Collections

The Brownell family papers contain correspondence, diaries, documents, writings, illustrations, and other materials documenting the family's experiences from the 1820s into the 1960s.

The Brownell family papers contain correspondence, diaries, documents, writings, illustrations, and other materials documenting the family's experiences from the 1820s into the 1960s.

The Correspondence Series includes letters written to and by the Brownell family, primarily in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Louisiana, New York City, Cuba, and France between 1823 and 1969, with the bulk dating from the 1850s to 1940s.

Approximately 296 letters are letters to Charles Brownell and his wife Henrietta [Nettie] from Charles' mother, Lucia [Mummy], and his three brothers, Edward [Ned], Henry, and Clarence, often written with notes added and sent on as a "round robin" correspondence which ended with Charles.

The collection contains over 100 letters written by Ned Brownell, with additional notes in other family members' letters. His earliest letters start when he is finishing medical school in New Orleans and continue with his move to rural Louisiana, near Alexandria and Plaisance. These are high-spirited letters with humorous pen and ink drawings of his adventures chasing wild horses (January 29, 1855); mishaps while duck and geese hunting at Lake Catahoula (November 12, 1855; November 10, 1856); and futile attempts to flag down a river steamer (January 29, 1855). But his letters also deal with the problems involved in setting up a medical practice at the same time he, a Northerner, is trying his hand at cotton cultivation. He married a southern woman of French descent whose father was a slave owner (19 slaves in 1850 and 30 in 1860). Ned describes bringing up his bilingual children in a culture very different from his own. The marriage s was troubled, and by 1858, he sold out his cotton interests and was considering his brother Clarence's offer to take over Clarence's practice in East Hartford, Connecticut. He moved to Cloutierville, Louisiana, for a while. Two letters of introduction written in 1864 (April 4 and April 25) refer to his allegiance to the Union. By June of 1866, he was involved in legal separation hearings and working with his brothers on a testimony about his wife's "violent scenes and words.” Both during his practice in Louisiana and later in Rhode Island, his letters describe his patients and treatments (cotton gin accident resulting in amputation of an enslaved person's arm - October 26, 1857; treating yellow fever and typhoid - October 14, 1853 and January 12, 1855). He also suggests treatments for family members with diphtheria (n.d. November 8), excessive menstrual bleeding (December 17, 1866), prolapsed uterus after childbirth (February 8, [1867]), and a prescription for a cholera prevention pill (n.d. September 27). He made a trip to Florida with his dying brother Henry in 1871-1872, in the hopes that the warmer climate might make Henry feel more comfortable.

Only a handful of letters and notes are from Clarence Brownell. Seven of these are affectionate letters to his friend Henrietta Angell [Pierce] [Brownell], before and during her first unhappy marriage. The rest of his letters are to his family and include descriptions of his 1861 visit to Ned and family in Cloutierville, his excitement and satisfaction in building a boat in his workshop, and playing chess by mail with brother Charles. Another letter describes his travels in Egypt. He went by horseback from Alexandria to Cairo, 130 miles across the Delta. A map he drew while with the Pethernick Expedition on the White Nile was sent home posthumously ([May 12], 1862). On it he notes their location by date and the location of certain flora and fauna.

Over 100 letters and notes are from Lucia D. Brownell ("Mummy"), most of them dealing with local affairs, real estate arrangements, and concerns for her sons' health. Several of these letters mention mediums and the spirit world. After the death of her son Clarence in Egypt, Lucia, Ned, and Henry become interested in reports of mediums and "spiritual pictures.” One item is a copy of a letter that a medium claimed was dictated to him by Clarence's ghost. Ned describes watching a medium who claimed to see "words in fiery letters in the illuminated smoke of my cigar when I puffed" [13 May]. Lucia made several visits to a medium (November- December 1862), ending when the medium was proved a fake.

Correspondence with Henry H. Brownell is well represented. The letters mostly come from Hartford, Connecticut, but letters from Bristol, Rhode Island, are also included. He describes visiting Ned and his family in Louisiana in the 1850s, and accompanying Ned on three of his annual duck and geese hunting expeditions to Lake Catahoula. He seems to have acted as agent for the sale of his brother Charles' paintings when Charles was away in Cuba or Europe - "two little Charter Oaks for $20." [n.d. December 26]. Other letters deal with business matters concerning an inheritance from his grandfather De Wolf involving real estate that he and Charles shared, but unequally. These letters contain little mention of Henry's own writing of poetry and the publication of his books. Two copies of letters to Henry written by Oliver Wendell Holmes praising his work are included [January 13 and February 6, 1865]. A typed copy of a letter from Ernest H. Brownell, dated April 6, 1935, lists letters written by Holmes to Henry H. Brownell. Correspondence to Charles DeWolf Brownell represent his work to honor and publish his brother's writings after his death [late 1880s].

Another part of the Brownell Papers consists of three batches of letters from abroad - the Procter Wright letters from Europe, the Charles and Nettie Brownell letters from Europe, and the Don Martin Ibarra letters from Cuba and Spain. Procter Wright wrote 25 letters (1876-1884) to Mrs. Charles Brownell (Nettie) from Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. He gives good descriptions of his walking and climbing tours as well as his visits to various cities. A few letters discuss religion, including matters of purgatory [April 28, 1880] and creation or Darwinisn [August 18, 1883]. Wright also mentions the death of the artist Jean Louis Hamon, and the auction of his things [July 26, 1876, December 28, 1876]. He reminds Henrietta how much he treasures Charles' painting of "Witches' Cork Tree" that the Brownell's had given him some years earlier [April 9, 1883].

The twenty letters written by Charles and Nettie in Europe (1872-1874) to family at home talk of their travels, their children, and anything unusual that catches their eye - "Creche" day care system in France [August 20, 1873] or a trip to the "Crystal Palace" in London [August 29, 1873]. Charles made small pen and ink drawings on three of the letters - a bird on a branch [July 28, 1872], an Egyptian "cartouche" [May 6, 1873], and a dental molar [March 27, 1874]. Three other letterheads have hand tinted designs - an animal head [August 9, 1872], a ship [May 8, 1874], and boys on a ship's mast [May 13, 1874]. Two letterheads have landscape lithographs by Henry Besley - "St. Michael's Mount from Lower Tremenheere" [August 20, 1873] , "Penzance from Guvul" and "St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall" [August 22, 1873].

The Don Martin Ibarra letters (1855-1872) consist of 86 letters written in Spanish to Charles Brownell. They are mainly from Cuba, but the last several are from Barcelona, Spain. They are warm letters to a good friend and "compadre,” but also contain figures on the production of sugar from at least two "ingenios" or sugar mills near the Cardenas area of Cuba.

A small group of 17 letters from the poet Lucy Larcom (1862-1870, n.d.) were written to Henrietta Angell Pierce Brownell [Mrs. Charles Brownell], and cover the years of Larcom's decision to stop teaching school and to concentrate her energy on her own writing. Her September 19, 1868, letter mentions proofreading a volume for publication, "my cricket-chirpings of verse.”

