Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, legal documents, financial records, and other items related to multiple generations of the Hasbrouck family of Ogdensburg, New York. The materials concern land ownership, politics and historical events, family news, genealogy, and other subjects.

This collection is made up of approximately 3.5 linear feet of correspondence and documents, 21 diaries and commonplace books, 4 school-related items, around 40 printed and ephemeral items, and genealogical materials related to multiple generations of the Hasbrouck family of Ogdensburg, New York, between 1784 and 1940.

The correspondence and documents reflect the activities of many Hasbrouck family members, with an emphasis on Louis Hasbrouck, Sr., Louis Hasbrouck, Jr., and Levi Hasbrouck. The earliest items, written from 1802 to the mid-1830s, center around Louis Hasbrouck, Sr., and his wife Catharine, who wrote to one another and who received letters from their siblings and other family members. Louis's correspondents often provided news of Guilford, New York, and sometimes commented on political issues, particularly during the War of 1812. The Hasbroucks' correspondents included members of the Graham and Lasher families. Many of Catharine's letters to her husband concern her visits to and life in "New Hurley."

Approximately 1.5 linear feet of the elder Louis Hasbrouck's incoming and outgoing personal and business letters, financial and legal documents, surveying records, maps, and other items, pertain largely to land ownership in New York. Many of Hasbrouck's correspondents wrote from Albany, Schenectady, and New York City. A significant number of items concern the finances and land holdings of Stephen Van Rensselaer. Some correspondents discussed the younger Louis Hasbrouck's involvement in the New York Militia in the early 1840s.

Much of the correspondence dated from the mid-1830s to the 1850s is made up of personal letters between Louis and Catharine's children, largely consisting of letters to Louis Hasbrouck, Jr. The Hasbrouck siblings shared news of Ogdensburg while their brother studied at Union College in Schenectady, New York, in the mid-1830s.

The later correspondence, written from the 1850s to 1870s, is comprised primarily of letters addressed to Levi Hasbrouck of New Paltz, New York; Levi Hasbrouck, his grandson; and Louis Hasbrouck, Jr. The elder Levi wrote to his Ogdensburg relations about life in New Paltz, often providing news of family members and offering advice to his grandson. The younger Levi Hasbrouck corresponded with his siblings, particularly his half-brother Philip, who lived in Chicago, Illinois. Approximately 150 letters, invoices, and receipts of Levi Hasbrouck relate primarily to his purchases and other financial transactions between 1870 and 1882.

Three items from the 20th century include 2 letters that Thomas C. [Nakatsu] wrote to "Mr. Miller," a former traveling companion, about life in Japan. His letter of August 14, 1902, regards his life in a Buddhist temple and the relative absence of Christians in the country. His letter of January 1, 1926, contains reminiscences about the men's friendship. The final item is a letter that "Helen" received from a friend visiting England and France; the letter encloses several newspaper clippings about Bournemouth, England (March 15, 1928).

Six account books include an unsigned day book (October 9, 1812-May 25, 1813) and a day book belonging to L. Hasbrouck and L. Hasbrouck, Jr. (1867-1877); personal account books belonging to Louis Hasbrouck, Jr. (1833-1834, 1834, and 1868-1871); and a rent book belonging to E. B. Hasbrouck (1843-1853). Louis Hasbrouck, Jr., kept a memorandum book around 1840; the original pages have been torn out of the volume and the remaining notes are dated 1929-1939. Two items concern land: a field book concerning surveys of Canton Township, New York (undated), and a "Land Book" that belonged to Louis Hasbrouck, Jr. Other materials are record books for the La Madre Company, which was involved in the ownership and operation of mines in the late 19th century, and the St. Agnes Society, which was affiliated with an Ogdensburg church (1885-1912).

Additional groups of items include military records for Louis Hasbrouck's service in the New York Militia from the 1830s to 1850s; later copies of 18th and 19th century land surveys done in De Peyster, New York, and elsewhere; legal documents of an action between members of the Hasbrouck family and Asa Day in the mid-19th century; wills dated in the mid-1920s; postcards addressed to Louis Hasbrouck from the mid-1870s to the late 1890s; and indentures and other documents regarding the inheritance and later ownership of property belonging to Louis Hasbrouck, Sr.

• Three diaries by E. B. Hasbrouck, January 1875-January 1889 (with some gaps), and a record of sermons preached by "Mr. Carter" from April 5, 1822-April 7, 1826.
• Two unsigned diaries, concentrating on the authors' religious views and activities (August 2, 1835-February 4, 1855, and January 10, 1836-July 17, 1836).
• An unsigned diary ending with a note about the death of Louis Hasbrouck, Jr., made by one of his sons (May 13, 1855-April 1880)
• Jane Hasbrouck diary, October 1852-June 1897, with occasional remarks on the Civil War and genealogical notes.
• Eleven diaries of Levi Hasbrouck, containing daily entries between July 1, 1873, and May 27, 1882. Hasbrouck wrote primarily about his social activities, everyday occurrences, his father and his siblings, his travels, and his involvement in business activities. He very briefly discussed the presidential elections of 1876 and 1880, and recounted the final illness and death of his father in April 1880.
• Two commonplace books of Ellen Mary Hasbrouck (1827-1863) and Laura M. Hasbrouck (1875).

