Everett Literary Society records, ca. 1872-1922.

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  • Creator Names Everett Literary Society (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Title Everett Literary Society records [manuscript], ca. 1872-1922.
  • Physical description 0.75 linear ft. (6 v.)
  • Collection summary Records in 5 volumes and a scrapbook of the club composed of boys and young men, including treasurers' records with list of members, Feb. 1872-April 1877; minutes of meetings, weekly except in summer, including reports on the club's constitution, election of officers, place of meeting; on the appointment of critics, debaters, orators, and essayists; on the subjects chosen for debate, and notation whether debate was previously assigned or extemporaneous. Debate topics often related to Chicago civic issues. The scrapbook includes programs of the annual banquets and elaborate reunion programs (the latest in 1922) and menus (an especially sumptuous one for a banquet at the Sherman House in 1886); form letters relating to the "Sumner" and to the military service in World War I of relatives of Sumner members. Also present are 2 issues of a boy's magazine, "Little Men," Sept. and Oct. 1871, edited and published by two members of the society, W. D. Gregory and C. N. Bishop. One issue discusses amateur journalism in Chicago, both list recent musical publications (including some by Root and Cady, and Lyon and Healy). The relationship of the Everett to the Sumner Literary Society is unclear.
  • Acquisition information Most of the collection was a gift of G. S. Ellithorpe (1930.0140). One volume was a gift of B. H. McFadden.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Everett Literary Society photograph album (1930.0140). The Chronicles (publication of The Sumner Literary Society) are available in the library and in The Sumner Literary Society records, ca. 1875-1909.
  • Biographical or Historical Note The Everett Literary Society was organized as the Union Park Amateur Debating Society by seven boys from 15 to 18 years of age in February 1872. They met in private homes, but as the membership grew to 25 participants in 1873, they needed a larger meeting place and were given the use of rooms at the Union Park Congregational Church. The name of the society was changed to the Union Park Literary Society, then to the Everett Literary Society in 1873, and for four or five years the society flourished. More than 100 names are listed on the rolls over the years, among them many later well known in Chicago, including Charles R. Crane, Norman D. Fraser, Edwin Lobdell, Martin Ryerson.
  • Names
    • Everett Literary Society (Chicago, Ill.) Archives.
    • Union Park Amateur Debating Society (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Bishop, C. N.
    • Gregory, W. D.
    • Union Park Amateur Debating Society (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Union Park Congregational Church (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Uniform Title Little men.
  • Subjects
    • Authors, American Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Authors, American Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Debates and debating Illinois Chicago Societies, etc. 19th century.
    • Debates and debating Illinois Chicago Societies, etc. 20th century.
    • High school students Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • High school students Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Literature Illinois Chicago Societies, etc.
    • Teenage boys Illinois Chicago Societies and clubs.
    • World War, 1914-1918 Illinois Chicago.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Intellectual life 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Social conditions 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Social conditions 20th century.
    • Near West Side (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Genre
    • Membership lists. aat
    • Minutes. aat
    • Periodicals. aat
    • Scrapbooks. aat
  • Uniform title Little men.
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-E/EverettLit.htm