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Collection

Zelona Eaton journal, 1843-1925 (majority within 1843-1844)

166 pages (1 journal) and 2 letters

The Zelona Eaton journal is the diary of a Baptist minister from Troy, Ohio, who was active in the local anti-slavery and temperance movements. The volume is composed of a diary, in which Eaton discussed his ministerial duties and local issues concerning abolition, temperance, fornication, and sodomy (1843-1844); 3 pages of accounts for house-building materials (1843-1844); 9 philosophical essays with an introduction (undated); and 2 letters addressed to Lottie Churchill of Washington, Vermont (1823).

The Zelona Eaton journal is the diary of a Baptist minister from Troy, Ohio, who was active in the local anti-slavery and temperance movements. The volume is composed of a 95-page diary that Eaton kept from October 31, 1843, to September 17, 1844; three pages of accounts for house-building materials (December 1843-January 1844); 8 philosophical essays with an introduction (undated); and 2 letters addressed to Lottie Churchill of Washington, Vermont (1823).

In the diary, Eaton wrote about his daily life (health, food, family, and building a new house) and the activities of his church community in Troy. He wrote descriptions of his ministerial duties, such as travelling to meetings and conferences, visiting parishioners, performing marriages, lecturing, leading prayer meetings, raising funds for missionary work, and writing sermons. Eaton also described his intellectual and spiritual life in Troy. He attended a Millerite lecture (November 15, 1843), a lecture on phrenology (November 9, 1843), and multiple anti-slavery lectures (November 29, 1843; January 19, ,March 2 and 10, April 1 and 27, 1844). He often read the Cross and Journal and the anti-slavery paper The Emancipator, which some of his friends had procured for him. In the fall of 1843, he recorded thoughts on his own spiritual health, writing that he was, "Greatly distressed about my situation in temporal things...I have reason to think God is against [me]" (November 17, 1843). Eaton also kept track of some of his finances, which he worried about frequently, and often noted food and daily house work. He mentioned making sausages and vinegar, and purchasing coffee, cinnamon, buckwheat flour, eggs, rice, and apples.

Much of the journal concerns African Americans and the anti-slavery movement. On at least two occasions, Eaton interacted with two free African Americans: he visited a man named Mr. Newsome and loaned him money, and purchased items from another man named Mr. Smith. Registering the intensity of anti-slavery activities in his community, Eaton described the many anti-slavery lectures, debates, and prayer meetings that he attended. At the meetings, they discussed questions such as whether Congress should abolish slavery in Washington D.C. without the consent of the city's inhabitants, and what people who lived in free states could lawfully do to end slavery in the slave states (December 10, 1843). Eaton also served as the secretary for a group of women who formed a "ladies Society to educate colored persons" (December 3, 1843). He traveled one hundred miles to Brown County to visit what he described as a "Colored Association," perhaps a settlement of free African Americans, reporting, upon his return, that he "was much interested at the Association, mostly by the talent exhibited. They showed about as much attention to me, as an Association would have shown to one of their ministers (September 8, 1844)."

Eaton also recounts several controversies surrounding sex in his community. On March 14, 1844, Eaton wrote that he felt "exceedingly afflict[ed]" to have "Learned of an aggravated case of fornication by two of the members" of his church. A month later he excluded two parishioners from church service "for lewdness" (April 29, 1844). Eaton also gave an account of a case of "buggery." Minister T.A. Warner had "been accused of buggery, but not proved guilty [in a church trial]" and claimed to Eaton not to be guilty (July 25, 1844). Before his church, however, Warner had "Confessed the attempt & attributed it to a habit contracted when a boy." Eaton and a Brother Whitman informed Last Creek Church of the incident "because [they] thought, such a thing had much better go before a man than to come after him" (March 2, 1844) Eaton clearly felt disturbed by Warner’s purported behavior but what is especially noteworthy is the matter-of-fact tone Eaton used in writing about the situation.

Starting at the back of the volume, Eaton wrote 8 "dissertations," with an introduction and a transcript of a letter, that explore moral, religious, and philosophical questions (pages 162-98). Eaton's goal was to "attempt to enter into the immaterial world, & investigate the properties of spirit" (page 160).