Eight letters from Henrietta S. Dana (1861-1863) in New Haven, Connecticut, to Henrietta A. Pierce [Brownell] mention Mrs. Dana helping her famous Yale professor husband by taking dictation from him for his most recent book, Manuel of Geology [April 7, 1862]. Her letters also describe the death of two of their children from diphtheria, and her safely nursing one other child through it [December 21, 1861].

Twenty-five letters from Esther Pierce to her divorced and remarried mother, Henrietta Brownell, were written from 1875-1877, when Esther was 14-16 years old and living with her father, Dr. George Pierce, in Providence. Several years earlier, she had been living with her mother and her step-father, Charles Brownell, and had accompanied them on their trip to Europe. Her nickname was "Kit,” and she is frequently mentioned in her mother's letters. The letters from Esther [Kit] tell of a trip to Canada, local people and visits, and her new clothes, sometimes with accompanying pen and ink drawings. Two letters include swatches of fabric [February 6, 1876, and April 23, 1876].

More correspondence to and from the Brownells can be found in the Scrapbook Pages series and the Genealogical Notes and Copies series.

Beginning in the 1880s, the correspondence focuses more on Annie May Angell, who would marry Ernest Henry Brownell in 1891, and her family. Virginia McLain (1867-1953), who lived in the Bahamas as the daughter of the United States Consul Thomas J. McClain, was a frequent correspondent into the 1890s. One letter dated October 11, 1887, includes a carte-de-visite of Virginia. Other letters in the 1880s relate to Charles DeWolf Brownell's efforts to publish his brother Henry Howard Brownell's poetry. Several letters from 1882 and 1883 relate to Charles DeWolf Brownell, his work on the Charter Oak, and his paintings. One letter by Oliver Wendell Holmes, dated February 11, 1883, indicates one of Charles' paintings was displayed in his library.

Correspondence from the 1890s-1910s centers around Annie May and Ernest Brownell, as well as their family circle and acquaintances. Letters written by Bertha Angell to Lewis Kalloch are also well represented in this period. Ernest's letters provide details about May and Ernest's children and marriage, as well as Ernest's work as a Civil Engineer in the United States Navy. Many of his early letters are addressed from the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Navy Yard. Ernest was also stationed in the Philippines and Bremerton, Washington.

Around 1905 Ernest Brownell became involved with the Brownell Building in Providence, Rhode Island, which the brothers inherited, and in the following years corresponded with his brothers Carl and Edward about various matters relating to family properties. Several letters from 1912 refer to a large fire at the Brownell Building.

Two items from August 1915 were sent to the family of John K. Rathbone relating to the Galveston Hurricane.

Correspondence between Dorothea DeWolf Brownell and Clifford Kyler Rathbone begins around 1918. Clifford Rathbone's letters also detail his career in construction. Material from the 1920s relates to family finances and handling of Kalloch estate matters. By the 1930s letters by Dorinda Rathbone begin appearing, as well as more letters from the Rathbone family, including Myrtle Rathbone of Denton, Texas, and Rosalie Rathbone.

Correspondence from 1942-1943 reflects Clifford Rathbone's unsuccessful efforts to join the military, and Henry B. Rathbone's preparation for the U.S. Naval Academy entrance exams. Following Clifford Rathbone's death in March of 1944, the collection includes many condolence letters. The bulk of the correspondence post-1945 is written to Dorinda Rathbone.

The Bundled Correspondence Sub-series is comprised of letters arranged by later descendants of the family. The first bundle of seven letters spans from December 20, 1820, to January 29, 1825, relating to Pardon and Lucia Brownell's inheritance from the estate of Lucia's father Charles DeWolf. It includes notes by Dorothea DeWolf Brownell Rathbone. The second bundle includes 16 letters written to Pardon Brownell enclosed in Florence Brownell's January 19, 1931, letter to Dorothea Rathbone, spanning from March 1825 to December 1835 and primarily concern affairs with a DeWolf family property. One letter from Lucia DeWolf Brownell, dated June 11-13, 1827, is also included. The third bundle consists of 26 letters written from Ernest Brownell to his wife Annie May Angell Brownell from 1904 to 1940, along with a blank postcard and a photograph, likely of Ernest and Annie May, with the inscription "In Cuba on The Honeymoon, 1891" written on the verso. The letters commemorate their wedding anniversary, and were written while Ernest was serving in the Navy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Cavite, Philippines; Bremerton, Washington; Pensacola, Florida; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Newport, Rhode Island. The fourth bundle consists of two letters sent by John T. Lewis, Jr., to Dorothea Rathbone in the mid-1960s, enclosing two letters by H. M. K. Brownell from 1881 and 1883, respectively.

TheDiaries and Notebooks Series includes the following:

• Francis DeWolf Brownell Penmanship Exercise Book, ca. 1833
• "The Lay of the Cuisinier. A Poem; by the Cook of the Enterprise," 1840. Dedicated to Henry Howard Brownell.
• Nettie K. Angell 1856 Diary Cover, with miscellaneous clipping and notes
• Spanish Notebook, 1859
• Unsigned Diary, 1863, written by a mother. It includes details on family events and social visits, particularly concerning children Ethie [Esther b. 1860] and Harry [b. 1863], indicating the author may be Henrietta Knowlton Angell (1837-1897), who bore Esther H. Pierce (b. 1860) and Henry A. Pierce (1863-1867) during her first marriage to George Pierce. Sections have been cut out of pages. A poem by H. H. Brownell is pasted on the back inside cover.
• Bundle of miscellaneous disbound diary pages and miscellanea from 1858, 1861-1863, 1879, 1886, 1888-1893, and 1895, with occasional clippings
• Ernest H. Brownell, "Our Expedition to Falkner's Island, Block Island, and Cuttyhunk," July 1884
• Bertha Angell, 1886 student notebook, Apgar's Plant Analysis
• Clifford K. Rathbone disbound diary pages, 1919
• Construction journal pages, 1922
• Illustration and writing notebook, undated. Hand-painted drawings of women, a man, and flowers are included, along with literary selections and sayings.

The Chronological Documents and Financial Records sub-series spans from 1824 to 1969 (bulk 1824-1920), documenting the legal, financial, and business affairs of the interrelated Brownell, Angell, and Rathbone families. Items include deeds, bills and receipts, insurance policies, bank and tax records, accounts, construction documents, leases, estate documents, and more. A significant portion of the documents relate to the real estate work of Ernest Brownell, Annie May Brownell, John Angell, and Bertha Angell (later Kalloch) in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Bundled Documents and Financial Records sub-series includes:

• Bundle 1: Angell family land documents, 1799-1839
• Bundle 2: John Angell wallet and receipts, 1829-1841
• Bundle 3: Angell estate documents, 1893-1904
• Bundle 4: Brownell estate documents, 1908-1942
• Bundle 5: Clifford K. Rathbone concrete pile documents, ca. 1920s
• Bundle 6: Clifford K. Rathbone wallet, 1941-1944

The Ledgers sub-series includes:

• Partial estate inventory, ca. 1841
• Nancy Angell account book, 1845-1856
• Nancy Angell rent account book, 1863-1903
• John A. Angell and Nancy Angell income taxes, 1867-1871
• John A. Angell estate accounts, 1877-1893
• [Annie May Angell and Bertha Angell?] account book, 1884-1891
• Ernest H. Brownell cash book, 1890-1910
• Annie May Angell Brownell cash book, 1892-1904
• Annie May Angell Brownell check books, 1892-1893
• Bertha Angell account book, 1896-1898, and 1908
• Annie May Angell Brownell account book, 1896-1905 and 1912-1915
• Blank bank notebook, Undated

The Writings series spans from 1811 to 1958 and includes poetry by Lucia Emilia DeWolf Brownell, a lecture by Henry Howard Brownell, school work of Ernest H. Brownell, poetry by Annie May Angell Brownell (some with painted illustrations), and miscellaneous other items.

