Guide to the Helen Whit field Mac Peek Letters 1918 MG 1548

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Access Points
Related Material
Administrative Information

Container List

Letters, 1918


Guide to the Helen Whitfield MacPeek Letters
1918
MG 1548

The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
(973) 596-8500 x249
library@jerseyhistory.org
https://www.jerseyhistory.org
© 2005 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Inventory prepared by Erin Coffey.

Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. April 2005. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English.


Descriptive Summary

Creator: MacPeek, Helen Whitfield
Title: Helen Whitfield MacPeek
Letters
Dates 1918
Abstract: Consists of two letters written by Helen Whitfield MacPeek describing the celebrations that took place in Newark at the end of World War I.
Quantity: .05 linear feet/ 1 folder
Collection Number: MG 1548

Biographical Note

Helen Whitfield MacPeek (ca.1918) lived at 49 Elliot Street in Newark, New Jersey. She worked at Bamberger’s department store in Newark.

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Scope and Content Note

The collection contains two letters describing the celebrations that took place in Newark at the end of World War I. One letter is written on November 7, 1918 (“False Armistice Day”) when fictitious reports of a German surrender were circulated throughout the country. The second letter is written on November 12, 1918 and describes the second round of celebrations after a cease-fire agreement was signed with Germany. In her November 7 letter MacPeek writes, “Newark is going wild.” She reports that the streets were packed with people, American flags were flown from every house, and a large parade marched through the city. MacPeek also writes about a large celebration that is to take place in Military Park that evening.

The second letter describes Newark’s November 11 celebrations after peace was officially declared. MacPeek writes about the mobs of people in the streets and describes the parades that went on all day. She writes about the many signs she saw including “Cheese stinks so does the Kaiser.” MacPeek describes men carrying the Kaiser’s coffin through the streets and writes about the confetti and adding machine paper that was thrown from office windows. MacPeek also mentions that by evening the crowds had become rowdy and, “most of the fellows were half drunk and insulting.”

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Access Points

The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection.
Subject Names:
MacPeek, Helen Whitfield.
Wherett, John Douglas.
Subject Topics:
Celebrations–New Jersey–Newark.
World War, 1914-1918.
World War, 1914-1918–Armistices.
Subject Places:
Newark (N.J.)
Document Types:
Letters (Correspondence).

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Related Material

Vertical File: Newark — Celebrations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 1548, Helen Whitfield MacPeek Letters, The New Jersey Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by Helen W. Bertholet in 1997.

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Container List

Letters, 1918

Box Folder Title Date
1 1 Helen Whitfield MacPeek Letters to
John Douglas Wherett
1918

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