Below is the list of essay topics:
  • Dissertation 1: Methods, What is meant by a Faculty of the mind? What is meant by a principle of mind?
  • Dissertation 2: Understanding
  • Dissertation 3: Taste
  • Dissertation 4: Will
  • Dissertation 5: Liberty
  • Dissertation 6: Natural & Mortal Agent
  • Dissertation 7: Good and Evil: Dr. Hendrick's Lecture on Good and Evil
  • Dissertation 8: Difference between Natural good and evil & Moral good and evil

Many of the essays have commentary labeled "Dr. Henricks Remarks" or "Professor's Remarks." These are brief notes and criticisms of the essays.

The two letters are addressed to Lottie Churchill, wife of Arthur Churchill, of Washington, Vermont (1923). One is from her cousin Cretia from Walla Walla, Washington (3 pages), and the other is from her friend Estella, from Morrisville, Vermont (8 pages). Both letters focus on personal news and mention food and cooking.

Collection

Women, Gender, and Family collection, 1678-1996 (majority within 1800-1906)

0.5 linear feet

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous individual items relating to women, gender, and family primarily in America, between 1678 and 1996.

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous items relating to women, gender, and family between 1678 and 1996. The bulk of the collection ranges in from 1800 to the early 20th century and is geographically focused on the United States of America. Topics include marriage and divorce, childrearing and motherhood, household management, and consensual and coerced sex. Other areas of interest cover women’s various forms of labor, legal restitution for paternity suits and financial support, and education for women and children. While not as heavily represented, multiple items detail women's engagement in politics, slavery and abolition, and women's rights.

Collection

William Young papers, 1765-1900

2 linear feet

The William Young papers center on the lives of William Young and his son-in-law John McAllister, Jr. The strengths of the collection are its documentation of William Young's careers as printer, publisher, bookseller and paper maker; the Associate Presbyterian Church; John McAllister's antiquarian interests; and the personal lives of the Young and McAllister families.

The William Young papers center on the lives of William Young and his son-in-law John McAllister, Jr., and through these lives document a wide scope of business, cultural, family and religious history both in America and Scotland. The strengths of the collection are its documentation of William Young's careers as printer, publisher, bookseller and paper maker; the Associate Presbyterian Church; John McAllister's antiquarian interests; and the personal lives of the Young and McAllister families.

The earliest papers in the collection date from William Young's days as a Scottish seminarian, and include valuable information on the Associate Presbytery of Scotland. A group of letters written after the Youngs' removal to America, 1784, documents European interest in the new nation: the immigrants received many letters from Scottish friends (and potential emigrants) inquiring into the details of America life. Young kept certain business concerns in Scotland; his brother Stephen and Agnes Young's brothers, William and John McLaws, were all active in the book trade, and their correspondence provides some insight into the burgeoning international book business.

The backbone of the collection is the correspondence relating to William Young's diverse business enterprises from the 1780s through 1820s. Among the later material, the correspondence between William Young McAllister and his thirty-year-old son, William Mitchell McAllister (7:54 and 56), stands out as illustration of a father's displeasure over his son's mismanagement of affairs during the disastrous panic of 1873. Also interesting is a plaintive letter written by the 52 year-old Thomas H. Young (7:59) in 1876, asking his aging father to bail out his business with a handout of $5,000.00. Box 8 contains a large quantity of receipts, accounts, and other business papers of Young's, along with information on the tangled settlement of Young's estate (8:30) and information on the settlement of other estates. Additional information on Young's estate is located with the oversized material (see Separation Record).

The Young Papers also contains rich resources for study of the history of the Associate Presbyterian Church in America. One of the smallest Presbyterian denominations, the Associate Presbyterians preserved few primary resources and little survives from their presence on the American scene; the Young Papers contain some of the earliest records known for that church (folder 8-37). Among other Associate Presbyterian ministers represented in the collection is Rev. Thomas Hamilton (1776-1818), William Young's son-in-law. Much of the work compiled by John McAllister Jr. in compiling the Associate Presbyterian volume of Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit, is preserved in folder 8:10.

Yellow fever in Philadelphia (1793) and the nation's first major cholera epidemic (1832) are both well documented through letters containing medical information, largely confined to home remedies and professional advice on medicines. There is some discussion of Frances Stevenson's illness which cost her the use of a leg, resulting in her use of a prosthesis (6:88). In addition, there is a detailed report on the body of Dr. William R. Grant in 1852 (folder 7:6).

