BRUCE FAMILY PAPERS
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The collection spans the years 1881 to 1963. It includes family financial records in the form of invoices, receipts, cancelled checks and bank books. A limited number of school projects and keepsakes, as well as numerous unidentified photographs, complete the collection.
Financial records comprise the bulk of the series, which includes bank books, receipts, invoices and tax statements. Numerous documents reflect maintenance and repairs to the family's 2610 Cherry Street home as well as routine household purchases. Other financial documents relate to the operation of the Paonia, Colorado post office. School papers, projects and keepsakes from various high schools, colleges, and business schools form a portion of the series.
The bulk of the photographs that comprise the series are unidentified. Images include black and white prints of various sizes as well as 35mm slides. Slides include mostly travel images.
Negatives in this collection have been identified as cellulose nitrate and are stored in the STXV freezer (photo envelope 1). Access to these negatives is restricted and requires the permission of an archivist.
The series contains primarily school papers from three of the Bruce children, Emma Bruce, Nellie Bruce and John Grant Bruce. A check book belonging Sophie Bruce is also included.
Dates
- 1881-1963
ACCESS:
The collection is open for research. However, negatives in this collection have been identified as cellulose nitrate and are stored in the STXV freezer (photo envelope 1). Access to these negatives is restricted and requires the permission of an archivist.
OWNERSHIP:
Literary and copyrights have been assigned to the Denver Public Library.
PUBLICATION RIGHTS:
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Although various federal and state census records indicate his birth as 1854, 1855 or 1857, John W. Bruce was most likely born in Nova Scotia, Canada in June 1857. His tombstone, located in Paonia, Colorado indicates that he was born in 1857 and passed away in 1911. Bruce immigrated to the United States in 1880. His wife, Sophie, was also born in Canada in 1861. The couple had four children. Emma (born April 1883), Charles (born October1884), Nellie (born May 1891) and John Grant (born October 20, 1894).
Census records for 1880 and 1900 show the Bruce family living in Gunnison, Colorado. The 1910 census indicates that they were living in Paonia, Colorado. Emma, Nellie and John Grant resided with their parents in 1910, and all three children were listed as having been born in Colorado.
John W. Bruce, served as Justice of the Peace for Gunnison County, Colorado. It appears that following his death in 1911, Sophie Bruce leased space and operated the Paonia, Colorado post office for a number of years. Other Bruce family members, most likely John W. Bruce's brothers, operated a clothing and shoe store in Paonia.
Emma Bruce graduated from Gunnison High School in 1900. Both John Grant Bruce and Nellie Bruce graduated from Paonia High in June 1912. John Grant Bruce, a cadet at the Culver Summer Naval School in 1915, served with the Colorado National Guard's 157th Regiment during World War I. The Bruce family probably moved to Denver, Colorado in 1919. Emma Bruce completed a short-hand course at the Barnes Commercial School in December 1919. The Bruce family home at 2610 Cherry Street was built in 1922. John Grant Bruce apparently served as a photographer for the Denver Public School system for a number of years.
Extent
1 Boxes (.75 linear feet)
1 PhotoBoxes (.5 linear feet)
1 PhotoEnvelopes
1 OVBox
1 OVFF
Other Finding Aids
PROVENANCE:
Stephen J. Leonard donated the collection in 1987.
SEPARATED MATERIAL
Assorted sheet music, published books and pamphlets were transferred to Western History April 12 and May 9, 2011
SIZE:
Number of Boxes: 1 (.75 linear feet)
Number of PhotoBoxes: 1 (.5 linear feet)
Number of PhotoEnvelopes: 1
Oversize: 1 OVBox
Oversize: 1 OVFF
LOCATION:
WH1044
PROCESSED BY:
Dennis Hagen
June 2011
PROJECT MANAGER:
Ellen Zazzarino
- Bruce family -- Archives.
- Bruce, John Grant, -- 1894- -- Archives.
- Bruce, John W., -- 1857-1911 -- Archives.
- Bruce, Sophie, -- 1861- -- Archives.
- Ephemera. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Families -- Colorado. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Family papers. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographers -- Colorado -- Denver. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographic prints. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Scrapbooks. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- BRUCE FAMILY PAPERS
- Date
- JUNE 2011
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository
