The collection includes material from Moses Thatcher, Jr., his wife Sarah "Caddie" Hopkins
Thatcher, and their six children; Lettie, Leora, Helen, Martha, Ida, and Moses III. A smattering of material dealing with other Thatcher family members including Moses Thatcher,
Sr., Celestia "Lettie" Ann Farr Thatcher, George Washington Thatcher, and others is also included.
The collection has a major strength in correspondence between Moses Thatcher, Jr., and his wife
Sarah while Moses was on a mission for the L.D.S. Church in Great Britain in 1891-92. The
other major portion of the collection focuses on Leora Thatcher, an accomplished Broadway and
Play Actress and Radio personality from the 1920's through the 1960's. Found in her papers is a
long run of correspondence between Leora and her parents while Leora lived in New York City.
Correspondence with Robert Young, The Moroni Olsen Players Repertory Company, and others,
is also included. Photographs, I.D. cards from the Screen Actors Guild, Theatre Wing War Service as well as programs, clippings and a handwritten autobiography round
out the Leora Thatcher holdings.
Provenance:
The material in this collection was donated to Utah State University by Miss Leora Thatcher in a series of small gifts between 1978 and 1982.
Processing the Collection
Before processing, the material was contained in cardboard boxes. Most was in good condition
excepting one bunch of fairly recent correspondence which had suffered severe moisture damage.
The processing of this collection was begun by Scott Christensen and Charlotte Wright, students
in an archives management class in the spring of 1984. Manuscripts librarian Bradford Cole completed the initial processing and foldering of the collection. Additional
Thatcher material was later discovered which should have been included in this processing. Scott
Christensen, after June, 1986 an employee of Utah State University Special Collections, was
assigned to assimilate the newly discovered material into the existing Thatcher collection. In
doing so, many new categories had to be created and all folders and boxes re-labeled.
The actual processing of the collection included carefully examining and classifying all materials
present. Correspondence was removed from original envelopes and information from them
carefully transferred to the letters themselves. A perpetual calendar was used to date partially
dated material. In a few cases, educated guesses concerning dating had to be made. When this
was necessary, question marks and brackets were included.
Material in a state of acid deterioration has been treated using Wei-T'O, a de-acidifying agent.
These items include all newspaper clippings and the vaudeville poster. All materials have been
placed in acid free folders and hollinger boxes.
Notes for Researchers:
Researchers interested in the Thatcher family may want to review the Thatcher Brothers Banking records (COLL MS 3), the George W. Thatcher papers (COLL MS 47),
the Moses Thatcher Sr. collection (COLL MS 22), and the Thatcher family photographs (P0036).
Inventory BOX 1- Correspondence and miscellaneous material from Thatcher family members.
FOLDER 1- Incoming and outgoing correspondence- Moses Thatcher, Sr. 1898.
FOLDER 2- Moses Thatcher, Sr. horoscope.
FOLDER 3- Moses Thatcher, Sr. Temple Work.
FOLDER 4- Correspondence- Moses Thatcher Sr. to George W. Thatcher, November 12, 1886.
FOLDER 5- Moses Thatcher, Sr. Memorial. A printed pamphlet concerning the L.D.S. political
"Manifesto".
FOLDER 6- Bank resolution in honor of Moses Thatcher, Sr. (copy).
FOLDER 7-Incoming correspondence to Lettie (Celestia) Ann Farr Thatcher, April
26, 1904. Photocopy of original letter and typescript transcription
of same.
FOLDER 8- Incoming correspondence to Moses Thatcher, Jr., 1891.
FOLDER 9- Incoming correspondence to Moses Thatcher, Jr., February-May, 1892.
FOLDER 10- Incoming correspondence to Moses Thatcher, Jr., June-October, 1892.
FOLDER 11- Incoming correspondence to Moses Thatcher, Jr., 1908. Photocopy of original
letter and typescript transcription of same.
FOLDER 12- Incoming correspondence to Moses Thatcher, Jr., 1923, 1925.
FOLDER 13- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, 1887.
FOLDER 14- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, 1888.
FOLDER 15- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, July-September, 1889.
FOLDER 16-Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, October-December,
1889.
FOLDER 17- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, 1890.
FOLDER 18- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, March-April, 1891.
FOLDER 19- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, May, 1891.
FOLDER 20- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, July-December, 1891.
FOLDER 21- Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, April, 1892. '
FOLDER 22-Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, June-August, 1892.
FOLDER 23-Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, September,
1892.
FOLDER 24-Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, October-November,
1892.
FOLDER 25-Incoming correspondence to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher, 1927, 1947, and
undated (before 6-1953).
FOLDER 26- Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher miscellaneous material.
FOLDER 27- Incoming correspondence to Mr. and Mrs. Moses Thatcher, Jr. family: 1892, 1942,
1944.
FOLDER 28- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1927.
FOLDER 29- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1931.
FOLDER 30- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1932.
FOLDER 31- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1934.
FOLDER 32- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1935.
FOLDER 33- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1936.
FOLDER 34- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1938.
FOLDER 35- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1939.
FOLDER 36- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, March- April, 1940.
FOLDER 37- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, May- November, 1940.
FOLDER 38- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, January- May, 1941.
FOLDER 39- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, June- December, 1941.
FOLDER 40- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, January- April, 1942.
