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

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Collection

Waterford (N.Y.) Overseer of the Poor account book, 1922-1931 (majority within 1929-1931)

1 volume

This account book (approximately 120 pages) documents payments made by the overseer of the poor in Waterford, New York, to destitute men and women between January 1922 and December 1931. Most disbursements consisted of groceries and coal, though some individuals received medical assistance or shoes. Each of 569 unique entries contains the recipient's name, age, gender, country of birth, and cause of poverty, along with the amount and type of relief provided.

This account book (approximately 120 pages) documents payments that the overseer of the poor in Waterford, New York, allotted to destitute men and women between January 1922 and December 1931. Most disbursements consisted of groceries and coal, though some individuals received medical assistance or shoes. Each of 569 unique entries contains the recipient's name, age, gender, country of birth, and cause of poverty, along with the amount and type of relief provided.

Both men and women, who are represented almost equally, received allowances for reasons such as illness or old age. Some women required assistance because of their husbands' inability to provide sustenance (on account of death, incarceration, or inability to find work). Though most recipients were born in the United States, the account book includes payments made to persons born in Canada, England, Italy, France, Poland, and Argentina. Records dated from 1922 to 1928 comprise around 20 pages; the remainder is dated from 1929 to 1931.

Collection

William Jason and Dorothy Mixter papers, 1915-1920 (majority within 1915, 1917-1919)

2.5 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, military documents, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to Dr. William Jason Mixter, who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his wife Dorothy.

This collection is made up of correspondence, military documents, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to Dr. William Jason Mixter, who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his wife Dorothy.

The Correspondence series (1.75 linear feet) comprises the bulk of the collection. The first group of correspondence is made up of 48 letters and postcards that William Jason Mixter sent to his wife Dorothy from March 9, 1915-May 21, 1915. He described his voyage to Europe, his brief stay in England, and his experiences working in French hospitals near the war front. His letters include details about his work with specific patients, comments about the sinking of the Lusitania, and other war news.

William Jason and Dorothy Mixter wrote most of the remaining correspondence to each other between May 1917 and April 1918, while William served with Base Hospital No. 6 in France and Base Hospital No. 204 in Hursley, England. He shared anecdotes about his experiences and reported on his medical work. Dorothy provided news of their children and life in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Their correspondence includes letters, telegrams, and postcards. Other writers include Samuel J. Mixter, Jason's father, who wrote from Boston, Massachusetts, about his daily life and about his work as a medical inspector. Other soldiers, former patients, and acquaintances also wrote to members of the Mixter family.

The collection includes 25 picture postcards depicting French scenes during and after the war; 3 are integrated into the Correspondence series, and the remaining 22 are housed with the Printed Items and Ephemera series.

The Military Papers series is divided into three subseries. Chronological Military Papers (51 items) include memorandums, orders, letters, telegrams, and other items pertaining to William Jason Mixter's military service during World War I, particularly related to his discharge in 1919. The subseries contains a list of personnel who served at Base Hospital No. 6. The Account Book, Diagnosis Book, and Notebooks subseries (4 items) consists of William Jason Mixter's account book from the London City & Midland Bank (June 30, 1918-January 15, 1919), a diagnosis book regarding soldiers' complaints onboard the SS Northland from February 11, 1919-February 17, 1919, and a notebook with brief personal memoranda. William Jason Mixter kept a medical notebook during his time at Hursley Camp Hospital near Winchester, England. He recorded biographical and medical information about his patients, and information about medical treatments. The Hursley Camp Hospital volume enclosed numerous clinical record slips and other manuscript notes.

The American Women's War Hospital Documents (3 items), pertaining to an institution in Paignton, England, are comprised of a photograph of nurses and patients outside of the hospital (December 1914) and two bundles of letter typescripts that a nurse named Mary Dexter wrote to her mother about her work at the hospital (November 22, 1914-January 9, 1915, and January 15, 1915-July 16, [1915]).

The Writings series (10 items) contains 9 typed and manuscript poems, mostly related to American soldiers' experiences during World War I, on topics such as volunteering for the army, traveling overseas, and encountering death. The poems "The Americans" and "Only a Volunteer" are present in manuscript and typescript form, and "The Young Dead" and "The Woman's Burden" are attributed to female authors (Lilian Palmer Powers and Laura E. Richards, respectively). The final item is a typescript of a resolution presented at a social club encouraging its members to proclaim loyalty during the war.

The Photographs series (114 items) is comprised of 113 photographic prints and a 32-page photograph album; some images are repeated. Items include studio portraits of William Jason Mixter in uniform; group portraits of nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel; pictures of wounded and convalescent soldiers during and after operations; interior views of medical facilities; and views of buildings and destruction in France. The photograph album and 80 loose items are housed in the Graphics Division (see Alternate Locations for more information).

The Printed Items and Ephemera series (59 items) consists of 3 unique pamphlets; 18 unique newspapers, newsletters, and newspaper clippings; 28 unique ephemeral items; and 4 books.

The pamphlets include 5 copies of an article by William Jason Mixter entitled "Surgical Experiences in France," originally published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 173.12 (September 16, 1915), pp. 413-418. The other pamphlets are an advertisement for an "Exhibition and Sale of the War Cartoons by Louis Raemaekers" (October 1916), including an introduction and small reproductions of the drawings, and "Welcome Home," a book commemorating the return of the 26th Division in April 1919. Newspaper articles and other publications (including 6 items housed in Oversize Manuscripts) pertain to aspects of the war, particularly concerning medical personnel, civilian relief organizations, and the medical career of Samuel J. Mixter. A copy of The Boston Herald dated November 11, 1918, announces the Armistice.

The 28 ephemeral items include programs and advertising cards pertaining to church services held in honor of Base Hospital No. 6; the collection includes several copies each of 2 programs. Other printed items include a small map of Cambridge and Boston, a circular related to the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, and a book of stationery with engravings of Belgian scenes. A few personal items relate to the Mixter family, such as visiting cards on which William Jason Mixter wrote personal messages, cards from Mixter's children with sewn pictures, a certificate regarding Dorothy Mixter's service with the American Red Cross canteen, and a small French-language almanac affixed to a card with colored illustrations of the Allied Nations' flags. Three additional items pertain directly to the American Red Cross: the cover of the December 1918 issue of The Red Cross Magazine, a Red Cross service flag for display in a home window, and an American Red Cross canteen worker patch. Other insignia items are a button and ribbon commemorating the 26th Division's return to the United States and two small pins that belonged to William Jason Mixter. Also present is William Jason Mixter's passport, issued on February 6, 1915.

The 4 books include: The History of U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 6 (Boston, Mass.: 1924), given to William Jason Mixter, Jr., by his father; Independence Day in London, 1918 (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1918); The Old Humanities and the New Science... (London: J. Murray, 1919); and Dere Mable: Love Letters of a Rookie (New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1918).

Collection

Waynesboro (Va.) Printer's account book, 1901-1904

32 pages (1 volume)

This 32-page account ledger documents sales made by an as-yet unidentified printer in or near Waynesboro, Virginia, from 1901 to 1904. Most entries include the date of purchase, the purchaser's name/business, quantity and type of items sold, prices, and occasionally markings indicating the receipt of payments. The types of items sold include circulars, envelopes, billheads, letterheads, notices, statements, ball invitations, memos, tickets, folders, booklets, blanks, notes, reports, printing jobs, and at least one typewriter. Quantities of sold items largely range from the low 100s to 1,000 pieces. Purchasers included the Henckels, J. A. Patterson, the Stuart Draft Mill Company, the Belmont Hotel, Blue Ridge Furniture Company, Bean's Photo Gallery, Basic Lithio Spring Company, Union Baptist Church, Union Sunday School, Presbyterian Church, Crimora Mine Company, F. M. White & Bro., and many others. In July 1901, the printer received orders of tickets and receipts for a Baptist bazaar.

This 32-page account ledger documents sales made by an as-yet unidentified printer in or near Waynesboro, Virginia, from 1901 to 1904. Most entries include the date of purchase, the purchaser's name/business, quantity and type of items sold, prices, and occasionally markings indicating that payments had been received. The types of items sold include circulars, envelopes, bill heads, letter heads, notices, statements, ball invitations, memos, tickets, folders, booklets, blanks, notes, reports, printing jobs, and at least one typewriter. Quantities of sold items largely range from the low 100s to 1,000 pieces.

Purchasers included the Henckels, J. A. Patterson, the Stuart Draft Mill Company, the Belmont Hotel, Blue Ridge Furniture Company, Bean's Photo Gallery, Basic Lithio Spring Company, Union Baptist Church, Union Sunday School, Presbyterian Church, Crimora Mine Company, F. M. White & Bro., and many others. In July 1901, tickets and receipts were ordered for a Baptist bazaar.

A note on the final page states: "Nihilist / Holt Nihil Henkel."

Collection

Charles Henry Eaton and Herbert Williams Eaton Horse Tour account book, 1893-1894

44 pages (1 volume)

This account book of Charles H. and Herbert W. Eaton is a record of expenses for a tour of Linus, an "Oregon Long-Haired Wonder" horse, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, to Augusta, Georgia, between July 7, 1893, and January 8, 1894. They listed revenue as "cash" and "picture money" (presumably for the sale of photographs). The expenditures are for Linus' needs, transportation, advertising and costume items, practical needs of the touring persons, wages for unspecified work, telegrams and newspaper advertisements, and musicians.

This account book of Charles H. and Herbert W. Eaton is a record of expenses for a tour of Linus, an "Oregon Long-Haired Wonder" horse, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, to Augusta, Georgia, between July 7, 1893, and January 8, 1894. They listed their revenue as "cash" and "picture money" (presumably for the sale of photographs). The expenditures are for Linus' needs, transportation, advertising and costume items, practical needs of the touring persons, wages for unspecified work, telegrams and newspaper advertisements, and musicians. The volume has the spine label "LEDGER" and each page bears a pre-printed, lined table for accounts. Facing pages have identical printed page numbers.

Some of the specific expenses include freight, other transportation (cars, "express team", and fare), boarding (for Linus), feed and hay, water, shoeing, tack, nails, meals, tents (cloth and "iron"), land rent, licenses, ribbons, flagging, a stove, coal, lamp parts, kerosene, a blanket, and more. References to musicians include a "boy drumming" (p. 37) and "Dujay, musician" (p. 46).

The stops on this tour included:
  • Calais, Maine, July 7, 1893 (p. 24, 1 page)
  • St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, July 8-22, 1893 (pp. 24-25, 2 pages)
  • Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, July 24-30, 1893 (p. 26, 2 pages)
  • Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, July 27-August 5, 1893 (p. 27, 2 pages)
  • Spring Hill, Canada, August 3-12, 1893 (p. 28, 2 pages)
  • Oxford, Nova Scotia, August 9-16, 1893 (p. 29, 2 pages)
  • Truro, Nova Scotia, August 15-19, 1893 (p. 30, 2 pages)
  • "Stellenton" [between Truro and Halifax], Nova Scotia, August 21-22, 1893 (p. 31, 2 pages)
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 24-31, 1893 (p. 32, 2 pages)
  • Worcester, Massachusetts, September 1-8, 1893 (p. 33, 2 pages)
  • Kingston, Massachusetts, September 12-16, 1893 (p. 34, 2 pages)
  • Providence, Rhode Island, September 15-23, 1893 (p. 35, 2 pages)
  • Poughkeepsie, New York, September 23-29, 1893 (p. 36, 2 pages)
  • Danbury, Connecticut. September 30-October 6, 1893 (p. 37, 2 pages)
  • Hagerstown, Maryland, October 7-October 13, 1893 (p. 38, 2 pages)
  • Raleigh, Warrentown, Fayetteville, and Columbia, North Carolina, October 14-November 9, 1893 (pp. 39-43, 8 pages)
  • Augusta, Georgia, November 14, 1893-January 8, 1894 (pp. 44-47, 7 pages)
Collection

Geiger family papers, 1890-1939 (majority within 1890-1918)

1.5 linear feet

The Geiger family papers are primarily made up of correspondence written or received by Henry and Mildred Palmer Geiger, who lived in Galena, Illinois, and Sheldon, Iowa, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes letters that the couple wrote to each other during their courtship and letters that Henry received from his wife, siblings, parents, and children while he served with the Illinois National Guard during the Spanish-American War and with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

The Geiger family papers are primarily made up of correspondence written or received by Henry and Mildred Palmer Geiger, who lived in Galena, Illinois, and Sheldon, Iowa, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes letters that the couple wrote to each other during their courtship and letters that Henry received from his wife, siblings, parents, and children while he served with the Illinois National Guard during the Spanish-American War and with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. Henry Geiger wrote over 100 letters to Mildred Palmer between 1890 and 1894, during their courtship. Though he lived in Galena, Illinois, he frequently spent time in Chicago and Scales Mound, Illinois, while serving with the 6th Illinois National Guard. His letters, often lighthearted, provide details about their relationship and social lives and, to a lesser extent, describe his military service, which included duty in Chicago during the 1894 Pullman Strike. During the summer of 1893, he discussed his experiences at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. He visited national pavilions, rode the Ferris wheel, and went on other excursions. The collection holds only a few of Mildred's responses before their marriage.

