The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

[One letter, relating to an 1894 Easter party at Glenmont, was added in August 2012.]

These documents, which cover the years 1891-1898, consist of correspondence from Edison's brother-in-law Theodore W. Miller (1875-1898) to his parents Lewis and Mary Valinda Miller. A few of the letters pertain to visits to the Edison home in West Orange. Included is a long description of an Easter party held at Glenmont in March 1894. Also included are three letters, written in April-May 1898, discussing Theodore's reaction to the sinking of the USS Maine and his decision to enter the army at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. A biography of Miller, including selections from his diary, can be found in Theodore W. Miller: Rough Rider (Akron, 1899), Google Books.

Fourteen additional letters by Theodore W. Miller have not been selected. Seven letters, most of which are undated, were written while Theodore and his older brother John were attending St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, 1891-1893. Some of these letters contain brief comments about Thomas A. Edison, Jr., and his brother William, who were attending St. Paul's at the same time. An undated letter, probably from 1893, notes that "William seems quite well and contented and they say Tom [who dropped out of St. Paul's in January 1893] is coming back Easter." Most of the remaining letters were written during Theodore's first year at Yale University, 1893-1894.