The Drawings and Illustrations series includes miscellaneous sketches and paintings, two volumes of Henry B. Rathbone's "History Cartoons," one volume of collected work of Emma DeWolf Brownell, and a child's illustrated notebook. Other illustrations and paintings appear throughout other series in the collection, particularly the Correspondence series and Writings series.

The Scrapbook Pages series consists of loose pages compiled by Dorothea Brownell Rathbone, collecting together letters, clippings, documents, photographs, and notes. Material dates from the 1850s into the 1940s. Correspondents represented include Edward R. Brownell, Henrietta Knowlton Angell Brownell, Ernest Henry Brownell, John Wardwell Angell, Edward I. Brownell, Charles DeWolf Brownell, Carl DeWolf Brownell, S. Edward Paschall, Bertha Angell. Photographs of people feature: Ernest Henry Brownell, Clarence Brownell, Charles Henry Brownell, Clifford K. Rathbone, Charles DeWolf Brownell, Douglass DeWolf, John Wardwell Angell, and Bertha Angell Kalloch. Ernest Henry Brownell features heavily in the scrapbook, including information on his education, work, and personal life. Dorothea Rathbone appears to have copied diary entries from October 1884 to March 1887, with manuscript and printed materials pasted in to it.

The Photograph series includes cartes de visite of James T. Fields, Annie Fields, and a gun crew aboard the Hartford. A signed photograph of Oliver Wendell Holmes is addressed to Henry H. Brownell. Gem tintypes of Ada Perkins Kerby, Rachel Perkins, and Charles Townley are also present. Miscellaneous photos include snapshots of the U.S.S. Hartford, a bridge, a construction project, a painted portrait of Betsy Angell, and a partial photograph of figures in a vehicle. A series of eight photographs and negatives depict gravestones. Photographs also appear elsewhere in the collection, principally the correspondence series and scrapbook pages series.

The Ephemera series consists of tickets, calling cards, business cards, a bank exchange note, and a wrapper.

The Printed Materials series includes newspaper pages and clippings, a 1785 almanac, poetry, a disbound copy of Thomas Church's The History of the Indian Wars in New England (New York, 1881), miscellaneous material related to education, one piece of sheet music, a magazine, a program, and a leaflet.

The Genealogical Notes and Copies series consists of notes regarding family history and letters. The J. A. Brownell sub-series includes over 200 hand-written copies made by Dorothea Brownell Rathbone of letters in the possession of J. A. Brownell. A note in the subseries indicates use of these materials requires the permission of J. A. Brownell. The material dates from 1836-1894 (bulk 1836-1850) and principally consists of letters addressed to or written by Henry H. Brownell, including a sizeable number written by Henry H. Brownell to Charles DeWolf Brownell and Lucia DeWolf Brownell. The Miscellaneous Notes and Copies sub-series includes handwritten copies and photocopies of letters, documents, and genealogical information. It includes copies of three letters from Henry David Thoreau to Clarence Brownell dated 1859 to 1861, as well as copies of several of Henry H. Brownell's poems.

The Miscellaneous series consists of scraps, notes, blank paper, and clippings.

The Realia series includes the following items:

• A peg wooden doll with hand-made clothes and painted face, possibly in the style of the Hitty doll in Rachel Field's Hitty: Her First Hundred Years (New York: MacMillan Company, 1929)
• A doll with a dress and bonnet, leather shoes, and painted canvas face
• Two white doll shifts with smocking enclosed in an envelope labelled "Dolls dresses by RVRC for Dorinda" [Rosalie V. Rathbone Craft]
• A handmade infant's nightgown enclosed in an envelope labelled "Sample of handiwork of DBR - nightgown made for D & used by D & H"
• Two ribbons
• Nine skeins of silk thread wrapped in paper with the following note: "Raised in our cocoonery - E. Hartford. Spun by C. D. W. B. at the mill in West Hartford"
• A gray Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1920 wallet, possibly owned by Dorothea Rathbone who graduated from the school in that year
• A shard of wood with a note, "Slivers from U.S.S. Hartford," accompanied by a disbound illustration of the ship
• A metal Waldorf Astoria cocktail pick

This collection contains 3 groups of letters between members of the Burbank family of Medford, Massachusetts. William Henry and Edwin C. Burbank wrote to their mother and siblings while serving in the 5th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, and New Bern, North Carolina, from 1861-1863; Edwin C. Burbank wrote to his mother and sisters while living in Paris, France, in 1867; and Ida Burbank wrote home about her life on Cumberland Island, Georgia, during the winter of 1882-1883.

This collection (86 items) consists of 3 groups of letters between members of the Burbank family of Medford, Massachusetts. William Henry and Edwin C. Burbank wrote to their mother and siblings while serving in the 5th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in Washington, D.C.; Alexandria, Virginia; and New Bern, North Carolina, from 1861-1863 (42 items); Edwin C. Burbank wrote to his mother and sisters while living in Paris, France, in 1867 (11 items); and Ida Burbank wrote home about her life on Cumberland Island, Georgia, during the winter of 1882-1883 (31 items). The collection also includes a personal letter to Edwin Burbank (June 8, 1867) and an unsigned letter (November 22, [1882]).

William Henry Burbank wrote 33 and his brother Edwin wrote 9 of the 42 Civil War-era letters (April 28, 1861-June 17, 1863). William's first letters pertain to his service with the 5th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in and around Washington, D.C., in 1861, including his observations about martial law in and the desertion of Alexandria, Virginia, and his recollections of the First Battle of Bull Run (July 23, 1861). Both brothers' later letters concern their experiences with the 5th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in and around New Bern, North Carolina, from 1862-1863. The Burbanks described New Bern and its black population, reported casualties, and discussed the possibility of finding their brother Oscar a military job. Some of their letters, particularly Edwin's, recount Confederate attacks, Union Army expeditions, battles during the Goldsboro campaign, as well as attempts to relieve Confederate pressure on Washington, D.C. William's letter of March 16, 1863, contains a manuscript map of Union lines and encampments around New Bern. A few of the letters are addressed to the Burbank sisters.

The remaining correspondence includes 11 letters that Edwin C. Burbank wrote to his mother and sisters while traveling to and living in Paris, France, from March 29, 1867-September 29, 1867; his first letter is dated at Glasgow, Scotland. He commented on his travels, his life in Paris, and the Exposition Universelle. The final group of letters concerns Ida Burbank's leisure activities on Cumberland Island, Georgia, and her travels to Brunswick and other nearby locales. She provided news of the relatives she stayed with during her time in the South, discussed life in Georgia, mentioned ships traveling to and from the mainland, and described visits to the beach. Three of her letters enclose newspaper clippings and dried flowers.

