Remembering Luan Eliza Barclay 20240514

Left to right: An 18-year-old Luan Barclay accompanied by her parents, Mary Elizabeth Barclay and James Samuel Barclay, and aunt (paternal) Prudence Barclay Hines. Photo taken in Jackson Park, Chicago, in 1893. Photo from The Barclay Photo Collection, Book 6; BB57G; pg. 16; Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

Remembering Luan Eliza Barclay

By Anna-Maria Manuel

Published May 14, 2024.

Happy birthday, Luan Barclay!

On this day (May 14) in 1875, the sister of Philander Barclay, the Village Historian, was born in Cairo, Illinois. [1] She was the oldest of the three Barclay siblings (Luan, James, and Philander). [2]

Luan was educated at Logan Female College, in Russellville, Kentucky. [3] Her paternal grandfather, Hugh Barclay (December 24, 1802 – September 4, 1878) [4] generously donated $6000 to the school, shortly before his death. [5]

Sadly, in 1902, parents James S. and Mary Elizabeth Barclay died within three weeks of each other, January 23, and February 13, respectively. [6]

After their deaths, Luan did a lot of traveling. In late April 1902, Luan left Oak Park for an extended trip to visit relatives in California and Colorado. [7]

Mexico was on Luan’s itinerary in 1903, perhaps to visit a cousin, Jeanette Miller (Mrs. D. E. Thompson). [8] By late September, Luan returned to Oak Park and her brothers James and Philander, after a long trip to Mexico. [9] After visiting for a few months, she was back on the road. The January 15, 1904 Oak Leaves reported that she was leaving to spend the winter in Russellville, Kentucky [10], probably to visit the family of her father, who was born there. [11]

Before leaving Oak Park, Luan recorded the following wax cylinder -- a sweet, but short, letter to her brothers -- on December 27 (or, possibly 28), 1903.

https://youtu.be/qtIjDB-A9OE [12]

It is not known whose idea it was to record the impromptu note. Maybe Luan was encouraged by James, who owned an Edison phonograph and was known to make recordings of some of the best-known locals at the time. [13] (Philander did not begin his oral-history wax cylinder recordings until 1905. [14])

Throughout most of her life, Luan traveled many times for extended stays with family. This was explained in her Oak Leaves obituary from July 1, 1937. According to her cousin, Mrs. William H. Hudson, “Luan Barclay gladly gave up her life to the care of her family. Many opportunities for positions were refused as one after another the demands of elderly, sick relatives drew her ever closer within the walls of home.” [15]

However, caring for sick and elderly family members—and traveling back to Oak Park to visit Philander, when he was seriously injured or ill [16]—wasn’t Luan’s only pursuit. Being well educated, Luan held a diversity of jobs in her lifetime:

Temporary librarian’s assistant, Cairo, Illinois [17]
Clerk for a business at 133 Lake Street, Oak Park [18]
Clerk, Public Trustee’s Office, Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado [19] Prudence Barclay Hines (pictured above), one of the sisters of James S. Barclay (Luan’s father), was the wife of Judge Walter G. Hines [20], who was the Public Trustee for Las Animas County, Colorado. [21] It is likely that Luan’s uncle hired her as a clerk in his office.
Deputy Public Trustee, then Public Trustee, Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado [22] The Colorado General Assembly created the Office of the Public Trustee, in 1894. The office acts as a “neutral intermediate” party between borrowers and lenders. The Public Trustees of the ten largest counties in Colorado are appointed by the Governor and serve at his/her pleasure. [23] Luan was appointed Public Trustee in 1920, to fill the unexpired term of her uncle Judge Walter G. Hines, who died in office. [24]
Secretary, Hoag & Ford Advertising, Los Angeles, California [25]
Filing Clerk, “Surplus Commodity Co.” [26] Perhaps the “Surplus Commodity Co.,” to which Philander referred (he was the informant for Luan’s death certificate) was the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation, one of the New Deal agencies President Franklin D. Roosevelt established in the 1930s. According to Wikipedia, “The purpose of the agency was to divert agricultural commodities from the open market, where prices were depressed by surplus farm products, to destitute families.” [27]
“Local school teacher.” [28]

In her spare time, Luan wrote poetry. Philander must have appreciated her writings. There are many examples of her work in The Barclay Collection at the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

Luan died on June 23, 1937 from carcinoma of the urinary bladder [29] She lived the last few years of her life with her brother Philander, in their flat at 132 N. Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park. [30]

Before his death on July 7, 1940, Philander donated “some” 60 photographic copies of his historical photos to the Oak Park Public Library (Scoville Institute) as a memorial to his deceased brother James [31] and sister Luan. [32]

The Barclay siblings, 1907. Left to right: James, Luan, and Philander. Photo from The Barclay Collection; gray file box; The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

Notes and Sources

1. Luan Barclay; Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; obtained July 10, 2023.

2. Luan: May 14, 1875 – June 23, 1937; Luan Barclay; Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; obtained July 10, 2023.

James: December 14, 1876 – December 27, 1932; Passport Application for James T. Barclay; 66860; January 11, 1909; Ancestry; accessed November 28, 2022 and California Death Index, 1905-1939; database with images; FamilySearch.

Philander: September 16, 1878 – July 7, 1940; Coroner’s Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; obtained July 28, 2023.

3. “Miss Luan Barclay, Sister of Village Historian, Dies”; The Oakparker; July 2, 1937; pg. 24.

4. R. Burnham Moffat; The Barclays of New York: Who They Are and Who They Are Not,—and Some Other Barclays; Robert Grier Cooke, Publisher; New York; 1904, pg. 243.

