Mary Sheldon Papers, 1836-1853, n.d.
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Mary Sheldon (1825-1887), the daughter of Rev. Henry Olcott Sheldon and Ruth Bradley Sheldon, came from Berea, Ohio, to study at Oberlin in 1848. Upon graduating from the Literary Course in 1852, she became principal of the ladies department at the Austinburg Academy in Austinburg, Ohio. On November 10, 1853, she married Rev. James Vincent, Sr. (1821-1899), who attended Oberlin's preparatory department from 1850 to 1853. Rev. Vincent was deeply involved in the American crusade against slavery; accompanied by his wife, he left school and went to England to present the abolitionists' cause before the Association of Congregational Churches. Following their return from this special mission, the Vincents made their home briefly in Berea. In 1855 they planned to travel to Kansas to assist John Brown, but a lack of funds forced them to settle in the little town of Tabor, Iowa, which had become known as a station on the Underground Railroad for piloting stolen or runaway slaves from Missouri. There they raised their five children in a deeply religious environment. Mary Sheldon Vincent taught school part time. In addition, she assisted her husband in publishing The American Non-Conformist. This newspaper, which moved around the Midwest, ultimately promoted the Greenback and Populists parties. Mary Sheldon Vincent died in 1887, a victim of a kitchen stove fire.
Sources Consulted
Baumann, Roland M., ed. Guide to the Women's History Sources in the Oberlin College Archives (Oberlin, OH: Oberlin College, 1990), pp. 73-74.
Administrative Information
The six folders in this collection consist primarily of Mary Sheldon's composition book, essays detached from the composition book, and other miscellaneous material. The composition book, 1842-1853, includes essays titled "Duties of Students", "The Sabbath", "Women and Politics", "History of the facts relative to the late Illness of our Literary Society" (read August 29, 1849), and "The Circuit Preacher." Essays detached from Sheldon's composition book, 1850-1852, include pieces on "Our Duty to the Oppressed", signed Mary, May 28th 1850; "Ladies Anti-Slavery Society"; and "New Discoveries in Chemistry", n.d. Other materials include introspective personal essays and other essays by Mary Sheldon, 1850, 1852; correspondence from Sheldon to the Ladies Literary Society, Oberlin, n.d.; and, miscellaneous materials, 1836.
INVENTORY
Box 1
Correspondence, from Mary Sheldon to the Ladies
Literary Society, Oberlin, Ohio, n.d.
Composition Book, 1842-1853
"Duties of Students," 1842, September 26
"Female Education," 1842, October 10
"Knowledge Is Power," 1842, October 22
"The Evils of Society," 1842, November 7
"Dueling," 1842, May 31
"Tight Lacing," 1842, June 7
"Politeness Is Essential to the Christian Character,"
1842, June 14
"To What Extent Are Christians Allowed To Gratify
Their Tastes," n.d.
"Outline or Skeleton of a Composition Read Near the
Close of the Spring Term 1842;" "Reasons
Why the Country Is To Be Preferred to the City"
"Hope," 1842, November 21
"Conversation," 1843, April 27
"Tempus Fugit," 1843, May 5
"A Journey - A Letter," 1843, May 17
"An Allegory," 1843 December 6
"Travels, Chapter 1st," 1844, January 17
"Validictory," 1844, February 20
"Spring," 1844, March
"The Sabboth," 1844, March
"Debates Perpetrated," 1844, March 22
"The Choice of Life," by Ida Chatterfin, 1844, March 15
"Reflections at Sunset," 1844, March 29
"For an Album," 1847, March 5
"My Window," 1846, Fall
"Mordicai & Esther." 1847, February
"A Scene In Babylon, 1047, February
(Untitled Essay, 1847); "The Length of A N. England
Holiday," 1847
"A Letter;" "For the Wreath," 1847, May 10
(Personal correspondence, 1847)
"The Signs of the Times," 1848, March 21
"Meddlers," 1848, June 24
"Home," 1848, September 5: "No. 1," Miss Adams'
class, Oberlin, Ohio
"Women and Politics," 1848, September 20
"No. 2," Oberlin
"No. 3 was a letter to Benjamin no copy kept
"Two Days In the Life of a Colporteur," 1848,
October 24. "No. 4, Oberlin"
"Life," 1849, February 22
"The Power of Consciences" 1849, March 26. "No. 1.
Prof. Fairchild's Class, Oberlin"
"The Thoughts of the Past," 1849, March 26. "No. 2
(Prof. Fairchild's class)"
"A Sister's Influence," 1849, April 5. "No. 3"
"The World Is Sad" 1849, April 24
Literary Society, Oberlin
"The Land of Dreams," 1849, May 2. "No. 4, Oberlin"
"Straws Shows Which Way the Wind Blows," 1849,
May 7. "No. 5"
"The Power of Prayer," 1849, May 21. "No. 6, Oberlin"
"The Destruction of Jericho," 1849, June 4. "No. 7"
"Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers," 1849, July 9. "No. 8"
"Self-Possession," 1849, July 9. Literary Society
"What Is Valuable?," 1849, July 15
"No. 9," 2nd Year Young Ladies Course, Oberlin, Ohio
"He That Hath Friends Must Show Himself Friendly, or,
The Secret of Pleasing In Social Life," 1849,
July 23. "No. 9, 2nd Year Young Ladies Course,
Oberlin, Ohio." "No. 10, Second Year Class"
"History of the Facts Relative to the Late Illness of Our
Literary Society," 1849, August 29
"The Circuit Preacher," 1849, September 17. "Prof.
Monroe's class, Sept. 17, 1849, 3rd Year"
"For the Budget: Sketches By the Sitting Room Spy.
No. 1." Oberlin, September 19, 1849
"Sketches By the Sitting Room Spy, No. 2" Oberlin,
October 2, 1849
"The Telegraphic Age," Oberlin, Oct. 6, 1849, No. 2,
Third Year"
"Sketches: By the Sitting Room Spy. No. 3. (For the
Budget)," 1850, April 1
"The Revealing Process," "April 8, 1850, Third
Year Class"
"Sketches By the Sitting Room Spy. No. 4. Copy Lost"
"Giving Not Benevolence, or, How Benefactions May
Be a Curse Both to the Giver or Receiver."
"May 2, 1850 ____ Class"
"Good From Evil," n.d.
Financial records (income and expenses), September
1843–July 1853
Index of essays, n.d.
Detached essays from the composition book, 1850,
1852, n.d.
"Rochester Knockings," 1850?
"Good From Evil,," 1850, May 11. "Prof. Monroe's
class, No. 3"
"Our Duty to the Oppressed," 1850, May 28. "Ladies
Anti-Slavery Society"
"To a Spider," 1850, June 3
"Prof. Monroe's Class, Third Year No. ____"
"The Life of the Rev. Wm. B. Gurley," 1850 July 13
"The Goodness of God," 1852, April 11 (duplicate)
"What the Heart Most Desires, That Will the Heart Most
Seek and In That Will It Find Its Greatest
Happenings" 1852, May 17
"The Poems of David," n.d.
"To the Shadow Lifted?," 1850, May 29
(Untitled essay, 1850, September 16)
"Celestial Visitantz," 1852, March 22
"New Discoveries In Chemistry," 1850, October 4
(two copies)
"Sketches By The Sitting Room Spy, No. 5,"
185-, July 10
"Erratic Stars . . . Eccentric Characters., Cleveland
(Ohio), December 10"
Introspective personal essays by Mary Sheldon,
1850, 1852
Micellaneous materials (receipt, torn page from
a journal) 1836, n.d.
Other essays of Mary Sheldon, 1850, 1852