The photographs associated with the collection include valuable insights into family relations within both the Young and McAllister families (1:1 to 1:8), particularly when seen in conjunction with the large number of personal letters between family members. William Young's instructions to his housekeeper (3:54), John McAllister's consultations with his wife on business matters, race relations in Philadelphia (5:9, 6:11), relations with a mother-in-law (4:58), and the execution of Robert Morris's seldom-mentioned and ne'er-do-well son Charles (4:21) are among the topics discussed. Perhaps the wittiest correspondent is Mary Ann Hunter, a friend of Eliza Young McAllister, whose observations on Philadelphia society in the first decades of the 19th century are trenchant and insightful and read almost like a novel.

Collection

William Pote family papers, 1769-1997 (majority within 1788-1900)

0.75 linear feet and 4 volumes

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and genealogical information related to Captain William Pote, Jr., of Marblehead, Massachusetts; his sons Greenfield and Samuel; his grandson William; and other descendants. Many items reflect the Pote family's involvement in shipping. One series concerns the family's claim for compensation after French privateers seized a ship's cargo. Later material pertains to efforts of the Dennison and King families to trace their ancestors, who included members of the Pote family.

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and genealogical information related to Captain William Pote, Jr., of Marblehead, Massachusetts; his sons Greenfield and Samuel; his grandson William; and other descendants. Many items reflect the Pote's involvement in shipping, and one series of items concerns the family's claim for compensation after French privateers seized a ship and its cargo. Later material pertains to efforts of the Dennison and King families to trace their ancestors, who included the Pote family.

The Pote Family Correspondence and Documents series (59 items) contains material related to the descendants of William Pote, dated between 1769 and 1853. Two early letters, including one between Samuel Pote and John Poat, the latter an English sea captain (November 11, 1769), and another copied from Jos. Poat about a family marriage in the year 1334 (March 1776), reveal the family's early interest in their genealogy. The series also holds business correspondence, such as 6 letters between Samuel Pote and Jedediah Pebble related to a payment dispute over the sale of the Nero (October 1781-March 1783). The financial documents are records concerning Greenfield Pote, his son William, and Samuel Pote, including agreements, a deed, receipts, and estate papers.

The Dennison Family Correspondence and Documents series (25 items) is comprised of correspondence and documents related to several generations of the Dennison and King families (1747-1997). Among the items are letters exchanged by Samuel and Horatio Dennison, wills for George and Samuel Dennison, and a document granting Samuel Dennison United States citizenship (January 27, 1839).

The French Spoliation Documents series (57 items) consists of 43 letters, 1 postcard, 2 petitions, 4 pages of hand copied records, 2 pages from an account book, 3 newspaper clippings, and 2 government publications, all related to a financial claims resulting from French capture of American merchant ships in the late 18th century. William Pote (1766-1847) owned the Freeport, a ship seized by a French privateer in 1796. The series traces the Pote family's attempts to gain financial compensation from the United States government. Many letters were exchanged between family members and lawyers.

Two printed volumes are in the series:
  • French Spoliations. Report of the Secretary of State... Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1886 (324 pages)
  • Statement Showing the Payments of Awards of the Commissioners Appointed Under the Conventions Between the United States and France, Concluded April 30, 1803, and July 4, 1831, and Between the United States and Spain, Concluded February 22, 1819... Washington: Government Printing Office, 1886.

The Account Books and Daybook series contains 4 items.

William Pote's daybook and account book consists of 196 pages of ledger entries kept between 1788 and 1844, as well as the following loose items: 19 letters (1793-1835), 4 pages from an account book (1776), and 5 additional documents. The financial records concern agricultural products, manufactured goods, labor, personal notes, and seamen's wages, as well as different goods produced and sold by the Pote family, such as fish, eels, clams, corn, potatoes, butter, meat, rum, sugar, molasses, tea, and salt. Roughly 225 people, 19 ships' captains, 10-15 seamen, and 17 unique vessels are covered. In addition to family finances, the daybook documents several trips William Pote made to the West Indies between 1789 and 1790, and to Europe in 1792 and in unidentified years. A group of records dated between March and July 1802 pertain to the Portland Mineral Company's expenses.

William Pote, Jr., kept an account book (145 pages) between 1825 and 1830. The volume also contains laundry records (1849) and Bessie F. H. Jackson's school notes (1889). Pote's records pertain to the sale of food and supplies to 9 schooners (Adeline, Desiah, Galens, Julia Ann, Leopard, Lincoln, Pelican, William H. Crawford, and William), repairs made to the Leopard (p. 48), and cargo carried onboard the Lincoln during an 1830 trip to Honduras and on the Adeline during an journey to Belize and Honduras (p. 140). Pote also noted the names and earnings of 13 men who participated in mackerel fishing expeditions.

