Annie O’Donnell Letters 

This collection contains over seventy letters between Annie O’Donnell, an Irish emigrant to America, and James M. Phelan. The letters span a period of over three years prior to their marriage. Annie and Jim met on the Adria, a ship bound for America, in 1898. With 1,100 passengers, they were among many other immigrants and returning ‘non-immigrant aliens’ (people who had immigrated to America previously and were now returning from a visit home). Many of the immigrants at this time were women. These letters provide an insight into the life of an Irish servant girl at this time living in America. Annie had the good fortune to be positioned with an elite industrial family who treated their employees well. She notes in one of her letters that she is fortunate to have such a good job.