Henry Geiger received around 30 letters while serving in Company M of the 6th Illinois National Guard Regiment during the Spanish-American War. His siblings, parents, and other family members provided news from Galena, Illinois, and occasionally commented on the progress of the conflict. Henry served at Camp Alger and in Puerto Rico in the summer of 1898, and he wrote 1 letter during his service (August 21, 1898). His sister "Eda" enclosed a small woven United States flag in her letter of August 13, 1898. Henry also received around 35 letters from his wife and children when he was serving in various units during World War I; they discussed family news, the war, education, and their separation. Henry's brothers occasionally wrote about their careers.

In addition to Henry and Mildred's family letters, the collection contains 6 letters addressed to Effie Fowler, a schoolteacher who lived in Slater, Missouri, from 1905-1906 , including one letter of recommendation and other personal correspondence.

The Travel Manuscripts series is comprised of two sets of travel notes made while the unidentified authors visited Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, and Japan (6 index cards) and Israel (2 copies, 2 pages each).

The Financial records are receipts, accounts, and a check related to the financial affairs of the Geiger family and to Mrs. Lucy C. Wing of Marshall, Missouri. A small account book holding 2 pages of Wing's partially printed accounts is also included.

The Printed Items series consists of 4 newspaper clippings and an advertisement. Among the clippings are a recipe and an obituary for Mary Katherine Weinsheimer, Henry Geiger's mother. The advertisement in German announces Anna Heise's performance in Die Verfolgte Unschuld on May 3, 1930, in Philadelphia.

Collection

Lemuel Cotton daybooks, 1889-1894

2 volumes

Lemuel Cotton of Hiram, Maine, kept these daybooks to record the financial transactions associated with what appears to be a general goods store. Entries are made by individual days and list out customer names, purchases, and amounts owed and paid. Types of goods sold include food stuffs and spices, coffee and tea, candy, tobacco, medicine, household goods, tools, shoes, seeds, fertilizers, among other items. Some entries reveal additional elements of life in Hiram, such as charges for the use of a team at a funeral, sale of a suit of clothes and a casket, or sales of firecrackers near the Fourth of July. In addition to cash payments, some bartering appears to have been occurring, as lines of credit are noted for goods like butter, fruits and vegetables, meat, or for services like painting jobs, "picking chickens," butchering, and other day work.

Lemuel Cotton of Hiram, Maine, kept these daybooks to record the financial transactions associated with what appears to be a general goods store. The first volume spans from 1889 to 1890 and the second from 1892 to 1894. Entries are made by individual days and list out customer names, purchases, and amounts owed and paid. Types of goods sold include food stuffs and spices, coffee and tea, candy, tobacco, medicine, household goods, tools, shoes, seeds, fertilizers, among other items. Some entries reveal additional elements of life in Hiram, such as charges for the use of a team at a funeral (vol. 1, p. 39), sale of a suit of clothes and a casket (vol. 1, p. 54), or sales of firecrackers near the Fourth of July (vol. 1, p. 147). In addition to cash payments, some bartering appears to have been occurring, as lines of credit are noted for goods like butter, fruits and vegetables, meat, or for services like painting jobs, "picking chickens," butchering, and other day work.

Collection

Church, Theater, and School Seat sales book, 1889-1892, 1911 (majority within 1889-1892)

1 volume

This approximately 160-page volume contains working records of one or more traveling chair, desk, bench, and pew salesmen in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the Northeast between 1889 and 1892. A previous owner identified the business as the Richmond Furniture Company of Indiana, but this has not been verified. Each page includes the name or names of a client, prospect, or contact; names of existing or planned buildings; seating needs; costs; a record of communications; and other notes.

This approximately 160-page volume contains working records of one or more traveling chair, desk, bench, and pew salesmen in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the Northeast between 1889 and 1892. A previous owner identified the business as the Richmond Furniture Company of Indiana, but this has not been verified. Each page includes the name or names of a client, prospect, or contact; names of existing or planned buildings; seating needs; costs; a record of communications; and other notes.

The volume begins with a 3,000-seat music hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue, New York City—the Carnegie Hall. The most frequent clientele were churches, synagogues, and proprietors or developers of musical or theater venues. Record of a new City Hall in Syracuse, New York, the Hall for Jewish Society in Philadelphia, and an opera house in Poughkeepsie are other examples. Some entries document the sending of circulars and sale catalogs.

Pencil accounting for grocery and other purchases in 1911 are scattered throughout the volume.

Collection

Church, Theater, and School Seat sales book, 1889-1892, 1911, (Majority of material found within 1889-1892)

1 volume

This approximately 160-page volume contains working records of one or more traveling chair, desk, bench, and pew salesmen in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the Northeast between 1889 and 1892. A previous owner identified the business as the Richmond Furniture Company of Indiana, but this has not been verified. Each page includes the name or names of a client, prospect, or contact; names of existing or planned buildings; seating needs; costs; a record of communications; and other notes.

This approximately 160-page volume contains working records of one or more traveling chair, desk, bench, and pew salesmen in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the Northeast between 1889 and 1892. A previous owner identified the business as the Richmond Furniture Company of Indiana, but this has not been verified. Each page includes the name or names of a client, prospect, or contact; names of existing or planned buildings; seating needs; costs; a record of communications; and other notes.

The volume begins with a 3,000-seat music hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue, New York City—the Carnegie Hall. The most frequent clientele were churches, synagogues, and proprietors or developers of musical or theater venues. Record of a new City Hall in Syracuse, New York, the Hall for Jewish Society in Philadelphia, and an opera house in Poughkeepsie are other examples. Some entries document the sending of circulars and sale catalogs.

Pencil accounting for grocery and other purchases in 1911 are scattered throughout the volume.

Collection

Stamp account book, 1889-1890

1 volume

An unnamed employee maintained this account book between 1889 and 1890 for a company producing handstamps, embossing stamps, and stencils. The volume includes the date, name of the patron, fees, and an occasional note about services. Frequently, the finished product for the client is stamped next to the entry.

An unnamed employee maintained this account book between 1889 and 1890 for a company producing handstamps, embossing stamps, and stencils. The volume includes the date, name of the patron, fees, and an occasional note about services. Frequently, the finished product for the client is stamped next to the entry.

The stamps predominantly represent names or symbols of businesses from across the United States, with many from the shoe and clothing industries. Other stamps described the quality of company's wares or noted patents, while some stamps were for individual names. One stamp advertised the one hundredth performance of the play "Oolah" on Broadway (p. 57). While many of the stamps feature graphic typography and embellishments, several stamps include images, such as feet in shoes (p. 54, 101), a dove (p. 73), a belt (p. 91), an American flag (p. 100) and eagle (p. 108), a crown (p. 100), four-leaf clovers (p. 104), a ship (p. 107), and a cow (p. 109). At least one stamp includes backward lettering (p. 101). Several embossed stamps were done on other paper and pasted into the volume or done directly on the paper in the volume.

Collection

Saloon account book, 1889-1890

1 volume

This account book (88 pages) contains information about a saloon owner's personal and professional expenses from January 1889-December 1890. Internal evidence suggests that this may have been the Leonard Brothers Saloon, located on Edmond Street in St. Joseph, Missouri.

This account book (88 pages) contains information about a saloon owner's personal and professional expenses from January 1889-December 1890.

The owner recorded daily accounts of cash, stocked goods, and expenses on facing pages. He purchased beer from the Anheuser-Bush Brewing Association, the August Nunning Brewing Company, the St. Joseph Brewing Company, the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company, and other suppliers. He also bought whiskey, rye, gin, cider, soda water, and cigars. Business-related expenses included electric lighting, foods, insurance, licenses, and laborers, such as a watchman and a "colored man" (p. 33). Personal expenses included groceries, shoes, medical care, opera and theater tickets, a "hired girl," streetcar passes, membership dues, and taxes.

Collection

Stamp account book, 1889-1890

1 volume

An unnamed employee maintained this account book between 1889 and 1890 for a company producing handstamps, embossing stamps, and stencils. The volume includes the date, name of the patron, fees, and an occasional note about services. Frequently, the finished product for the client is stamped next to the entry.

An unnamed employee maintained this account book between 1889 and 1890 for a company producing handstamps, embossing stamps, and stencils. The volume includes the date, name of the patron, fees, and an occasional note about services. Frequently, the finished product for the client is stamped next to the entry.

The stamps predominantly represent names or symbols of businesses from across the United States, with many from the shoe and clothing industries. Other stamps described the quality of company's wares or noted patents, while some stamps were for individual names. One stamp advertised the one hundredth performance of the play "Oolah" on Broadway (p. 57). While many of the stamps feature graphic typography and embellishments, several stamps include images, such as feet in shoes (p. 54, 101), a dove (p. 73), a belt (p. 91), an American flag (p. 100) and eagle (p. 108), a crown (p. 100), four-leaf clovers (p. 104), a ship (p. 107), and a cow (p. 109). At least one stamp includes backward lettering (p. 101). Several embossed stamps were done on other paper and pasted into the volume or done directly on the paper in the volume.

Collection

Sarah and Edward Ogden travel diaries, 1886-1908

9 volumes

The Ogden collection consists of diaries written by Sarah and Edward Ogden detailing trips to places in Europe, Russia, the United States and Mexico from the years 1886 to 1908.

The Sarah and Edward Ogden diaries consist of seven diaries written by Sarah Ogden, one expense book kept by Edward Ogden, and one other diary, possibly written by Edward Ogden. The diaries span the years from 1886 to 1908.

A trip taken from 1886-1887 was to Europe, and the destinations were as follows: England (June 1886); Germany (July 1886); Austria and Switzerland (August 1886); France (September 1886); Spain (October 1886); France (the end of 1886, and early 1887); Italy (March 1887); Denmark (June 1887); St. Petersburg and Moscow (July and August, 1887); England (September and October, 1887); and then back to the United States. The trip taken from 1889-1890 was from New Jersey to Seattle, then south to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and back north again to New Jersey. The trip in 1891 was south to Florida. The final trip in 1908 was also to Europe -- Amsterdam, Coblenz, and Bologne.

Collection

Henry Toggenburger collection, 1885-1937 (majority within 1885)

22 items

This collection contains two notebooks and 20 letters, documents, and receipts related to the unsolved hatchet murder of Henry Toggenburger on August 15, 1885, in Sedalia, Missouri. The papers include notebooks related to Henry Toggenburger's final months, his death, and the transportation of his body; letters preceding his death; and materials dating after his decease.

The collection contains two notebooks and 20 letters, documents, and receipts related to the unsolved hatchet murder of Henry Toggenburger on August 15, 1885, in Sedalia, Missouri. The papers include notebooks related to Henry Toggenburger's final months, his death, and the transportation of his body; letters preceding his death; and materials post-dating his death. A few examples include:

  • Account and Note Book, [ca. 1885], relating to housing, food, building supplies, and travel expenses.
  • Account and Note Book, [ca. 1885], including costs related to Henry's funeral, amounts paid for the coffin and undertaker, and railroad fees for transporting the body from Missouri to Ohio.
  • Henry Toggenburger letter to his brother, Samuel Toggenburger April 22, 1885. Currently in Eureka, Kansas, Henry relates his travels from Polk City, Iowa, through Nebraska and Kansas.
  • Henry Toggenburger letter to his friend, Cal[vin], August 2, 1885. Henry, now in Sedalia, Missouri, describes leaving Eureka, Kansas, on July 4, traveling to Texas, where he "did not stay long," noting that he has "seen lots of Indians when I was going through the nation." Now, in Sedalia, at telegraph school, he ends his letter stating that he was "going down town to see my girl."
  • Henry Toggenburger letter to his brother, Samuel, August 14, 1885, from Sedalia, Missouri. Written the day before he was murdered, Henry's penmanship is strikingly void of its typical flourish. He tells his brother that his "catarrh" is quite painful and beseeches his brother to send money promptly.
  • Western Union Telegraph sent by Sam[uel] Toggenburger, August 18, 1885.
  • Lowell letter to Samuel Toggenburger, August 19, 1885. Claiming to be a private detective, he asserts his belief that Henry's death was not a suicide, as the jury initially concluded but was, in fact, murder. He offers his services as a means of locating the guilty party or parties involved.
  • Invoice from Dr. W. C. Overstreet, Jr., August 19, 1885, for fees related to the inquest into Henry's death.
  • H. W. Barrier to Samuel Toggenburger, August 23, 1885. A previous employer of Henry's from Eureka, Kansas, Barrier disputes the suicide ruling, stating that Henry was "a good, trustworthy young man" and hopes those guilty are brought to trial.
  • Receipt from McLaughlin Bros., undertakers, August 25, 1885.
  • Affidavit of I. Jennings attesting to the death of Ulrich, Henry, and Elizabeth Toggenburger, April 16, 1937, relating to property held by the family members. Recorded within the document are details of Henry's funeral in Bluffton, Ohio.

Collection

Frederick F. Kislingbury collection, 1881-1919 (majority within 1881-1891)

1 linear foot

This collection contains correspondence, legal documents, financial records, and other material related to the family of Frederick Kislingbury, who died during Adolphus Greely's expedition to the Arctic in the early 1880s. The majority of the material pertains to disputes over Kislingbury's estate, the custody of his children, and his sons' later lives.