A smaller blue volume (38 pages) contains three main sections: William Gardiner's expenses of the Leopard's mackerel fishing voyages (1833-1834); William Pote's farm accounts between 1835 and 1836; and Pote's 2 accounts concerning payments made to his married daughters Eliza and Sophia (undated). Receipts are also laid into the volume.

An anonymous author also maintained an account book and log book for the Allegator (212 pages), which contains records of the ship's mackerel fishing expeditions between May 1828 and November 1831. Log entries record the weather, daily catch size, the ship's location, and other information. The volume also holds additional accounts William Pote (1766-1847) kept between 1831 and 1847, documenting the fishing voyages of the Allegator and Leopard.

The Ephemera series (13 items) is comprised of the following items: 2 negatives of silhouettes of William (1766-1847) and Dorcus Pote (1772-1842); 2 prints made from those negatives; 8 poems composed by Eliza Pote Dennison; and a pamphlet entitled "The Home Formulary: The Latest and Most Valuable Toilet and Miscellaneous Formulas for Home Use," by William Hobury.

Eliza Dennison King, William Pote's granddaughter, compiled the material within the Genealogy series (96 items) while researching the history of the Pote, Dennison, and allied families. The series includes King's correspondence with distant cousins and drafts of family trees.

Finally, the collection includes a ledger-sized Pote Family Notebook of copied letters and documents, plus additional genealogical materials. The volume includes early 1880s copies of three American Revolutionary War era letters by Joseph and Samuel Pote (March 1776-March 6, 1785; 7 pages); copies of French spoliation claim-related documents and records (1793-1832, copied 1882-1885; 9 pages); and genealogical and biographical notes on members of the family (17 pages).

Collection

William Plunket and Stephen Chambers collection, 1781-1789 (majority within 1785-1789)

21 items

This collection contains correspondence and documents related to the legal and financial affairs of Dr. William Plunket (or Plunkett) of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and to his lawyer, Stephen Chambers of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This collection (21 items) contains correspondence and documents related to Dr. William Plunket of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and his lawyer, Stephen Chambers of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The bulk of the collection (18 items) pertains to Plunket's financial and legal affairs, including 13 letters that he wrote to Chambers (June 12, 1785-May 2, 1789). In these letters, Plunket discussed his financial difficulties, powers of attorney, and a dispute with "Dr. Rush" [Benjamin Rush] regarding property ownership. Some of his later letters express his fear of being jailed or becoming destitute. Other items concerning Plunket include a list of his creditors (October 3, 1785); a power of attorney (May 28, 1787); a financial document concerning interest on a bond (October 1787); and an unsigned document about his dispute with Rush (undated). Robert King also wrote a letter to Plunket on February 19, 1789, in which he promised to explore land in the "New Purchase" when the rivers again became navigable.

The remaining 3 items are a letter from Stephen Chambers to Jasper Yeates about land surveys (December 6, 1781), a letter from Chambers to Jasper Yeates and Thomas Hartley about a man whose son had been accused of murder (May 22, 1787), and a letter to Chambers from P. Bond, who discussed finances.

Collection

West family papers, 1697-1880

2.25 linear feet

The West family papers are comprised of approximately 1,400 letters, letter books, documents, and financial records pertaining to Reverend Samuel West and his two sons, Benjamin and Nathan P., of Boston. The bulk of the collection (approximately 900 items) relates to business concerns, particularly to Benjamin West's sugar refining firm.

The West family papers are comprised of approximately 1,400 letters, letter books, documents, and financial records pertaining to Reverend Samuel West and his two sons, Benjamin and Nathan P., of Boston. The bulk of the collection (approximately 900 items) relates to business concerns, particularly to Benjamin West's sugar refining firm.

The Correspondence and documents series consists of approximately 150 items, dating from 1679 to 1880; the bulk of these are dated between 1759 and 1826. Though the majority of the material within the series pertains to business affairs, several groups of letters relate to other topics. One early group of letters concerns Samuel West's move from Needham, Massachusetts, to Boston's Hollis Street Church, and another group to a Boston committee's proposal to alter the municipal government in 1815, which includes its lengthy report [September 25, 1815]. In addition, the series contains personal and family correspondence, though to a lesser extent. Primary correspondents within the series include Caleb and Joshua Davis, Benjamin West, Enoch H. West, Samuel West, Richards Child, Mills Olcott, Samuel and Ephraim May, Sarah Plimpton, George Cheyne Shattuck, and Elisha and Elizabeth Ticknor.

