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Papers of Charles Fletcher Lummis 1860-1956(bulk 1890-1920)

MS 297

Biographical Note

Charles Fletcher Lummis was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on March 1, 1859, and died in Los Angeles on November 25, 1928. He was educated at home, and later attended Harvard University until 1881. He soon moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he briefly managed his father-in-law's farm before taking a job as reporter, and later as editor, with the local newspaper Scioto Gazette. He introduced himself to the West on foot during his famous 143 day walk from Cincinnati to Los Angeles. He began work there as editor of Harrison G. Otis' newspaper, The Los Angeles Times. From 1885 on, Los Angeles was his base from which he explored, defended, and promoted the Southwest. His energy and enthusiasm were as broad as the land he loved. He investigated the Apache Wars in Arizona in 1886, recovered from a stroke and shooting in New Mexico, traveled with Adolph Bandelier to Peru, edited one of the most progressive periodicals of the region Land of Sunshine and Out West, built a monumental hilltop home El Alisal, and served as librarian to the Los Angeles Public Library. His aggressive drive to establish permanent cultural institutions and civic traditions culminated in his work for the Landmark Club, Sequoya League, and, closest to his heart, the Southwest Society and its Southwest Museum.

A prolific promoter of the Southwest and California history, Lummis wrote many books on the area including A New Mexico David, Some Strange Corners of Our Country, A Tramp Across the Continent, and The Land of Poco Tiempo. His poetry, articles and reviews were also widely distributed in the leading magazines of his day. His friends ranged from Presidents to fisherman. His favored causes, such as pristine lands, native peoples, or historical monuments, were empowered by his forceful advocacy in print and in person of their collective needs.

Lummis was married and divorced from Dorothea Rhodes (1880-1891), Eva Frances Douglas (1891-1910), and Gertrude Redit (1915-192?). His children were Bertha Belle Page, b. 1879, Dorothea Turbese, 1892-1968, Amado Bandelier, 1894-1900, Jordan (Quimu), b. 1900, and Keith, 1904-1991.

Known by many names--The Lion, Don Carlos, C.R. Lobs, Lum--Charles F. Lummis enjoyed the intellectual and physical challenges of his life, his whiskey and cigars, his friends and enemies. A hard fisted dreamer, he made a bully time of it all.

Scope and Content Note

The Biographical Materials, c.1889-1928, contain a summary article on him by George Wharton James and some miscellaneous clippings and printed materials.

The Journals, 1911-1928, are chiefly typescript carbon copies that Lummis often circulated amongst family and friends. Many in this series are inscribed to his daughter Bertha, his "Darlingest First born." The narrative in these recollections are not limited to activities of that particular year. Instead, many dates recall events in his life ten, twenty or more years before. The bulk of this series covers the years from 1925 to 1928, and details his daily household activities of visitors, mailings, meals, meetings, shopping, errands, telephone conversations, writings, and family affairs. His appraisal of the motives and contributions of others is frank and to the point.

The Correspondence, 1860-1956, is subdivided into Family, General, and Activities, and represents the bulk of this collection. There is some overlap among the subseries, especially in the artificial divisions of General and Activities; and there is a fragment of a letter in the Photographs series in which Lummis strongly protests the unauthorized use of his images in a publication.

The Family Correspondence consists of incoming and outgoing letters amongst Lummis and his three wives, especially Dorothea and Eve, his children, siblings, parents, and relatives. Of note are the Dorothea Lummis (later Moore) files. As a young medical student studying at Boston University, she wrote often to her new husband while he was away in Chillicothe, Ohio, in the early 1880s, and later during a stay in New Mexico. She discusses her feelings for him, her studies at school, family relations, and their current activities and plans.

The letters to Eve Lummis, his second wife, are chiefly from Lummis while on the Villard Expedition to Peru with Adolph Bandelier in 1892. Missing his wife and new baby, he describes in great detail his observations of Peru, his activities, and meetings. There are also other letters between them during their periodic travels apart, and letters between Eve and her children and a few friends. Eve and Lummis separated around 1910, and their divorce file consists of letters to and about lawyers, the settlement propositions, terms of complaint, the children and joint properties.

Additional correspondence in this subseries relates to his children, Jordan, Keith, and Turbese while they are at school or away from home. The letters from his daughter Bertha Page, whom he first met in 1904, demonstrates their developing relationship. The letters between Lummis and his siblings, Gertrude, Harriet, Katherine, Louise, and Laura, and other relatives mostly discuss everyday events, their jobs, travels, and family matters.

The General Correspondence covers a wide range of individuals whose interests converged with those of Lummis. This series represents only a fragment of his general correspondence, especially from 1900 to 1915. Friends and fellow travelers are well noted here and include: the Abeita family, Hector Alliot, Adolph Bandelier, Amado Chavez, Edgar Hewett, F.W. Hodge, J.A. Monk, Harrison Otis, Denis Riordan, E.R. Ripley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and the Valle family.

