Collections

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina.

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary (56 pages) recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Throughout her trip, she spent much of her time at balls and meeting with acquaintances and notable figures, among them Attorney General Charles R. Devens, a daughter or daughter-in-law of Zachary Taylor, and Admiral William Rogers Taylor. While in the capital, the author and her traveling companion, Isabella, made a trip to the White House to meet Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes (p. 3). Though the diarist focused on social prestige and social customs, she reported her brief impressions of Forts "Sumpter" and Moultrie in Charleston (pp. 38-39).

This diary of a railroad and steamer trip chronicles the author's travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Midwest. The diary includes descriptions of scenery and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

This diary of a railroad and steamer trip (88 pages) chronicles the author's travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Midwest. The diary includes descriptions of scenery and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

The volume opens on April 21, 1857, the author's 30th birthday, and begins with a cross-county railroad trip on the Central Railroad from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Fom there, he traveled on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad to St. Louis, Missouri, where he arrived on April 25. In St. Louis, he noted the 55-minute time difference, went sightseeing, and met acquaintances from Delaware. His travels in the area included a trip to the Jefferson Barracks, which he recorded in detail (April 27, 1857), and several visits to nearby St. Charles, where he attended a Mormon church service (May 3, 1857). From May 6-12, he embarked on a boat trip to Leavenworth, Kansas, on the steamer Oceana, making frequent mentions of scenery in his diary. During his time in Kansas, he visited several local land offices, where he commented on inflated prices, and he discussed the recent history of the region, tainted by the violence of "Border Ruffians." From Kansas, he returned to St. Louis via Missouri River steamers and traveled up the Mississippi River to Quincy, Illinois, and Keokuk, Iowa. Throughout his journey, he recorded his incoming and outgoing correspondence, primarily to relatives in Delaware, and attended religious services of numerous Christian denominations. Additionally, he continued to meet friends and describe scenery and points of interest. He also occasionally made note of emigrants encountered along his travels, including a group of French socialist settlers in Nauvoo, Illinois (June 10, 1857) and other emigrants headed further west from Missouri and Kansas. The diary ends in Quincy, Illinois, on June 22, 1857, with the author setting out for Palmyra, Missouri, where he spent much of the last week of his travels.

This volume contains diary entries about the author's travels in England and Scotland during the summer of 1799. The author commented on towns visited, road conditions, geographical features, architecture, industry, and other subjects.

This 78-page "Journal During a Tour to the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire and the Highlands of Scotland" concerns the author's travels with a companion around England and Scotland from June 24, 1799-September 14, 1799. They left from and eventually returned to London, visiting cities and towns in northern England and southern Scotland. The author commented on the towns, their residents, and local architecture, occasionally noting buildings of historical interest such as the Scone Palace in Scotland. A lengthy entry written around July 4-8, 1799, describes the area around Buxton and Castleton, England, where the travelers toured caverns and the Odin Mine. The diarist also discussed local industries, prominent geographical features, and road conditions.

The diary entries are followed by 5 pages of supplementary information. A 4-page table lists the names of towns visited, the names of inns utilized by the author, 1-3-word descriptions of the conditions at the inns, and the number of miles traveled between each location. A 1-page list of excursions taken from main stopping points along the route is also present.

The European Grand Tour journal recounts the experiences of two wealthy British travelers as they journeyed through France, Switzerland, and Italy throughout the second half of 1818.

The European Grand Tour journal (approximately 75 pages) recounts the experiences of two wealthy British travelers as they journeyed through France, Switzerland, and Italy throughout the second half of 1818. The author, a man named Moore, detailed the pair's itinerary and gave an extensive account of sightseeing, paying particular attention to the churches and cathedrals of France and to Italian art collections; his companion, Richard, often attended social functions and was introduced at court in Paris. Additionally, the writer frequently provided background information on the different locales he visited, and occasionally mentioned events from the recent Napoleonic wars, particularly during a visit to a French battlefield. In Switzerland, the travelers took an interest in local customs, including schooling and clothing -- in the August 22 letters, the diarist drew a sketch of a Swiss dress. After the travelers reached Italy, they focused more frequently on fine art, and the volume includes lists of the prominent art holdings in several palaces; it also notes visits to Da Vinci's The Last Supper in Milan and to the "Mona Elisa" in the "Nicoli Palace." The final entry was made on December 15, 1818, just after the author and his companion arrived in Rome.