FOLDER 41- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, May- July, 1942.
FOLDER 42- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, September- December, 1942.
FOLDER 44- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1946-1947.
FOLDER 45- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, January- March, 1948.
FOLDER 46- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, May- December, 1948.
FOLDER 47- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1949.
FOLDER 48- Incoming Correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1950-1953.
BOX 2- Correspondence and miscellaneous material from Thatcher family members and
historical information regarding Thatcher businesses. 17 folders.
FOLDER 1-Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1959- 1968.
FOLDER 2- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, 1971-1982.
FOLDER 3- Incoming correspondence to Leora Thatcher, miscellaneous undated.
FOLDER 4- Outgoing correspondence from Leora Thatcher, undated.
FOLDER 5- Leora Thatcher- Memorabilia.
FOLDER 6- Leora Thatcher- Music and script.
FOLDER 7- Leora Thatcher- Partial biography tribute written by niece, Nancy Gray.
FOLDER 8- Leora Thatcher- miscellaneous material.
FOLDER 9- Correspondence from Moroni Olsen and the Moroni Olsen Players Repertory
Company.
FOLDER 10- Incoming correspondence to Lettie Thatcher Ryan.
FOLDER 11- Tribute to Hettie Thatcher Ryan from the Clio Club
FOLDER 12- Helen Camille Thatcher Woodruff wedding announcement.(2 copies).
FOLDER 13- D.U.P. Papers, before 1953.
FOLDER 14- Thatcher Brothers Bank history.
FOLDER 15- Thatcher Opera House history.
FOLDER 16- Thatcher family businesses- historical information.
FOLDER 17- David Roberts- family letter, April 23, 1947.
BOX 3-Leora Thatcher autobiographical transcripts and 4 bound Volumes.
BOOK 5-Letter register of Moses Thatcher, Jr. Used by him while on an L.D.S. Mission in the
British Isles.
BOOK 6-Notebook belonging to Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher. Contains notes taken concerning the
Y.L.M.I.A of which she was president. Circa 1925-1927.
BOOK 7-Autograph book belonging to Mrs. Sarah "Caddie" Thatcher. Entries are dated 1882.
BOOK 8-Marriage certificate and booklet commemorating the union of Lettie Ann Thatcher and
George Hall Ryan dated June 1947
BOOK 9-The Thatcher sisters bank book in account with the Thatcher Brothers' Banking
Company. Dated 1903-1914.
BOOK 10-Journal and register of "Places I have been". Written by Leora Thatcher while on tour
with the Moroni Olsen Players Repertory Company. not dated.
BOOK 11-Funeral memorial and register for Moses Thatcher, Jr. Dated June, 1944.
BOOK 12- Thatcher Family household expenses ledger, 1953-1961.
BOOK 13-L.D.S. Family and Individual Record. Very little has been filled in this book.
BOX 6-Envelopes originally containing correspondence of Thatcher family members. Dates
range from the early 1890s to the 1970s.
BOX 7-Miscellaneous oversized Thatcher material including diplomas, photographs, a
handwritten autobiography of Leora Thatcher, newspaper clippings, and correspondence, etc.
FOLDER 1- Leora Thatcher newspaper clippings.
FOLDER 2-Leora Thatchers' collection of information about Witches and covens. includes a
typescript report on witchcraft and several newspaper clippings.
FOLDER 3- Thatcher family documents, certificates, genealogy sources, and a Patriarchal
blessing. These are photocopies.
FOLDER 4- Ida Louise Thatcher Reese application for membership in the National Huguenot
Society.
FOLDER 5- Artwork.
FOLDER 6- Oversize photograph of Katherine Helen Woodruff, a daughter of Helen Thatcher
Woodruff and Charles W. Woodruff.
FOLDER 7- Oversize photograph of Lettie Thatcher Ryan, a daughter of Moses Thatcher, Jr.,
and Sarah "Caddie" Hopkins Thatcher. 2 Identical photos in frames.
FOLDER 10- Correspondence- Hezekiah Thatcher to G.W. Thatcher, March 2, 1868.
FOLDER 11- Leora Thatcher's certificate of appreciation from the Utah Agricultural College for
her help in the influenza epidemic in the Students' Army Training Corps in 1918.
FOLDER 12- Leora Thatcher Diploma of High School graduation, October 27, 1922.
BOX 8- Photographs (removed to P0036) 2 beaded picture, frames, advertising picture for the
Thatcher Coal Company.
ITEM 1- Pair of beaded plastic picture frames circa late 1890s. Originally held baby pictures of
Leora Thatcher.
ITEM 2- Advertising picture for the Thatcher Coal Company, made of glass.
ITEM 3-Single page from a separate photograph album. Contains 3 photos. Leora Thatcher's
handwritten description of the pictures is also included.
ADDENDA BOX 9 - Two shingle brand labels. Two original 1890s cut shingles.
During the summer of 1987, Jeff and Carol White, owners of the original Moses Thatcher Jr
home at 95 South 100 West in Logan, re-shingled the structure. When they tore the shingles off
they discovered a few of the original 1890s cut shingles and two papers that identified the "brand
name" and origin of the shingles. Since it was felt that these items were important in telling
something about urn of the century housing construction in Logan, Utah, they were donated to
the archive to be placed with the Moses Thatcher Jr. papers.
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