This collection contains correspondence, legal documents, financial records, and other material related to the family of Frederick Kislingbury, who died during Adolphus Greely's expedition to the Arctic in the early 1880s. The majority of the material pertains to disputes over his estate, the custody of his children, and his sons' later lives.

The Correspondence and Documents series (around 500 items) comprises the bulk of the collection. Before embarking on Adolphus Greely's Lady Franklin Bay Expedition in August 1881, Frederick Kislingbury signed several personal checks, received postcards from the Army Mutual Aid Association, and corresponded with acquaintances about his finances. On August 17, 1881, he wrote a letter to his sons about his upcoming voyage, and he marked the expedition's proposed landing point on a printed map of the Arctic regions. Soon after his father's departure, Harry H. G. Kislingbury received letters and legal documents regarding a package that his father had sent to him before leaving for the Arctic. Several other letters pertain directly to the expedition. In a letter to Kislingbury dated January 20, 1882, Adolphus Greeley criticized Greely's sleeping habits during his "enforced stay with this command" and discussed the circumstances that led to Kislingbury's initial dismissal for insubordination in 1881. A copied letter from Captain W. M. Beebe about the Neptune's attempted rescue mission (July 17, 1882) and a printed letter confirming the failure of the 1883 relief expedition (September 14, 1883) are also present.

The bulk of the series is made up of incoming letters, legal documents, and financial records to Charles Lamartine Clark, a Detroit resident who served as Kislingbury's estate executor. The material primarily concerns the estate's finances and the custody of Kislingbury's sons. Clark often corresponded with the Army Mutual Aid Association, and the collection has a copy of its 4th annual report (1883). John P. Kislingbury and William H. Kislingbury, Frederick Kislingbury's brothers, wrote to Clark from Rochester, New York. They argued over custody of the Kislingbury children, their brother's funeral and burial, and his financial affairs, though their later correspondence was more cordial toward Clark. Clark also owned an account book covering Kislingbury's relationship with Riggs & Co. from 1881-1884. Some items from 1885 concern a pension that the United States Congress awarded to his sons and related efforts to certify their ages.

After 1885, Harry H. G. Kislingbury wrote letters to Clark about his experiences at the Michigan Military Academy in Orchard Lake, Michigan. Clark also received letters about Harry's conduct from the school's superintendent. Harry later wrote about his life in San Francisco, California, and Flagstaff, Arizona, in the late 1880s.

Wheeler Kislingbury wrote several lengthy personal letters to Charles L. Clark in 1913 and 1914, mentioning his life in San Francisco, California, expressing regret over his uncles' actions following his father's death, and discussing the possibility of publishing his father's diary. Additionally, one letter describes an encounter with Adolphus Greely in which the officer refused to talk to Wheeler after discovering that he was Frederick Kislingbury's son (May 7, 1913). Douglas E. L. Kislingbury wrote a brief personal letter to Clark from Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1917, and Wheeler wrote 2 letters to Clark's wife from Winslow, Arizona, in 1919.

Henry H. G. Kislingbury kept a Diary (100 pages) while traveling from New York to San Francisco onboard the St. Mark between December 6, 1886, and April 22, 1887. Kislingbury wrote about the ship's crew, the weather, the scenery, and the captain's family, who were passengers on the voyage.

The Cass School (Detroit, Mich.) and Michigan Military Academy Papers pertain to the education of two of Frederick Kislingbury's sons. Two report cards from the Cass School in Detroit, Michigan, provide information on Walter Kislingbury's academic progress in 1883. The remaining 25 loose items are report cards and receipts concerning Harry H. G. Kislingbury's academic progress, conduct, and finances during his time at the Michigan Military Academy, 1884-1886. He also kept an account book while attending the school.

The Photographs series (5 items) contains portraits of Charles L. Clark, his wife Georgina Frazer Clark, and a group portrait of Clark with Walter Frederick Kislingbury and Wheeler Kislingbury. Frederick Kislingbury carried the carte-de-visite of Charles L. Clark during the Greely expedition.

A manuscript Menu lists the meals consumed by the Greely expedition on each day of the week.

The Printed Items series is comprised of 2 items: a copy of the Sunday Morning Herald with an article about Frederick Kislingbury's death (July 20, 1884) and Harry H. G. Kislingbury's copy of Emory Upton's Infantry Tactics Double and Single Rank. Adapted to American Topography and Improved Fire-Arms (Revised edition, 1884).

Collection

Mark and Frank Bigler account book, 1880-1907 (majority within 1882-1904)

1 volume

Undertakers, carpenters, and farmers Mark Bigler IV and his son Frank Earnest Bigler of Botetourt County, Virginia, kept this volume of financial records. The primary accounting documents coffin-making and burials from 1891 to 1909, with names of the deceased, names of the parent(s) of the deceased in cases of infant's and children's deaths, in two cases race (African American men), costs, and payment statuses. Other accounts pertain to mending, clerking, sawmill labor, wagon making, house and barn work, repair work on fences, plank, lumber, agricultural labor (related to hay, corn, potato, wheat, etc.), harvesting, rail splitting, and other work. The accounts with L. W. Painter include castor oil, whiskey, medicine, pills, "morphia," and needles.

Undertakers, carpenters, and farmers Mark Bigler IV and his son Frank Earnest Bigler of Botetourt County, Virginia, kept this volume of financial records. The primary accounting documents coffin-making and burials from 1891 to 1909, with names of the deceased, names of the parent(s) of the deceased in cases of infant's and children's deaths, in two cases race (African American men), costs, and payment statuses. Other accounts pertain to mending, clerking, sawmill labor, wagon making, house and barn work, repair work on fences, plank, lumber, agricultural labor or purchases (related to hay, corn, potato, wheat, flour, etc.), harvesting, rail splitting, and other work.

The accounts with L. W. Painter include castor oil, whiskey, medicine, pills, "morphia," and needles. The Biglers also had accounts with the Mt. Union Church. The volume contains a recipe for varnish. Laid into the back of the volume are miscellaneous Bigler family genealogical notes.

Collection

Hattie A. Abbott expense book, 1880

1 volume

In 1880 Hattie A. Abbott used this "Common School Writing Book" produced by Cheney & Clapp, Booksellers and Stationers, of Brattleboro, Vermont, for penmanship exercises and to record her personal expenses. Only the first page was used for brief penmanship exercises. Abbott recorded purchases of clothing and fabric, jewelry, writing supplies and postage, sewing and cleaning supplies, a valentine, candy and ice cream, tintypes and pictures, car fare and other travel expenses, and other items.

In 1880 Hattie A. Abbott used this "Common School Writing Book" produced by Cheney & Clapp, Booksellers and Stationers, of Brattleboro, Vermont, for penmanship exercises and to record her personal expenses. Only the first page was used for brief penmanship exercises. Abbott recorded purchases of clothing and fabric, jewelry, writing supplies and postage, sewing and cleaning supplies, a valentine, candy and ice cream, tintypes and pictures, car fare and travel expenses, and other items.

A two-page colored advertisement for "Meteor Set Everblooming Roses" copyrighted in 1889, with illustrations of roses and a front veranda and garden, is laid into the volume.

Collection

Jacob Fordney Kreps ledger, 1879-1883

1 volume

This ledger contains around 60 pages of financial accounts between Cadet Jacob Fordney Kreps and the treasurers of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, dated June 1879 to June 1883.

This ledger contains around 60 pages of monthly financial accounts between Cadet Jacob Fordney Kreps and the treasurers of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, dated June 1879-June 1883. A printed list of items that an incoming cadet should own when entering the academy is located on the volume's front endpaper. Kreps recorded his accounts on pre-printed pages with areas for recording monthly income, his expenses, and items he received from the academy's commissary. He received $90 pay each month, and was charged for various living expenses, including board and laundry service; articles of clothing, such as shoes and coats; and other items, such as soap and tobacco. One receipt is laid into the volume.

Collection

Merchant's asset, liability, and inventory ledger, 1878-1894

1 volume

This ledger contains documentation of the overall assets and liabilities of a merchant from 1878-1894, possibly in New York State. It includes information on monthly sales and net profits for several years, invoices of goods received and weekly cash sales, trades in stock, lists of store fixtures, and detailed yearly inventories of the store's merchandise, with notes on quantities and values. The types of goods include jewelry, fashion accessories, stationery, albums and scrapbooks, writing utensils, decorative items and tableware, toiletries, toys, and books of varying genres.

This ledger contains documentation of the overall assets and liabilities of a merchant from 1878-1894, possibly in New York State. It includes information on monthly sales and net profits for several years, invoices of goods received and weekly cash sales, trades in stock, lists of store fixtures, and detailed yearly inventories of the store's merchandise, with notes on quantities and values. The types of goods include jewelry, fashion accessories, stationery, albums and scrapbooks, writing utensils, decorative items and tableware, toiletries, toys, and books of varying genres. The books and magazines represented include schoolbooks, children's books, poetry and literature, religious texts, and popular titles (including the Police Gazette), histories, etc.

Collection

M. B. Hartzell memoranda and account book, 1878-1880

1 volume

M. B. Hartzell, a physician working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, maintained this memoranda and account book between 1878 and 1880. He kept notes on poisons and their antidotes, recorded patients' names, addresses, and number of physician visits, and documented charges and payments. He occasionally wrote notes about medical literature to read and what appears to be case notes and medicines prescribed. He tended wounds, abscesses, and burns, treated venereal diseases, performed gynecological and obstetrical services, and gave vaccinations, among other services.

M. B. Hartzell, a physician working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, maintained this memoranda and account book between 1878 and 1880. He kept notes on poisons and their antidotes, recorded patients' names, addresses, and number of physician visits, and documented charges and payments. He occasionally wrote notes about medical literature to read and what appears to be case notes and medicines prescribed. He tended wounds, abscesses, and burns, treated venereal diseases, performed gynecological and obstetrical services, and gave vaccinations, among other services.

At least two entries appear to be related to African American patients (October 9-10, 1878, and August 26-27, 1879). A blank prescription slip is laid into the volume, and notes at the end of the volume list out obstetrical cases, document children to be vaccinated, and provide recipes for prescriptions. A circular diagram is drawn on the rear paste down, with notations of calendar dates and a record of numbers for each month, possibly related to tallying medical cases for the year but further research is needed.

Collection

Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society constitution and minute book, 1878-1879

1 volume

This volume contains the constitution and meeting minutes of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society (A.M.D. Society) of East Providence, Rhode Island, as well as apparently unrelated financial accounts.

This volume contains the constitution and meeting minutes of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society (A.M.D. Society) of East Providence, Rhode Island, as well as apparently unrelated financial accounts.

The volume begins with the miscellaneous financial accounting before the content switches to that of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society. The A.M.D. Society was created to raise funds to purchase books for the Union Grammar School; additional content includes a copy of the Society's constitution, by-laws, and meeting minutes, as well as the names of the elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Society.

Also present within the volume is a blank manuscript form for a last will and testament.

Collection

M. T. Bennett, Jr. & Company ledger, 1875-1896

1 volume

M. T. Bennett, Jr. & Co. kept this pre-printed business ledger of detailed information about shipments of coal by this Fall River, Massachusetts, company (87 pages used out of 384 total). Each entry includes the date, No. of Pock., name of vessel, received/credited to, delivered/charged to, article (i.e. type of coal), No. of B. L., tons & 20th, price of freight, gross freight, advance to captain, discharging, net freight, invoice price, amount of invoice, and other remarks. The company's letterhead reads "M. T. Bennett, Jr. & Co., wholesale and retail dealers in Delaware and Hudson Canal company's Lackawanna, 'Fulton,' Stout,' (Lehigh,) Scranton, Wilkesbarre and Bituminous Coal."

M. T. Bennett, Jr. & Co. kept this pre-printed business ledger of detailed information about shipments of coal by this Fall River, Massachusetts, company (87 pages used out of 384 total). Each entry includes the date, No. of Pock., name of vessel, received/credited to, delivered/charged to, article (i.e. type of coal), No. of B. L., tons & 20th, price of freight, gross freight, advance to captain, discharging, net freight, invoice price, amount of invoice, and other remarks.

Laid into the volume is a partially printed receipt for "cargo" shipped aboard the schooner W. S. Mount, paid July 30, 1877. The printed header reads "M. T. Bennett, Jr. & Co., wholesale and retail dealers in Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Lackawanna, 'Fulton,' Stout,' (Lehigh,) Scranton, Wilkesbarre and Bituminous Coal."

Collection

James L. Burkhalter account book, 1873-1875

1 volume

In this account book, James L. Burkhalter of Maquon, Illinois, recorded financial transactions for his building and contracting business from 1873 to 1875, with many appearing to relate to laborers on his projects. Occasional details hint at the types of projects and activities supporting them, like payments for work on bridges, stonework, hauling loads of stone and sand, working in quarries, and making deeds. Main projects appear to have been on Wolf Bridge and Court Creek Bridge. Several pages at the end of the volume include accounts of men getting liquor and whiskey and notes dates of when individuals got drunk.

