlen Levi, Abbie Anna, and Wirt all born in Illinois and 12, 9, and 3 respectively. Also listed as farmers in the household are Terry and Charles Terry. The 1880 census has the family listed with Esther as a widower, Frank as a farmer, Abbie Anna teaching school with Charles and Harlen Levi missing. According to Frank Vanderhoof’s diary Harlen Levi died on September 8, 1876. Research shows that Phylansie Vanderhoof married Benjamin Lake on October 25, 1883 in Kane County and Abbie Vanderhoof married Thomas B. Stewart on May 8, 1884 in Cook County. Frank Vanderhoof married Katie A. Hawley in Lamont, Iowa on January 3, 1895. The 1900 census lists Frank as the head of household and a farmer with a birth date of January 1856 (January 6, 1856), Katie A. as wife born December 1865 (December 9, 1865), George L. as son born November 1895 (November 20, 1895) and Grace A. as daughter born November 1897 (November 27, 1897). Also listed were Charles and Justan H. Terry as uncles, one Swedish servant and three Swedish farm laborers. Frank, Kate, George, Grace and Charles Terry are all listed in the 1910 census along with three Swedish farm laborers and two private family servants. According to the diaries in the collection Frank Vanderhoof died on November 20, 1925 and George took over as head of household. Grace married Howard Langrill on January 28, 1927, and had two children, a son on November 18, 1927 named Robert and a daughter on June 12, 1929 named Catherine Louise. George married Emma on May 14, 1927 but she moved off the farm on February 15, 1928 and filed for divorce on February 21, 1930. The couple had one daughter named Lois May born on October 10, 1928. George married Margaret Bartelt on March 29, 1934. Margaret was a teacher that lived part time in Chicago teaching school and part time on the family farm. Grace and Howard move to the Iowa family farm but return to Illinois when the family is forced to sell the property in April 1934 because they cannot afford to keep it. In 1938 they move to California. This research is by no means complete but gives the researcher some general information about the Vanderhoof family.

Note written by

Extent

7.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The papers are divided into four series: Diaries and Correspondence, School Papers, Farm and Business Records, and Photographs. The correspondence is arranged by the recipient of the letter and the envelopes are filed after the letter. The photographs contained in series four are arranged alphabetically by families.