The last section contains charts showing the value of German and French money for 1819, as well as several listings of German tariffs. Enclosures include a German hotel receipt addressed to "Grosvenor & Moore," other financial accounts, and several hotel advertisements. Several pages between late September and early October are blank, but enclosed notes cover that time period.

This journal recounts the author's travels in Europe between December 1863 and September 1865. He visited England, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, though he spent most of his time in Paris, France; Rome and Elba, Italy; and Heidelberg, Germany. The journal records the author's impressions of local people and customs, his efforts to learn various European languages, and the friends he met while abroad.

This journal recounts the author's travels in Europe between December 1863 and September 1865. His first entry, in December 1863, documents his recent transatlantic voyage from New York to Liverpool, including rough weather while on the Atlantic Ocean. He composed entries sporadically through September 1865, recording his impressions of cities and people he encountered while traveling. After spending a few days sightseeing in London, he left for Paris, where he remained until March 1864. While in Paris, he attempted to learn French, saw numerous famous buildings and other sights, attended balls, and befriended local students.

He stayed in Italy from March to April, during which time he climbed Mount Vesuvius, visited Pompeii, and became acquainted with a pastor, with whom he traveled to Elba for a visit of about a month. He remained in the country after leaving Elba and provided descriptions of prominent Italian cities he encountered on his way to Geneva, Switzerland, such as Leghorn and Florence. After his stay in Geneva, he left his journal and most of his possessions behind as he traveled throughout Switzerland and northern Italy with only a knapsack, an experience he wrote about after his arrival in Heidelberg, Germany, which he reached before August 14. Once in Heidelberg, he recorded his thoughts about the local culture, the influence of university students, and visits to a local castle. Though his entries became more sporadic after August 1864, the journal reflects his subsequent travels to Bavaria and throughout Germany, northern Italy, and Austria, with detailed descriptions of scenery and of his experiences. While in Germany, he occasionally commented on Gothic architecture, and one late entry relates his experiences on a recent deer hunting trip. The final entry was composed around mid-September 1865.

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of a member of the "Fremont Trading and Mining Company" formed in 1849 to search for California gold.

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of one of its members. The company was formed in 1849 by subscribers who wanted to search for gold in California. The author made almost daily entries during the ship’s six-month voyage to San Francisco, then wrote more sporadically during the period of the company’s successful search for gold in the Feather River north of Sacramento and the author's return as far as Panama in March 1851. In the back of the diary, the diarist registered the members, their ages, homes, and occupations. He also listed the daily logs of longitude, latitude, and miles traveled for their long trip, as well as names of the officers and crew, all but two of whom were also shareholders. The author failed to identify himself; John F. Jordan is written inside the cover of the book, but he is not listed as a member of the trading company.

The adventurer arose at 5 A.M. on March 27, 1849, three miles from Glastonbury, Connecticut (near Hartford), went overland to Hartford, and took a steamboat to New York City. He leveraged twelve shares in the Company as surety for a $400 note, payable in one year, accompanied by a paid-up life insurance policy for $1,000 to one Benjamin Cook. They sailed from New York on April 1l. Their route took them within sight of the Canary Islands, then on to their first landing in Rio de Janeiro. There, many of the company went ashore nightly to get drunk, much to the author’s disgust. He noted that the US Navy ship Brandywine was in the harbor, the Emperor and Empress of Argentina rode around in a carriage, and that he went upriver to buy 2,000 oranges for about $10 for the ship. On June 13, after the crew loaded 20 casks of water, the Selma took off to round the Horn, a stormy trip with ice-covered decks.

The second stop was at Valparaiso on August 8, where they encountered an English man-of-war, said to be carrying several hundred pounds of gold dust from California, consigned to a house in Boston. He attended a Protestant church to hear a sermon preached by David Trumble, son of John Trumble of Colchester, Connecticut. Finally on October 5, 178 days since leaving New York, they arrived in San Francisco. The author went ashore on Sunday and reported that the city had two Methodist churches, and one each of Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Baptist churches. The cooks and stewards promptly deserted ship and then sued for back wages, which, after a court hearing, were denied. Members of the company had to take over their duties, such such as cooking for 86 men. Such desertions were common when ships arrived in California.

Some stayed on ship and sought odd jobs in the city, while other members formed small parties and set off upriver to Sacramento. The author left ship on October 22, when he slept on land for the first time in more than six months. Eventually, they brought their ship up the river, in time for them to stay on it during a disastrous January flood. People were rescued from windows and roofs; 70 or 80 residents lodged on board their ship at $3 a night, $5 or $6 a day, and $30-40 a week. Members established a mining camp about 35 miles from Sacramento, which was quite successful financially, although many of them became sick and three died.