5. “Temple Consecrates Building, Receives $5000 Chapel Gift”; Auburn News (Russellville KY); December 12, 1962; pg. 2.

6. “James S. Barclay”; Oak Park Argus; January 24, 1902; pg. 1 and “Mary T. Barclay”; Oak Leaves; February 14, 1902; pg. 3.

7. Oak Leaves; May 2, 1902; pg. 8.

8. Jeanette Miller (Mrs. D. E. Thompson) was a cousin of the Barclay siblings. According to the Oak Leaves, D. E. Thompson was an Ambassador to Brazil, then Mexico. (“Funeral of Mrs. Thompson”; Oak Leaves; July 29, 1911; pg. 11.) Perhaps, Luan went to Mexico to visit Jeanette.

9. Oak Leaves; September 25, 1903; pg. 8.

10. Oak Leaves; January 15, 1904; pg. 7.

11. James S. Barclay obituary; Oak Park Argus; January 24, 1902; p 1.

12. Luan Barclay cylinder from the Philander Barclay Collection, Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. On the cylinder, Luan said the date was December 27, 1903. On the slip of paper accompanying the cylinder, Philander Barclay wrote “12/28/03.” The slip may have been written in the 1930s.

For Philander's and James’ recorded response to Luan’s letter:

https://youtu.be/Otb8wLV_xtw

Cylinder from the Philander Barclay Collection, Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

13. Philander Barclay; “Tells of Phonograph Records of Pioneers”; The Oakparker; Jubilee Number; November 29, 1935; pg. 159.

14. Philander Barclay; Phonograph Records for Mr. Philander W. Barclay by Mr. E. W. Hoard, Mr. E. F. Robbins, Oak Park Volunteer Fire Bell; Unpublished notes from 1905; The Philander Barclay Collection; The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

15. “Luan Eliza Barclay Long Time Resident in Village, Is Dead”; Oak Leaves; July 1, 1937; pg. 66.

16. “Philander Barclay Burned”; Oak Leaves; April 29, 1904; pg. 15;

Oak Leaves; May 6, 1904; pg. 15; and

Oak Leaves; April 6, 1907; pg. 5 (Barclay in “ill health”)

Oak Leaves; April 13, 1907; pg. 14.

17. The Cairo Bulletin; March 13, 1907; pg. 4.

18. Oak Park Directory; 1910; p 28. The directory erroneously listed Luan’s name as “Barclay, Miss E” It is interesting to note that she worked at 133 Lake Street (The Masonic Building), the same address as her brother Philander’s bicycle shop. (In this directory (pg. 28), one listing for the address of Philander’s bike shop was mistakenly given as 113 Lake Street. Plus, Philander was listed as “Barclay, W” in another listing.) Could Luan have been a clerk for her brother? It’s hard to say, because the 1910 directory lists other businesses at 133 Lake Street, including Max Andree, Plumbing and Gas Fitting (pg. 22) and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (pg. 175). It was said that Philander didn’t hire help. (“Philander Barclay, Village Historian, Dead in 62nd Year”; Oak Leaves; July 11, 1940; pg. 7.) Could he have made an exception for his sister?

19. R I Polk Directory Co.'s Trinidad City Directory, 1918 -19; pg. 51.

20. R. Burnham Moffat; The Barclays of New York: Who They Are and Who They Are Not,—and Some Other Barclays; Robert Grier Cooke, Publisher; New York; 1904; pg. 243.

21. R I Polk Directory Co.'s Trinidad City Directory, 1918 -19; pg. 116.

22. “Former Russellville Girl”; The News-Democrat; Russellville KY; August 13, 1920; pg. 1 and 1920 U.S. Census.

23. Patricia Bartlett (Logan County Colorado Public Trustee) and Carol Snyder (Adams County Colorado Public Trustee); “Office of the Public Trustee” (presentation); presented to the Colorado Public Trustees, October 13, 2011; accessed November 22, 2022. As of May 14, 2024, the original URL no longer works.

24. “Former Russellville Girl”; The News-Democrat; Russellville KY; August 13, 1920; pg. 1 and 1920 U.S. Census.

25. Luan Barclay--Letter of Recommendation; written by John Anson Ford, Hoag & Ford Advertising, Suite 205, Union League Building, Los Angeles, California; Luan Barclay Folder; Philander Barclay Collection; Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

26. Luan Barclay; Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; Obtained July 10, 2023.

27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Surplus_Commodities_Corporation, accessed May 14, 2024.

28. Doug Deuchler; “The Legend of Poor Phil”; Wednesday Journal; March 17, 1993; pg. 42. As of May 12, 2024, I am unable to locate a primary source verifying that Luan was a school teacher.

29. Luan Barclay; Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; Obtained July 10, 2023.

30. Luan returned to Oak Park: Oak Leaves; October 17, 1930; pg. 38 and “Luan Eliza Barclay Long Time Resident in Village, Is Dead”; Oak Leaves; July 1, 1937; pg. 66.

Luan lived with Philander at 132 N. Oak Park Avenue: “When Oak Park Felt First ‘Growing Pains’”; The Oakparker; May 1, 1931; pg. 27 and Luan Barclay; Certificate of Death; Cook County (Illinois) Clerk’s Office; Obtained July 10, 2023.

31. California Death Index, 1905-1939; database with images; FamilySearch.

32. “Barclay Pictures on Display Now at the Main Library”; Oak Leaves; June 6, 1940; pg. 39 and “Library Features Jubilee Displays”; Oak Leaves, Aug. 23, 1951, pg. 32.