The Carrie M. Stewart and Arthur K. Kepner collection consists of the couple's love letters to one another, written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of the letters pertain to their lives in northeastern Ohio.

The Carrie M. Stewart and Arthur K. Kepner collection (1 linear foot) consists of the couple's love letters, written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of their letters pertain to their lives in northeastern Ohio. The collection also includes a poem and short story, a photograph, photographic negatives, newspaper clippings, and ephemera.

The Correspondence series contains approximately 250 dated and 150 undated letters. Among the first 10 items are 4 personal letters to James R. Brown, including 3 from his sister, Martha M. Ferguson of Warren, Ohio (August 18, 1870-September 19, 1877). Carrie M. Stewart received 6 letters from acquaintances between April 23, 1893, and April 10, 1898. The bulk of the series is made up of love letters between Carrie M. Stewart (later Kepner) and Arthur King Kepner, whom she addressed as "King." From 1898-1908, Stewart and Kepner wrote to each other about their families and social lives in eastern Ohio. Stewart lived in Hartford, Ohio, and often traveled to Sharon, Pennsylvania; Kepner attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and later worked in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Weldon, Ohio. Most of the letters pre-date their 1906 marriage, and many concern their relationship and their separation. Other correspondence includes several letters to Carrie Stewart Kepner from A. J. McFarland ("Jerry" or "Archie"), an acquaintance in Dillonvale, Ohio. Some of the undated letters are composed on partially printed (blank) receipts from D. C. Stewart's lumber company in Hartford, Ohio. An undated letter from Thomas B. Moreland, a funeral director in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, provides a reference for Kepner from his time employed as an assistant undertaker.

The Writings series (2 items) contains a poem and a short story entitled "My Little People of the Snow."

The Photographic Negatives series includes 2 undated photographic negatives of people outside of a house. An additional 18 negatives of outdoor scenes and various persons are housed with A. J. McFarland's letter of February 27, 1902.

The Newspaper Clippings series consists of 17 clippings. Several of the clippings pertain to the marriage of Carrie Stewart and Arthur King Kepner and other weddings; others are news stories, including a story about the death of an undertaker in Kinsman, Pennsylvania.

The Ephemera series contains 6 items, including a prescription, an invitation, a visiting card, and an advertisement for a sauce pan with a note from Mrs. King Kepner ordering the sauce pan from Aluminum Cooking Utensil Co.

This Caspar F. Goodrich Papers contain correspondence, documents, ephemera, and other items related to Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich, who served in the United States Navy from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Many of the materials relate to his naval career, business and personal affairs, and his political interests after World War I.

The Caspar F. Goodrich Papers contain correspondence, documents, ephemera, and other items related to Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich, who served in the United States Navy from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Many of the materials relate to his naval career, business and personal affairs, and his political interests after World War I. The collection documents Goodrich's various travels and naval campaigns as Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and details his business, scholarship, and personal life.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. The Chronological Correspondence subseries (approximately 5 linear feet) contains incoming and outgoing letters to Caspar F. Goodrich. Approximately 2,535 letters to and from his wives Eleanor and Sarah and various family and friends, naval personnel, professional society members, businessmen, and academics document Goodrich's personal life and naval career. The series, arranged chronologically, ranges from the late 1860s until 1925, the year of his death. Goodrich, in his extensive naval and professional travels, wrote from many continents in the midst of wars and diplomatic negotiations. The letters detail his ongoing involvement in foreign policy, domestic and international politics, and naval and academic matters. Many pertain to his actions during the Spanish-American War and to aspects of naval administration and navy yards. Some correspondents discussed Goodrich's speaking engagements at the U.S. Naval War College and other venues, as well as his involvement in various naval societies and similar groups. The series also reveals the particulars of his intimate life and private thoughts.

This subseries includes, for example:

• Fifteen letters to his mother from the U.S.S. Portsmouth in South America at the beginning of his naval career in 1869.
• About eight hundred letters to and from his first wife Eleanor Milnor Goodrich from 1884 to 1899 about his travels, interactions with family acquaintances, their children's schooling, their home in Pomfret, Connecticut, and personal thoughts and sentiments. Two letters to her discuss the Suez Canal during the Anglo-Egyptian conflict in 1882. Approximately fifty ink and pencil drawings are enclosed in his correspondence to Eleanor, illustrating scenery and travel observations from around the world as well as mundane matters.
• Approximately fifteen pieces of correspondence during the 1898 Spanish-American Conflict in Cuba. Materials include letters from Goodrich aboard the U.S.S. Newark addressed to Cuban chief commanders demanding the unconditional surrender of Manzanillo, notes in Spanish to Goodrich from Cuban leaders, and military decorations from the Navy for his service.
• Approximately fifty letters from 1907 to 1914 to and from Frederick Winslow Taylor, an engineer and leader in the Efficiency Movement and Progressive era, on personal, commercial, and legal matters including their business with the Tabasco Company.
• Six letters from Charles Chaillé-Long written between 1906 to 1908.
• Twenty three letters from Secretary of the Navy Truman H. Newberry to Goodrich from 1907 to 1910 on naval matters.
• Approximately ten letters to Goodrich from the Secretary of the Navy Office on his delegate appointment to the 1908 International Historical Congress of the War of Independence in Saragossa, Spain.
• Over thirty letters on education, including letters written in 1916 to and from the Oneida Institute and a 14-year-old school boy, James Stidham, whose education Goodrich sponsored. Other letters discuss his children's schooling and etiquette training with his wife Eleanor.
• Two signed Franklin D. Roosevelt letters to Caspar F. Goodrich as Assistant Secretary of Navy (1913 and 1919).
• Orders that Goodrich received after being recalled to active duty during World War I and a letter that he wrote to United States Representative Gilbert A. Currie, criticizing the Justice Department's treatment of spies and foreign nationals.
• Letters to and from Goodrich and the Navy Athletic Association on the Army-Football Game in 1923.

Goodrich received personal letters from the 1910s until his death in 1925. Many of these letters concern the writers' political opinions prior to U.S. involvement in World War I and the progress of the war, often with a focus on naval engagements. Goodrich's correspondents discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention on behalf of the Allied powers and expressed their joy when the U.S. did enter the war. Following the war, they wrote about the peace process and other aspects of international politics. The collection includes letters that Goodrich wrote to newspaper editors about the treatment of German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war; he advocated a requirement that captured combatants repair all war damage to French and Belgian villages before being allowed to return home. Other drafts by Goodrich concern his opinions about the United States Navy, his opposition to anarchists and socialists, his desire for the United States to deport immigrants who commit crimes, and other political subjects.

Some of the late correspondence reflects Goodrich's ongoing interest and participation in naval organizations, including his involvement in naval academy veterans' efforts to sponsor the rebuilding of the library of the Catholic University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, after its destruction during World War I. He also received correspondence from newspaper and magazine editors rejecting articles and short stories.

