Hypes family papers, 1700s-2010

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Summary

Creator:
Hypes family
Abstract:
Materials from the branch of the Hypes family that descended from Henry Hypes of Xenia, Ohio: Samuel Henry Hypes (1826-1917); his son, William Findlay Hypes; his grandson, Samuel Loomis Hypes; and his great-grandson, William P. Hypes. Collection includes a wide range of material from the Hypes family, particularly William Findlay Hypes, Samuel Loomis Hypes, and William P. Hypes. William Findlay Hypes' materials highlight his career at Marshall Fields and Co. of Chicago and his service as President of the Y.M.C.A. of Chicago, with emphasis on his family's world tour on behalf of the Y.M.C.A. in 1924-1925. Hundreds of postcards and photographs collected by the family are contained in the papers, including images from India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), China, Europe, Egypt, and many more places, most unlabeled. Some material from Samuel Loomis Hypes' army service during World War I is also included, the most noteworthy being 24 black and white photographs featuring crowds awaiting the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the shipping of troops back to the United States, including photographs of African American soldiers. Materials from William P. Hypes relate to his work with the Y.M.C.A. in the mid-twentieth century. The family's research into their genealogy and family history, unidentified family photographs, and smaller amounts of correspondence and material from other family members are also included.
Extent:
4 Linear Feet (6 boxes; 1 oversize folder)
Approximately 2250 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00602

Background

Scope and content:

There is a wide range of material from the Hypes family's many generations present in this collection. Some early material exists from Henry Hypes, including an inventory of his property upon his death, and some correspondence from relatives. Other early materials include family photographs, which are largely unlabeled and undated but include formats such as tintypes, a daguerreotype, cartes de visite, negatives, and others.

The Hypes' attempts to reconstruct their family tree resulted in several letters between extended family members and distant cousins, as well as genealogical maps and notes, dating from the early to mid-twentieth century.

The majority of the collection dates from William Findlay Hypes and his family. W.F. Hypes' materials include correspondence and clippings about his career with Marshall Fields and Co., as well as news coverage of his world tour on behalf of the Y.M.C.A. from 1924 to 1925. The collection also contains photographic prints, negatives, and postcards from this trip, featuring images from India, China, Japan, Egypt, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Europe, and other unidentified places. The photographs are largely gelatin silver prints, and many have silvering. The majority of photographs are amateur shots presumably taken by the Hypes family. However, there are several sets of images which were clearly purchased by W.F. Hypes or other family members as travel souvenirs, including a set from India taken by H.R. Ferger and a set from Taormina, Italy. These all appear to date from the early 1900s. Many types of postcards are present, including real photo postcards and tinted color postcards. Several postcard books were purchased as souvenirs. Most postcards have been sorted by location; real photo postcards have also been sleeved to better protect the images. Real photo postcard locations include Norway, Manila, China, Japan, and a set from the Canadian Rockies.

An earlier trip to Europe and the Middle East by W.F. Hypes and his wife is described in letters between them and their daughter Muriel. This trip appears to have been taken in May and June, 1910. Since most of the collection's photographs are undated, some could date from this trip instead of the world tour trip from 1924-1925.

One part of the collection is accessible only in digital form: there was a small amount of nitrate negatives which were digitized for access in 2023. These appear to have been taken by W.F. Hypes, and include family photographs, scenes from Jamaica, and scenes of a tiger hunt during the Hypes' Y.M.C.A. tour. The tiger hunt images are available as prints in the photographs portion of the materials. Original nitrate negatives were deaccessioned following digitization.

Along with the extensive amount of photographs and postcards, W.F. Hypes' portion of the papers includes souvenir booklets and other collectibles from his travels. Also present are materials from the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, including a set of tickets as well as a stock certificate. Hypes' political leanings can be inferred from a Republican National Convention ticket for the 1904 election, as well as a small, movable medal that spins and denounces William Jennings Bryan.

Another portion of the collection comes from Samuel Loomis Hypes, W.F. Hypes' son, who served as a captain in the U.S. Army's 803rd Pioneer Infantry during World War I. This portion of the papers contains 24 black-and-white photographs (18? June-19 July 1919) featuring crowds awaiting the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the shipping of troops back to the United States. Photographs often have captions in white ink. There are six crowd scenes in Paris and outside Versailles before and after the signing of the treaty. However, the majority of the photographs follow the movement of ships and troops out of Brest Navy yard, including the USS Imperator and the USS Philippine . There are group photos of the 803rd's officers and one photograph of a German submarine. Among the 4,000 troops aboard the Philippine were many African American soldiers, and there are photographs of these men playing in the 803rd's regimental band and of a boxing match they held during the voyage, as well as other photos. The collection also contains two postcards showing group photographs of soldiers [officers?] taken at Plattsburgh, N.Y., in 1916 - probably at the large World War I military training camp there.