In this account book, James L. Burkhalter of Maquon, Illinois, recorded financial transactions for his building and contracting business from 1873 to 1875, with many appearing to relate to laborers working on his projects. Portions of the volume are arranged by individual, while others are organized as a daybook, noting daily transactions. Payments were made predominantly with cash, though some entries include items like horse feed, boarding bills, lumber, whiskey, and tobacco. Credits principally relate to wages owed by Burkhalter. Occasional details hint at the types of projects and activities supporting them, like payments for work on bridges, stonework, hauling loads of stone and sand, working in quarries, and making deeds. Main projects appear to have been on Wolf Bridge and Court Creek Bridge, and several accounts detail expenses relating to them. At least three entries relate to the cost of making a coffin (see pages facing numerated pages 40, 48, and 56).

Burkhalter included several financial accounts that appear personal in nature, including several monthly tallies of expenses for foodstuffs and sundries, as well as earnings for tasks like making deeds, executions, and mortgages, filing saws and cutting frames, among others. One chart labelled "Time Book" spans October to December 1874 and tracks total days worked for several individuals and their earnings.

Miscellaneous entries include an inventory of furniture; accounts with the Maquon School District; measurements for the "North Crib," "South Crib," Littlers Creek Bridge, and South Pier. Several pages at the end of the volume include accounts of men getting liquor and whiskey and notes dates of when individuals got drunk.

Collection

Buttolph family collection, 1872-1924 (majority within 1872-1890)

3 volumes

The Buttolph family collection contains two diaries and an account book chronicling the experiences and expenses of Larnard D. and Florence W. Buttolph of Corfu, New York, in the late 1800s. Florence W. Buttolph's 1872 diary concerns her social life in rural New York, Larnard D. Buttolph's 1873 diary covers his experiences working in California, and an account book reflects Larnard's farm expenses between 1882 and 1890.

The Buttolph family collection contains two diaries and an account book chronicling the experiences and expenses of Larnard D. and Florence W. Buttolph of Corfu, New York, in the late 19th century. Florence's diary (80 pages), kept between March 10, 1872, and September 28, 1872, relates her social life and daily experiences, including visits to neighbors and attendance at school; she frequently helped her mother around the house, and knitted in her spare time.

The first 40 pages of Larnard’s diary contain addresses and a correspondence record, and the remainder of the volume is a daily diary kept between April 8, 1873, and January 15, 1874, reflecting his experiences traveling by train to California and working at a mill in the northern part of the state. The first few entries, dated in April, cover his transcontinental railroad trip, during which he wrote about his impressions of Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. He reached California by the end of that month, and spent the remainder of the year working various jobs near Sacramento, including mill work and ranching. Though he made some money and was able to travel to San Francisco in December, he decided to return to New York in mid-January 1874.

The final item is Larnard's account book, covering farm expenses between 1882 and 1889, with a few 20th-century items laid in. The first few pages reflect the general state of his finances in 1882 and 1883, and more specific later accounts cover his transactions with local butchers, shearers, and laborers; some record purchases and others sales. Among the items laid in is a printed document for stockholders, entitled "The Pennsylvania Railroad System in 1923" (May 15, 1924).

Visual material includes an ink drawing of a bird and butterfly, as well as tintypes and other photographs of Buttolph family members and anonymous individuals.

Collection

The Literary Society of Rochester Institute constitution and by-laws, 1872-1877 (majority within 1872)

1 volume

This volume contains the 1872 constitution and by-laws of The Literary Society of Rochester Institute, a school located in Rochester, Racine County, Wisconsin (pages 1-9). The volume also contains a list of elected officers, names of members, and the topic for their first meeting, "That Intemperence is a greater evil than War" (pages 10-13). Following the literary society content are agricultural accounts for an unidentified individual in Rochester, Wisconsin, 1873-1877 (pages 16-31).

This volume contains the 1872 constitution and by-laws of The Literary Society of Rochester Institute, a school located in Rochester, Racine County, Wisconsin (pages 1-9). The volume also contains a list of elected officers, names of members, and the topic for their first meeting, "That Intemperence is a greater evil than War" (pages 10-13). Following the literary society content are agricultural accounts for an unidentified individual in Rochester, Wisconsin, 1873-1877 (pages 16-31).

Page 19 contains a list of activities marked "Lost Time – 1872" containing entries such as "Went to Picnic," "School," "Went to Fair," "Went to see P.T. Barnum, Racine," and others.

Collection

Newington (N.H.) account book, 1870-1880

9 pages (1 vol.)

This volume contains nine pages of accounts, beginning with the purchase of "Brewster Farm" at Newington, New Hampshire, in September 1870. Scattered accounts document the sale of a portion of the farm to L. L. De'Rochement, annual rentals of pastureland, and the sale of pears, apples, cider, and hay. The document concludes March 30, 1880. The bookkeeper recorded his entries in a slim blank book with printed covers, sold by Cutter Tower & Co. Stationers, No. 89 Devonshire Street, Boston. The front cover bears the title "Writing Book" and an illustration of a hand holding a steel pen. The back cover shows a multiplication table and chart.

This volume contains nine pages of accounts, beginning with the purchase of "Brewster Farm" at Newington, New Hampshire, in September 1870. Scattered accounting documents the sale of a portion of the farm to L. L. De'Rochement, annual rentals of pastureland, and the sale of pears, apples, cider, and hay. The document concludes March 30, 1880.

The bookkeeper recorded his entries in a slim blank book with printed covers, sold by Cutter Tower & Co. Stationers, No. 89 Devonshire Street, Boston. The front cover bears the title "Writing Book" and an illustration of a hand holding a steel pen. The back cover shows a multiplication table and chart.

Collection

Rochester (N.Y.) Horse and Carriage ledger, 1870-1871

1 volume

This 61-page ledger contains the accounts of an unidentified supplier of horse and carriage rentals in Rochester, New York, 1870-1871. The entries are brief, frequently containing the name of a horse (Ned, Cinderella, Nellie, Blk, Charly, Jeny, Sam, Duk, and others), the type of carriage (i.e. hack, buggy, coach), and costs. Other accounts include cash and rent by livery stable workers Hiram Wood and John H. Austin, and First National Bank transactions for the purchase of hay and oats.

This 61-page ledger contains the accounts of an unidentified supplier of horse and carriage rentals in Rochester, New York, 1870-1871. The entries are brief, frequently containing the name of a horse (Ned, Cinderella, Nellie, Blk, Charly, Jeny, Sam, Duk, and others), the type of carriage (hack, buggy, coach, etc.), and a cost. Among many clients are livery stable workers Hiram Wood and John H. Austin (cash and rent); First National Bank (purchase of hay and oats); and the Rochester Iron Manufacturing Company, whose foundry was located at nearby Charlotte.

Collection

New York and Canada Line account book, 1869-1921 (majority within 1869-1873, 1889-1910)

1 volume

The first section of this volume contains 73 pages of accounting records for the New York and Canada Line, which shipped cargo on the Northeast Atlantic seaboard and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The entries date from 1869 to 1873. A second section of the volume contains accounting and inventory records for an unidentified slate company, between 1889 and 1910. The final page contains a single entry by an unknown party for a lumber purchase in 1921.

The first section of this volume contains 73 pages of accounting records for the New York and Canada Line, which shipped cargo on the Northeast Atlantic seaboard and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The entries date from 1869 to 1873 and they contain varying levels of detail, such as boat names; Captains' names; expenses (such as towing and freight fees); Captains' compensation; monetary details (such as monies exchanged by cash or check, and rates based upon a gold standard); and cargo (such as salt, coal/egg coal, pitch, rosin, clay, tobacco, and provisions).

Destinations referenced include:

  • Albany, New York
  • Burlington, Vermont
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Cornwall, Canada
  • Fort Edward, New York
  • Hillsborough, New York
  • Montréal, Canada
  • New York, New York
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Québec, Canada
  • Richelieu, Québec, Canada
  • Whitehall, New York

The second section of the volume, consisting of 24 pages, contains accounting and inventory records from 1889-1910 for an unidentified slate company.

The final page contains a single entry by an unknown party for a lumber purchase in 1921.

Collection

George Albert Taber collection, 1869-1895 (majority within 1871-1886)

0.25 linear feet

This collection contains correspondence, poetry, financial records, and other items related to the medical career of George A. Taber, a homeopathic physician who attended and taught at the University of Michigan and practiced in New York and Virginia in the late 19th century.

This collection (0.25 linear feet) contains correspondence, financial records, patient visiting records, poetry, and other items related to the medical career of George A. Taber, a homeopathic physician, who attended and taught at the University of Michigan and practiced in New York and Virginia in the late 19th century.

The Correspondence series (36 items) contains 33 letters to George A. Taber, as well as 3 personal and professional letters written by Taber. Taber's grandfather, Gamaliel Taber, provided family news from New Bedford, Massachusetts, and occasionally discussed his work as a coffin maker. Many letters pertain to Taber's assistant professorship at the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical School, to Taber's private practices, and to 19th-century homeopathic medicine. One correspondent commented on an article that Taber had contributed to a medical journal, and another wrote a case report on a patient treated with picric acid. Samuel A. Jones discussed clinical cases in Ann Arbor, Michigan, developments at the university's medical school, and the economics of medical practice. George A. Taber also wrote 2 brief personal letters to his future wife, Caroline L. Crowell, and 1 draft letter to a professional acquaintance.

The Letter Book (approximately 85 pages) includes personal and professional letters that George A. Taber wrote from March 1875-December 1895, in which he discussed his experiences in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and his private practices in New York and Virginia.

The collection's 3 Account and Cash Books belonged to George A. Taber and pertain to his medical practices and to his personal finances. Taber kept Patient Visiting Records in 2 volumes, each of which contains printed reference information for homeopathic physicians. Taber's manuscript notes record the names of his patients, dates and types of patients' visits, fees charged, and remedies prescribed.

The Poetry series (8 items) consists of brief verses, including a poem about South Carolina around the time of secession. Samuel A. Jones wrote a poem entitled "The Yankee," and George A. Taber dedicated one poem to Carrie L. Crowell.

Four Pamphlets concerning homeopathy and physicians are housed in the Book Division.

The Ephemera series contains 3 items: a photographic identity card for George A. Taber, a blank invoice from "Drs. Jones & Taber" with manuscript notes on the back, and a card with statistics comparing the use of allopathy and homeopathy at an almshouse in Denver, Colorado.

Collection

Maria J. Gibbs Barnard diaries and Adams family collection, 1865-[1950s]

28 volumes

This collection contains 20 pre-printed daily diaries by Maria Jennings Barnard née Gibbs of East Wareham and Onset, Massachusetts, for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1873, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1914, and 1924-1932. Maria J. Gibbs' diaries pertain to home life (especially cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other housework). In the 1860s and 1870s, while in her 20s, she remarked on her work at cotton mills and sewing establishments in Plymouth and Middlesex Counties as well as her experiences living at various boarding houses. At the end of 1876, she married Nantucket sailor Benjamin A. Barnard and the diaries of 1880 and 1881 include content on household labor, child rearing, visits to other areas in the state, and loneliness from her husband's absences. Barnard wrote her later diaries, 1914 and 1924-1932, following the death of her husband in 1895, from Onset, Massachusetts, where she wrote about time with her daughter Nellie Barnard Robbins and grandson Lloyd Robbins, trips around Eastern Massachusetts, annual trips to Florida for the winter, cooking, cleaning, and visiting friends. The remainder of the collection is comprised of eight diaries, account books, address books, memoranda books, and wallets pertaining to the family of Maria Barnard's granddaughter Mildred Grace Robbins née Adams of Attleboro, Massachusetts, between 1913 and the 1950s.

This collection contains 20 pre-printed daily diaries by Maria Jennings Barnard née Gibbs of East Wareham and Onset, Massachusetts, for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1873, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1914, and 1924-1932. Maria J. Gibbs' diaries pertain to home life (especially cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other housework). In the 1860s and 1870s, while in her 20s, she remarked on her work at cotton mills and sewing establishments in Plymouth and Middlesex Counties as well as her experiences living at various boarding houses. Her 1872 diary includes a two-month trip to Chicago to visit relatives, with content on the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871. Maria suffered from regular headaches and frequent nearly debilitating sicknesses. At the end of 1876, she married Nantucket sailor Benjamin A. Barnard and the diaries of 1880 and 1881 include content on household labor, child rearing, visits to other areas in the state, and loneliness from her husband's absences. Bernard wrote her later diaries, 1914 and 1924-1932, following the death of her husband in 1895, from Onset, Massachusetts, where she wrote about time with her daughter Nellie Barnard Robbins and grandson Lloyd Robbins, trips around Eastern Massachusetts, annual trips to Florida for the winter, cooking, cleaning, and visiting friends. When the 1932 diary concluded, Maria was 86 years old. The remainder of the collection is comprised of eight diaries, account books, address books, memoranda books, and wallets pertaining to the family of Maria Barnard's granddaughter Mildred Grace Robbins née Adams of Attleboro, Massachusetts, between 1913 and the 1950s.

Collection

Stephentown (N.Y.) Commissioner of Highways account book, 1864-1901 (majority within 1864-1895)

1 volume

This account book contains the financial records for the Stephentown, New York, Commissioners of Highways, from 1864 to 1895. These include costs for receiving and making road warrants, viewing sheep killed by dogs, building, repairing, and examining sluices, bridges, and roads, removing obstructions, using livestock and equipment, wages for day work, purchasing and drawing planks and timber, purchasing spikes, receiving various taxes, viewing fences, drilling, blasting, and drawing stone, and other associated tasks related to creating and sustaining transportation infrastructure. Signed certifications of expenses and payments by the Board of Town Auditors appear on several accounts. Named Commissioners of Highways include Pelig B. Daniels, Joel E. Adams, and Jeremiah O. Greenman.