The collection's two Letter books belonged to Benjamin West, and hold copies of 166 outgoing letters, dated 1803-1827, related to his various business affairs and the settlement of his uncle's estate, as well as personal matters.

The Financial records series contains three subseries: Bills and receipts, Sugarhouse accounts, and Account and expense books. The series contains approximately 300 bills and receipts dating from 1748 to 1824, primarily pertaining to labor, repairs, and donations to various Boston societies and institutions. About 600 sugarhouse accounts (1796-1823) record financial transactions associated with Benjamin West's sugar refining business, and include accounts, bills, and receipts. The four books cover Benjamin's West's personal accounts and expenses between 1797-1799 and 1811-1827; the first of these concerns West's service in a local militia, as well as his other financial matters, including numerous accounts for clothing, tobacco, and trips to the theater.

Legal documents within the collection are divided into two subseries, covering Land and real estate (1707-1824) and other Legal documents (1738-1834). The first subseries consists of approximately 60 items, which relate to mortgages, indentures, and other agreements about land around Boston and in Charlestown, New Hampshire. The West family frequently dealt with the Wheelock and Metcalf families when purchasing land. The second subseries is comprised of approximately 75 miscellaneous documents, including material related to Samuel West's interests in Needham, Massachusetts; bills from Nathan P. West's time at Harvard College (1788-1792); and the family's additional business and legal concerns.

The Printed and miscellaneous items series consists of approximately 20 items, dated 1714 to 1825. Among these are broadsides, including programs for Samuel West's internment services and various anniversaries, and partially printed school reports. Miscellaneous manuscript items are 13 statements of Christian faith; manuscript music for several hymns; two books kept by Nathan P. West, including a copybook of mathematical problems and exercises (1792-1807) and a commonplace book (1798-1813) with medicinal recipes West used in his drugstore; and scattered quotations. The copybook also includes a small drawing of a skull next to a bottle of borax on its inside cover.

Collection

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

32 pages (1 volume)

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

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

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

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

Collection

Walker family papers, 1832-1910 (majority within 1838-1880)

2.25 linear feet

The Walker family papers (1,962 items) contain the 19th-century letters and documents of the Walker family of Vermont, Illinois, and Minnesota. The bulk of the papers relate to Houghton Walker's mercantile businesses in Illinois. Other topics covered include the Civil War, the Mexican War, migration and settlement in Illinois and Wisconsin, Indian affairs, and religion.

The Walker family papers (1962 items) contain the 19th-century letters and documents of the Walker family of Vermont, Illinois, and Minnesota. The bulk of the collection documents Houghton Walker's business activities; other topics include the Mexican War, the Civil War, migration and settlement in Illinois and Wisconsin, Indian affairs, and Presbyterianism.

The Correspondence series (248 items) consists of three subseries: Walker Family letters, Peck Family letters, and Miscellaneous letters.

The Walker Family letters subseries (199 items) comprise the bulk of the Correspondence series. The various Walker brothers wrote often about business, land sales, financial distress, and business affairs. Lucius and Houghton both discussed their experiences traveling west from Vermont. Lucius, an Indian agent, mentioned his role in Indian affairs, and described the process of writing the Minnesota constitution in the 1850s. Emeline Walker’s letters typically relate to her religious faith and activities in the Presbyterian Church. Reverend William Walker discussed his experiences in Gaboon, and described the climate, food, homes, lifestyles of the Gabonese people, missionary work, and conflicts with the French government (between 1844 and 1882).

Items of note include:
  • Houghton Walker, 1840: Letter describing witnessing an execution
  • Joel Hamilton Walker, August 16-26, 1846, September 1, 1846 and March 24, 1847: Letters concerning his service in the Mexican War, describing his regiment's movements, fights in the camp with bowie knives, a riot among fellow troops, and available food
  • Lucius C. Walker, August 1857: Letter discussing constitution writing in Minnesota
  • Emeline Walker, August 3, 1862: Letter describing hearing "Douglas the colored barber" lecture on the war; she thought he spoke better on the topic than any white man in the area could
  • William Walker, January 18. 1868: Letter containing comments on contemporary politics in the United States
  • William Walker, April 10, 1882: Letter containing a history of William Walker's forty-year service as a missionary in Gaboon

The Peck Family letters (42 items) consist of the letters of Caroline Walker Peck, her husband Ebenezer, and their children Charles F, Peck and Sarah Wright, covering from the 1850s to the 1880s. These contain news on family and money issues, and document the business relationship between Charles and his uncle Houghton Walker.