Other materials from Samuel Loomis Hypes include his officer's record book, honorary discharge following the war, as well as clippings about Sugar Hollow, a North Carolina development begun by Hypes and his wife in the 1950s.

Finally, the collection also includes several files from William P. Hypes, an officer in the Y.M.C.A. in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly from his work towards the Y.M.C.A. World Action program.

Biographical / historical:

The branch of the Hypes family documented in this collection descended from Nicholas Hipes, a cabinet maker who emigrated from Oberstein, Germany, in 1750. Following his first wife's death at sea, Hipes re-married in Philadelphia and settled with his second wife in Virginia. The couple had three sons, including Henry Hipes, who later changed his name to Hypes following a disagreement with his oldest brother, Peter Hipes. Peter apparently mismanaged the family's land and finances following Nicholas' death, so angering his brothers Henry and John that they changed their names to Hypes.

Henry Hypes and his wife, Patience Reynolds, were married on March 12, 1795, and lived in Virginia. Following a camp meeting, the couple converted to Methodism, freed their slaves, and were subsequently driven out of their Virginia neighborhood by their slave-holding neighbors. In 1811, they moved to Xenia, Ohio, with their children. Patience died in 1823, and Henry re-married the following year. His oldest daughter by his first marriage, Nancy Hypes, married Nathan Horner in Ohio. In 1824, the Horners settled in Lebanon, Illinois, where they ran a mill and general store. Nancy's brother, Benjamin Hypes, soon joined them there and eventually bought out the store.

Henry Hypes also fathered Samuel Henry Hypes, who was born on September 25, 1825, in Xenia, Ohio. Samuel Henry grew up in Xenia and also spent several years clerking for his brother, Benjamin, in Lebanon. While in Lebanon he met Hannah Van Brocklin, a teacher; they married in Oneida, N.Y., on December 31, 1856, and settled permanently in Xenia. Samuel Henry and Hannah Hypes had six children: Henry Martin Hypes (1858-1868); Oran F. Hypes (a senator, d. 1915); William Findlay Hypes; Lincoln R. Hypes; Mrs. William L. McCague; and Carrie Hypes.

Samuel Henry Hypes was a store clerk in Xenia. During the Civil War he traveled to Shiloh and Vicksburg as a photographer, returning to Ohio in 1863. He also served as assistant postmaster of Xenia until the 1870s. In 1872, he entered the insurance business, eventually founding a fire and real estate insurance company. Hannah Hypes died in 1916; Samuel Henry Hypes died in 1917.

Their son William Findlay Hypes moved to Chicago in 1880 and was the general sales manager of the wholesale house of Marshall Field and Co. for over thirty years. Hypes also served as president of the Chicago Y.M.C.A., president of the Union League Club in 1915, and was the first president of the North Shore Musical Festival Association. In 1924, he left with his wife on a nine-month world tour on behalf of the Y.M.C.A. The couple traveled to Y.M.C.A. centers in Japan, China, Manila, Korea, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Palestine, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Europe.

William Findlay Hypes had at least three children: Muriel, Samuel Loomis, and Ruth. Samuel Loomis Hypes was a captain the U.S. Army's 803rd Pioneer Infantry during World War I. Following the war, he was a purchasing agent for Marshall Field and Co., and later became President of the Weiboldt Stores of Chicago. He and his wife, Charlotte Hypes, moved to Fairview, North Carolina, and started the Sugar Hollow Development Co. in 1953.

Samuel Loomis Hypes' son, William P. Hypes, also worked for the Y.M.C.A. in the 1960s and 1970s. Several files from his work are present in this collection.

Acquisition information:
The Hypes family papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2007, 2011, 2013, and as a purchase in 2018.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, June 2011

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, June 2011

Updated for addition by Alice Poffinberger, February 2014

Updated for addition by Laurin Penland, May 2018

Nitrate processed and described by Paula Jeannet, March 2019. Original nitrate negatives deaccessioned following digitization, 2023.

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 2007-0138, 2011-0127, 2013-0005, 2018-0070.

Materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

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Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Hypes family papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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