This account book contains the financial records for the Stephentown, New York, Commissioners of Highways, from 1864 to 1895. These include costs for receiving and making road warrants, viewing sheep killed by dogs, building, repairing, and examining sluices, bridges, and roads, removing obstructions, using livestock and equipment, wages for day work, purchasing and drawing planks and timber, purchasing spikes, receiving various taxes, viewing fences, drilling, blasting, and drawing stone, and other associated tasks related to creating and sustaining transportation infrastructure.

Signed certifications of expenses and payments by the Board of Town Auditors appear on several accounts. Named Commissioners of Highways include Pelig B. Daniels, Joel E. Adams, and Jeremiah O. Greenman. One certificate of the Stephentown Fence Viewers, dated November 7, 1896, is laid into the volume, attesting to the death of a sheep by dogs and the damages thereby sustained, payment received in 1901.

Collection

Stephentown (N.Y.) Commissioner of Highways account book, 1864-1901, (Majority of material found within 1864-1895)

1 volume

This account book contains the financial records for the Stephentown, New York, Commissioners of Highways, from 1864 to 1895. These include costs for receiving and making road warrants, viewing sheep killed by dogs, building, repairing, and examining sluices, bridges, and roads, removing obstructions, using livestock and equipment, wages for day work, purchasing and drawing planks and timber, purchasing spikes, receiving various taxes, viewing fences, drilling, blasting, and drawing stone, and other associated tasks related to creating and sustaining transportation infrastructure. Signed certifications of expenses and payments by the Board of Town Auditors appear on several accounts. Named Commissioners of Highways include Pelig B. Daniels, Joel E. Adams, and Jeremiah O. Greenman.

This account book contains the financial records for the Stephentown, New York, Commissioners of Highways, from 1864 to 1895. These include costs for receiving and making road warrants, viewing sheep killed by dogs, building, repairing, and examining sluices, bridges, and roads, removing obstructions, using livestock and equipment, wages for day work, purchasing and drawing planks and timber, purchasing spikes, receiving various taxes, viewing fences, drilling, blasting, and drawing stone, and other associated tasks related to creating and sustaining transportation infrastructure.

Signed certifications of expenses and payments by the Board of Town Auditors appear on several accounts. Named Commissioners of Highways include Pelig B. Daniels, Joel E. Adams, and Jeremiah O. Greenman. One certificate of the Stephentown Fence Viewers, dated November 7, 1896, is laid into the volume, attesting to the death of a sheep by dogs and the damages thereby sustained, payment received in 1901.

Collection

Lyman Gardner papers, 1864-1865; 1882-1901

27 items

The Lyman Gardner papers contain the Civil War correspondence of Mr. Gardner, who served in the 26th Ohio Infantry Regiment, and a later account book which documents his work in the Ohio lumber industry.

The bulk of Lyman Gardner's collection consists of a series of letters to his parents in Ohio, including two letters to his brother and sister. The collection also contains a few brief articles announcing births, deaths, and marriages in the Gardner family. A ledger of his personal accounts and of his lumber business can be found in this collection as well.

Gardner's letters center around food, clothing, and money. He does not possess much understanding of why he is participating in the war. He views his service as a dutiful obligation, though he neither explains why he is dedicated to the Union, nor what he believes the Union cause to be. Gardner's letters reveal a strong religious background.

Gardner's letters serve as an account for his action in the Atlanta Campaign, and his regiment's assignments in Chattanooga, Tenn., Huntsville, Ala., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., and Irwin, Tex. He goes into some detail of his skirmishes, but the majority of his letters are filled with requests for supplies and money. Overall, Gardner seems to enjoy his involvement in the army and does not express a particularly strong desire to return from it.

Collection

Joseph K. and George C. Wing collection, 1863-1930 (majority within 1863-1864, 1872-1924)

1.25 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, writings, a journal, a scrapbook, and published material related to George Clary Wing of Bloomfield, Ohio, and two account books kept his father, Joseph Knowles Wing, during his military service in the Civil War. George C. Wing's correspondence pertains mostly to his career in the United States government in the late 19th century, and his writings cover topics such as history, literature, and travel.

This collection is made up of correspondence, writings, a journal, a scrapbook, and published material related to George Clary Wing of Bloomfield, Ohio, and two account books kept by his father, Joseph Knowles Wing, during his military service in the Civil War.

The Correspondence series (32 items) consists of personal and professional correspondence related to George C. Wing. Most items are incoming letters that Wing received from acquaintances and politicians who discussed Wing's career in the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of State from 1872-1884. Some items are signed by prominent politicians, including George Henry Williams, Charles Devens, Benjamin Brewster, and Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. The series also contains a small number of draft letters from Wing to various individuals, also concerning his career in Washington, D.C. George C. Wing received personal letters from his father, Joseph K. Wing, and one letter and one telegram from his brother, Francis J. Wing; both provided news from North Bloomfield, Ohio, and offered professional advice. The final item is a brief personal letter from "George" to "Julia" (July 23, 1923).

The Journal and Notebooks series contains 2 notebooks and 1 journal. George C. Wing kept two notebooks from 1872-1924 (280 pages) and 1884-1920 (150 pages, not all of which are used). These contain quotations, essays, and notes about many subjects, including lectures at Georgetown Law School, English-language literature, classical history and literature, American history, and scientific subjects. Wing also composed some poetry. The second volume includes some one-line journal entries about Wing's business trips and family news from 1884-1910. He laid newspaper clippings, loose essays, photographs, and notes into the volumes.

George C. Wing's journal includes 51 pages of daily entries describing the scenery during his railroad and steamship journey from Ohio to Valdez, Alaska, and back between June 5, 1901, and July 9, 1901. He mentioned his daily activities and sometimes noted the types of plants prevalent in different areas of the country. The later pages (around 15 pages) contain a drawing of "Jake," a sketch of the Alaska coastline along a glacier, additional trip notes, memoranda, a railroad ticket and steamship purser's ticket, and a photograph of a woman.

The Writings series consists of three items. George C. Wing compiled a group of manuscript writings and draft letters in a volume entitled "Brands- from the Burning!" from the mid-1880s to the mid-1910s. Included are stories, essays, translations, and poems about history, literature, and other topics. Wing's draft letters include an opinion piece about the country's relationship with Germany in 1915. The series also includes a manuscript draft of Wing's book, The Western Reserve Home and The Manuscript Letters of Ephraim Brown and Family, 1805-1845 (1915, later published as Early Years on the Western Reserve) and a group of correspondence and essays about a road in Bloomfield, Ohio, and a related property dispute, entitled "The Lane in Section Sixty, Bloomfield, Trumbull County, Ohio" (1925).

The Joseph K. Wing Account Books (320 total pages, fewer than half of which are used) contain financial records and supply lists related to Wing's service in the 16th Army Corps during the Civil War (1863-1864). Wing, a quartermaster, compiled records about purchases of horses, including the price of each animal; lists of supplies, including the number of items and occasional remarks about items' condition; lists of clothing items available, including remarks about whether each item was damaged or new; a list of forage vouchers cashed by Wing, including the name of the soldier who claimed each voucher; and lists of supplies held by various regiments. Notes regarding prison returns mention a few female prisoners. The volumes also contain notes about army transportation and food supplies.

The collection's Scrapbook (27 pages) primarily contains newspaper clippings about many different subjects, including articles and photographs pertaining to steamship travel to and around Alaska, particularly regarding the ships Dolphin and Bertha. Other clippings concern various members of the Wing family, such as George C. Wing and Francis J. Wing, and the history of Bloomfield, Ohio. Items laid into the back of the volume include printed Personal Instructions to the Diplomatic Agents of the United States in Foreign Countries (1874), George Wing's manuscript report about "Proceedings for the Extradition of Criminals (June 14, 1883), George Wing's drawing of "The Encyclopedant" (February 1895), and a menu for the Alaska Steamship Company vessel Dolphin (July 4, 1901).

Printed Items (4 items) include a copy of George C. Wing's book Early Years on the Western Reserve with Extracts from Letters of Ephraim Brown and Family, 1805-1845 (Cleveland, 1916), inscribed to his sister Elizabeth and to a niece, and a copy of Neighborhood: A Settlement Quarterly containing several articles about pottery (July 1930). George C. Wing also collected court briefs from his time with the United States Court of Claims (1879-1882), and received a United States Senate report about the relationship between Great Britain and the United States with regard to each country's naval presence on the Great Lakes between the War of 1812 (1892).

Collection

Williamson family collection, 1862-1918

0.5 linear feet

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The items include diaries, financial records, a newspaper clipping scrapbook, and a photograph album.

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family.

The D. Abeel Williamson Diary, composed in a pre-printed pocket diary, contains David Abeel Williamson's daily entries about his life in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from January 1, 1862-May 25, 1862, and about his experiences with the 7th New York Militia Regiment from May 26, 1862-August 27, 1862. His early entries mainly record the weather and his social activities; he mentioned his admission to the bar in his entries of May 21, 1862, and May 22, 1862. A newspaper clipping about the surrender of Fort Donelson is pasted into the entries for February 16, 1862, and February 17, 1862. During his time in the army, Williamson noted the hot weather near Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, and mentioned other aspects of military service, such as guard duty, marching, and reviews. A commuter's ticket for the "New Jersey Rail Road" is laid into the volume's pocket.

The Hattie S. Williamson Memorandum Book contains financial records of collections that the Second Reformed Dutch Church Sunday School of New Brunswick, New Jersey, received from November 26, 1865-June 16, 1867. The amount of each donation is recorded next to the donor's name. Other records pertain to the Sunday school's accounts with the Novelty Rubber Company and the church's efforts to raise money for an organ.

The Clara Gurley Account Book, kept from July 9, [1875]-April 16, 1880, contains accounts for Gurley's purchases of items such as books, ribbon, fabrics, and buttons. A piece of fabric is pinned onto the book's final page.

The first Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, written in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, covers the year 1905. Williamson began writing in Dresden, Germany, where she had lived with her children since late 1903, and recounted her daily activities and news of acquaintances. In April, she and her children took an extended tour of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland, where Williamson remarked on visits to museums and other points of interest. The entries from August concern the family's return to the United States on the Holland-American Line steamer Ryndam and their first months back in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Williamson kept a record of letters written and received and acquaintances' addresses in the volume's memoranda section. She laid newspaper clippings, a letter, calling cards, small photographs, stamps, and other items in the volume. The final page of the diary contains a newspaper clipping about the Williamsons' return to the United States and intention to relocate to Indianapolis.

The Mary Williamson Diary recounts the author's travels through Europe from April 10, 1905-August 11, 1905. Williamson described her daily activities and sightseeing in cities such as Prague, Munich, Venice, Rome, and Paris, as she visited museums and places of historical importance with her mother and sister. The diary includes a list of books Williamson read from 1907-1908 and a list of addresses of European hotels.

The Ruth A. Williamson Diary pertains to the author's experiences and travels in England from June 7, 1909-September 3, 1909. She spent most of her time in London; some later entries mention travels around southern England and to Edinburgh, Scotland. Williamson most frequently wrote about sightseeing and visiting famous landmarks, but also commented on other activities, such as shopping. Ruth A. Williamson's calling card is laid into the volume.

The second Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, also in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, contains daily entries about Williamson's life in Indianapolis, Indiana, from January 1, 1918-April 2, 1918. Williamson commented on her social activities, her health, and news of her friends and family members, especially her children. She occasionally mentioned news of the war, such as the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (February 22, 1918). Financial records and instructions for knitting a "Kitchener sock" are written in the back of the volume. Items laid in include a calling card for Charles G. Williamson containing his military address, a cloth United States flag mounted on a small wooden dowel, and clippings about the deaths of Henry Janeway Hardenburgh and Douw D. Williamson. A postcard with a painting of Waikite Geyser in New Zealand, addressed to A. Parsons in London, England, is also laid into the diary.

The Scrapbook (1860s-1880s) is comprised of newspaper clippings about numerous topics, including biographies of William Gurley and biographical notices about other members of the Gurley family, such as Clara Gurley Williamson and Esther Gurley Cook. Some clippings feature prominent individuals such as Ulysses S. Grant, Charles Dickens, and Louisa May Alcott. Items report national news, news from Troy, New York, and stories about Emma Willard and the Troy Female Seminary. Additional topics include poetry, international travel, and stamp collecting.

A Photograph Album contains 42 carte-de-visite photographs, 2 lithographs, and 1 tintype print. Most of the photographs are studio portraits of men, women, and children, including many members of the Gurley family and related families. Most of the pictures are dated 1866-1880, though the album includes a 1902 photograph of Charles G. Williamson in a military uniform.

Collection

Massachusetts account book, 1862-1864

1 volume

An unidentified person, likely living in the vicinity of Woburn, Massachusetts, maintained this account book between 1862 and 1864. They recorded financial transactions, the bulk with Messrs. Lewis & Culver. The volume also includes yearly cash accounts, documenting everyday purchases and payments, such as travel costs, foodstuffs, clothing and sewing supplies, and books and magazines. The volume also lists amounts earned by month, and a "Clothing Account" and "Furniture Account" for 1862.