• One volume concerning basic arithmetic belonged to Elizabeth Bevier Hasbrouck around the early 19th century.
• One volume containing penmanship exercises and similar writings from young students (1805).
• One schoolbook containing notes and essays about classical history and literature composed or copied by Louis Hasbrouck, Jr., while he studied at Union College in 1834.
• One list of school assignments recorded by Louis Hasbrouck, Jr., 1831-1834.

Printed and ephemeral items (approximately 40 items, not counting duplicates) include published materials such as newspaper articles, speeches, newsletters, an almanac, a visitors' guide to Boston, Massachusetts, and many advertisements and notices. Additional items include a blank subscription form for The Little Corporal and a related mock commission for Bevier Hasbrouck, printed illustrations of several types of canoes, a printed map of St. Lawrence County, New York, and several sheets of unused stationery featuring an illustration of a storefront. Thirty-five newspapers include copies of and fragments from American Traveller, Boy's Journal, Morning Glory, the Philadelphia Saturday News, and other papers printed in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1850s.

The Hasbrouck family genealogical materials (approximately 15 items, not counting duplicates) include obituary notices, newspaper clippings, and manuscript notes. A bound volume contains extensive notes copied from a family record originally written by Abraham Hasbrouck, father of Joseph Hasbrouck and grandfather of Louis Hasbrouck, Sr.

This scrapbook contains correspondence, documents, maps, and ephemera related to the family of Jabez Huntington of Norwich, Connecticut, including his sons and other descendants. The items pertain to the American Revolution, education, family history, and life in Connecticut from the 1770s to the 1830s.

This scrapbook (55 pages) contains correspondence, documents, and ephemera related to the family of Jabez Huntington of Norwich, Connecticut, including his sons and other descendants. The earliest item is a poem dedicated to Kitty Fell, written by William Apthorp in 1763, followed by a letter from William Hubbard to Andrew Huntington concerning Thomas Hutchinson's order to surrender Castle William to Colonel Dalrymple (September 13, 1770). During the Revolutionary War, Andrew Huntington received letters from his brothers Jedidiah and Joshua, who discussed escalating tensions in Boston in 1775, the gathering of Continental forces, and the progress of the war; he also received a note from Jonathan Trumbull excusing him from military duty (September 1, 1775). Other items from the late 18th century include love letters and poems to Maria Perit, cards admitting Perit to balls held at Yale College, and letters from "Lucy" at "Bethlehem" (possibly Bethlehem Female Seminary) to her brother.

A small number of items from the early 1800s pertain to the will and estate of Pelatiah Webster, Charles P. Huntington's father-in-law, and an 1802 return for the 20th Connecticut Militia Regiment. In 1814, Samuel Huntington wrote to his son Julian about his other sons' academic progress. In the 1820s and 1830s, Samuel received letters from acquaintances who discussed political issues, and in the late 1830s he wrote to his son William, discussing William's education at Wesleyan University and the possibility of his attending Harvard College. Some letters are addressed to Huntington family women, including letters from Lydia Sigourney to Mrs. Hannah Huntington (likely Andrew's wife); Maria Perit Huntington letters, often regarding literature and poetry; and letters to Ruth L. Huntington. One letter from P. H. Huntington to "Miss Perkins" contains genealogical information about the Webster, Perit, and Leffingwell families (August 13, 1891).

The scrapbook also contains documents, maps, and other materials related to the Huntington family. Visual items include property maps (cataloged separately); a photograph of Ebenezer Huntington's home in Norwich, Connecticut; a card photograph of Benedict Arnold's birthplace; and engravings of Norwich Bridge, women at leisure, and "Cromwell at Ripley Castle." Genealogical notes, poems, instructions for making a doll, and legal documents (many of which relate to property ownership) are also present. Newspaper clippings pertain to the history of the Huntington family, particularly to Jabez Huntington and his sons.

This collection consists of legal documents related to Humphrey Noyes of Atkinson, New Hampshire, and his sons Humphrey, Joseph, Samuel, and Peter. The materials relate to real property and to Humphrey Noyes's estate.

This collection consists of 7 legal documents related to the family of Humphrey Noyes of Atkinson, New Hampshire. The first two items pertain to Noyes's purchase of a share of a sawmill near Plaistow, New Hampshire (January 12, 1753), and to Samuel Robey's residence on a plot of land that belonged to Noyes (October 28, 1771). The next two agreements pertain to Joseph Noyes, who purchased 50 acres of land in Canaan, New Hampshire, from George Harris (October 24, 1783) and (with his brother Peter) purchased a plot of land in Atkinson, New Hampshire from [Tamar] Little, a widow (April 17, 1786). Each of the final 3 items pertains to the Noyes siblings' inheritance: Samuel, Peter, and Humphrey each affirmed that they had received their share of their late father's estate and relinquished any further claims upon it (January 15, 1791, and March 16, 1793 (2 items)).