The Letter Books subseries consists of 7 volumes and a series of letters written to his daughter Gladys that collectively span from 1876 to 1914. Volume 1 contains various copies of articles and letters, as well as a travel and historical account of the Suez Canal. Dating from Goodrich’s time aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge as Lieutenant Commander, subjects range from copied articles on steel manufacturing from Mechanics Magazine to disciplinary reports for crew members. One letter complains of the presence of Commander F. V. McNair’s wife aboard the ship. Also included is an "analytical report" of the crew with detailed tables documenting nationalities, physical characteristics, and punishments, along with an evaluation of "desirable" or "undesirable" persons. There are several copies of personal letters including ones detailing Goodrich’s indignation after his promotion to Executive Officer on the U.S.S. Tennessee was denied. The volume includes a bookmark embroidered with "Remember."

Volumes 2-7 contain Caspar F. Goodrich's outgoing personal and professional correspondence, as well as a few stories and articles. Goodrich discussed navy business and personnel, his work at the U.S. Naval War College, his Spanish-American War service, naval history, naval funding, and other subjects. Several letters reflect Goodrich's attempts to win his son Caspar a place at the United States Naval Academy and his opinions about various academy policies. Many of the letters concern Goodrich's finances and the Gladwyn estate in Pomfret, Connecticut. Some correspondence pertains to his efforts to construct a memorial for the sailors killed in a boiler explosion on the U.S.S. Bennington in San Diego, California, in July 1905.

"Our Trip Around the World" consists of sequential letters written by Caspar F. Goodrich to his daughter, Gladys, documenting international travel from October 1910 to March 1911.

The Writings and Manuscripts series consists of over 270 items of personal notebooks and diaries, manuscripts (including typed and handwritten drafts), speeches, poems and short stories, and bound booklets of Goodrich's own writing from 1900 to 1925. Much of this encompasses biographical material on Goodrich, not only of his extensive travels and naval campaigns but also of a wide body of his scholarly work and lecture material during his time at the Naval War College. Many concern topics related to the United States Navy's history, organization, vessels, and personnel. Some writings reflect his support of policies promoting the use of English as the primary language of the United States, his belief that criminals and others should be prohibited from having children, and his opposition to anarchist political philosophies. Some of his works were published in Army and Navy journals, literary magazines, major newspapers, and by the colleges and societies in which he held teaching positions. A selection of works includes:

• "Battle of Santiago Bay," featuring a poem and account of the battle in 1898.
• "Some Unbeaten Paths in India" includes matte photographs, original watercolors by Captain C.J. Davis of the Indian army, and handwritten and revised drafts produced during Goodrich's business and personal travel in India in 1914.
• "Piracy in the West Indies a Hundred Years ago," a loose-leaf undated three-part series of writings.
• "The Traditions of the Navy," a multiple part 1921 manuscript typed and handwritten, bound by loose string.
• "The Taxpayer and the Schools," a 1923 manuscript.

The Printed Items series includes bound booklets produced by figures other than Goodrich, pamphlets, memos, reports, and newspaper clippings. Printed annual membership lists (bulk post-1911) for various societies like the Naval History Society and the Naval Academy are also present. Notable selections include:

• Thirty materials from 1911 to 1915 on the Tata-Hydro-Electric Project in Bombay, India, including booklets, printed reports, maps, and articles. One set of nine booklets contain the ceremony program guide, photographs of the plant's opening in February 1911, and a printed speech from the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
• Twenty-five bound books, booklets, and pamphlets dating from 1912 to 1923 detailing Communism and the "conditions of Russia." Some titles of note include New York World's staff correspondent Lincoln Eyre's Russia Analyzed (1920), Eugene Richter's Pictures of the Socialist Future (1912), and Lee Alexander Stone's Pacifists and Reds (1924).
• Five bound pamphlets from 1917 to 1920 covering the American constitutional government: Constitution of the National Association for Constitutional Government; How The Constitution Saved the Revolution; The Americanism of the Constitution of the United States; and Experiments in Government and the Essentials of the Constitution I & II.
• Three Congressional Record daily reports from the 68th Congress (1923-1925), First Sessions.
• General Orders No. 260-303 from January to June, 1917, with several missing.
• Approximately 150 newspaper clippings from 1904 to 1925. They are mostly comprised of letters to editors, news pertaining to Goodrich's naval campaigns and accomplishments, political cartoons, material in Spanish, and short stories in various newspaper publications.

The Documents series contains various certificates, special passports, driving test passes, committee reports, and memoranda. This series features certificates honoring Goodrich's participation as a delegate to the International Historical Congress of the War of Independence in Saragossa, Spain (1908), a memorandum with Clarence E. Warren, who agreed to look after the Goodrich home during the admiral's absence (1913), and a typed "Act of March 4th, 1909" stipulating punishment for conspiracy against the United States. It also includes bills, receipts, memorandum of expenses, and minor finance sheets which reflect Goodrich's various travels and personal and naval accounts.

The Ephemera series includes program guides, menus, brochures, calling cards, and printed and engraved invitations, many for gatherings sponsored by naval and patriotic organizations. Included are a large selection of visiting cards from his 1908 visit to Saragossa for the International Historical Congress of the War of Independence The series spans nearly twenty years from 1904 onwards (bulk ca. 1909) with additional undated materials.

The Photographs series contains six photographs of various subject matters ranging from naval business to domestic scenes, such as a military encampment, a sitting room, and a portrait of Goodrich.

TheNotes, Fragments, and Miscellaneous series is comprised of loose, fragmented, or miscellaneous materials. Included are portions of writings, partial letters, illustrations, recipes and lists, and small flat trinkets. A notable item is the engraving plate used for Mrs. Goodrich's calling card.

The Chapman family papers consist primarily of letters between John W. Chapman of Brooklyn, New York, and his immediate family, written around the turn of the 20th century. Most of the letters relate to his daughter, Sarah Dimon Chapman ("Sallie"), including a series of letters written to her by her mother, Mary C. Chapman, with advice for Sallie's European travels, as well as later letters to John and Mary from Sallie's husband, Lewis Witherbee Francis.

The Chapman family papers contain about 98 items, of which 85 are letters exchanged by members of the Chapman family around the turn of the 20th century. John W. Chapman and his wife, Mary Dimon Chapman, received incoming letters from numerous family members and other acquaintances, such as Mary's father, Charles Dimon. Of the 85 letters, 42 pertain to their daughter Sallie and her husband, Lewis Witherbee Francis. In 1896, Mary Chapman wrote 12 letters to Sallie in which she offered her opinions about several European countries while Sallie was traveling abroad. Her letters occasionally enclose newspaper clippings. Sallie also received letters from her father, grandparents, and other relatives and acquaintances throughout the late 1800s. She and her husband occasionally wrote to her parents, reporting on their health and news from New York City. In one letter, Lewis commented on the stock market and the assassination of President William McKinley (September 15, 1901). A woman who signed herself "Aunt Cordelia" also wrote to John and Mary Chapman on the same subject, sharing her feelings about the shooting and about anarchists (September 8, 1901). Many of these letters are written on stationery with printed letterheads from hotels and businesses, including two of John W. Chapman's professional letterheads.