An unidentified person, likely living in the vicinity of Woburn, Massachusetts, maintained this account book between 1862 and 1864. They recorded financial transactions, such as rent payments and daywork, with the bulk of the accounts with Messrs. Lewis & Culver. The volume also includes yearly cash accounts, documenting everyday purchases and payments, like travel costs to Boston and Reading, pencils and paper, produce, foodstuffs and spices, candy, tickets to events, clothing and sewing supplies, contributions to the "Plymouth Collection," and books and magazines. Titles purchased include the Lady's Book, Arthur's Magazine, Home Magazine, Sunday School Question Books, Home Missionary, and others. The volume also lists amounts earned by month, and a "Clothing Account" and "Furniture Account" for 1862. Several names appear at the back of the volume, including Joseph B. McDonald, John M. Stockman, Mary Eaton, James Donald, and others.

Collection

David Zerbe account book, 1861-1880

53 pages (1 volume)

This volume, apparently kept by David Zerbe of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, consists of physician's accounts for the purchase of medicines, ingredients, and supplies from 1861 to 1880.

This volume, apparently kept by David Zerbe of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, consists of physician's accounts for the purchase of medicines, ingredients, and supplies from 1861 to 1880. The entries variously include quantities, items, prices, suppliers, and receipt information. The quantities were measured in drams, quarts, pints, vials, ounces, or by the dozen. A few items include alcohol, mace, yellow beeswax, peppermint oil, aqua ammonia, hemlock, raw linseed oil, Spanish saffron, quicksilver, lead (red, white), rhubarb, orange peel, and gum camphor.

Collection

William Neel Harman receipt book, 1861-1863

116 pages

The Harman receipt book consists of accounts for clothing and supplies issued by Captain William Neel Harman of Co. F, 8th Virginia Cavalry.

The Harman receipt book consists of accounts for clothing and supplies issued by Capt. William Neel Harman of Co. F, 8th Virginia Cavalry. The first half of the volume contains receipts dated September 17, 1861, arranged alphabetically by recipient (presumably members of Harman's company). Most later receipts are dated December, 1861, though others are recorded as late as 1863. As much as anything, the value of the account book lies in providing (at least approximately) a muster roll for the company, and for partially documenting the quantity and costs of clothing and supplies to its soldiers.

Collection

Beverly Brittain daybook, 1860-1861

1 volume

The Beverly Brittain daybook contains daily records for tin work done in Salona, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in 1860 and 1861, particularly for items used in the kitchen.

The Beverly Brittain daybook (62 pages) contains daily records for tin work done in Salona, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in 1860 and 1861. The book, titled "Beverly Brittain. Day Book for 1860," covers July 9, 1860-October 16, 1861, and reflects labor done by the tinsmith for various local residents, including several women, as well as the amount charged for each piece. Much of Brittain's work revolved around kitchen products, and he frequently made and repaired pots, tea kettles, and similar items; wash basins were another frequent product. An 8-page booklet laid in the volume, contains additional accounts with several people, and indicates the purchase of several "glasses of sling," among other alcoholic beverages; the booklet is undated.

Collection

John Claudius L'Engle account book, 1858-1864

86 pages

Account book of John Claudius L'Engle of Jacksonville, Florida from 1858 to 1864. It includes buying, selling, and trading goods as well as records of renting out slaves.

In this small 86-page account book, John Claudius L'Engle recorded many of his business transactions from 1858 until his death in late 1864. The first 27 pages of this book are filled with detailed accounts of transactions, many written in paragraph form. Mostly these pages concern lending and borrowing money, occasionally through his business, L'Engle and Son. Often these transactions involved his oldest son Frank. At least one claim against L'Engle is listed, and a few pages concern food he or Frank bought. One page lists house hold goods. L'Engle owned 15 or 16 slaves in 1860 and 1861, five of which he refers to by name as Simon, Harry, Adam, Mooser, and Clarissa. Six pages are records of renting out these slaves including information on who rented the slaves, how long they were rented, and what was paid. He only once mentions selling a slave, when in 1859 he records that he"sold Jim for $150 cash." After a gap of 20 blank pages, two pages record crops planted in 1859, including sweet potatoes, okra, corn, and "Irish potatoes."

L'Engle also wrote from the back of the book starting with seven pages of line accounts, then three pages which included a paid account, the wages paid to a hired worker, and more details about lending out his slaves.

Collection

Nehemiah S. Hayden journal and account book, 1858

1 volume

This 93-page journal and account book chronicles a year in the life of Nehemiah S. Hayden, a sailor and shipbuilder from Essex, Connecticut, including voyages aboard the John H. Elliott to Antwerp, Belgium, and the clipper ship Frederick Gebhard to Savannah, Georgia. On 80 pages of journal entries, Hayden recounted the weather, shipboard tasks, and movement of other vessels, and offered brief glimpses of his personal life on and off ship. Five scattered pages of accounts entries detail Hayden's expenses for clothing, sundries, and services for 1858. Completing the volume is an anonymous 8-page work of prose (including the date January 15, 1858), telling the story of a young woman's heartbreak over the loss of her sailor love and his return to her after his rescue by an English ship. The front and back pastedowns bear sketches of a three-masted, square rigged ship (apparently the Frederick Gebhard) and a two-masted, gaff rigged vessel.

This 93-page journal and account book chronicles a year in the life of Nehemiah S. Hayden, a sailor and shipbuilder from Essex, Connecticut, including voyages aboard the John H. Elliott to Antwerp, Belgium, and the clipper ship Frederick Gebhard to Savannah, Georgia.

The journal portion (80 pages) dates from January 1 to December 6, 1858, and documents Hayden's life in Essex, Connecticut, onboard the sailing vessel John H. Elliott, and while docked in Antwerp, Belgium. Notations of daily weather, particularly the wind, are prominent throughout. While in Essex, Hayden noted visits with friends and family (including a young woman nicknamed "Chick"), mail sent and received, and church services attended. He went clamming, duck hunting, and sailing near home, and he committed himself to a yearlong temperance pledge. At sea, he chronicled daily tasks, encounters with other ships, and the logistics of sailing operations. While in port, he took walks with crewmembers, sent mail, and completed numerous painting and construction projects (including installation of passenger berths) on the ship. He went sightseeing in Brussels for a day. His ship set sail in July for a return voyage by way of Dover.

The December 1858 entries describe Hayden's time in Savannah, Georgia, while aboard the ship Frederick Gebhard (which he joined in October 1858). Several members of the crew (including several black men) took an excursion into town one day and went oyster gathering another. Before setting sail, the ship took on a number of men including "a large bear," who later got into a fight with "Turk."

Five scattered pages of accounts entries detail Hayden's expenses for clothing, sundries, and services for 1858. Completing the volume is an anonymous 8-page work of prose (including the date January 15, 1858), telling the story of a young woman's heartbreak over the loss of her sailor love and his return to her after his rescue by an English ship. The front and back pastedowns bear sketches of a three-masted, square rigged ship and a two-masted, gaff rigged vessel.

Collection

Jonathan W. Marshall account book, 1857-1868 (majority within 1858-1867)

1 volume

Jonathan Wesley Marshall kept this account book from 1857 to 1868 to record financial transactions related to his work as a physician in Middle Granville, New York. Most accounts include only a brief note, such as "1 Visit & Medicine," who Marshall attended, and the associated fees. Throughout the volume, however, Marshall occasionally provided more details about the nature of the ailments, revealing that he was working with his patients for obstetrical cases and follow up care, extracting teeth, lancing and dressing various wounds and burns, setting broken bones, offering vaccinations, and handling common ailments like diarrhea, sore throats, sore eyes, and coughs. Most of the accounts were settled with cash, but credits are documented throughout the volume that suggest some bartering was occurring.

Jonathan Wesley Marshall kept this account book from 1857 to 1868 to record financial transactions related to his work as a physician in Middle Granville, New York. Most accounts include only a brief note, such as "1 Visit & Medicine," who Marshall attended, and the associated fees. Throughout the volume, however, Marshall occasionally provided more details about the nature of the ailments, revealing that he was working with his patients for obstetrical cases and follow up care, extracting teeth, lancing and dressing various wounds and burns, setting broken bones, offering vaccinations, and handling common ailments like diarrhea, sore throats, sore eyes, and coughs. At least two entries refer to attending women for abortions (pp. 154 and 239).

Marshall also provided medicines, such as syrups, salves, pills, eyewash, ointments, and others. Some of the accounts also suggest Marshall was offering other services, including hairdressing and hair products (see pp. 102 and 122) as well as veterinary care as he tended to horses on several occasions. Most of the accounts were settled with cash, but credits are documented throughout the volume for fresh produce, meat, butter, oats and hay, labor, and occasional goods like four canaries (p. 205), a pair of yarn mittens (p. 275), a medicine box, small stove, furniture, and other such items, suggesting some bartering was occurring.

Collection

Alice C. Price Steamboat account book, 1856-1857 (majority within 1856)

1 volume

This volume contains accounts for the steamer Alice C. Price from March 1856 to January 1857, documenting expenses for ship upkeep, labor and wages, food, marketing, cartage, wharfage, freight, among others. The account book also includes documentation of passengers and various bills, with some summaries of costs for passage and meals "down" and "up" for unspecified trips. While very few places were named, "Pope's Creek," "Bluff's Point," and "Cone" [e.g. Coan] appear, situating the steamer in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The volume has a "Robert Bell Bookseller and Stationer, Alexandria, Va." label on the inside front cover.

This volume contains accounts for the steamer Alice C. Price from March 1856 to January 1857, documenting expenses for ship upkeep, labor and wages, food, marketing, cartage, wharfage, freight, among others. The account book also includes documentation of passengers and various bills, with some summaries of costs for passage and meals "down" and "up" for unspecified trips. While very few places were named, "Pope's Creek," "Bluff's Point," and "Cone" [e.g. Coan] appear, situating the steamer in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The volume has a "Robert Bell Bookseller and Stationer, Alexandria, Va." label on the inside front cover.

Collection

Achsa White Sprague diary and Lloyd N. Josselyn account book, 1855-1908

1 volume

Spiritualist medium and writer Achsa W. Sprague maintained this diary between 1855 and 1857 while touring on a lecture circuit around Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New York. She recorded her daily experiences, travels, and work lecturing and conducting medium trances. The latter portion of the volume was used by Lloyd N. Josselyn as an account book between 1880 and 1908, likely while farming in the Plymouth, Vermont, area.

Spiritualist medium and writer Achsa W. Sprague maintained this diary between 1855 and 1857 while touring on a lecture circuit around Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New York. She recorded her daily experiences, travels, and work lecturing and conducting medium trances.

Sprague began writing in Hartford, Connecticut, with commentary about her decision to keep the diary and brief reflections about being healed by "Spirit Agency" and taking up the work of "a Public Speaking Medium" (pages 1-2). She referenced her former confinement due to poor health several times in the volume (pages 8-9; 59; 76-77; 128). Sprague expressed gratitude about spirits' intervention and her ability to convene with them. For example, she wrote, "This is the most beautiful part of my mediumship, that which others do not see, that which is never spoken, but which is felt in every fibre of my soul giving a richness to life which it never had before, & a tinge of Heaven to light my path where all before was dim & shadowy. A blessing to me physically, mentally, morally, intellectually & spiritually have been these Spirits Manifestations." (pages 14-15).

Throughout the diary, Sprague noted the locations of her lectures, attendance, and the crowd's reception. She visited major cities, such as Hartford, Boston, Troy, and Philadelphia, but principally travelled between mid-sized and smaller locales. Occasionally Sprague remarked on the influence of the spirit upon her during her public meetings (pages 6-7). She attended smaller events, too, like a gathering of some twenty people, including Samuel Colt and William H. Burleigh, who met at 11:30 p.m. (page 11), or a private examination of Gerrit Smith's wife (page 14). She noted meeting one-on-one with other mediums to manifest spirits together (page 16) and included thoughts on other "Public Mediums" (page 23).

While touring, Sprague noted anti-Spiritualist lecturers and sentiments (pages 67-66; 83; 116; 149-50; 168-169), but she also wrote of preachers from Christian denominations who were open to Spiritualism or invited her to join them in their churches (page 145). Sprague recorded logistical details of her work, such as travel, housing, and securing sites for her lectures.

Sprague commented on social and professional visits with individuals active in Spiritualist circles, including Sementha Mettler (page 4); Lottie Beebe, a woman who "is said while under the Influence to give beautiful specimens of poetry & sometimes has other manifestations" (page 11); and "Sleeping Lucy" Cooke (page 54), among others. She described other mediums' techniques, like Mettler's "psychometriz[ation]," where she read people's characters based on their handwriting (page 17), or a detailed description of a "physical manifestation" (pages 109-111). Sprague referenced other mediums who used spirit influence to produce poetry, paintings, and drawings (pages 87; 107-108; 162), and she attended a Spiritualist convention at South Royalton, Vermont (pages 146-147).

At times her entries provide insight into some of her critiques about Spiritualism. She referred several times to her support for "practical Spiritualism" (page 79), and she took issue with "the thoroughly scientific or business men who become believers & advocates of this Philosophy; with all their knowledge, make not half as good actors, either as Lecturers or as practical doers, as many who have been less known in the world" (page 23). In another entry she rejected arguments connecting Spiritualism and Free Love (page 100).

Sprague wrote about being invited to funerals (pages 33-36; 114-115), attending to the dying (pages 85-86; 154-155), and speaking with the bereaved (pages 72-73). She also reflected on the death of her own family members and her belief in their role as Guardian Angels (pages 62-63). She recorded her feelings about the impact her mediumship could effect on those facing death and grief, writing, "I have been with the wretched & suffering, but I have tried to sooth their agony, I have heard many a tale of a broken heart, but I have striven to bind them, & give them the balm of consolation, I have stood by the bedside of the dying, & have watched when the breath went out & left even the forms I loved so well cold, still & silent, but I knew they did not die, that they only bloomed for a higher Sphere..." (page 158)

Several passages reflect her authorship, such as working on an article for the New England Spiritualist, decisions to write under a pen-name for a local Vermont newspaper, noticing some of her pieces were being reprinted, meeting with individuals active in Spiritualist publishing networks, and other mentions of publication (pages 53-55; 64; 74; 87; 92-93; 98-99; 102; 106; 140). Periodically, Sprague noted texts she was reading, both works of literature and those relating to Spiritualism, and she was particularly delighted while staying with a family who appreciated reading "Shelley, Tennyson, Lowell &c... But now that the weather is pleasant again I find that I am public property, & shall be obliged in a great degree to bid good bye to the quiet happiness of listening to the poets & enter into the realities of life. Well it is right to mingle in lifes realities. I Thank God for the beautiful inspirations I have listened to, but more still, for the beautiful inspirations that come to me at morn, at noon, at night from unsung poets & philosophers, even the Angel Messengers He sends. And more, still more, that it is given me to mingle with the realities of life & give them forth to the suffering children of humanity. And as far as my imperfect nature will allow me, to carry the teachings out in my own every day life, & bring them into its practicalities" (page 174). Throughout the diary she wrote introspectively about being of service, using her time profitably, and living up to her higher purpose.

Sprague's interest in social reform is also documented in the volume, in visits to the Hartford "Asylum for educating the Deaf & Dumb" (page 3), concern for the poor (pages 18-21; 49; 55; 79; 119; 140; 162; 164-7; 169-70), women's rights (pages 37-39), and prisons (pages 104-105; 170-1; 176-8). She met Lucretia Mott at a women's antislavery meeting (page 175).

Descriptions of daily life include commentary on weather and nature as well as her health and that of her family, revealing Sprague's interest in various medicinal practices such as magnetism (pages 4 and 162) and healing mediums (pages 28 and 160). While at home with her parents in Vermont, she wrote of social visits, her parents' living situation, and local requests for her to speak, including at a wedding where "A song through me from the Spirit Land concluded the services" (page 43). While on her lecture circuit, she also commented on cities she visited. For example, in Hartford she visited the "Charter Oak" and Lydia H. Sigourney's former residence (pages 4-6); in Salem, Massachusetts, she commented on how the history of the witch trials was handled in the community (page 121). She wrote of meeting a Shaker woman in Cambridge, Massachusetts, (page 122) and seeing Edwin Forrest perform in Providence (page 173). While in Philadelphia, she toured local landmarks, attended Quaker meetings and Catholic services, and visited the Academy of Fine Arts with Samuel Sartain (135). After trying to see Benjamin Franklin's burial spot, she lamented the high walls surrounding it and concluded, "There is too great a tendency in the human mind to seek the grave of the mighty dead & follow them no further" (page 138).

The diary bears pencil marks of a later hand, possibly that of Leonard Twynham indicating passages for publication. The latter portion of the volume was used by Lloyd N. Josselyn as an account book between 1880 and 1908, likely while farming in the Plymouth, Vermont, area. He documented expenditures mostly for household goods and clothing, animal care, foodstuffs, agricultural labor, taxes, digging graves and purchase of headstone, house and vehicle upkeep, etc.

Collection

Jonathan D. Roberts account book, 1855-1865

16 pages (1 volume)

This volume contains accounting pertinent to Jonathan D. Roberts' guardianship of Timothy Stevens of Farmington, Strafford County, New Hampshire between 1855 and 1864, with all accounts settled in 1865. Timothy Stevens had been a farmer, but by 1850 suffered from some form of mental illness that prevented him from managing his own finances or property. Roberts' accounts include an inventory of Stevens' estate, probate court costs, various sundry bills and costs for farm repairs, annual payments for Timothy's clothing and board, the rental of his farm, and interest.

The volume is sewn with yellow paper covers, bearing on the front an engraving of a large monument marked "TO WASHINGTON". The back cover has a full-page multiplication table, marked at the bottom "Always for sale, a general assortment of BLANK, SCHOOL, and MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS, which will be sold as low, and on as liberal terms, as at any other establishment. Also, a general assortment of STATIONERY."

Collection

John Berry account book, 1854-1875

1 volume

John Berry, a farmer in Howard Township, Knox County, Ohio, maintained this account book from 1854 to 1875. It documents expenses related to farming operations, such as wages for hired men and women performing various tasks with crops, livestock, and the production of wool. It includes accounts for the purchase and sale of sheep, cattle, and hogs, and the breeding and insurance of horses. The accounts also relate to wool, flour, corn, oats, hay, and other farm goods, as well as various farm implements. The volume notes the erection of various buildings and infrastructure like barns and bridges, work done on the schoolhouse, and it includes documentation of exchanges with others for goods like shoes, clothing, fabric, and other items for farm and personal use. Berry documented several years' total sales and expenditures and overall assessments of his stock. He wrote a register of births for his seven children between 1850 to 1867 and listed various Biblical passages, titled "A few text of scripture for the Abolitionist to read." Recipes for keeping cider sweet and treating dysentery are also included.

Seven items are laid into the front of the volume, including an advertising brochure for the Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an obituary for James M. Berry (1852-1923), two blank Knox County Bank checks, one Howard Township 1871 tax receipt, and two slips of paper, one listing the deaths of Lucy Berry, James Berry, and Sarah Harding.

Collection

John Berry account book, 1854-1875

1 volume

John Berry, a farmer in Howard Township, Knox County, Ohio, maintained this account book from 1854 to 1875. It documents expenses related to farming operations, such as wages for hired men and women performing various tasks with crops, livestock, and the production of wool. It includes accounts for the purchase and sale of sheep, cattle, and hogs, and the breeding and insurance of horses. The accounts also relate to wool, flour, corn, oats, hay, and other farm goods, as well as various farm implements. The volume notes the erection of various buildings and infrastructure like barns and bridges, work done on the schoolhouse, and it includes documentation of exchanges with others for goods like shoes, clothing, fabric, and other items for farm and personal use. Berry documented several years' total sales and expenditures and overall assessments of his stock. He wrote a register of births for his seven children between 1850 to 1867 and listed various Biblical passages, titled "A few text of scripture for the Abolitionist to read." Recipes for keeping cider sweet and treating dysentery are also included.

Seven items are laid into the front of the volume, including an advertising brochure for the Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an obituary for James M. Berry (1852-1923), two blank Knox County Bank checks, one Howard Township 1871 tax receipt, and two slips of paper, one listing the deaths of Lucy Berry, James Berry, and Sarah Harding.

Collection

H. J. Carter record book, 1854-1855

1 volume

H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution in the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. The types of alcohol sold by Carter included gin, rums, brandies, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and more. Medical and health-related needs of adults and children were the most frequent justifications for liquor requests. Alcohol was also purchased for the treatment of horses' injuries and illnesses, culinary reasons, and for reasons associated with labor.

H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution for the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. He distributed to men, women, and the elderly who lived in Stockbridge or who were in town from elsewhere, such as Glendale, Great Barrington, Lee, Marlborough, and Tyringham. In rare cases, Carter noted information about freight, cartage, and purchases of tin measures, jugs, corks, and tin dripping pans.

The types of alcohol recorded by Carter included gin, rum, St. Croix rum, French brandy, cider brandy, "C___r" brandy, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and others. Medical and health-related entries are the most common in the volume. The variety of ailments, injuries, and treatments is significant; please see below for a partial list of relevant entries. In many cases non-specific terms were used, such as "sick" or "sickness." The purchaser in many cases was not the afflicted party and the ultimate recipients included wife, mother, brother, friend, neighbor, widow, "in family," folks, uncle, and others.

Some persons are present multiple times in the volume. Lucinda and Ira Collier, for example, received rum, brandy, and plain alcohol around 10 times over the course of the year. Ira and Lucinda were African American laborers and had multiple children. They received brandy for bathing or rubbing a child's limbs (August 15 and September 6, 1854; October 4, 1854; March 26, 1855; et al.). They received distributions for Lucinda's ague (December 37, 1854) and Ira's health and injuries (August 3, 4, and 13, et al.). On August 13, 1854, Ira's entry states "aint well any of the time." Ira also received alcohol for his labor and for injuries of another man ("at work in Lynch is well," September 18, 1854, and "for a fellow crushed," September 22, 1854).

The town selectmen had the authority to authorize distribution of alcohol to blue collar laborers, like Ira Collier. Entries state "for workmen" or specific types of work such as "bee hunting" (August 28, 1854) or haying (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854). Special distributions were permitted after a mid-November 1854 fire and during a bridge construction project. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

H. J. Carter did not specify race, ethnicity, or nationality on individuals purchasing alcohol—with the exception of several marked as Irish (July 18, September 9, and March 22, 1855, e.g.). The surname MacCabe appears on multiple occasions, though is only marked as "Irish" a couple of times.

In a few cases, buyers returned to ask H. J. Carter to replace liquor they had already purchased. The McCabe family, for example, broke a jug of gin "& lost 1st qt & had to try again" (August 4, 1854). A few other broken bottles were reported on August 17, August 22, and October 28, 1854. In one case, Mrs. Watts obtained brandy for medicinal purposes and the next day "returned the above wine not liking it" (February 23 and 24, 1855).

H. J. Carter provided alcohol to persons for use in the treatment of injured or sick horses, oxen, a cow, and a calf. For these purposes, he supplied brandy, French brandy, rum, gin, and plain alcohol. A very small number of these approximately 15 entries specify the nature of the sickness or injury. James Kilduff, for example, secured rum because "horse got into Brook" (September 18, 1854). In two cases, the occupation of the recipient was recorded. A "Book Peddler" secured rum for his horse on November 13, 1854, and "Driver" C. Fields obtained French brandy for his sick horse on July 23, 1854. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

Carter was not permitted to sell any alcohol on Sundays. And, all weekdays in the volume document at least one patron. The only exception is the entry on March 13, 1855, a few weeks before the end of his one-year position. Ecstatic, he wrote: "Wonderful! Wonderful!! Health reigns triumphant not a drop of Rum called for to day The trade is ruined, & Drs. must will go mad! O! Oh!! Mercy."

The volume is a blank book, hand lined on cream paper; once the pages were filled, Carter inserted blue lined paper into the front and back, and ultimately the volume was hand sewn together, using newspaper for covers. In at least one case, Carter skipped a couple of pages, then when he noticed, he went back and filled them in. As a result, sometimes the progression of dates do not match the progression of pages.

