Collections

Henry Foster, a native of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, kept a diary (74 pages) while serving in a provincial regiment during the French and Indian War. Foster regularly composed diary entries between May 27 and October 29, 1758, while stationed in eastern New York. The volume also includes 10 pages of accounts kept by Abner Hubbard of Norwich, Vermont, whose daughter married Henry Foster's son.

Henry Foster, a native of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, kept a diary (74 pages) while serving in a provincial regiment during the French and Indian War. Foster regularly composed diary entries between May 27 and October 29, 1758, while stationed in eastern New York. The collection also includes 10 pages of financial accounts kept by Abner Hubbard of Norwich, Vermont, whose daughter married Henry Foster's son.

Henry Foster's diary consists of a chronological journal, with notes, fragments, and penmanship and mathematics exercises. He added several sections by sewing pages into the diary.

The diary primarily covers the period between May and October 1758, with one entry dated November 1758. Foster left his home in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in late May 1758, and served with his regiment near Albany, Fort Edward, and Lake George, New York. He described life in camp, which included loading wagons and marching. He saw French prisoners of war, and described skirmishes, ambushes, and other encounters with the enemy. Foster wrote about his march to Lake George in the days before the Battle of Carillon (Battle of Ticonderoga), about the death and embalming of Lord George Howe (July 7, 1758), and about the engagement on July 8, 1758. An entry dated July 28, 1758, describes an ambush of a British convoy, which included women and children, near Fort Edward.

Foster was stationed at Diamond Island in Lake George, New York, throughout much of the summer of 1758. He noted the deaths of some soldiers due to drowning, and remarked about the weather, sick and wounded soldiers, punishments for crimes committed by soldiers, food, and other aspects of daily life. One page of the diary contains the first part of a letter written on February 2, 1757.

Abner Hubbard's accounts contain personal financial records that he kept while living in Norwich, Vermont, between 1808 and 1812. Most reflect his purchases of corn, food, and horse-related items. At least one man paid a debt to Hubbard with labor.

The Henry Foster diary and Abner Hubbard accounts are accompanied by Hubbard's leather wallet, in which the papers were originally housed.

Henry Jackson McCord (1827-1917) was a California Forty-Niner who later fought in the Civil War with the 111th Ohio Volunteers, 1862-1865. His journals include two diaries describing his trip to California in 1849, a diary describing a return trip from San Francisco in 1853, and a duty roster from 1864.

The journals of Henry Jackson McCord include two diaries describing his trip to California in 1850, a diary describing a return trip from San Francisco in 1853, and a duty roster from 1864. The first, a diary and commonplace book, contains a few sketchy notes about the trip to California, some quotations, accounts, and lists of names. A second journal is a long account of McCord's voyage to California in the brig Orleans, in which he writes daily descriptions, and later account entries. The third journal has entries for the return trip from California by ship, but it is much shorter than the journal he kept on the outgoing voyage. A final journal contains accounts and duty rosters for 1864, during McCord's service with the 111th Ohio Volunteers in the Civil War.

The Henry Taber account book spans March 25, 1826, to September 17, 1870, and documents the New Bedford merchant's sales and payments. The volume shows the outfitting of the Sloop Experiment in the 1820s and the Sloop Helen in the 1830s, and records sales and transportation of flour, whale oil, sallow, wages, truss hoops, a brass compass, corks, pears, apples, raisins, books (1837, 1842, 1845, and 1852), beef, boards, freight, and cartage. From 1835-1860s, many of the accounts are payments of wages to women. The front pastedown bears a printed advertisement for "A. Shearman, Jr. & Co. Booksellers & Stationers, New-Bedford," with a list of various papers, blank books, writing utensils, bibles, schoolbooks, and nautical equipment.

The Henry Taber account book spans March 25, 1826, to September 17, 1870, and documents the New Bedford, Massachusetts, merchant's sales and payments. The volume shows the outfitting of the Sloop Experiment in the 1820s and the Sloop Helen in the 1830s, and records purchases, sales, and transportation of flour, whale oil, sallow, wages, truss hoops, a brass compass, corks, pears, apples, raisins, books (1837, 1842, 1845, and 1852), beef, boards, freight, and cartage. From 1835-1860s, many of the accounts are payments of wages to women. The front pastedown bears a printed advertisement for "A. Shearman, Jr. & Co. Booksellers & Stationers, New-Bedford," with a list of various papers, blank books, writing utensils, bibles, schoolbooks, and nautical equipment.

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.