The collection also contains receipts from Sallie Chapman's purchases in France in July 1896, calling cards, a printed report on the expenses of the Union Pacific System (July 30, 1901), some cat fur kept as a souvenir, and an illustrated newspaper clipping on the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

This collection contains 7 letters that Charles Eugene Flandrau wrote to Frances M. Henderson, a friend in Whitesboro, New York, after moving to Minnesota in 1853, as well as 2 newspaper clippings regarding Flandrau's work as an agent for the Sioux tribe and as a Minnesota Supreme Court justice. In his letters, Flandrau reported on his judicial career and described his life on the frontier, such as social customs and interactions with Native Americans.

This collection (9 items) contains 7 letters that Charles Eugene Flandrau wrote to Frances M. Henderson, a friend in Whitesboro, New York, after moving to Minnesota in 1853, as well as 2 newspaper clippings regarding Flandrau's work as an agent for the Sioux tribe and as a Minnesota Supreme Court justice.

Flandrau wrote 6 letters between November 18, 1853, and November 16, 1857, providing numerous details about his life in the Minnesota Territory. He wrote from Saint Paul on November 18, 1853 (16 pages), and February 4, 1854 (8 pages), discussing his journey west, the scenery, and his impressions of Minnesota residents. He also described lead and coal mines in northwestern Illinois. Flandrau encountered Native Americans during his travels and after his arrival in Minnesota, and he commented on the region's social customs, such as the influence of French settlers and the "aristocracy" of European and Native American mixed-race families (February 4, 1854).

Flandrau wrote 3 letters from Traverse des Sioux, Minnesota (near Saint Peter), between April 1854 and April 1855, focusing on his life and travels in the wilderness and on population growth throughout the state and within the town. He also described Native American customs and discussed the local court system. In one of these letters, he enclosed "the first flower of Spring" (April 18, 1855). Flandrau wrote again from Stillwater, Minnesota, about his judicial career (November 16, 1857, 4 pages). In his final letter, he reflected on his life and on his relationship with Frances (July 5, 1888, 7 pages). Two newspaper clippings relate to Flandrau's experiences as an agent to the Sioux Indians ([April 22, 1857]) and to his appointment as an associate judge for the Minnesota Supreme Court ([1867]).

This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American diplomat.

This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American chargé d'affaires.

The papers also include financial papers, military documents, property documentation, materials related to the San Pedro Company, writings, poetry, sketches, photographs, ephemera, and other printed items. Among the writings is an 1840 account of a visit by Christopher Hughes to physician Fru Jansen at Catherineberg for health care; 1842 travel writing by Margaret Hughes; and manuscript and printed poetry, including dinner toasts, a valentine poem, an acrostic on Margaret's name, translations, and more.

Other selected items include pencil sketches of four of the five peace commissioners at the Treaty of Ghent negotiations in Belgium, by Dutch artist P. van Huffel, January 1815. The portraits include John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and Christopher Hughes (as secretary of the delegation). A group of 24 photographs from the early 1930s depict the grave of Laura Smith Hughes (1795-1832) and the church where she was buried, Bromme Church in Akershof, near Stockholm, Sweden, and a variety of other people and places.

Please see the Christopher Hughes Indices and Notes for an index of letter writers and inventories of non-correspondence materials.

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, and other items related to the Clarke family of Gilmanton and Manchester, New Hampshire. The materials concern the Civil War, life in 19th-century New Hampshire, education, and other subjects.

This collection contains correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, and other items related to the Clarke family of Gilmanton and Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Correspondence series (approximately 920 items) comprises the bulk of the collection. Most of the correspondence written between the 1850s and the early 1870s is made up of letters between and addressed to William Cogswell Clarke, Anna Maria Greely Clarke, and their three eldest children: Stephen Greely Clarke and his wife, Lydia Mason Wight Clarke; Anna Norton Clarke and her husband, Robert M. Appleton; and Julia Cogswell Clarke. A few letters by Mary Ann Wight are also present. Letter enclosures include a lock of hair, plants, cartes-de-visite, and newspaper clippings.

The Clarke family's personal correspondence focuses primarily on life in and news of Gilmanton and Manchester, New Hampshire throughout the 19th century. Writers discussed religious beliefs and activities; romantic relationships, courtship, and marriage; births and deaths; social activities; teaching and education; politics; and other subjects. During the Civil War, some writers shared news of battles, regiments, casualties, and the general progress of the war.

After 1871, many items are incoming and outgoing letters between and addressed to Julia C. Clarke, her sister Anna, and their mother. Some of Julia's letters pertain to her life in Framingham, Massachusetts, while Anna Clarke Appleton and Anna Greely Clarke provided news from Lake Village, New Hampshire, and Manchester, New Hampshire. During the 1880s, Julia wrote a series of letters to William H. Ladd, discussing newspaper advertising (particularly with regard to schools); her experiences in Lake Village, Kents Hill (Maine), and Boston, where she worked for the Chauncy Hall School; and advice for Ladd's upcoming visit to Europe. Groups of enclosed newspaper clippings contain advertisements for educational institutions. Other late personal letters to members of the Clarke family concern travel in Asia, estate administration, and finances.

Additional correspondence from the 1870s to the 1910s includes a large number of business letters, including many related to Stephen G. Clarke's legal career. Other groups of correspondence include letters to Edward Reilly of San Francisco, California, about mining concerns in Arizona and New Mexico; to Lafayette H. De Friese of New York City about the timber industry and shipments of logs; and to a man named "Bagley" of New York City. Other personal correspondence includes love letters from "Dolph" to "Sadie" and letters related to O. F. Bryant, who taught at or attended Chauncy Hall School. New York City lawyer Ernest G. Stevens received several business letters in the early 1910s.

The Diaries and Journals series consists of 5 items. Anna Maria Greely (later Clarke) kept 2 diaries from October 12, 1828-June 19, 1829, and June 26, [1872]-September 21, 1872. Her entries, which were written mostly on loose scraps of paper, concern daily life, social calls, and activities with family members and acquaintances. The later diary contains frequent mentions of Clarke's children. The remaining items concern an unidentified author's Bible readings and Christian beliefs (September 12, 1858-April 24, 1859); "Mrs. Robinson's" desire to write a journal for the benefit of her 7-year-old daughter Kitty, who required instruction in housekeeping (July 1, 1868); and Emma F. Moore's "Two Days on the Concord River," describing her travels with a companion (undated).

The Writings series is comprised of essays (15 items), published articles (2 items), letters to the editor (6 items), drafts (2 items), rejected submissions (9 items), "A Reading of the Will: A Farce" (1 item), "Seminal Weakness" (1 item), poems (30 items), and a speech. The essays, by Stephen G. Clarke, Lydia M. Wight, and Anna Greely Clarke, concern topics such as politics and history, morality and religion, English and Latin grammar, teaching and education, and horse breeding. The rejected submissions are primarily poetry, including one about African Americans. "The Reading of the Will" is a farce and "Seminal Weakness" is a lengthy essay on the male reproductive system. Many of the poems concern religion and nature. The 54-page speech is a presidential address delivered by Dr. Nahum Wight before the New Hampshire Medical Society. He discussed the society's history and goals, medical history and education, and his own medical career.

