Content Description
The collection documents, primarily through correspondence, the Evita and Levi B. Davenport family. Present are 420 autograph and typescript letters, signed, addressed to members of the Davenport family, 1907-1964, undated. Many of the letters are between Evita Davenport and her husband, Levi B. Davenport, her mother, Eva M. Rait, and her son, Lee Davenport, Jr. Matters discussed primarily focus on Evita Davenport's family and social life in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Goldfield, Nevada; and San Francisco, California. Multiple letters are accompanied by fabric swatches and dried flowers. Later letters are from Lee Davenport, Jr. to his parents and document his military service. There are also letters written from Lucile Frank Reuben to Lee Davenport, Jr. during this time. Included in the collection are family papers, pertaining to both Levi B. Davenport and Lee Davenport, Jr., comprised of invoices, receipts, and certificates, 1923-1965, undated. There are also 41 photographs of people and places (mostly unidentified), including Evita Davenport and Donald Davenport, circa 1860-1955, undated. Other papers include newspaper clippings pertaining to the Minneapolis public library; auditor's notices signed by J. H. Cogswell of Ipswich, Massachusetts; a land survey; a bank statement; food labels; and miscellaneous materials; 1842-1957, undated.
Dates
- 1848-1975
- Majority of material found within 1907-1953
Creator
- Davenport family (Author)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Davenport Family Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Tschanz Rare Books, LLC on the William Robertson Coe Fund No. 3, 2017.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Correspondence, 1907-1964, undated. II. Papers, 1842-1957, undated. III. Photographs, circa 1860-1955, undated.
Extent
2.09 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection documents, primarily through correspondence, the Evita and Levi B. Davenport family. It includes 420 autograph and typescript letters, signed, addressed to members of the Davenport family, 1907-1964, undated. Many of the letters are between Evita Davenport and her husband, Levi B. Davenport, her mother, Eva M. Rait, and her son, Lee Davenport, Jr. Matters discussed primarily focus on Evita Davenport's family and social life in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Goldfield, Nevada; and San Francisco, California. Multiple letters are accompanied by fabric swatches and dried flowers. Later letters are from Lee Davenport, Jr. to his parents and document his military service. There are also letters written from Lucile Frank Reuben to Lee Davenport, Jr. during this time. Included in the collection are family papers, pertaining to both Levi B. Davenport and Lee Davenport, Jr., comprised of invoices, receipts, and certificates, 1923-1965, undated. There are also 41 photographs of people and places (mostly unidentified), circa 1860-1955, undated. Other papers include newspaper clippings; auditor's notices signed by J. H. Cogswell of Ipswich, Massachusetts; a land survey; a bank statement; food labels; and miscellaneous materials; 1842-1957, undated.
Davenport Family
Evita Rait Davenport (1875-1962), daughter of James and Eva Rait, was married to Levi B. Davenport (1876-1964), a supervisor for various mining and gold refining companies in Goldfield, Nevada. Though living primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she made multiple trips to Goldfield between 1908 and 1915, during which time the Davenports had 2 children: Donald Davenport (1910-1974) and Lee Davenport, Jr. (1915-1998). The Davenport family moved to San Francisco, California, by 1926. In early 1943, Lee Davenport, Jr., enlisted in the United States Army; by 1944 November, he was sent overseas to Europe and the Philippines. Lee Davenport, Jr., worked for the Veterans' Administration Guidance office in San Bernardino in 1947 and for the Travelers' Aid Society by 1952. He met Lucile Frank Reuben (1915-1998) in 1952, marrying her in 1954.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
- California -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
- Cogswell, J. H.
- Davenport, Donald, 1910-1974
- Davenport, Evita, 1875-1962
- Davenport, Lee, Jr., 1915-1998
- Davenport, Levi B., 1876-1964
- Dried flowers
- Families -- California
- Families -- Correspondence
- Families -- Minnesota
- Family papers
- Gold miners -- Nevada -- 20th century
- Goldfield (Nev.)
- Minneapolis (Minn.)
- Minnesota -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
- Nevada -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
- Photographs
- Rait, Eva M., 1854-1917
- Rait, James M., 1846-1926
- Reuben, Lucile Frank, 1915-1998
- San Francisco (Calif.)
- Soldiers -- United States -- 20th century
- Soldiers -- United States -- Correspondence
- Textile materials
- Women -- West (U.S.)
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American
- Title
- Guide to the Davenport Family Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Lerner
- Date
- 2019 April
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.