Edwin L. Peterson family papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains letters, genealogy information, and personal papers related to Edwin L. Peterson’s family. The bulk of the collection is comprised of letters to and from the Loose, Patten, and Peterson families, dating from 1898 to 1953. These letters provide key details about the relationships within these families and give a narrative to the Peterson family history. There are also notes about genealogy and historical events, including a note that accuses Jos Agnew of burning down the Nauvoo Temple.
Of particular interest in this collection are the 154 pages of firsthand accounts of the Californian mining town of Bodie. Also of interest are the documents relating to the controversial dismissal of Edwin’s uncle, Elmer G. Peterson, as President of USAC.
The collection is organized into categories of correspondence, genealogy, and personal papers. The correspondence is chronological, the genealogy grouped into families, and the personal papers are grouped by topic.
Dates
- Creation: 1861-1958
Language of Materials
Material in English
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Edwin L. Peterson family papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
Dr. Edwin (Eddie) L. Peterson was born in Provo, Utah, in 1915. He served in the Army and Army Air Corps during WWII, attaining the rank of Major. Toward the end of the war, he returned to the United States and served as an Information and Education officer. Edwin worked on a Master's degree at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UCLA. Edwin later taught geography at Utah State University and helped found the Geography Department.
This collection contains documents related to Edwin’s family and its connections to the Loose, Patten, and Peterson families. His parents were Preston Geddes and Erma Loose Peterson; both Edwin and his father played football for USU. Erma’s mother and father were Mary Jane Patten Loose and Charles Edwin Loose. Charles was heavily involved in the mining industry in California, particularly in the mining town of Bodie. Mary Jane’s parents were George Patten and Mary Jane Nelson. Edwin’s father’s brother, Elmer G. Peterson, was president of USAC from 1916 to 1944.
Extent
1 box (0.5 linear feet)
Abstract
This collection contains letters, genealogy information, and personal papers related to Edwin L. Peterson’s family.
Arrangement
This collection is organized by document type.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives by Edward L. Peterson in 1996.
Separated Materials
Edwin L. Peterson's collection of WWII propaganda can be found in the Edwin L. Peterson World War II Propaganda (Coll Mss 274).
Processing Information
Processed in April of 2016
- Title
- Guide to the Edwin L. Peterson family papers 1861-1958
- Author
- Finding aid/Register created by Melissa Leavitt and Clint Pumphrey
- Date
- ©2016
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English.
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu