Guide to the Papers of Eva W. Wallace, 1939-1950

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
papers of Eva W. Wallace
Creator
Wallace, Eva W. (1853-1950)
Collection Number
MSS#67
Extent
.5 cubic feet (1 box)
Date
1939-1950
Abstract
Eva Wallace lived in Pittsburgh's East End neighborhoods and in the later years of her life, lived at the Protestant Home for the Incurables in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Papers primarily include letters written by Eva Wallace to family and friends on personal matters, contemporary events and reflections on her life.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
This guide to the collection was originally prepared by Ruth DSalisbury Reid in 1979. Papers rearranged and inventory rewritten by Kimberly Bralich and Corey Seeman on September 21, 1993. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in Winter, 2001-2002.
Sponsor
This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

Biographical Sketch of Eva W. Wallace (1853-1950)

Eva Wallace was the youngest daughter of William W. and Willamina Wallace. Both William and Willamina came from long-standing Pittsburgh families which settled in the region in the early part of the 19th century. William owned an agricultural implement works in Pittsburgh, which closed after a devastating fire. Mr. Wallace owned numerous patents for agricultural machines, but lost control of the them when his lawyer "dishonestly" sold them to McCormicks of Chicago, Illinois. Little is known of Eva Wallace except what may be taken from these papers. She lived in Pittsburgh's East End, including a house at 5700 Hays Street in East Liberty. Her profession is not known except for her service on the board of the Protestant Home for Incurables, located at 5500 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The Protestant Home was founded in 1885 to provide lifetime nursing and medical care for elderly and "incurable" people. When Eva was in her mid 90s, she was invited by the board of the Protestant Home to move there. She lived at the home from 1947 until her death in 1950, at age 97.

Scope and Content Notes

These papers include letters written by Eva Wallace to her cousins Harriet (Mrs. William A. Kraus), Eva (Mrs. Eva Templeton Hill), and Anne Denny, with other sundry items, often enclosures sent with these letters, 1939-1950. In these letters, Wallace includes information on contemporary events in Pittsburgh, comments on the battles and homefront of World War II, reflections of her life, family history and news of relatives and friends. The majority of these letters were written during her stay at the Protestant Home, 1947-1950, and describes the home, its services and general life there. Included with an April 30, 1948 letter is a solicitation brochure for the home. Other items discussed includes a December 1949 murder of a woman in Pittsburgh and occassional reminiscences of her youth including a brief comment on the Fourth of July celebration after the Battle of Gettysburg (July 5, 1949). Eva Wallace often wrote similar letters to these three correspondents and included the same news and information, creating a repetitive nature among these letters. Wallace's devotion to religion is also evident in these letters as they include religious reflections, recording of scripture and repeated discussion of supplying bibles and other religious books for the American soldiers fighting in World War II.

Arrangement

The Eva W. Wallace Papers are housed in one archival box and are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These materials came in one accession in 1979.

Acc# 1979.205 Gift of Harriet Kraus, (Papers. Mrs. Kraus was the cousin of Eva Wallace and, along with her mother, recipient of many of these letters).

Preferred Citation

Papers of Eva W. Wallace, 1939-1950, MSS# 67, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Ruth Salisbury Reid in 1979. Papers rearranged and inventory rewritten by Kimberly Bralich and Corey Seeman on September 21, 1993..

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Protestant Home for Incurables (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    Personal Names

    • Wallace, Eva W. (1853-1950)
    • Denny, Anne
    • Hill, Eva Templeton
    • Kraus, Harriet

    Geographic Names

    • Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Social Life and Customs

    Other Subjects

    • Crime -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Retirement Communities -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Women -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Women and Religion -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • World War, 1939-1945 -- War Work -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Container List