June Ide Ellison Estate
The Collection of June Ide Ellison includes a rich archive of letters, journals, photographs, and paintings from the Bunker and Ide families of Massachusetts. Other family names included in the collection are Macy, Starbucks and Coffin of Nantucket as well as Worth, Baxter, Draper and Goddard. Most of the primarily 19th century material relates to family members who resided in the coastal town of Nantucket but includes other areas of Massachusetts and even as far away as California. Her ancestor Alexander Bunker was a well known captain on a whaling vessel and later became the first keeper at Sankaty-Head Lighthouse. Another family member, William B. Ide ventured to Northern California and became the leader of the short-lived 1846 Bear Flag Rebellion. He later described the revolt in his book, The Conquest of California, published in 1880.
Information courtesy of Brunk Auctions, March 2014.