A Bank, a Library, and a Hospital
The Legacy of
Benjamin F. Harris and Julia F. Burnham
Peggy Christensen
Summer Fellowship 2007
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Lesson 8: Like B.F. Harris, Julia Finley Burnham was a prominent figure in Champaign. She was born in 1839, married Albert Burnham in 1866, and died in 1894. Her husband was a wealthy lawyer, banker, and philanthropist. Their daughter, Mary Bruce Burnham, married Newton Harris, grandson of B.F. Harris. In this lesson, students will read Julia F. Burnham’s obituary which appeared in the Champaign County News on October 29, 1894 as well as an entry written about her by J.O. Cunningham in his History of Champaign County and an excerpts from the minutes of the Women’s Social and Political Science Club from 1888. As students read these documents, they will be pondering these questions: How does an individual’s history reflect the history of a particular period? How does studying the life of an individual help us better understand moments in history?
Procedure:
Group 1 will analyze pages 1-3 of the minutes from the Woman’s Social and Political Science Club. These deal with the establishment of the club. Why was it formed? What was Mrs. A.C. Burnham’s role in the club? Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton? What does the term “women’s suffrage” mean? Why was it an issue at this time? When was it no longer a point of controversy?
Group 2 will analyze pages 5 and 17 of the minutes from the Woman’s Social and Political Science Club of 1888 and The Champaign Social Science Club of 1892. Page 5 deals with the club’s decision to build a hospital while page 17 deals with the building of The Burnham Athenaeum, Champaign’s free public library. What was Mrs. Burnham’s role in these decisions? What do you think prompted her husband to donate so much money toward the projects? Mrs. H.H. Harris is also mentioned in the minutes dealing with the hospital. She was the wife of Henry Harris, Benjamin F. Harris’s son. How did the activities of Julia Burnham and Mary Harris differ from the way Benjamin F. Harris described the lives of two of his wives in his autobiography? In what ways did the role of women change as the city became more established?
Group 3 will study the obituary about Julia Burnham that appeared in the Champaign County News on October 29, 1894. What do you think the writer meant when he called her “a model of disinterested benevolence and Christian charity?” What were some of the concerns she tried to address? When he was discussing her health, the writer said there was “a paralytic tendency in her family.” What does this mean? What were the leading causes of death in the United States at this time? What does this source indicate about transportation in the 1890s?
Group 4 will look at two pages from the History of Champaign County by J.O. Cunningham that chronicle Julia Burnham’s contributions. Which of her activities were mentioned? What indication was given that education was very important to her? Julia Burnham was educated in the public schools. What were the Champaign public schools like in the late 1800s?
Attachments:
Analysis of Local Primary Sources: Several primary sources were examined in this
lesson. Pages from History of the Champaign Social Science Club. Mrs.
Terence T. Quirke, Historian. 1894. Champaign County Historical
Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois were
studied as were the obituary from the Champaign County News,
October 29, 1894 that I found in the Burnham Vertical File at the Champaign
County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library and two pages from History
of Champaign County by J.O. Cunningham. Reprint of the 1905 Edition. Edited
by Frederick A. Schlipf. Copyright 1984 by the Champaign County Historical
Archives, Urbana Free Library.
Ties to National Primary Source: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the term “women’s
suffrage” as well as national health concerns were all part of this lesson.