Jennie Cook Davis Papers

The collection contains 60 manuscripts, three of which are oversized. Most of the manuscripts are poems written by Jennie Cook Davis. Most of these poems were written for publication and were inspired by everyday occurrences or newsworthy people. The collection also contains a draft of Davis's autobiography and a copy of a biography written by Karen Neset Smith in 1995. The collection contains 130 pieces of correspondence, two of which are oversized. The letters mainly consist of originals and copies of letters from Jennie Cook Davis to her eldest daughter, Winifred Davis McDowell in the later years of her life. Notable letters include four from Jack London discussing literary matters including brief mention of Martin Eden and from Charmian London regarding Jack London's death. There are also five letters from Charles Fletcher Lummis and one from his wife Eve. Other artists local to Southern California wrote to Jennie Cook Davis including John Burroughs, Maynard Dixon and John Steven McGroarty. The ephemera collection consists of a few pieces that relate to Jennie Cook Davis's life and many examples of her sketches. Also, her scrapbook contains more samples of her poetry and newspaper articles. The file labeled "Ephemera: Miscellaneous" consists of: a 1887 Official List Officers, Agents, and Stations for the Wisconsin Central Line; four brochures for Devore, Calif. [1915]; and a Camp Cajon "Souvinir Program" dated July 4, 1919. The photographs of Jack and Charmian London are pictures taken of watercolor reproductions made by Donald McDowell in the 1980s and 1990s. The collection does not contain actual photographs of Jack or Charmian London. In all, the ephemera totals 166 pieces.

Other participants include: Carl Ethan Akeley, Mary L. Jobe Akeley, Lou Westcott Beck, R. D. Blackmore, William Bristol, Eve Lummis, Harry Chandler, Schuyler Colfax, Eugene Field, William Hard, Ludwig Katterfield, Alfred Payne, Allan Pinkerton, Eddie Rickenbacker and George Francis Train.

Subjects in collection include: Acorn Lodge in Wrightwood, Calif.; Cajon Pass, Calif.; Devore, Calif.; Jack and Charmian London; Lute Pease; George Sterling; American newspapers in Wisconsin; Railroad employees in the United States; Reporters and reporting in the United States; Temperance poetry; and World War I.