{"storymap": {"attribution": "", "call_to_action": true, "call_to_action_text": "", "map_as_image": false, "map_subdomains": "", "map_type": "zoomify", "slides": [{"date": "", "location": {"line": true}, "media": {"caption": "Portrait of a young May Walden, 1885. May Walden papers, Newberry Library", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/May_Walden_Kerr,_1885.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "May Walden, 1908-1954", "text": "

May Walden was a Chicago and Florida Socialist Party activist, writer, and speaker. She married Charles Hope Kerr, a prominent Socialist publisher of titles such as Unity, New Occasions, and the International Socialist Review. They divorced in 1904, after which Walden assumed primary caregiving responsibilities for their daughter, Katharine.

Walden\u2019s papers include hundreds of letters from Katharine, which chronicle her journey from homemaker to breadwinner during the Great Depression and provide a perspective on Midwestern life throughout the early 20th century. Walden also corresponded with a prolific circle of leftist writers and speakers. After her divorce Walden continued to write and publish on such topics as women's rights, social injustices and political issues. For a few years she traveled, stumping for the Socialist Party, becoming popular as a speaker among women's groups.

In 1913, May Walden moved with her mother Elizabeth to Avon Park, Florida, where she lived until her death in 1960. The following excerpts are from letters she both wrote and received, transcribed by our volunteers at Newberry Transcribe.

Manuscript excerpts from: May Walden letters, 1884-1957. Newberry Library | Map: The National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, 1964. Newberry Library

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [CAGML-247293-OMLS-20].

"}, "type": "overview"}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 63.97596090918338, "line": true, "lon": 13.3154296875, "zoom": 5}, "media": {"caption": "Portrait of Charles H. Kerr, n.d. May Walden papers, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/kerr 2.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "A socialist of all people, 1908", "text": "

Charles Kerr, October 8, 1908

\u201cMy dear May,-

I gave you the Glen Ellyn property, paid you $800, and agreed to pay $20 a month, which I have done regularly, with the understanding that this was a sufficient provision for Katharine. I did not suppose that you would manage the property in a way to get no income from it, nor that you would attempt to live yourself on the $20 a month, which is naturally impossible.\u201d

May Walden, October 9, 1908

\u201cMy dear Charles,-

You amuse me very much. From your letter one would think that I am lolling around in luxurious case, living off the twenty dollars a month that you provide for Katharine\u2026 Neither are there many jobs begging women to take them. Your advice is beautiful, but a socialist of all people knows that there are a dozen or more applicants for every place.\u201d

--Read these pages or all pages in these sets.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 55.62799595426723, "line": true, "lon": -156.97265625, "zoom": 4}, "media": {"caption": "Portrait of Clarence Darrow, 1922. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.", "credit": "", "url": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/cph/3a10000/3a14000/3a14200/3a14204r.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "No chance to get a divorce", "text": "

Clarence Darrow, January 23, n.d.

\u201cYours concerning Miss Johnson is received. She has written me dozens of letters about this. I did not tell her husband not to support her in California. She left him without any cause known to the law, took most of the money & went to California. She has no chance to get a divorce here... I do not want to have any more to do with it.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 64.11060221954631, "line": true, "lon": 10.634765625, "zoom": 6}, "media": {"caption": "Woman driving a car. John I. Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/Monroej_Artist_box_00014_000349_00001.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Streets are lined with cars, 1922", "text": "

Katharine Kerr, October 18, 1922

\u201cYou will scarcely believe it, but they say [Glen Ellyn] now has 400 more people than Wheaton. Whenever you go down town the streets are lined with cars. Dr. Boughman said this morning he counted 37 (not on a Saturday) on Crescent Blvd alone, in the downtown district.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 63.73390885572919, "line": true, "lon": 13.5791015625, "zoom": 6}, "media": {"caption": "Leopold and Loeb on trial, 1924. Chicago Tribune.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/chi-em-ll-11-07-20131023.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "A very unusual murder, 1924", "text": "

Katharine Kerr, June 2, 1924

\u201cI am today mailing you part of yesterday\u2019s Tribune, thinking that you may be interested in an account, in detail, and from especially the psychological aspect, of a very unusual murder that has occurred in our part of Chicago\u2026 The fact that the uncle of one of the boys is vice president of Sears Roebuck and that the father of the murdered boy is worth millions (as were the fathers of both the murderers) makes it an affair in which a great many people will be interested.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set."}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 64.03374392176401, "line": true, "lon": 10.61279296875, "zoom": 6}, "media": {"caption": "Mutual Loan Co. - 1604 E. 79th St. - Chicago. Curt Teich Co. records, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/3BH75_01.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Loss in the bank crash, 1929", "text": "

Katharine Kerr, April 30, 1929

\u201cHad no idea your loss in the bank crash was so great. Thought maybe you had lost two or three hundred, but had no idea it was nearly twelve hundred! If we could only know beforehand what was going to happen - hope the bank here in Glen Ellyn will continue to be safe and sound.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 63.99523519297698, "line": true, "lon": 10.6787109375, "zoom": 6}, "media": {"caption": "Katharine Kerr and her two sons, circa 1922. May Walden papers, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/katharine + boys.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Helping around the house, 1930", "text": "

Katharine Kerr, December 1930

\u201c[My husband] is quite discouraged at being out of work so long, but we are getting on well enough - keeping our bills paid up to date, anyway\u2026 He is very good at helping around the house now. Does all the washing each week, much of the ironing and all of the cleaning.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": -7.100892668623642, "line": true, "lon": 60.20507812499999, "zoom": 4}, "media": {"caption": "\"Sanitary drinking cup\" created by Walden to promote the Socialist presidential ticket in 1912. May Walden papers, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/991703478805867_mms_walden_box_006_fl_168_002.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Too many capitalist ideas, 1935", "text": "

May Walden, January 19, 1935

\u201cSo you attended a Townsend club meeting? I went to their district meeting Thursday afternoon out of curiosity\u2026 They say they have no intention of advocating a third party. They have the same tactic that Upton Sinclair employs - use old party candidates but get them to endorse their platform. Such things never work. An old time politician has too many Capitalist ideas firmly embedded in his brain cells to be able to keep his promises, even if he knows how to use his vote.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": 66.00015035652659, "line": true, "lon": 83.34228515625, "zoom": 5}, "media": {"caption": "Helen Keller sitting holding a magnolia flower, circa 1920. Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection, UCLA.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/helen keller.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Constructive help, 1954", "text": "

Helen Keller, February 2, 1954

\u201cI am indeed happy to inform you that my deaf-blind fellows are receiving constructive help for the first time in the history of America.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set.

"}}, {"date": "", "location": {"lat": -7.18810087117902, "line": true, "lon": 60.2490234375, "zoom": 4}, "media": {"caption": "Portrait of May Walden, 1912. May Walden papers, Newberry Library.", "credit": "", "url": "//uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/bc2171fd2dc65da8b99c6c013d2dc670/may-walden/_images/walden alt.jpg"}, "text": {"headline": "Someone has to do things, 1954", "text": "

May Walden, October 4, 1954

\u201cAs I'm not on the Ex. board now, I feel as if I were doing unauthorized things - but someone has to do things.\u201d

--Read this page or all pages in this set."}}], "zoomify": {"attribution": "", "height": 9847, "path": "https://publications.newberry.org/storymap/time-travel/walden-map/", "width": 13650}}}

The Activist: May Walden