Riggs, Maida L.
Physical Education
b. May 16, 1915, Grafton, Mass.
d. Feb. 27, 2011, Amherst, Mass.

A self-described compulsive traveler, Riggs embarked upon a more personal journey after her retirement to explore her roots. Transcribing over 250 letters by her pioneer great-grandmother, Mary Ann Clark Longley, Riggs published A Small Bit of Bread and Butter: Letters from the Dakota Territory, 1832-1869, an absorbing and sometimes heartbreaking account of life on the frontier. Her next book, Dancing in Paratrooper Boots, contains typed copies of her letters from her days as a Red Cross volunteer during the war. An avid photographer, Riggs took advantage of any opportunity to use her camera. Her images, particularly those from World War II, tell as many stories as does her correspondence.
Other resources
- View the collection description for the Riggs Papers (Call no. FS 095).