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, documents, ephemera, and other items related to Hilon A. Parker and other members of the Parker family. The papers reflect Hilon A. Parker's life in Plessis, New York; his service in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment during the Civil War; and his postwar work as a railroad engineer and administrator.

This collection (3 linear feet) is made up of correspondence, diaries, documents, ephemera, and other items related to Hilon A. Parker and other members of the Parker family. Materials pertain to Hilon A. Parker's life in Plessis, New York; his service in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment during the Civil War; and his postwar work as a railroad engineer and administrator.

The correspondence (464 items) consists mainly of personal letters written and received by Hilon A. Parker between the 1860s and early 1910s. During the Civil War, Hilon A. Parker and his brother Harvey exchanged letters and wrote to their parents about service in the Union Army. Hilon served in the 10th New York Artillery Regiment. Thirza Parker, Hilon and Harvey's sister, provided news from Plessis, New York, while her brothers were away. Much of the correspondence from the late 1860s consists of letters between Hilon A. Parker and Mary Cunningham, his future wife. Hilon described the scenery and his work for railroad companies in Iowa, and Mary wrote about her life in Copenhagen, New York. After their marriage, most of the correspondence is comprised of incoming letters to Hilon A. Parker from personal and professional acquaintances. Parker received many condolence letters following Mary's death in early 1892. Later items include content related to Native American schools and to Parker's career in the railroad industry. A few late items sent to Hilon's daughter Florence in 1911 and 1912 concern his estate.

A group of 36 pencil and colored drawings and 32 letters relate to students at the Rainy Mountain Boarding School on the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation in western Oklahoma. Kiowa schoolchildren gave the drawings as thank you notes to Hilon Parker, general manager of the Rock Island Railway, for a train ride he arranged for them in 1899. The children's ledger drawings show teepees, traditional Native American costume, and animals such as horses and buffalo. The children sent 13 letters to Hilon A. Parker on May 5, 1899. The Kiowa correspondence and drawings are accompanied by a group of 19 letters by grade school children in Chicago, Illinois, to Florence Parker Luckenbill, Hilon A. Parker's daughter, around 1925. The Chicago children commented on the Kiowa drawings and letters.

The Hilon A. Parker diaries (31 items) form a continuous run from 1860 to 1911, with the exception of the years 1896 and 1903. His brief daily entries concern life in Plessis, New York, in the early 1860s; service in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment during the Civil War; and work for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. Lucinda Parker, Hilon's mother, kept 6 diaries covering the period from 1858-1865, excepting 1862. She commented on her daily activities and social life in Plessis, New York.

Hilon A. Parker made entries in a commonplace book from February 1863-August 1863 and in April 1866. The first section of the volume contains poems and brief essays composed at Fort Meigs in Washington, D.C. Many of the entries refer to military life and to the war. The later pages of the volume include diagrams of cannons, mathematics and physics notes, and definitions of military terms. Items glued into this section of the volume include a small paper flag and many clipped autographs.

The collection's military documents (39 items) include orders, passes, commissions, and other documents related to Hilon A. Parker's service in the 10th New York Artillery Regiment during the Civil War; one item pertains to his pension. Undated materials include a casualty list and a blank voucher form.

Nine account books belonging to Hilon's father Alpheus Parker span the years from 1853-1878. Some of the volumes pertain to Parker's accounts with specific banks. Hilon Parker's business papers contain 35 accounts, receipts, and other items related to his personal finances and to his work for the railroad industry; one item concerns his voter registration (October 19, 1888). Most of the later material, including contracts and other agreements, regard business agreements between railroad companies. Some of the accounts are written on stationery of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company.

Mary Cunningham's Hungerford Collegiate Institute papers (40 items) include essays, poetry, report cards, and newspaper clippings related to Cunningham's studies at the institute in the mid-1860s. The papers include a manuscript magazine called The Nonpareil, edited by Mary Cunningham (Vol. 5, No. 8: November 18, 1863).

Approximately 80 speeches, addresses, and essays written by Hilon A. Parker pertain to the Civil War, the Republican Party, and Illinois politics. Parker also composed speeches and essays about the life of Abraham Lincoln and about Native Americans.

The Hilon A. Parker family papers include 8 photographs: an ambrotype image of several members of the Parker family posing outside of the Parker & Fairman storefront in Plessis, New York, and portraits of Derrinda Parker Tanner (tintype), Isaac L. Hitchcock (daguerreotype), Lucinda and Thirza Parker (daguerreotype), two unidentified women (ambrotypes), Hilon A. and Harvey M. Parker in military uniform (card photograph), and Hilon A. Parker as a grown man (photographic print).

A scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, ephemera, and other items related to the life of Hilon A. Parker. Many articles concern Civil War veterans' groups (the Englewood Union Veteran Club and the Grand Army of the Republic) and other topics related to the war, such as an article regarding a reunion of the 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, the fate of John Brown's wife and sons, memorial poems, and a map of entrenchments around Petersburg, Virginia. Other groups of clippings concern Illinois politics, liquor laws, the railroad industry, and the life of Hilon A. Parker.

The papers include newspaper clippings (21 items), biographical notes and writings (18 items), a hand-sewn US flag made by Thirza Parker for Hilon Parker while he served in the Civil War, a silhouette made in Denver, Colorado, in 1903, and other items.

The Hinkley collection is comprised of an account book and exercise book owned by members of the Hinkley family of Georgetown, Maine, in the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. The materials pertain to John Hinkley's finances, Samuel P. Hinkley's finances and education, and religious poetry.

The Hinkley collection is comprised of an account book and exercise book owned by members of the Hinkley family of Georgetown, Maine, in the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. John Hinkley kept 125 pages of accounts from 1755-1779, Samuel P. Hinkley kept 3 pages of accounts from 1789-1805, and Samuel P. Hinkley recorded 56 pages of information about mathematics and navigational principles. The account book also has 8 pages of religious poetry.

The first 125 pages of John Hinkley's Account Book concern the period between June 1755 and May 1779, though most accounts are dated between 1755 and 1765. His double-entry records pertain to his purchases of chocolate, sugar, corn, meal, rum, molasses, and other foodstuffs, and some reflect his interest in a sawmill. Several aspects of the mill's business are covered, such as providing boards and hauling timber. John Hinkley frequently traded with other members of the Hinkley family, including Josiah Hinkley and Samuel Hinkley. The accounts are followed by 8 pages of religious poetry, with one poem attributed to Betsey Hinkley, and 3 pages of financial accounts that Samuel P. Hinkley sporadically recorded between December 1789 and June 1805.

Samuel P. Hinkley's Exercise Book, dated December 18, 1837, contains 56 pages of nautical navigational problems and exercises. Topics include plane sailing, traverse sailing, parallel sailing, middle latitude sailing, and Mercator sailing, as well as the method of ascertaining latitude by making observations. Hinkley recorded several case studies and accompanying exercises for each sailing method, and the book contains the mathematical calculations used to solve each problem. Some problems, particularly those in the traverse sailing section, are accompanied by tables. The last several pages are copied entries from an unnamed ship's log, originally recorded during a journey between Boston and Madeira in March and April 1824 and during an unspecified voyage in January 1824.

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.

• 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)

• 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)

• "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)

• 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)

• "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)

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.

• 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)

• 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)

• "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)

• 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)

• "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)

The Hoit Family Papers are made up of correspondence, diaries, documents, financial papers, photographs, and other items related to the family of New Hampshire state legislator Daniel Hoit (1778-1859) and Sally Hoit (1786-1837); their children Julia Maria, Eliza Flanders, portrait painter and artist Albert Gallatin, and Reverend William Henry Harrison Hoit; and their children-in-law Ira A. Bean, Susan Ann Hanson Hoit, and Enoch P. Sherman. The family was based in Sandwich, New Hampshire.

The Hoit Family Papers are made up of 965 letters; 21 diaries, account books, and notebooks; 11 speeches, poems, and other writings; 49 documents and financial papers; six photographs, and other items related to New Hampshire state legislator Daniel Hoit (1778-1859) and Sally Hoit (1786-1837); their children Julia Maria, Eliza Flanders, portrait painter and artist Albert Gallatin, and Reverend William Henry Harrison Hoit; and their children-in-law Ira A. Bean, Susan Ann Hanson Hoit, and Enoch P. Sherman. The family lived primarily in Sandwich, New Hampshire.

The Correspondence Series contains 965 letters, including 39 by Sarah "Sally" Flanders / Sarah "Sally" Flanders Hoit, dating between December 3, 1803, and January 30, 1837. She wrote largely from Loudon and Sandwich, New Hampshire. In her courtship letters to Daniel Hoit, she offered her thoughts on marriage, the state of their relationship, the future, virtue, and remarks on living a good life. After their marriage, the topics of her correspondence turned to the health and welfare of their family. To her daughters Eliza and Julia she gave motherly advice while they attended a female academy in Concord, New Hampshire (beginning in 1822).

