Ida E. Wickenden Papers, 1903-1962

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Wickenden, Ida E., 1886-ca. 1972
Abstract:
Ida E. Wickenden (1886-ca.1972) spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest in missionary work began as a college student, with her involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to attend a missionary convention, and a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin work there as a missionary. In 1911, her letters to her family made an American newspaper for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under Sun Yet Sen. The collection consists mostly of correspondence from Ida E. Wickenden and other hand-written and printed materials relating to the time she spent as missionary in Hangchow, China. Also included are a Wickenden family history, miscellaneous correspondence, photographs of China, photographic portraits of Ida E. Wickenden during her missionary years, photographic postcards, and photocopies of three volumes of transcribed correspondence entitled, “Letters from China, 1907-1913: Ida E. Wickenden to members of her family”.
Extent:
3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.)

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists mostly of correspondence from Ida E. Wickenden and other hand-written and printed materials relating to the time she spent as missionary in Hangchow, China. Also included are a Wickenden family history; miscellaneous correspondence from Wickenden family members; black-and-white photographs of China; photographic portraits of Ida E. Wickenden during her missionary years; photographic postcards; photocopies of three volumes of transcribed correspondence entitled, “Letters from China, 1907-1913: Ida E. Wickenden to members of her family”.

Biographical / historical:

Ida E. Wickenden was born February 11, 1886, the third of eight children born to Thomas R. Wickenden and Ida Consual Wickenden. According to a Wickenden family history, Thomas R. Wickenden's family ancestry was English Roman Catholic and French Huguenot; Ida Consual Wickenden was of Spanish Huguenot, Dutch, and Quaker descent. Ida spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest in missionary work began as a college student, with her involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to attend a missionary convention; a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin work there as a missionary. Ida stayed in Hangchow for just over five years, during which she taught at a Baptist girl's school. In 1911 her letters to her family made an American newspaper for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under Sun Yet Sen. Ida wrote to her family frequently throughout her stay in China. In June of 1913 Ida left Hangchow, traveling by train across Siberia to Moscow and then to Berlin. She met her sister, Lottie Wickenden, in England. From there they traveled to Scotland and Paris. Ida married Justin Wroe Nixon in June of 1914 after her return to the United States. The Nixons lived first in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then in Rochester, New York. They had five children, all of whom, except the first, were born in Rochester. Ida and Justin Sr. traveled together in Europe and Turkey after his retirement in 1954. They were married for 40 years until Justin's death in 1958. Ida spent her latter years in a retirement community in Pomona, California and died about 1972.

Expanded Biographical Note

Ida E. Wickenden was born February 11, 1886. She was the third of eight children born to Thomas R. Wickenden and Ida Consual Wickenden. According to a Wickenden family history, Thomas R. Wickenden's family ancestry was English Roman Catholic and French Huguenot; Ida Consual Wickenden was of Spanish Huguenot, Dutch, and Quaker descent.

Ida E. Wickenden spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest in missionary work began as a college student with her involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to attend a missionary convention; a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin work there as a missionary. Ida stayed in Hangchow for just over five years, during which she taught at a Baptist girl's school. In 1911 her letters to her family made an American newspaper for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under Sun Yet Sen. Ida wrote to her family frequently throughout her stay in China.

In June of 1913 Ida left Hangchow, traveling by train across Siberia to Moscow and then to Berlin. She met her sister, Lottie Wickenden, in England. From there they traveled to Scotland and Paris. Ida married Justin Wroe Nixon in June of 1914 after her return to the United States. The Nixons lived first in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then in Rochester, New York. They had five children: John Harmon, Charles Robert, Elizabeth Wickenden, Alice Wroe, and Justin Wroe., Jr. All of the children except the first, John Harmon, were born in Rochester. Ida and Justin Sr. traveled together in Europe and Turkey after his retirement in 1954. They were married for 40 years until Justin's death in 1958. Ida spent her latter years in a retirement community in Pomona, California.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Charles Robert Nixon, 1998.
Processing information:

Processed by Laura Ward, February 2003.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Chinese language materials, correspondence, drawings, envelopes, maps, miscellaneous printed materials, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, transcribed correspondence, Memoirs of the Thomas Rogers Wickenden family, miscellaneous correspondence, and William E. Wickenden correspondence.

All materials relate to Ida E. Wickenden unless otherwise noted.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website