James Rieman Macfarlane was born in Towanda, Bedford Co., Pennsylvania on April 20, 1858, the son of James and Mary (Overton) Macfarlane. In 1891 he was admitted to the Allegheny County Bar. James Macfarlane was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas Court No. 1 in the Autumn of 1902, and re-elected in 1912 and 1922. On April 30, 1930 James Macfarlane became President Judge; he retired from the bench in January 1934. In addition to his responsibilities as Judge, Macfarlane was a lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, President of the Allegheny County Board of Prison Inspectors, a Trustee of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and a member of the City of Pittsburgh Board of Public Education.
After marrying in 1888, James R. Macfarlane was widowed by his first wife, Lizzie Montanye. His second wife, Ruth Fletcher, was originally from Indianapolis, the daughter of an engine manufacturer. James and Ruth Macfarlane had four children: Elizabeth, Malcolm F., James W. and Jesse. James Rieman Macfarlane died on December 2, 1938. Elizabeth Macfarlane attended Miss Porter's School for Girls in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut from 1913-1915.
The collection consists of over 290 letters written by the Macfarlane family, with the major correspondents being James Rieman Macfarlane, his wife Ruth and their daughter, Elizabeth Macfarlane. The general tone of the family's letters offer a glimpse of upper class family life in Pittsburgh during the early twentieth century. These letters reveal loving and close family relationships with frequent discussions of social activities, gift-giving, and concern for family members.
The letters of James and Ruth Macfarlane discuss his work as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Allegheny County, which detailed various legal proceedings and casework and land sale transactions. In the letters are discussed arrangements for the childrens' welfare and overall family health. Ruth directed James concerning household matters and their servants in her absence and James provided travel advice. The letters detail a enduring, loving relationship, demonstrating a great deal of affection between husband and wife. Most of the letters are addressed to or from the Macfarlane's home on Woodland Road in Pittsburgh, and other addresses including Saranac Lake, New York; Proctor, Vermont; North Carolina; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Virginia Beach.
Much of the collection correspondence describes Elizabeth's life at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut and her family's activities at home. Elizabeth describes her schedule, social outings, her great-uncle Albert, homesickness, classes, teachers, schoolmates, and her health. The letters offer a vivid portrait of life for a young woman in high-class society. She makes references to socializing with students from Ivy League schools and attending various cultural events. Elizabeth also refers to the political environment of the time, including the war in Mexico and World War I. Specific references to social and political events include a letter dated October 28, 1913, which includes a friend's description of President Taft as a "jellyfish." Another letter dated May 20, 1915 mentions the sinking of the Lusitania and Elizabeth's thoughts on Woodrow Wilson. A letter dated June 15, 1915 describes Elizabeth's attendance at the wedding of an African-American coachman. Much of Elizabeth's correspondence discusses World War I and hopes for its timely end.
No restrictions.
Purchased from Carmen Valentino on April 15, 1998.
Macfarlane Family Papers, 1897-1945, AIS.1998.21, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Macfarlane Family Papers, 1897-1945, AIS.1998.21, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Macfarlane Family, Correspondence, 1897-1945, Archives of Industrial Society, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
This collection was processed by Fiona Seels in July 1998.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Michael O'Malley on May 15, 2003. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1803581
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
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