Lummis' interests in Native American affairs are present in the United States Department of Interior and Sequoya League (in Activities subseries files). His artistic, literary, and educational correspondents include Mary Austin, E.A. Burbank, Maynard Dixon, Sharlot Hall, David S. Jordan and John Muir. The George Wharton James file contains letters regarding him rather than from him. One of the larger files in this series, "Publishers and Publishing" includes letters from many of the editors and periodicals that printed his articles including; American Magazine, Century Company, Harper's, Elbert Hubbard, McClure's Magazine, Puck, Saint Nicholas, Scribner's and Sons, Youth's Companion, and others.

The Activities Correspondence selectively represents Lummis' interests and energies as editor, founder, and officer in a wide variety of enterprises, but especially in the Los Angeles Public Library, Southwest Society, and its Southwest Museum. One of his fondest desires to preserve the legacy of the Southwest was realized in the development of the Southwest Society (founded 1903) and the Southwest Museum (incorporated 1907). His influences in the organization, membership, staffing, collections and publications of these two bodies is amply evidenced. Differences with the Executive Committee led to his resignation as Secretary in 1915. The Institute of the West (incorporated 1917) attests to his efforts to continue the program of the Society, as well as his futile fight to prevent its disincorporation by the directors of the Southwest Museum.

As director of the Los Angeles Public Library form 1905 to 1910, Lummis largely abandoned his writings to concentrate, in his singular manner, on improving the administration and mission of the library. There are letters, scrapbooks (some indexed) of clippings, reports, and memorandums documenting his innovative and turbulent leadership. There are some letterheads of The Bibliosmiles, "a rally of librarians who are nevertheless human." Lummis devoted part of his talents to preserving the cultural traditions and landmarks of the Southwest. The brief files on the Landmarks Club record his efforts to save the Spanish missions in California from pending destruction. The Order of Panama materials relate to the promotion of local civic pride and fellowship in preserving the history of San Diego. The Sequoya League files document the protection of American Indians in California from the capriciousness of government policies and politics, and the improvement of their rights for better lands and working conditions.

The Land of Sunshine and Out West files are selective examples of Lummis' thoughts and writings as editor of those new voices of the West. He writes in response to readers on book reviews, personalities, and, in general, defends his magazines and authors as worthy of advancing the timely topics.

The Writings, 1882-1928, consist of articles, short stories, newspaper columns, poems, and speeches by Lummis. Also present is Turbese Lummis Fiske's biography of her father which incorporated large segments of his personal journals in its narrative. The articles and short stories are present in handwritten, typescript and printed versions. The newspaper articles largely document his early career in Ohio working for Scioto Gazette. There are only a few selections of his poems and speeches, and his major works from 1879 to 1929 are not represented.

Turbese Fiske dedicated much of her life to preparing Lummis' biography. Uncompleted at her death, Keith Lummis carried her work forward to publication in Charles F. Lummis: the Man and his West (1975). Drafts of her manuscripts with the working title "It was fun being Lummis" are present here. The typescripts and carbons often have several revisions reflected on the page numeration. While there is a consecutive run of 549 pages in Box 15, folders 1 to 6, it should be noted that portions of the text are missing. The remaining supplemental drafts have far less cohesion than those first six folders.

The next series, Notebooks, 1886-1922, contain several indexes, ledgers, and miscellaneous bound items. Of note are: the excerpts from visitors to El Alisal in the House Book; his index to letters sent which demonstrates the volume of his correspondence; and his notebook as a reporter in the field in Arizona with federal troops during the Apache campaign of 1886, along with a copy of an Army report on the hostilities.

The Photographs, c.1891-1921, are chiefly his cyanotypes of antiquities, landscapes, pueblos, and Indians in New Mexico and Arizona. Selected New Mexico locations include: Isleta, Santa Clara, Acoma, Cubero, Pecos, and Inscription Rock (El Morro); selected Arizona are Montezuma Castle and Grand Canyon. The portraits contain some black and whites of Jordan and Turbese as children, C.F. Lummis with guitar, and his portrait, "Facing the Mystery," of John Burroughs made six days before the latter's death in 1921.

The Supplemental Files, 1896-1921, contain mostly miscellaneous bills to Lummis; a partial inventory of zaguan, museo, and dining rooms in El Alisal in 1921; assorted labels and envelopes containing his various mailing address in California and Ohio; and a short bamboo fishing pole which might attest to his passionate regard for trout fishing, a talent bequeathed to Lummis from his grandfather during his New England childhood.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Restrictions

There are no restrictions on this collection.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Related Material

Other collections containing records pertaining to Charles F. Lummis are: Frances Douglas Papers (MS 37), Charles F. Lummis Collection(MS 39).

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Credit Line

Papers of Charles Fletcher Lummis (MS 297). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.

Acquisition Information

This collection consists of donations to the Library from Keith Lummis, and purchases from dealers, 1974-1976.

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