Papers of the Fisher family, 1905-1935
MSS 160
This collection, consisting entirely of photocopies, is made up mainly of letters written by members of the Fisher family to one another between the years 1915 and 1935. Writers include the author Vardis Fisher (1895-1968), his wives Leona and Margaret, sister Irene ("Dot"), brother Vivian, Vivian's wife Mattie, and Vardis Fisher's mother Temperance. Most of the letters were intended for Joseph and Temperance Fisher, parents of Vardis, Vivian, and Irene, and were addressed to Mrs. Fisher. There are also a few other miscellaneous papers, including several poems by Vardis Fisher in typescript. These photocopies were obtained from two sources: from Vardis Fisher's son, Grant Fisher, in 1997 (ca. 80 items) and from Fisher biographer Tim Woodward (ca. 25 items) in 1998.
The papers donated by Grant Fisher were discovered in 1990 in the "new" house that Joseph and Temperance Fisher built in the 1930s on their Snake River homestead near Ririe, Idaho. Workers remodeling the home for a new owner discovered them in a box built under the peak of the roof. They loaned the papers to Ricks College Library in Rexburg, Idaho, for photocopying. Ricks College retained a set of copies and presented another set of copies to Vardis Fisher's son, Grant Fisher. In March 1997 Grant Fisher donated his copies to Boise State University Library. The original letters are still in private hands. Boise State University makes this set available to the public for research after consultation with Ricks College and with the permission of Grant Fisher. A fuller account of the discovery of the letters was published in the October 1990 issue of the Idaho Librarian.
In 1998, Tim Woodward, author of the biography of Vardis Fisher, Tiger on the Road, donated copies of more letters that he obtained from private sources during the course of his research.
Family matters and personal affairs are the main subjects of discussion in the letters. Included are Vardis Fisher's first letters home from college (University of Utah in Salt Lake City). He asked his parents to save his letters for his autobiography (October 1, 1915). He also declared his devotion to home: "You may think down here I will rush about [,] forget about home and Idaho. Not me...I don't want to get weaned away from home" (October 15, 1915). Irene Fisher's letters home to her parents from Salt Lake City in 1927-1928 also shed light on Vardis Fisher's life, as he was living in Salt Lake City at the same time teaching at the University of Utah. Irene's letters also reflect the social life of an unmarried LDS woman in Salt Lake City and her courtship with her future husband.
Inclusive dates: 1905-1935
Collection size: ca. 105 items in 2 boxes.
Processed by: Alan Virta, 1997 and 1998 . Assisted by Kim Beeman and Anna Rutkowska,
1997.
List of Letters in the Fisher family collection donated by Grant Fisher
Letters written by Temperance Fisher (mother of Vardis Fisher)
Folder 1 1915 (?) December 8 To Vardis Fisher from Antelope, Idaho
Folder 2 1919 April 27 To Irene Fisher from Idaho Falls, Idaho
Letters and other papers written by Vardis Fisher
Folder 3 Poems. 5 items
Folder 4 1915 September 20 To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
Folder 5 1915 October 1 To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
Folder 6 1915 October 15 To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
Folder 7 1916 January 21 To his parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
Folder 8 1916 September 29* To his
parents from Salt Lake City, Utah
*(Main body of letter by Vivian Fisher; note by Vardis Fisher appended)
Folder 9 1921 November 20 To "Folkes" [from Chicago, Illinois]
Folder 10 1921 December 4 To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 11 1922 January 15 To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 12 1922 April 11 To his mother from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 13 1922 June 8 To his mother [from Chicago, Illinois]
Folder 14 1928 November 10 To "Folks" from New York, New York
Folder 15 1930 June 10 To "Everybody" from Liverpool, England
Folder 16 ------ February 12 To his parents
Folder 17 -------August 15 To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 18 -------November 30 To "Everybody" from New York, New York
Folder 19 -------December 23 To his parents (Text mostly obliterated)
Folder 20 undated To his sons
Letters written by Leona Fisher (first wife of Vardis Fisher)
Folder 21 1921 October 2 To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 22 1922 March 15 To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 23 1922 April 21 To "All of you" from Chicago, Illinois
Folder 24 1922 June 22 To "Everybody" from Chicago, Illinois
Letters written by Margaret Fisher (second wife of Vardis Fisher)
Folder 25 1935 July
9* To "Folks" from
Iowa City, Iowa
* with enclosure from Vardis Fisher, July 10
Folder 26 1936 January 6 To "Folks" from Boise, Idaho
Letters written by Irene Fisher (sister of Vardis Fisher)
Folder 27 undated To her mother
Folder 28 undated To her parents and Dolly from Salt Lake City
Folder 29 1922 August 23 To Vardis Fisher
Folder 30 1926 September 25 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 31 1926 December 11 To her parents from Salt Lake City
Folder 32 1927 April 24 To "Darling Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 33 1927 May 1 To "Darling Ones" from Salt Lake City
Folder 34 1927 May 19 To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
1927 May 23 To her parents from Salt Lake City
Folder 35 1927 May 26 To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
1927 May 29 To her mother (postcard) from Salt Lake City
Folder 36 1927 September 21 To her parents and Wayne ("Chubby") do.
Folder 37 1927 November 13 To "Dear Ones at Home"
Folder 38 1927 November 27 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 39 1927 December 14 To her parents from Salt Lake City
Folder 40 1928 January 3 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 41 1928 January 8 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 42 1928 January 15 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 43 1928 January 22 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 44 1928 January 29 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 45 1928 February 11 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 46 1928 February 21 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 47 1928 February 26 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 48 1928 March 8 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 49 1928 March 14 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 50 1928 March 30 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 51 1928 April 12 To "Dear Ones at Home" from Salt Lake City
Folder 52 1928 April 21 To "Dear Ones at Home"
Folder 53 1928 May 16 To her parents
Folder 54 1929 March 19 To her mother (postcard) from Ririe, Idaho
Folder 55 1929 April 3 To her parents from Rigby, Idaho
Letters written by Vivian Fisher (brother of Vardis Fisher)
Folder 56 [1915?] Dec 15 To Vardis Fisher
Folder 57 1916 April 9 To Vardis Fisher
Folder 58 1933 April 4 To "Everybody" from New York, N.Y.
Folder 59 1934 October 1 To his parents, Irene Fisher from New York, N.Y.
Folder 60 1934 November 18 To "Everybody" from Flushing, N.Y.
Folder 61 undated To his parents from Rigby, Idaho
Folder 62 undated To his parents from New York City
Folder 63 undated To his parents from New York, N.Y.
Folder 64 undated To his parents from New York, N.Y.
List of Christmas presents
Letters written by Mattie Fisher (wife of Vivian Fisher)
Folder 65 1934 August 20 To "Folks" from New York, N.Y.
Folder 66 1935 January 6 To "Everybody" from Forest Hills, L.I., N.Y.
Folder 67 1935 March 12 To Temperance Fisher (card) from Tucson, Arizona
Other items
Folder 68 1918 March 9 Lester Bryan toVardis Fisher from Rigby, Idaho
Folder 69 1929 Gladys Miller wedding invitation
Folder 70 ----- Miscellaneous
Additional letters donated by Tim Woodward
For more letters written by Vardis Fisher, see MSS 159, Papers of Vardis and Opal Fisher.