Annual Report of the Principal of the Western Female Seminary, Together with Circulars to Friends and Pupils. 1871. (Published by order of the Board of Trustees, after the burning of the Building, April 7.)
Oxford: W. A. Powell, Printer, Citizen Office, 1871. First edition. 8vo, original printed wrappers, 18 pages. Some dust-soiling to the wrappers, small flaw to the rear wrapper; faint old creasing; a very good copy. Item #16926
Of more interest than the usual run of college annual reports, this volume with the wrapper title, "Western Female Seminary, Shall it be Rebuilt?" Founded in 1853 as a "daughter school" of Mount Holyoke, the Western Female Seminary was ill-starred when it came to flammability, losing its main building to fire in both 1860 and 1871. (Miraculously--at least according to this account, which credits "visible tokens of the Invisible presence"--nobody was killed in either fire.) This pamphlet includes an account of the fire, details on fund raising efforts, and details of the college year's trials and successes up through the April first. The Western Female Seminary rebuilt and remained an independent women's college until its merger with Miami University (of Ohio) in the 1970s.
Price: $100.00