Dane County WI Archives Photo Tombstone.....BLAIR, Emma Helen 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Erin Proctor Proctor37@charter.net January 6, 2007, 8:09 pm

Cemetery:           Forest Hills Cemetery, Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin
Name:               Emma Helen BLAIR
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/dane/photos/tombstones/foresthills/blair5467gph.jpg
Image file size: 47.0 Kb

BLAIR, Emma Helen 1851- 25 Sep 1911

"A life of love, service and achievement"

The 1930 census she is listed as single, born in WI., her
parents born in Maine. She was a translator of books.

In the 1900 census she is listed as a librarian.

It appears she is the dau of Wells and Lucy Blair, and is in
Mensha, Winnebago Co., Wi in 1860.

There is an obit on file at the Wisconsin state historical
society in the Necrology books, Vol 12, pgs 140-142

There is a photo in the historical societies photo collection
with the following description Historian Emma Helen Blair, who
supervised the Historical Society's maps and manuscripts
collection during the 1890s and who aided the editorial
projects of Society superintendent Reuben Gold Thwaites. She
is photographed here by Thwaites at her desk in the Historical
Society's quarters in the third Wisconsin Capitol.

---

In the death of Emma Helen Blair at the Madison Sanitarium at
6:53 o'clock yesterday morning (Sep 25), Madison and the state
lost one of the most remarkable women that Wisconsin has
produced.

Miss Blair was born in Menasha, Wisconsin, September 12, 1851.
Form 1869 to 1971 she attended the high school at Westfield,
Massachusetts. In 1871 she returned to Wisconsin and entered
Ripon College, Graduating in 1874. For two years she taugh in
public school and then went to Milwaukee, where she spent
nearly twenty years chiefly engaged in journalistic work.

During the last few years of her residence in Milwaukee Miss
Blair was the chief assistant for the Associated Charities,
and thereby she gained an intimate knowledge of social and
economic conditions. The interest she had developed in thses
matters and to her entering the State University in 1892,
where during the following two years she took post graduate
work in history, economics, and sociology. She later became a
member of the library staff of the State Historical Society
and assisted in the production of an annotated catalogue of
the Society's famous collection of bound newspaper fliers,
some 15,000 in number.

In 1894 Miss Blair began a most important work which
introduced her to the favorable notice of many historical
experts throughout the country. In that year she resigned form
the library staff, and began work as chief assistant to Dr.
R.G. Thwaites in the editing and annotating of the famous
JESUIT RELATIONS, a stupendous historical undertaking in
seventy-three volumes. Adter she completed her work on the
JESUIT RELATIONS she assisted in the editing of the well known
journal of Father Louis Hennepin and of the famous original
journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition In 1903 she began
the editing of the long series of historical documnets,
entitled THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 1493-1898, a work which
appeared in fifty-five volumes. Her colaberator in this great
undertaking was Dr. James A. Robertson, at present government
livrarian of the Philappines Library at Manila.

Miss Blair's final work, completed just previous to her last
fatal illness, was the translation from the French, greatly
enriched with her own historical notes, of Nicolas Perrot's
celebrated Memoir The Habits and Custons of the American
Indians. his book has heretofore appeared only in French, and
Miss Blairs' translation will be a welcome contribution to the
literature of western history. Nothing grieved her more in her
final illness than the fear that she would not live to see the
book in print on which she had spent so much time and thought.

Miss Blair became by dint of native ability and years of
preparatoy toil one of the most expert histrocial editors in
the county. She had aquired a complete mastery of the French
and Spanish languages. Her literary style was incisive, her
historical judgment clear and accurate, and her knowledge of
the details of typography quite unusual. In recognition of
these qualities Ripon College and the State University honored
her with degrees.

Despite her erudition Miss Blair was a woman of most modest
demeanor and apparently quite unaware of the distinction into
which her productions had brought her. Socially she was of a
most charming disposition, kindly and sympathetic toward
others, and ever ready to lend a helping hand. She was known
and esteemed by a considerably body of fellow workers in the
field of American History. The death of this rearkable woman
brings genuine sorrow to many hearts. Her marked ability and
rare personality were among the assets of literary Madison

The Madison Democrat, Madison, Dane Co., Wi. Tues 26 Sep 1911


Sec 23, Lot 385, Gr 1

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