Sally Flanders's husband Daniel Hoit authored around 300 letters from June 6, 1808, to June 19, 1859. He sent over half of them to his wife, Sally Hoit (between 1808 and 1835), and his daughters Julia Hoit Sherman (between 1821 and 1859) and Eliza Hoit Bean (between 1822 and 1856). In them, he showed concern for the education and welfare of his children and family, and advised his wife on home and financial matters. Daniel appears to have had a close relationship with his daughter, Julia. In over 70 letters to her, he reflected on the importance of parenthood and morality; discussed politics, his speeches, elections, and other business matters; and praised her for her academic prowess. To Eliza, he sent 37 letters on the health and welfare of family members and friends. Many of these were co-authored by other Hoit family members. Daniel Hoit's letters include content respecting the state legislature and a small number of items during and after the War of 1812 pertain to recruiting. He remarked twice on local extramarital relationships (June 18, 1815, and June 20, 1830) and attended public Shaker worship in Concord, New Hampshire (June 20, 1814).

The Hoit's oldest child, Eliza Flanders Hoit / Eliza Flanders Hoit Bean, sent 22 letters between April 27, 1822, and September 16, 1859. She wrote the first six letters to her mother and sister while attending school in Concord, New Hampshire, from April to September 1822. The remainder of the letters date from 1836 to 1859, mostly from Urbana, Ohio. These letters focus on the health of friends and family, housework, and her spiritual life. She wrote several travel letters to her father from Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. Her husband Ira A. Bean wrote 30 letters, December 30, 1828-December 30, 1863, regarding his business and political endeavors, largely to his father-in-law, Daniel Hoit.

Julia Maria Hoit / Julia Maria Hoit Sherman sent around 110 letters to her mother, father, siblings, and other family members between February 3, 1827, and March 24, 1876. The majority of them originated from Sandwich, New Hampshire. In her often-lengthy correspondence, she discussed fashion, gossip about friends and family, weddings, marriages, clothing, and current events. She was independent and highly opinionated about the social behaviors of those around her. Particularly notable is her criticism of the fashion and diet of the women in Boston (1829). The Hoit Family Papers also contain around 50 political, financial, and property-related letters of her husband, Enoch P. Sherman, dating between June 9, 1828, and February 6, 1843, and around 10 from their son, Daniel H. Sherman between 1849 and 1873.

The Hoit's oldest son Albert Gallatin Hoit / Albert Gallatin Hoyt wrote approximately 110 letters between November 27, 1820, and October 21, 1853. His earliest correspondence, largely to his parents and sisters, covers his time at Effingham Academy, Wolfeborough & Tuftonborough Academy (1825), and Dartmouth College (1826-1829). In 1829, he established a school at Newport, Connecticut, but quickly found himself in debt. Struggling to remedy his plight, he took a trip to Rochester, New York, in 1830, where he decided to embark on a career as a portrait painter. He then wrote from Portland and Bangor, Maine, until 1839 when he settled in Boston with his wife Susan. His letters regard his everyday life, education, career, and relationship with his father. Susan A. Hanson Hoyt, originally of Conway, New Hampshire, wrote approximately 40 letters between March 28, 1837, and February 11, 1873. They focus on health and her daily routine, anxieties about her husband Albert's career as an artist, the art scene in Boston in the early 1840s, and the activities of her husband. Albert traveled a great deal, and stayed in Europe from 1842 to 1844 to paint. Susan also wrote about her stillborn children (i.e. March 30, 1845), concerns over the presidential election of 1844, sewing, dressmaking, and her efforts to learn how to draw. By 1853, she moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts, with her husband. In a series of letters from there, she wrote about the sickness and death of Albert in 1856. She then returned to Conway. In early 1872, she traveled to Minneapolis where she apparently remained.

William Henry Harrison Hoit / William Henry Hoyt's approximately 70 letters date from May 13, 1826, to November 15, 1882. Beginning at around age 11 with letters from school at Wolfborough & Tuftonborough Academy (where he studied along with his brother Albert), informed his parents about his studies and asked them to send books and educational advice. He then wrote to his parents, sisters, and brother-in-law while studying at Dartmouth College (1827-1831). From 1835 to 1836, he sent letters from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in New York, and, by 1838, he settled in to his parish at St. Alban's, Vermont. His conversion from the Episcopal Church to Catholicism in the later 1840s is the subject of a portion of his correspondence. The collection includes three letters by William Hoyt's wife, Anne Deming Hoyt, dated October 6, 1838; March 30, 1856; and July 11, 1867.

