Celestia Rice Colby
Portrait of Celestia Rice Colby
Portrait of Celestia Rice Colby, 1827-1900
Celestia Rice Colby was born December 19, 1827, in Andover, Ohio. After a difficult childhood, Celestia’s family moved to Cherry Valley, Ohio. Celestia’s passion involved schooling and writing about social issues of the era including slavery and women’s rights. After her schooling, Celestia taught at schools in the area of Cherry Valley before marrying Lewis Colby in 1847. Celestia gave birth to five children, including Dr. June Rose Colby. After the birth of her first child, Plummer, the Ladies’ Repository published her first essay. Celestia was often torn between her passion of being an essayist and her reality of being a mother and working on a dairy farm. Celestia instilled the importance of education in her children. The family moved to Freeport, Illinois, in 1866 where her children entered public education. They then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan so the oldest daughter, Vine, could attend the University of Michigan. Of her four surviving children, three completed at least a bachelor’s degree.
Once her children were adults, Celestia was able to focus on her writing and became a prolific essayist who was published in multiple journals. Celestia published The Ladies Volunteer Journal in 1861-1862. Her writings focused on women’s rights, fictional stories, poems, riddles, and essays. Celestia followed her daughter, Dr. June Rose Colby, to Normal, Illinois, where she became active in the Normal History Club. Celestia died on July 28, 1900. Although Celestia Colby died before the height of the women’s suffrage movement, her passion and example led Dr. Colby to become active in the movement.
From the Colby Family Papers, Dr. JoAnn Rayfield Archives, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
Celestia R. Colby diary, 1858-1859
Colby kept a diary and wrote essays throughout much of her life, though she was able to focus and become a much more prolific writer in the years after her children had left the house. The following pages are selections from Colby's 1858-1859 diary.
Page 43, 1858-1859
Page 44, 1858-1859
Page 61, October 7, 1858
Page 62, Oct 9th 1858
From page 43:
Yet perhaps it were better if I never touched the pen, and one minute I wish I did not love to, the next a stronger, wild and vehement wish, gushes up from my inmost soul, that I had time and leisure to use it at my will.
From page 44:
I'm happier now than I was two hours
ago. Wonder what is the reason. My pen, like
David's harp, has exorcised the blues, and I
feel that I shall ever be happier for this
silent vigil ...
Some Things We Want, undated
In this undated and unfinished manuscript essay, Celestia R. Colby begins to explain what rights she and other 19th century women seek in American society.
Undated manuscript
From the first paragraph:
Written For The Mayflower
Some Things We Want
By Mrs Celestia R. Colby
Said a gentleman to me the other day, "I wish you would write an article for the "Ladies Volunteer," (an unpretending little paper which is sometimes "got up" by the ladies of "our society" for our own private benefit,) "and tell us plainly and clearly just what you want" and he added with bitter sarcasm, "it would be something that I never knew a writer or lecturer upon woman's rights, to do yet!"
Celestia R. Colby scrapbook, 1853-1857
These pages are from a scrapbook of clippings of short articles written by Celestia R. Colby between 1853 and 1857. The articles are pasted over household accounting calculations.
Page 12-13, 1853-1857
Page 18-19. 1853-1857
Celestia R. Colby essay on J. Rose Colby, circa 1860-1870
Short essay by Celestia Colby in which she recounts an incident in the life of her young daughter J. Rose Colby. The poem they reference is Locksley Hall by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