The Miscellaneous letters subseries (7 items) contains letters to and from people outside the Walker and Peck families (1860-1905).

The Colonel Joel Walker Diary series (4 items) consists of a weather diary that contains daily temperature data and occasional notes on agricultural and day-to-day family activities (1837-1855). Also present are manuscript and typed copies of the diary, along with a list of excerpts of the non-weather information. Of note are the entries describing Walker's journey from Buffalo, New York, to Belvidere, Illinois.

The Documents and Financial Papers series (1,633 items) contains the business, financial, property, and estate records of the Walker family. Family members represented include Colonel Joel Walker, Joel Hamilton Walker, Francis Walker, George Walker, Francis H. Walker, Houghton C. Walker, Lucius C. Walker, Alice Houghton Walker, and Emeline August Frost Walker. However, the bulk of the series documents Joel Walker and Houghton Walker's business activities. Included are letters to merchants in the Midwest and New York, invoices, receipts, freight bills, orders, stock notes, promissory notes, treasury reports, insurance applications and policies, legal documents, estate papers, and cemetery and coffin bills. Many of the freight bills are for shipments on the Chicago & North-Western Railway Co.

Items of interest:
  • Houghton Walker, 1853-1859: Boone County Mutual Insurance Company records, which contain lists of policy-holders’ belongings with descriptions of their homes
  • Houghton Walker, 1859-1861: Bankruptcy papers for Alexander Neely, in which Houghton Walker was named as receiver
  • George Walker, 1860: Bill from [O']Doul's Restaurant in Springfield, Illinois, documenting nine months of food purchases

The Miscellaneous Materials series (77 items) is comprised of eight subseries, including photographs, scrapbooks, family papers, and genealogical material.

The Photographs subseries (2 items) contains aerial perspectives of Belvidere, Illinois, taken by W. A. Eddy in 1905 with the aid of a kite.

The Walker Scrapbook subseries (1 item) consists of a 33-page disbound volume of newspaper clippings, letters, and other ephemera. The clippings largely concern family members' obituaries and news on the Presbyterian Church in Belvidere, Illinois. Also of note are two newspaper articles written by Francis Houghton Walker in 1916, criticizing the portrayal of historical figures, especially Thaddeus Stevens in The Birth of a Nation. Also of interest are newspaper announcements for the silver wedding anniversary of Houghton and Emeline Walker, along with a list of gifts given to the couple on the occasion of the celebration.

The series contains subseries for miscellaneous items related to the following family members: Colonel Joel Walker, George Walker, Emeline August Frost Walker, Houghton C. Walker, and Francis H. Walker. The bulk of the materials are newspaper clippings that mention family members, calling cards, and fragments of writing. Of note are surveying documents of Joel and Houghton C. Walker, Emeline Walker's notes on missionaries in Africa and religious writings, and a note from Francis H. Walker on seeing Halley's Comet.

The Genealogical Materials subseries (24 items) contains records of the Walker and Houghton families collected by Francis H. Walker, along with two typed transcripts of the material. Also present are letters and genealogical notes compiled by Harry Leslie Walker and John B. Walker in the second half of the 20th century. These trace the Walker family back to the 17th century.

Collection

United States. Army. 3rd Cavalry Regiment receipts, 1876-1878

9 items

This collection is made up of nine receipts for payments made by 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army largely in Wyoming Territory (W.T.) and Nebraska between December 11, 1876, and October 31, 1878. The bulk of the receipts were for purchases and expenditures related to the regimental band in 1878. They include receipts for musical instrument supplies such as silver keys and cocoa wood for clarinet, keys and an ivory mouthpiece for flute, keys and an ivory mouthpiece for piccolo, and a bow, case, strings, and rosin for viola. Two receipts are for extra pay to the band leader. A list of property belonging to the band is also present. Other receipts are for purchases of groceries and livestock (corn, onion, peas, beet seeds, turkeys, sheep).