The School Papers series contains Latin Exercises (5 items), Academic Notes (19 items), Debates (2 items), and items related to the Chauncey Hall School (21 items). The academic notes and debates largely pertain to Stephen G. Clarke's studies, including items regarding animal classification and birds. One lengthy debate considered whether men were influenced more by women or money. The Chauncy Hall School subseries consists of newspaper advertisements, several copies of a printed advertisement, and correspondence from recipients of a circular and from managers at the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph and the Chicago Tribune. One item is an invitation to the school's "Promotion Day," held on June 12, 1894.

The Documents series is divided into two subseries. Financial Documents (10 items), most of which concern Stephen G. Clarke, include accounts, receipts, a promissory note, and bank checks. One document between Willard B. Farwell and the American Machine Gun Company concerns the ownership of Farwell's inventions and patents. Printed Documents (11 items) include certificates regarding Stephen G. Clarke's attendance at Harvard University (July 16, 1855) and Josephine Evarts's license to practice medicine in Connecticut (April 1, 1929), documents regarding the activities of the American Folklore Society and the Wednesday Club (1892 and undated), and descriptions of an invention, the Hussey Motor Battery, by Willard B. Farwell (undated). A price list for advertisements in the Chicago Tribune and a sign regarding the treatment of animals in a scientific laboratory are also present.

Newspaper Clippings (12 items) include obituaries for William C. Clarke, articles about the Clarke family, advice for young writers, advertisements, and poetry.

The Photographs series (2 items) contains a portrait of an unidentified man, likely taken around the 1860s or 1870s, and a picture of a home and its large front garden. Both prints are mounted on large cards.

The Genealogy series consists of family trees written into a bound volume of blank genealogical tables that belonged to Julia C. Clarke. The tables concern ancestors of Julia C. Clarke and their families; some lineages are traced back as far as the 1600s. Many of the pages have cut-out sections to coordinate records across different trees and pages.

This collection contains letters, diaries, documents, and other materials related to William G. and Carrie King Cornelison, a Pennsylvania couple who lived in Queensland, Australia, in the early 1890s. Additional items pertain to John and William King, Carrie's grandfather and father.

This collection (0.5 linear feet) contains letters, diaries, documents, and other materials related to William G. and Carrie King Cornelison, a Pennsylvania couple who lived in Queensland, Australia, in the early 1890s. Additional items pertain to John and William King, Carrie's grandfather and father, respectively.

The Correspondence series (37 items) comprises the bulk of the collection and is mostly made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of William and Caroline King Cornelison. The series begins with 3 letters that William wrote to Caroline during their courtship about his work in Batoum (now Batumi), Georgia, between December 1887 and April 1888. He also received a letter from an acquaintance in Baku, Azerbaijan, in June 1889. From 1891-1893, Carrie wrote 22 letters to her family in Pennsylvania, each of them typically over 3 pages in length. She described her journey to Australia and discussed aspects of life in the country, such as her housing, her husband's work, and cookery. After the Cornelisons' return to the United States, they received 7 letters from friends in Australia. Other items include a letter from an acquaintance in New York (June 16, 1895), one from "Rash" King to his father and sister (November 8, 1896), and one from L. Ellen Wright to William K. King, her cousin (January 11, 1902). William sent the last letter of the series to Carrie on October 1, 1899.

The Diaries series contains 2 bound volumes and 3 groups of loose manuscripts in which William and Carrie Cornelison recorded details about their passage to Australia and their lives there. The first bound volume (183 pages) covers June 8, 1888, through February 11, 1893, and also contains the Cyrillic alphabet and Slavic phrases (pp. 179-183); a fragment from a drafted letter and a newspaper clipping on Leander Starr Jameson are laid into the back cover. The third group of loose manuscripts, dated 1928-1929, is Carrie Cornelison's record of her daily activities in Pennsylvania, which included sewing, washing, and other household tasks. The other diaries pertain to Australia and cover the dates December 25, 1891 (loose manuscript), March 1-August 4, 1892 (bound volume 2), and August 6-December 11, 1892 (loose manuscript).

Items in the Documents series (5 items) concern the King family's land ownership in northern Pennsylvania, a tax payment made by John King in 1829, and William Cornelison's account with the First National Bank of Shingle House, Pennsylvania. On the back of the account Carrie Cornelison recorded some of her thoughts about traveling to Australia.

John King kept 2 Arithmetic Books in 1796 and 1797. He copied and solved mathematical problems and principles, frequently related to practical applications of mathematical concepts.

The Photographs series (4 items) has card photographs of Mary King Mann, an unknown man, a home in Isisford, Queensland, and two of John King's descendants.

Ephemera (3 items) includes a newspaper clipping with extracts from Carrie Cornelison's Australian diary, William Cornelison's ticket for the Zealandia, and a clipping with photographs of paintings of Fedor Chaliapin and Grace Coolidge.

The Crittenden family papers contain the letters of a Kentucky family living in the California and Nevada frontiers. The material centers on the family of Alexander Parker Crittenden and his wife Clara Churchill Jones, and includes letters from their parents, siblings, and children. The collection also contains diaries, documents and financial records, and family photographs (daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visite, and other paper prints). The collection documents the murder of Alexander Parker Crittenden as well as family members who fought on the Confederate side of the Civil War and who participated in mining and prospecting in the West.

The Crittenden family papers contain the letters and documents of the family of Alexander Parker Crittenden and his wife Clara Churchill Jones Crittenden. The bulk of the collection consists of personal correspondence between members of the extended family, including Mr. and Mrs. Crittenden, seven of their eight (surviving) children, Clara’s parents and siblings (the Jones family), and Mary Crittenden Robinson (Alexander's sister). In addition to correspondence, the collection contains diaries, documents and financial records, and 96 family photographs (daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visite, and other paper prints), including one carte-de-visite of Laura Hunt Fair.

The Correspondence series (approximately 1,280 items) covers several topics of interest. The letters by Clara and Alexander Parker Crittenden (hereafter A.P.C.) illustrate the passionate courtship and strained marriage of a couple living in California in the 19th century; Laura Crittenden Sanchez’ correspondence presents a picture of a woman’s life on the 1860s western frontier in California and Nevada; and Ann Northey Churchill Jones’s letters to her daughter Clara provide frank commentary on womanhood. The following summary is a brief description of the collection’s major correspondents and the content of their letters.

The collection includes over 260 letters from A.P.C.to his wife Clara, which span the length of their relationship, from their first meeting until his death. The courtship letters are full of expressions of youthful passion. Especially valuable are A.P.C.'s letters describing San Francisco in the early 1850s, which contain information about the Gold Rush and early statehood, and include discussions about women in California, and troubles he experienced from not having a wife present to care for him. The 1860s letters written from Nevada to Clara in California provide a good account of early Nevada, as well as insight into their deteriorating marriage. However, the twenty letters written during Clara's 1870 transcontinental trip to the East Coast, exhibit an apparently genuine change of heart in Crittenden, who had purchased and redecorated a lavish new home as a surprise for Clara on her return. Almost every letter begs her to cut the trip short and return.

