Scope and Content Note
The papers of the Whelpley family span the years 1837-1929, with the bulk of material dating from 1861 to 1906. The collection documents the Whelpley family's daily and social affairs during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras in Washington, D.C. The papers are in English and arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material and therein chronologically.
The bulk of the correspondence is from husband and wife James Winne Whelpley and Louisa Russell Whelpley. Family correspondents include James's mother, Margaret Winne Whelpley, his sisters, Anne Rachel Whelpley, Margaret Lydia Whelpley, and Adeline Whelpley, Louisa's mother, Louisa Richardson Russel, and their other family members, William Merchant Richardson, Henry F. French, and William M. R. French. Subjects include the national economy, transportation, and agriculture. Also featured are James Winne Whelpley's accounts of his personal and official trips for the United States Department of the Treasury throughout the United States and Europe. Photographs primarily document family members, the East Capitol Street homes of the French, Russell, and Whelpley families, as well as, images of other Washingtonian families. Other material includes biographical and genealogical material.