This collection is made up of nine receipts for payments made by 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army largely in Wyoming Territory (W.T.) and Nebraska between December 11, 1876, and October 31, 1878. The bulk of the receipts were for purchases and expenditures related to the regimental band in 1878. They include receipts for musical instrument supplies such as silver keys and cocoa wood for clarinet, keys and an ivory mouthpiece for flute, keys and an ivory mouthpiece for piccolo, and a bow, case, strings, and rosin for viola. Two receipts are for extra pay to the band leader. A list of property belonging to the band is also present. Other receipts are for purchases of groceries and livestock (corn, onion, peas, beet seeds, turkeys, sheep).

Printed and stamped business headers include D. B. Beemer & Co. (Cheyenne, W.T.), Pole Creek Ranche (W.T.), Pease & Taylor (Cheyenne, W.T., with illustrated street view of the storefront), and Nicholas Lebrun, manufacturer and importer of musical instruments and merchandise (St. Louis, Missouri).

Collection

Turner-Harlan family papers, 1725-1924 (majority within 1799-1924)

3.5 linear feet

The Turner-Harlan family papers are made up of correspondence, legal and financial documents, photographs, scrapbooks, genealogical information, and other materials spanning multiple generations of the Turner and Harlan families of Newport, Rhode Island, and Maryland. The collection particularly regards US Navy Surgeon Dr. William Turner (1775-1837), Commodore Peter Turner (1803-1871), Hettie Foster Harlan née Turner (1850-1937), and their relations.

Collection Scope and Content Note:

The Turner-Harlan family papers are made up of correspondence, legal and financial documents, photographs, scrapbooks, genealogical information, and other materials spanning multiple generations of the Turner and Harlan families of Newport, Rhode Island, and Maryland. The collection particularly regards US Navy Surgeon Dr. William Turner (1775-1837), Commodore Peter Turner (1803-1871), Hettie Foster Harlan née Turner (1850-1937), and their relations. The papers are arranged into five series: Turner Family Papers, Harlan Family Papers, Photographs, Printed Materials, and Turner-Harlan genealogical papers

The Turner Family Papers seriesconsists of 112 letters to and from members of the Turner family and their associates, five log books, and assorted ephemera, with most items dating between 1790 and 1860.

The Turner family Correspondence and Documents subseries contains 112 incoming and outgoing letters and documents of members of the Turner family between 1749 and 1871 (bulk 1799-1840s).

The largest coherent groups within this subseries are 40 letters and documents of Dr. William Turner (1775-1837), revolving largely around his military and medical careers between 1799 and 1837; and 49 letters and documents of Peter Turner (1803-1871), most of them letters to his parents while in naval training and service, 1820-1844. Selected examples from William Turner's manuscripts include:

  • August 2 and 13, 1752, letter by William Turner (1712/13-1754) to his father, written with mirrored lettering. He discussed his fears of small pox in Newark; the tremor in his right hand, which forces him to write with his left; and a 30-pound debt.
  • Christopher R. Perry's appointment of William Turner (1775-1837) as chief surgeon of the frigate General Greene, August 31, 1799.
  • An October 10, 1799, letter by Dr. William Turner from Cap François, Saint-Domingue, in which he relates Captain Perry's description of Toussaint Louverture.
  • A September 20, 1800, letter by Dr. Turner defending his assessment and actions relating to a yellow fever outbreak originating from the General Greene on its arrival in Newport, Rhode Island.
  • Oliver Hazard Perry ALS to his mother, ca. 1807-1808, informing her of the death of Benjamin Turner, who was killed in a duel over an argument about Shakespeare's plays.
  • A letter from Henry Fry respecting the personal effects of Dr. Peter Turner, who died of wounds sustained at Plattsburgh (October 17, 1813).
  • Three letters to Hettie Foster Turner from siblings Lillie and George Turner relate information about the health of family members in E. Greenwich, Rhode Island. One of these letters is dated October 18, 1813, the others are undated.
  • William Turner's December 23, 1814, letter to General Thomas Cushing, explaining that one condition of his current appointment must be permission to continue his private practice while also tending to garrison duty.
  • Three manuscript Portsmouth Marine Barracks countersign-watchword documents from August 22 and 24, and October 31, 1849. The August 24, 1849, countersign "Revolution" matched watchword "Cuba."
  • Family letters of Henry E. Turner, William C. Turner, George Turner, and others