A.P.C.'s eldest son, Churchill, is represented by 62 letters to him from his father, and 62 letters written by Churchill to his parents and siblings, largely from 1858 and 1861, while he was studying at Hanover College. While at Hanover, Churchill developed Union sympathies, which upset his Kentucky-born father. Of note is a letter from A.P.C., who at the time was the leader of the southern wing of the California Democratic Party, to Churchill defending southern rights for secession (December 10, 1860). Churchill wrote six letters while in the Confederate Army. The collection also contains 60 letters from James Love Crittenden. His early letters discuss school life, ante-bellum politics, and family relations. He wrote 10 letters while fighting with the Confederacy.

Clara Jones Crittenden wrote 19 letters in the collection: two to her husband, one to her eldest son, Churchill, and sixteen to her daughter Annie (“Nannie”). The letters to Annie are almost all dated November-December 1864, and reflect the deep gloom Clara felt following the murder of her son Churchill in October 1864.

Laura Crittenden Sanchez wrote 71 letters to her mother, 87 to her sister Nannie, and a few to other family members. They present a view of domestic life on the 1860s western frontier. Of note are Laura’s routine comments that reflect the values of a woman raised to believe in the Southern ideals of gentility and womanhood. However, she also held advanced ideas on women’s rights and divisions of duties in the home. Her husband, Ramon B. Sanchez, shared these beliefs and described his role in housework and his ideas of manhood, in his letter to Nannie Crittenden (July 25, 1862).

This series holds 16 letters from A.P.C. to his daughter Nannie, 6 to her husband Sidney Van Wyck, and many letters of condolence received by the family at the time of Parker’s murder. Van Wyck, who held evangelical beliefs, was deeply concerned about the well-being of his pregnant wife. He sent 117 letters to Nannie between January and May 1870, while she was in San Francisco and was he in Hamilton, Nevada, attempting to strike it rich prospecting for silver. He gave a rich account of life in a snowy Nevada mining town. The collection also includes approximately 40 business letters concerning Sidney's mining interests between 1879 and 1882. After 1874, the collection constitutes letters addressed largely to members of the Van Wyck family, including 8 letters from Nannie's daughter Clara Van Wyck to her brother Sydney Van Wyck, Jr.

Mary Crittenden Robinson, A.P.C.'s older sister, wrote 23 letters to Clara Crittenden, almost entirely in 1863. They are domestic in content, with occasional references to politics and society. Mary also wrote to A.P.C., and to various nieces and nephews, and her children are represented as well: Mary, Kate, and Tod, Jr.

The collection also contains letters from Clara Jones Crittenden's parents and siblings.

Clara's father Alexander Jones, Jr., wrote 5 letters to Clara, including one offering consolation on her husband's murder (November 7, 1870), and 3 to his granddaughter Nannie. Ann Northey Churchill Jones, Clara's mother, sent her seven letters from 1839-1841. She provided a frank commentary on womanhood and discussed childbirth, the proper preparation of breasts for nursing, a mother’s role in fixing children’s values, marital relations and what a wife could do to improve them, and how a woman should deal with an unworthy husband.

Clara's brother Alexander Jones III wrote 21 letters to A.P.C. and Clara (1849, and 1857-1870). These describe frontier Texas, news of the Civil War, and Confederate patriotism. In one notable letter, he described life in Brownsville, Texas, and advised using birth control (January 30, 1860). Clara's sister Mary "Mollie" Farquhar Jones Joliffe wrote 15 letters, 1858-1870, primarily made up of family news. Her wartime letters are a window onto the hardships of Confederate civilian life. William Marlborough Jones is represented by 13 Civil War and Reconstruction era letters, which reflect on the costs of the war to both the family and the nation. Of note is a 12-page account of the war near Jackson, Mississippi (November 7, 1870), and his report on the fall of Vicksburg (July 7, 1863). Sister Rebecca Churchill Jones Craighill, wrote 13 letters (1858-1899) to multiple recipients. In 1866, she composed excellent reflections on the war and criticized a Virginia friend who had eloped with a Yankee officer.

The collection also contains letters from two of Clara’s uncles: 8 from Marlborough Churchill and 2 from George Jones.

The Journals series (2 items) contains an official transcript of a journal of Elizabeth Van Wyck, and a diary kept by Sydney Van Wyck. The Elizabeth Van Wyck journal is a transcript of a reminiscence of her life from age 7 until November 12, 1808, when she was 26. The copy was made in 1925, at the request of Elizabeth's great-grandson, Sidney M. Van Wyck, Jr. The second item is a detailed journal kept by Sydney Van Wyck during his time at school in the 1840s. In it, he described his life at school and many of his family members.

The Documents and Financial Records series is made up of four subseries: Estate Papers, Insurance Papers, Legal and Financial Documents, and Account Books.

The Estate Papers subseries contains 11 items concerning the property of A.P.C. and 24 items related to Howard J. Crittenden. These include A.P.C.'s last will and testament and court records surrounding his murder and the handling of his estate (1870-1875). The Howard J. Crittenden items document Howard's financial holdings at his death and how his estate was divided.

The Insurance Papers subseries (3 items) includes a record of the Hartford Fire Insurance Company (1871) and a fire insurance policy from Pacific Insurance Company for Clara Crittenden (1872).

The Legal and Financial Documents subseries (16 items) consists of bank notes, telegraphs concerning business dealings, receipts for goods and payments, contracts, and personal tax bills. Of note are contracts signing over gold and silver claims in Nevada to Howard Crittenden. These include locations in White Pine, Nevada, such as "Lucky Boy Tunnel" and "Adele mining ground" (1869).

The Account Books subseries (3 items) contains a 12-page account book for A. Hemme (1873), a 20-page account book for S. M. Van Wyck (1873-1874), and a mostly empty National Granit State Bank account book of Thomas Crittenden (1874).

The Photographs and Illustrations series contains 106 photographs of Crittenden family members. These include cartes-de-visite, tintypes, ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, cabinet cards, and several modern reproductions. They depict many of the Crittenden family members, including several Crittenden men in Confederate uniform, Clara Crittenden, Clara Van Wyck, and Laura Fair, among others. See Additional Descriptive Data for the complete list.

In addition to the photograph, this collection also contains an ink sketch of the floor plan of a San Francisco cottage (in the letter dated July 4, 1852).

The Miscellaneous series (9 items) contains school report cards, Laura Van Wyck's application to become a Daughter of the Confederacy (which includes a heroic account of Churchill Crittenden's death in the Civil War), Nannie Crittenden Van Wyck's address book (with contacts in Saint Louis, Chicago, Kentucky, New York, and Brooklyn), a newspaper clipping about mining in Nevada, and 3 unattributed writing fragments.

The folder of supplemental material relates to Robert E. Stewart's publication Aurora Ghost City of the Dawn, Las Vegas: Nevada Publications, 1996, including a copy of the book and 10 photographs taken by Stewart of Aurora and the Ruins of the Sanchez home.