The collection's remaining 190 or letters are from almost as many correspondents. They are addressed to members of the Hoit family, particularly Sally, Daniel, Eliza, and Julia, from various members of their extended family and business associates. Updates on deaths, marriages, health, education, and children predominate in the letters by women. Of interest are letters pertinent to Albert Hoyt's debt in the early 1830s and five letters from Julia's niece, Frances Prescott, a teacher in Ellenburg, New York. She briefly remarked on her school and wages (late 1850s).

The Diaries, Account Books, and Notebooks Series includes 10 daily diaries and account books of Daniel Hoit (1814-1817, 1851-1859), one diary by Sally Flanders Hoit (1823, 1830), two diaries of Ira A. Bean (1829-1859), one volume of notes and accounts of Enoch P. Sherman's estate (1843-1849), three sparse diaries and two notebooks by Daniel H. Sherman (1870, 1873, 1878, 1900, and 1918), and one daily diary of Julia M. Hoit Sherman (1884).

The Speeches, Poems, and Other Writings Series includes a poem by William Burleigh to Mr. and Mrs. Hoit (March 4, 1812) a fragment of a verse by Sarah F. Hoit (undated), three essays by Albert G. Hoit (two from his school days and one entitled "Early Recollections" (undated), and a written renewal of vows to God by Julia M. Hoit on her 24th birthday (November 15, 1831). Also present are a temperance address by Ira A. Bean (October 1823), an incomplete address to the Franklin Society (November 1, 1824), and a 4th of July 1834 temperance speech by Daniel Hoit.

The Hoit Family Papers contain 49 Documents, Accounts, and Receipts, dating from [1809?] to 1863. The various financial papers include good documentation of the Hoit children's educational expenses and Albert G. Hoit's expenditures and debts of the later 1820s and early 1830s. Among the documents are Enoch P. Sherman's June 11, 1840, resignation from a colonelcy in the 19th Regiment New Hampshire Militia.

The Photographs Series is made up of seven carte-de-visite photographs, all bearing Civil War era tax stamps. Identified individuals include "Mrs. E. G. Weaver" and "A. J. Church & wife & daughter."

The collection includes two Maps:

• Rand Avery Supply Co. Map of Lake Winnipesaukee and Surroundings issued by Passenger Dept. Concord & Montreal R.R. [Boston]: Concord & Montreal R.R., 1891.
• [Tamworth Township, Carroll County, New Hampshire], 1870s.

The collection also contains 14 Printed Items, among which are The Dairyman’s Daughter (religious tract, 1831), a copy of a bill to extend an 1838 act to grant half-pay and pensions to certain widows (1841), Final Notes on Witchcraft in Massachusetts by George H. Moore (1885), a program for the Semi-Centennial celebration of the New Hampshire Conference Seminary and Female College (1895), The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, by Mrs. Hannah More, and a children's book Jocko and Minette (1846). See the box and folder listing below for a complete list of the printed materials.

Irish Quakers and compatriots of William Penn, the family of John Holme prospered in the new colony of Pennsylvania. The Holme family account book includes accounts of goods sold and services rendered to Philadelphia families in the 1680s and 1690s. Interspersed throughout are medicinal and food preparation receipts, mostly recorded in the 1740s, as well as copies of the laws of Pennsylvania, ca. 1685, the wills of Capt. Thomas Holme, 1695, and John Holme, Jr., and a poem and two religious songs.

The Holme account book is particularly heterogeneous in its construction. It includes accounts of goods sold and services rendered to Philadelphia families in the 1680s and 1690s. However, the accounts appear to have been kept by several different members of the family. These include records of the sale of shoes, gun powder, grain, cloth, nails, and many other goods. Interspersed throughout the accounts are pages of calculations, numerous medicinal receipts, and receipts for various food preparations (including a large number relating to wine), most of which appear to have been recorded in the 1740s, though some are earlier.

John Holme, Sr., also appears to have used the "account book" to copy the laws of Pennsylvania (copied ca.1685), and he or a later Holme recorded the wills of Capt. Thomas Holme (1695; William Penn's Surveyor General), and of one of the John Holmes, probably John Holme, Jr. Finally, a poem and two religious songs have been included, the former perhaps written by one of the Holmes. It is tempting to attribute the poem to John Holme, Sr., whose poetry is among the earliest recorded as having been written in the province (see Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vols. 3 and 20).

Medicinal receipts are indexed under the term "Receipts" while those for foods are indexed as "Cookery." Additional indexing (e.g. for type of food or medicine) is highly selective. Similarly, only the primary names are indexed for the accounts.