A partial list of health-related entries include:
  • Ague in the face, ague and fever, ague and chills, etc. (December 4 and 27, 1854; March 15 and 20, 1855)
  • Asthma (rum, October 26, 1854)
  • Bathing, soaking, or topical treatments (May 22, May 26, June 9, June 10, June 17, July 18, July 29, August 10, August 11, August 14, August 17, September 27, September 30, October 4, 1854, et al.)
  • Boils (June 1, 1854)
  • Burns (October 24, 1854)
  • Cupping treatment (August 15, 1854)
  • Diarrhea (July 14, 1854)
  • Dropsy (February 10, 1855)
  • Dysentery (July 2 and 3, 1854)
  • Jaundice (June 10, 1854)
  • Back complaint (June 10, 1854; July 25, 1854)
  • Injuries, fractures, and cuts (February 28, 1855; March 1 and 14, 1855)
  • Hand and foot complaints (November 2, 1854; January 29, 1855; February 16, 1855)
  • Lame side (January 6 and 29, 1855)
  • Leg complaints (June 28, 1854; October 14, 1854)
  • Liver complaint (June 13, 1854)
  • Poisoning (June 20, 1854; September 17, 1854)
  • Rheumatism (July 17, 1854; September 2, 1854; October 7 and 11, 1854; November 24, 1854; March 15, 1855)
  • Shoulder complaint (July 17, 1854)
  • Sick from "drinkg so much water" (July 18, 1854)
  • Sprained ankle (September 11, 1854)
  • Sprained thumb and shoulder (Captain Willis, August 14, 1854)
  • Toothache (rum, November 2, 1854; December 6 and 30, 1854)
  • "Dissolve gums" (rum, August 16, 1854)
  • For a "watcher of sick" (August 27, 1854)
A partial list of culinary or ingredient entries include:
  • Bitters (November 2, 1854)
  • Cake: Mrs. Peggy Hull received Madeira Wine for a cake (July 3, 1854)
  • "Cookery": Purchase of brandy for cookery (November 9, 1854)
  • Preserves: Miss Tucker received rum for preserves (August 16, 1854)
A partial list of laborer or labor-related entries include:
  • "Bee hunting" (August 28, 1854)
  • Fire: "at the Fire", "for Mrs Joel Tuller", "at Fire", includes six recipients of alcohol. The Selectmen approved the amount used at "the Fire" and in building "the Bridge" (November 16, 1854)
  • Fire: "been watchg Fire" and Cold at the fire" (November 17 and 18, 1854)
  • "Haying," "To use in haying," and "Not well, haying" (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854)
  • "Mechanical &c" (Sidy Rathbun, October 23, 1854)
  • Workmen and "Workmen in River" (June 21, September 12, and October 13, 1854)
A partial list of animal-related entries include:
  • Calf (June 20, 1854)
  • Cow (May 28, 1854)
  • Horses: Sick (June 19, June 29, July 23, September 1, and November 13, 1854; February 5, March 20, and March 31, April 4, 1855)
  • Horses: Wounds/Injuries (September 18 and September 26, 1854)
  • Oxen (February 5 and April 4, 1855)
A selection of unusual or unclear entries include:
  • "Back door trot!" Likely referring to diarrhea. (rum, Nick Rich, November 7, 1854)
  • "Burning" and "to burn" (August 14, 1854; November 18, 1854)
  • "Carry home" (May 30, 1854)
  • "Child lies stupid" (September 22, 1854)
  • "Essence" (June 20, 1854)
  • Hair (Peter Brewer, brandy to put on his hair, July 17, 1854)
  • Peppermint (Cyrus Miller, August 12, 1854)
  • Pregnant wife (by John McGinty for his wife, September 23, 1854)
  • Ruling paper (four quarts of alcohol, Frank Owen "for ruling paper," August 8, 1854)
  • Sacramental Madeira wine (Rev. Mr. Hiscox, August 19, 1854)
  • Underlined surname: Carter underlined four surnames in the volume without a stated reason. They are Isaac Stone (June 13, 1854), Nabobs (August 15, 1854), Mr. Rich (September 9, 1854), and Mr. Ireland (November 29, 1854)
  • Wedding (rum, Samuel Rathbun, October 14, 1854)
Collection

H. J. Carter record book, 1854-1855

1 volume

H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution in the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. The types of alcohol sold by Carter included gin, rums, brandies, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and more. Medical and health-related needs of adults and children were the most frequent justifications for liquor requests. Alcohol was also purchased for the treatment of horses' injuries and illnesses, culinary reasons, and for reasons associated with labor.

H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution for the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. He distributed to men, women, and the elderly who lived in Stockbridge or who were in town from elsewhere, such as Glendale, Great Barrington, Lee, Marlborough, and Tyringham. In rare cases, Carter noted information about freight, cartage, and purchases of tin measures, jugs, corks, and tin dripping pans.

The types of alcohol recorded by Carter included gin, rum, St. Croix rum, French brandy, cider brandy, "C___r" brandy, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and others. Medical and health-related entries are the most common in the volume. The variety of ailments, injuries, and treatments is significant; please see below for a partial list of relevant entries. In many cases non-specific terms were used, such as "sick" or "sickness." The purchaser in many cases was not the afflicted party and the ultimate recipients included wife, mother, brother, friend, neighbor, widow, "in family," folks, uncle, and others.

Some persons are present multiple times in the volume. Lucinda and Ira Collier, for example, received rum, brandy, and plain alcohol around 10 times over the course of the year. Ira and Lucinda were African American laborers and had multiple children. They received brandy for bathing or rubbing a child's limbs (August 15 and September 6, 1854; October 4, 1854; March 26, 1855; et al.). They received distributions for Lucinda's ague (December 37, 1854) and Ira's health and injuries (August 3, 4, and 13, et al.). On August 13, 1854, Ira's entry states "aint well any of the time." Ira also received alcohol for his labor and for injuries of another man ("at work in Lynch is well," September 18, 1854, and "for a fellow crushed," September 22, 1854).

The town selectmen had the authority to authorize distribution of alcohol to blue collar laborers, like Ira Collier. Entries state "for workmen" or specific types of work such as "bee hunting" (August 28, 1854) or haying (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854). Special distributions were permitted after a mid-November 1854 fire and during a bridge construction project. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

H. J. Carter did not specify race, ethnicity, or nationality on individuals purchasing alcohol—with the exception of several marked as Irish (July 18, September 9, and March 22, 1855, e.g.). The surname MacCabe appears on multiple occasions, though is only marked as "Irish" a couple of times.

In a few cases, buyers returned to ask H. J. Carter to replace liquor they had already purchased. The McCabe family, for example, broke a jug of gin "& lost 1st qt & had to try again" (August 4, 1854). A few other broken bottles were reported on August 17, August 22, and October 28, 1854. In one case, Mrs. Watts obtained brandy for medicinal purposes and the next day "returned the above wine not liking it" (February 23 and 24, 1855).

H. J. Carter provided alcohol to persons for use in the treatment of injured or sick horses, oxen, a cow, and a calf. For these purposes, he supplied brandy, French brandy, rum, gin, and plain alcohol. A very small number of these approximately 15 entries specify the nature of the sickness or injury. James Kilduff, for example, secured rum because "horse got into Brook" (September 18, 1854). In two cases, the occupation of the recipient was recorded. A "Book Peddler" secured rum for his horse on November 13, 1854, and "Driver" C. Fields obtained French brandy for his sick horse on July 23, 1854. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

Carter was not permitted to sell any alcohol on Sundays. And, all weekdays in the volume document at least one patron. The only exception is the entry on March 13, 1855, a few weeks before the end of his one-year position. Ecstatic, he wrote: "Wonderful! Wonderful!! Health reigns triumphant not a drop of Rum called for to day The trade is ruined, & Drs. must will go mad! O! Oh!! Mercy."

The volume is a blank book, hand lined on cream paper; once the pages were filled, Carter inserted blue lined paper into the front and back, and ultimately the volume was hand sewn together, using newspaper for covers. In at least one case, Carter skipped a couple of pages, then when he noticed, he went back and filled them in. As a result, sometimes the progression of dates do not match the progression of pages.

A partial list of health-related entries include:
  • Ague in the face, ague and fever, ague and chills, etc. (December 4 and 27, 1854; March 15 and 20, 1855)
  • Asthma (rum, October 26, 1854)
  • Bathing, soaking, or topical treatments (May 22, May 26, June 9, June 10, June 17, July 18, July 29, August 10, August 11, August 14, August 17, September 27, September 30, October 4, 1854, et al.)
  • Boils (June 1, 1854)
  • Burns (October 24, 1854)
  • Cupping treatment (August 15, 1854)
  • Diarrhea (July 14, 1854)
  • Dropsy (February 10, 1855)
  • Dysentery (July 2 and 3, 1854)
  • Jaundice (June 10, 1854)
  • Back complaint (June 10, 1854; July 25, 1854)
  • Injuries, fractures, and cuts (February 28, 1855; March 1 and 14, 1855)
  • Hand and foot complaints (November 2, 1854; January 29, 1855; February 16, 1855)
  • Lame side (January 6 and 29, 1855)
  • Leg complaints (June 28, 1854; October 14, 1854)
  • Liver complaint (June 13, 1854)
  • Poisoning (June 20, 1854; September 17, 1854)
  • Rheumatism (July 17, 1854; September 2, 1854; October 7 and 11, 1854; November 24, 1854; March 15, 1855)
  • Shoulder complaint (July 17, 1854)
  • Sick from "drinkg so much water" (July 18, 1854)
  • Sprained ankle (September 11, 1854)
  • Sprained thumb and shoulder (Captain Willis, August 14, 1854)
  • Toothache (rum, November 2, 1854; December 6 and 30, 1854)
  • "Dissolve gums" (rum, August 16, 1854)
  • For a "watcher of sick" (August 27, 1854)
A partial list of culinary or ingredient entries include:
  • Bitters (November 2, 1854)
  • Cake: Mrs. Peggy Hull received Madeira Wine for a cake (July 3, 1854)
  • "Cookery": Purchase of brandy for cookery (November 9, 1854)
  • Preserves: Miss Tucker received rum for preserves (August 16, 1854)
A partial list of laborer or labor-related entries include:
  • "Bee hunting" (August 28, 1854)
  • Fire: "at the Fire", "for Mrs Joel Tuller", "at Fire", includes six recipients of alcohol. The Selectmen approved the amount used at "the Fire" and in building "the Bridge" (November 16, 1854)
  • Fire: "been watchg Fire" and Cold at the fire" (November 17 and 18, 1854)
  • "Haying," "To use in haying," and "Not well, haying" (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854)
  • "Mechanical &c" (Sidy Rathbun, October 23, 1854)
  • Workmen and "Workmen in River" (June 21, September 12, and October 13, 1854)
A partial list of animal-related entries include:
  • Calf (June 20, 1854)
  • Cow (May 28, 1854)
  • Horses: Sick (June 19, June 29, July 23, September 1, and November 13, 1854; February 5, March 20, and March 31, April 4, 1855)
  • Horses: Wounds/Injuries (September 18 and September 26, 1854)
  • Oxen (February 5 and April 4, 1855)
A selection of unusual or unclear entries include:
  • "Back door trot!" Likely referring to diarrhea. (rum, Nick Rich, November 7, 1854)
  • "Burning" and "to burn" (August 14, 1854; November 18, 1854)
  • "Carry home" (May 30, 1854)
  • "Child lies stupid" (September 22, 1854)
  • "Essence" (June 20, 1854)
  • Hair (Peter Brewer, brandy to put on his hair, July 17, 1854)
  • Peppermint (Cyrus Miller, August 12, 1854)
  • Pregnant wife (by John McGinty for his wife, September 23, 1854)
  • Ruling paper (four quarts of alcohol, Frank Owen "for ruling paper," August 8, 1854)
  • Sacramental Madeira wine (Rev. Mr. Hiscox, August 19, 1854)
  • Underlined surname: Carter underlined four surnames in the volume without a stated reason. They are Isaac Stone (June 13, 1854), Nabobs (August 15, 1854), Mr. Rich (September 9, 1854), and Mr. Ireland (November 29, 1854)
  • Wedding (rum, Samuel Rathbun, October 14, 1854)
Collection

Billings family collection, 1852-1918 (majority within 1879-1895)

2.5 linear feet

The Billings family collection contains correspondence, invitations, ephemera, and other items related to Marcia Billings of Denver, Colorado; Owego, New York; and Brookville, Pennsylvania. Much of the material pertains to her social life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Billings family collection (2.5 linear feet) contains correspondence, invitations, ephemera, and other items related to Marcia Billings of Denver, Colorado; Owego, New York; and Brookville, Pennsylvania. Much of the material pertains to her social life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Correspondence series (551 items), which comprises the bulk of the collection, includes several Civil War-era letters to Mary Pearsall from her friend Emily Jewett, as well as other earlier items addressed to Marcia Billings. Most items concern the social lives of Billings's friends and family members in Denver, Colorado; Owego, New York; and Brookville, Pennsylvania, in the 1880s and 1890s. A series of 5 letters from September 1890 pertains to Colorado travel, including newspaper clippings with information for tourists. Two letters enclose photographs (January 19, 1909 and April 2, 1913) and one picture postcard shows a view of a town (August 14, 1911). Later items include letters by Marcia's husband, Benjamin Thomas, and letters to her mother, Gertrude Billings.

The Diaries series (4 items) is made up of a diary that Marcia Billings kept in 1870, the diary of an unidentified writer covering the year 1909, and 2 books containing records of correspondence and personal finances.

The School Papers series (17 items) consists of a Denver High School report card for Marcia Billings, 4 lists of examination questions from geography and grammar exams, 8 manuscript essays, and a card with the program from a "Friday Evening Club [Soiree]" held at Warren's Dancing Academy on November 30, 1882. The series also contains 3 sets of graded notes by Helen C. Jones, October 5-7, 1896, on arithmetic, history, and physiology.

The accounts and receipts in the Financial Records series (6 items) pertain to the personal finances of Marcia Billings and Benjamin Thomas.

The Photographs (6 items), taken in the early 20th century, show unidentified women. The series includes a group of photographs whose images are no longer discernible (counted as 1 item).

The Illustrations series (3 items) contains a colored drawing of a young girl sewing, a colored drawing of a woman holding flowers, and a sheet with sketches of farm animals and people.

Invitations, Responses to Invitations, Cards, and Ephemera (94 items), mainly addressed to Marcia Billings, concern events such as marriages, birthday celebrations, and casual outings. Ephemeral items include lists of dances from social events.

Printed Items (39 items) include over 30 newspaper clippings, most of which concern social events, elopements, and deaths; others contain poetry, cartoons, and news stories. Other printed items are advertisements, a poem entitled "The Mark of a Man-Child," and a poem entitled "The Type-Writer," which contains a printed illustration of a woman typing.

The Realia items are a ribbon, a sock, and an accompanying poem about a "Sock Social" held by the Ladies Aid Society.

Collection

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans daybook and account book, 1852-1872

1 volume

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between 1852 and 1872 to document financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking.

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between the years of 1852 and 1872 to document the financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking. The volume has a paste-paper cover and evidence of pest damage on the spine.