Claims were purchased by members of the company in both the Yuba and Feather Rivers and were thoroughly mined. Even the rivers that ran through the city of Sacramento yielded little gold. By February 1850, the members of the company were so dissatisfied that they broke up. The author sold his tools for $50, then joined members Smith and Ransom to borrow $200 for the purchase of a mule; they started off by themselves to a new claim. Through March and April they were able to recover from $300 to $1,000 a week. On March 30, the author returned to Sacramento and found their old company in disarray. He described several scenes of violence, and mentioned encounters with deer, grizzly bears, and beaver.

On June 8, he wrote that all their claims were worked out, but that they had recovered about $3,300 so far. In July he joined a new company of 14 men to build wing dams in order to divert river water, thereby opening up new sites for panning. As a result, by September they mined gold worth $665 per miner, including a 4-oz. piece that he had found. In October, the company disbanded for the winter, whereupon the author resumed digging on the banks by himself, recovering from $12 to $15 worth of gold a day.

He wanted to go back to Sacramento for the winter, but stayed away when he learned that the city was reporting 60 cases of cholera a day. He and Walter Griswold built a cabin near Centerville, intending to spend the winter there. They heard reports that one man had dug 40, 30, and 18 pounds of gold on three successive days. He also mentioned that Indians killed two men; they buried one of them alive, and roasted the other one.

In January 1851, the new company sold the claim and the cabin. The author went to Sacramento and then to San Francisco, where he boarded the Adrian, mastered by George Scott, and paid $75 for passage to Panama. The ship left on January 24, 1851. The diary ends without explanation, when the ship was near Panama on March 28, 1951.

This diary records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. The author described his daily life and commented on current events, such as the European revolutions of 1848 and Fourth of July celebrations in the United States.

This diary (approximately 180 pages) records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. This volume, the fifth in a series, begins on May 30, 1847, and the author sent the previous diaries to his family in Lüchow, Germany. He wrote fairly regularly between May 1847 and May 1848, and less frequently between June 1848 and August 26, 1849, describing his life and recording observations about European and American politics. He shared his thoughts about Fourth of July celebrations in 1847 and 1848 and commented favorably on the various European revolutions taking place in the summer of 1848, particularly those in France and Germany. Other entries reveal his opinions on economic issues, such as the effects of hunger on poor Germans, and his religious views. On April 19, 1852, the author stated his intention to leave Middleport. A birth and baptismal certificate for Georg Philipp Weber, written in German and dated July 1, 1847, is enclosed in a flap in the volume's front cover. The diary was also accompanied by a carte-de-visite portrait of a man standing beside a chair and hanging drapery, top hat in hand, which was transferred to the Graphics Division. The photograph was taken by J. B. Smith in Utica, New York.

The author (or authors) of these diaries traveled from Vienna, Austria, to the United States and back in the summer and fall of 1901 and from Bremen, Germany, to the United States and back in the summer and fall of 1904. The first volume mostly concerns the author's meetings with businessmen and contains descriptions of engineering works, factories, and machinery. The second volume pertains to the author's travels around the United States, including visits to Colorado, California, and Yellowstone National Park.

These typed transcripts of German language travel diaries (2 volumes) concern 2 visits to the United States by a group of Austrians or Germans in the early 20th century. Volume 1 (356 pages), entitled "Reise-Tagebuch 1901," pertains to the author's trip to the United States from Vienna, Austria, and back from August 19, 1901-November 8, 1901. The account covers the author's journey from Austria to England and his subsequent travel from England to the United States onboard the Campania. Once in the United States, the author spent most of his time in New York City, where he met with businessmen. The diary reflects his interest in engineering and machinery; it contains descriptions of steam shovels, canals, reservoirs, drills, and other inventions. The author, who was based in New York, visited Washington, D.C., and made an extended trip west through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. The final entries recount his return voyage on the Deutschland. Some of the entries, particularly those written during the return trip, list the time in the author's current location and in Europe.

