Canter, Ida Levin. Papers, 1909-1979

Ida Levin Canter was a Jewish resident of Danville, Illinois. This collection contains her diaries and address books, as well as advertisements, visiting cards, and photographs.

Ida Levin Canter was born in Boston’s North End on September 20, 1888, to Harris Jacob Levin (1850-1936)—also known as Hirsch Yankel Levin—and Esther Dora Yudelevitch (1848-1909). Harris and Esther had seven children: Max, Ike S., Barney, Henry, Sam, Abe, and Ida. Originally from Lithuania, the Levin family immigrated to the United States in July 1886. While Harris, Esther, and some of their children initially settled in Boston, Massachusetts, an unknown number of the family’s older children moved to Danville, Illinois. In Danville, Ike S. Levin (b. 1872 in Kavna, Russia, d. 1954) operated a clothing store at Jackson and Main.

After Ida’s birth in 1888, the rest of the family moved to Danville. In her youth, Ida worked as a cashier in the Ike S. Levin store. At some point between 1909 and 1913, Ida moved to Somerville, NJ and then to Boston, MA. On August 14, 1913, she married James J. Canter. Ida resided in Boston, Massachusetts until her death on December 22, 1980. Throughout her life, Ida kept diaries documenting her experiences. The diaries are 2”x 3” and smaller, with entries consisting primarily of short phrases or addresses. She retained diaries from significant years in her life, such as the death of her mother in 1909 and her marriage in 1913. These materials provide insight into the lived experiences of Danville’s Jewish community. They also illustrate the connections between Jewish communities in Danville and Boston.

This collection consists of diaries, address books, advertisements, visiting cards, and photographs. There are seven diaries, each covering one year. The diaries are from the following years: 1909, 1913, 1928, 1931, 1933, 1976, and 1979. The 1909 diary was written in Danville; the 1913 diary in Somerville, Boston, and Danville; and the 1928-1979 diaries in Boston. Also present are two undated address books, two advertisements for the Ike S. Levin clothing store, two visiting cards of Ida Levin, and one visiting card of Irving Joseph Perkins. The collection contains seven pictures, featuring Ida, Esther Dora Yudelevitch Levin, and Jane Canter Loeffler (Ida’s granddaughter).

The materials in this collection were donated by Ida Levin Canter’s granddaughter Dr. Jane Canter Loeffler in 2023.