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Samuel D. Bates family papers, 1841-1910 (majority within 1850-1899)

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Summary

Creator:
Bates family
Abstract:
This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1892 and includes letters to and from his wife Lodeemy Brockett. Documents in the collection reflect S. D. Bates' engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of his 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of autobiographical writings are also present. Several hundred sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.
Extent:
1.75 linear feet
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Jayne Ptolemy, May 2023

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as material relating to his son, Harley A. Bates, and his spouse Harriette (Hattie) E. Rice. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1899, with the bulk dating from 1849 to 1892 for Samuel D. Bates and from 1889 to 1899 for Harley A. Bates. The personal correspondence reflects family dynamics, courtship, events in Marion and Hillsdale, Ohio, and matters relating to college fraternities due to Hattie Rice's heavy involvement in that field.

Documents in the collection reflect Samuel D. Bates's engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Various financial and estate documents as well as certificates and other items provide additional insight into the family's affairs. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of Samuel D. Bates's 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of his autobiographical writings are also present.

Several hundred of Samuel D. Bates's sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.

Invitations, printed materials, and ephemeral materials further reflect on the family's social and intellectual life. Printed items include items such as funeral notices, the program for Samuel D. Bates's memorial service, newspaper clippings, among others.

Biographical / Historical:

Samuel Dwight Bates was born on October 13, 1828, in Vernon Center, New York, to Daniel and Harriet Bates. The family moved to Ohio, where Samuel D. Bates converted to the Free Will Baptist Church. He attended Bates College and the Geauga Seminary, where he also taught for a time. He married Lodeemy B. Brockett (1830-1889) on October 1, 1850. He worked as an itinerant preacher with the Free Will Baptist Church, centered around Greenbush, Ohio, from 1851 to 1857 and Marion, Ohio, from 1857 to 1875. Bates also periodically taught a select school, and he organized the Grand Prairie Free Will Baptist Church in 1867, the Claridon Church in 1870, and preached for the Green Camp Baptist Church. In 1864, Samuel D. Bates served as the chaplain for the 163rd Ohio National Guards. He later served as the president of Ridgeville College, a trustee of Hillsdale College, and the Foreign Mission Society, a member of the Board of Examiners of the Marion schools, as well as being involved with the Morning Star newspaper.

Samuel D. Bates and his wife had three children: Elbert A. (b.1853), Harriet M. (1866-1882), and Harley A. (1868-1931). Samuel D. Bates died on September 17, 1886, in Marion, Ohio.

Harley A. Bates was born on October 6, 1868. He graduated from Hillsdale College where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He married Harriette (Hattie) E. Rice (1867-1947) on June 14, 1893. Hattie also graduated from Hillsdale College, was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and would serve as one of its Grand Officers between 1890 and 1892. Harley and Hattie had at least one child, Brockett Rice Bates (1899-1970). Harley A. Bates died on March 23, 1931.

Acquisition Information:
2022, 2023. M-7725, M-7783.5 .
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in the following series:
  • Correspondence
  • Diaries and Autobiography
  • Writings
  • Documents
  • Sermon Notes
  • Invitations, Printed Materials, and Ephemer

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

Samuel D. Bates Family Papers, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan

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Collection

Samuel D. Bates family papers, 1841-1910 (majority within 1850-1899)
Total components 11
Last indexed 2025-02-09