Volume 2 (343 pages) describes the author's round-trip journey to the United States from Bremen, Germany, between June 25, 1904, and September 27, 1904. After sailing to New York on the Kaiser Wilhelm II, the author wrote about his time in New York City, where he commented on factories and industries. Much of the volume is devoted to the author's travels in New York and, later, throughout the West. Before leaving New York, he watched a baseball game and visited Niagara Falls. He then headed for the Mississippi River and subsequently discussed the scenery in places such as Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and California. The diary includes mentions of mines, Mormons, and the Grand Canyon. The author took the Great Northern Railway to Yellowstone National Park, where he remarked on the geysers and other scenery, and then continued eastward through cities including Saint Paul, Chicago, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. The final entries recount his return to Bremen.

This travel journal documents a journey from the Missouri River to California during the time of the California Gold Rush. The trek began on April 28, 1850, near Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri River, and ends on October 31, 1850, at Georgetown, California, on the edge of what is now the Eldorado National Forest, north of Sacramento.

The Gold Rush travel journal (44 pages) spans the period from April 28, 1850, to October 31, 1850, and details an overland journey from the Missouri River to California, during the time of the California Gold Rush. Of the diary's 44 pages, the last 9 contain lists of food purchased from stores and traders (buying tobacco and food and selling gold), and the final page concerns buying food in St. Louis (May 29, 1849).

The author made entries every few days and provided descriptions his location, total distance traveled, and, occasionally, of weather and temperature. While the party traveled mostly by horse and wagon, they also used rafts and ferries to cross rivers. Entries are short and generally provide only details of the scenery and the party's routes on their way west. The author began his journey on the Missouri River at Elizabeth Landing, and ended it at Georgetown, California. Several entries specify his location with names of rivers and landmarks, including the Little Blue River, "Grand Island" (north of Fort Kearney), the Platte River, Chimney Rock, Fort Laramie, the Sweetwater River, the Soda Springs, the Bear Creek River, Goose Creek, Mary River, "Hudspeth’s Cutoff," and the Humboldt River. The traveler also mentioned the killing of a buffalo by a William Hubbard, trading with the Sioux Indians on the North Platte River, signing Chimney Rock, and passing by a spring hot enough to boil coffee. He provided financial details such as the cost of particular ferry crossings and supplies. At one point, the author recorded being ill with mountain fever, but quickly recovered without further incident. On June 2nd, he noted that "the dust [was] very bad and the ground was covered with Alkali and the dust [on the] mountains looked like they had burned for a thousand years."

On October 1, 1850, the author left his company and traveled to Georgetown, California, and began working on a claim at Pools Bar on October 5, 1850. His last entry is from Georgetown, California, on the edge of what is now the Eldorado National Forest, north of Sacramento.

This collection consists of a commonplace book (approximately 50 pages) compiled by Ann Greene after 1790, and an account of a 44-day voyage John Grew and his family took from Liverpool to Boston in the summer of 1795. The 22-page travel diary also includes an 8-page copy of a letter Mary Grew, John Grew's mother, wrote to her family in England upon her arrival in Boston.

This collection consists of a commonplace book (approximately 50 pages) compiled by Ann Greene after 1790, and an account of a 44-day voyage John Grew and his family took from Liverpool to Boston in the summer of 1795. The 22-page travel diary also includes an 8-page copy of a letter Mary Grew, John Grew's mother, wrote to her family in England upon her arrival in Boston.

Ann Greene's commonplace book has two parts: 33 pages of transcribed poetry (24 poems) begin at the front cover, and 15 additional pages of personal reflections and letter drafts begin at the back cover. Much of the poetry was originally written by British authors whose work circulated widely in the eighteenth century, such as James Boswell, James Thomson, William Cowper, and Elizabeth Singer Rowe. Greene occasionally recorded the volume and page from which she transcribed poems. The other portion of the volume contains personal resolutions about making good use of one's time, interspersed with light-hearted notes about beaux or friends.

The travel diary records the Grew family's emigration from Birmingham England, to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1795. Daily entries, written between May 23 and July 8, 1795, detail several aspects of the voyage, such as the weather, passing ships, maritime wildlife, and the ship's progress. The diarist also mentioned an instance when another vessel mistook their ship for a French privateer, and the effects of a tumultuous storm.

The final 8 pages contain a copy of a letter Mary Coltman Grew (1756-1834) wrote to her mother in England from Boston, Massachusetts (July 24, 1795). She detailed her initial impressions of the city and of local customs. Among other topics, she reflected on the climate, housing, servants, dress, food, and religious customs. She also related an anecdote about Benjamin Franklin, who reportedly distributed printed cards to strangers in order to preempt any inquiries about him.