The Tyler family papers contain correspondence, documents, and writings relating to four generations of the Tyler family, who were Quakers and tanners in Salem, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tyler family papers contain 877 items, arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Documents and Financial Records; School Papers; Poetry, Notes and Other Writings; and Printed Items. Items in the collection span 1735-1888.

The Correspondence series consists of 235 letters to and from four generations of the Tyler family of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, covering 1748-1888. Much of the earliest correspondence is business-oriented and relates to Samuel and William Tyler's tannery and the sale of leather. Thomas Barnes, a frequent client and associate, wrote approximately 15 of the letters, which provide details on prices and the arrangement of transactions. Other early correspondence of the period relates to the activities of family members and neighbors, including a letter from Noah Bowson, an immigrant to Nova Scotia, who described his experiences there and recommended that the Tylers join him because of a leather shortage and favorable prices, (September 15, 1767).

Most letters between the 1790s and 1825 are the incoming correspondence of William and Catharine Tyler, primarily from family members. Letters tend to be fairly personal in nature, describing family news, religious thoughts, and health. During this period, Catharine and her sister, Ann Low, exchanged a series of letters, several of which included original poetry. Another sister, Hannah Gillespie, was also a frequent correspondent, and provided ongoing details about a "malignant fever" epidemic in Philadelphia in 1820, during which she considered seeking asylum in New Jersey. She described medical treatments, including "Jamestown weed" and blistering of the chest (August 14, 1821), as well as a strange incident regarding the autopsy of a friend who was pregnant with a "perfect Made child" that many believed she had carried for 14 to 17 years (June 11, 1820). Catharine's nephew, Joseph Elkinton, also wrote a letter, dated August 3, 1817, concerning his work teaching Native American children in Tunesassa, Pennsylvania.

In the mid 1820s, the focus of the collection shifts to Dorothea Hoskins and her future husband, John Mason Tyler, whom she would marry in 1832. Both received many letters from friends and relatives, revealing details about their social circle and families. Barclay Smith, an inmate at Friends Asylum in Philadelphia wrote two letters to Dorothea in 1823, informing her of the number of patients there and of his activities. A few letters relate to business matters; like his father and grandfather, John worked as a tanner. Beginning in the 1840s, John and Dorothea's children, William Graham Tyler and Catharine Low Tyler, contributed much of the collection's correspondence. In 1856-1857, William wrote a number of letters from Haverford College, describing his studies, classmates, and improvements made to the campus and buildings. Upon graduating, he expressed feeling torn between farming and pursuing a more intellectual career (December 13, 1857), and was chided by his father for his "indifference" toward agriculture (January 14, 1859). During the Civil War, William volunteered for a non-combatant role, working in the commissary at Hampton Hospital. He wrote several letters to his family during this period, and received many from his father, who shared his interest in contrabands, and gave information on friends involved in the war. The 11 post-war letters are primarily addressed to William, and contain updates on college friends and family members.

The Documents and Financial Records series spans 1735-1792, and contains seven subseries. The Salem County, New Jersey, Documents shed light on Samuel Tyler's work and duties as a constable in Salem, New Jersey, in the late 18th century. The William Richmond Estate Documents and James Tyler, Jr., Estate Documents record the dispersal of these estates between 1773 and 1799. The John Vanculin Accounts document transactions for groceries and other goods, 1786-1788. The Dorothea (Hoskins) Tyler Receipts record four of her purchases in 1832. The Other Legal Records subseries contains land indentures; a 1740 power of attorney document; a 1760 marriage certificate signed by 34 witnesses; and several apprentice indentures, relating to various members of the Tyler family. The Other Financial Records subseries, 1735-1881, includes a 1735 bill of lading for a ship called the Monmouth Hope; numerous receipts relating to the tanning business; records of debts; bills for laying pipes and for water from the Schuylkill River (1827); and other miscellaneous items.

The School Papers series, spanning 1765-1856, contains copybooks, an 1848 report card for Catharine Tyler, and an examination schedule and report card for William Graham Tyler at Haverford College, 1855-1856. Undated items include school essays on government, history, philosophy and metaphysics, and the classics. One essay, entitled "The cause of the extinction of the aborigines of this country," and likely written by William Graham Tyler, blames injustice, disease, and rum for the demise of Native Americans.

The Poetry, Notes and Other Writings series contains 31 items, all undated, and mainly unattributed, on a number of topics. The poetry includes a piece called "On Sugar," which characterizes sugar as "Steep'd in a thousand Negroes tears" and criticizes its use. Other poems include "On Marriage," "To Health," "On the Choice of a Wife," and several sentimental poems addressed to family members. The writings and notes comprise several religious musings, a genealogical essay, and instructions on how to "stop holes in iron."

The six items in the Printed Items series include several poems, clippings, and fliers, and other miscellaneous items, 1765-1880.