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Margaret Osborne Steele Dickey collection

 Collection — Folder: S2991
Identifier: S2991

Scope and Contents

This 6-page, typed manuscript was written by Katharine McAfee Parker as a memorial address in honor of Margaret Osborne Steel, wife of Rev. John M. Dickey. The paper was delivered at the Lexington Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Indiana, on November 21, 1938, on the occasion of placing a bronze marker at the graves of Rev. and Mrs. Dickey near New Washington. Katharine explained how Dr. Rule of Louisville, Kentucky, asked her to speak on Margaret Steele Dickey, shortly after returning from a trip where she saw the graves of Thomas and Margaret Cleland in Danville, Kentucky. Katharine wrote that she liked preparing the paper about a pioneer woman who, like Margaret Cleland, was also married to a preacher. The paper is interesting and easy to read.

Mrs. Margaret Armstrong Cleland is also mentioned in the paper by Katharine McAfee Parker, because both women named Margaret had similar experiences. They were both frontier wives who married ministers. Margaret Armstrong was born in 1801 and married Rev. Thomas Cleland, who was pastor of the New Providence Curch from 1813 to 1858.

Dates

  • 1798-1847

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Margaret Osborne Steele was born in 1798 and "reared on the frontier." In 1816, Rev. John Dickey, his first young wife, and baby daughter came from Kentucky to southern Indiana, where the mother and child died. John, at age 29, married his second wife Margaret Steele in 1818. Her husband rode the circuit in his work as a minister before becoming pastor of the Lexington Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Indiana. They had eleven children: Ninian, John, James, William, Margaret, Jane, Nancy, Martha, Mary, and two boys who died. Margaret made husk mattresses for the Hanover College students. Rev. Dickey was elected president of the Hanover College Board of Trustees. Margaret died on October 21, 1847, at the age of 49 years, 6 months, and 18 days.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged as paginated.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Katharine McAfee Parker (Mrs. Albert G. Parker, Jr.) in 1941/04.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing and finding aid completed 2015/06/25 by Nikki Stoddard Schofield.
Title
Margaret Osborne Steele Dickey collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671