The 49 letters and documents of Peter Turner are largely comprised of correspondence with his parents. Turner wrote as a midshipman aboard vessels in the West Indian and Mediterranean squadrons during the 1820s. He sent his most robust letters from Rio de Janeiro on July 10, 1826, and aboard the US Ship Falmouth on a voyage to Vera Cruz in 1828. Turner met the Erie at Vera Cruz, expecting to find his brother William C. Turner aboard, but the sibling had been left at Pensacola for unspecified reasons. Peter Turner received the disconcerting news of the death of a family member and wrote about his distress at not being able to return home. He updated his parents as he traveled to Pensacola and then the Navy Yard at Charleston, South Carolina. Later in 1828, he joined the US Ship Hornet on a voyage to Brooklyn; yellow fever took the lives of three midshipmen on the trip (November 19, 1828).

From 1828 to 1829, Peter Turner wrote from Brooklyn, where he became an officer in March 1829. The remainder of Peter Turner's correspondence and documents are scattered, including for example:

  • A May 4, 1828, letter respecting the estate of Dr. William Turner of Newport, Rhode Island.
  • A May 11, 1844, letter by Peter Turner from Rio de Janeiro on stationery bearing an engraved view of the "Praca do Commercio" [Praça do Comércio] by Friedrich Pustkow.
  • A letter to Turner respecting a check for $25, which was bequeathed to Turner from commodore Uriah P. Levy, December 1862.
  • Three letters and documents respecting the transfer of ownership for pew 83 in Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, in January 1862.
  • Two documents regarding $1,387 owed to the estate of William Mathews by the US Naval Asylum in June 1863.

The Turner family Logbooks subseries includes five log books from three different United States Navy vessels:

  • US Schooner Nonsuch, August 8, 1821-May 19, 1823. Daniel Turner commanded this vessel on its voyage from the New York Navy Yard to Port Mahon [Minorca] and subsequent service in the Mediterranean. The volume includes five watercolor coastal profiles or views (Corsica, Cape St. Vincent, Milo, and Corvo).
  • US Schooner Nonsuch, September 9, 1824-December 14, 1824. Daniel Turner, commanded this ship from Palermo Bay, south along the African coastline, past the Canary Islands, and to the Navy Yard at New York.
  • US Schooner Nonsuch, November 1, 1824-December 3, 1824; December 11, 1826-December 31, 1826. The remainder of the volume contains illustrated mathematical propositions related to conic sections and spherical geometry.
  • US Schooner Shark, August 5, 1827-October 24, 1827. Isaac McKeever served as commander of the Shark during this voyage from the coast of Nova Scotia to the United States Naval Seminary at the New York Navy Yard. The remainder of the book, beginning at the opposite cover, is comprised of question and answer format essays on aspects of seamanship. The author was an unidentified individual at the Naval Seminary. The essays are followed by a celestial map.
  • US Ship Southampton, December 15, 1850-October 31, 1851. Lieutenant Peter Turner commanded the Southampton during the ship's December 30, 1850-October 31, 1851, voyage. The ship set sail from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, traveled around Cape Horn, and arrived at San Francisco harbor.

The remainder of the Turner family series includes miscellaneous writings and cards. The three pieces of writing include a recipe for "Dr. King's Diarrhoea Mixture" (undated); a note from "Daughter" to her mother, secretly pleading with her to change the daughter's teacher (undated), and "Lines on the Death of Miss Martha Turner" (September 17, 1870). Five calling and visiting cards date from the 1850s to the late 19th century.

The Harlan Family Papers series includes approximately 250 items relating to the lives of the Harlan family. The series includes correspondence, legal and financial papers, and scrapbooks.

The Harlan family Correspondence subseries contains 45 letters to and from members of the Harlan family, 1846-1925, with the bulk of the materials falling between the 1880s and the 1910s. A majority concerns the everyday lives of the Henry and Hettie (Turner) Harlan family, including their siblings and children. The most prevalent writers and recipients include Hettie's brother James Turner Harlan of Philadelphia; William H. Harlan of the law firm of Harlan & Webster in Bel Air, Maryland; and Hettie's aunt Ada H. Turner.

One item of particular interest is a letter from "David" [Harlan?] to Henry Harlan, dated August 12-14, [1846], and written aboard the US Steamship Princeton (during the US-Mexico War). David summarized and speculated about current political matters, including tensions relating to the ousting of President Salinas, the assumption of the presidency by Paredes, and the anticipation of the return of Santa Anna. He also provided a lengthy anecdote about the laborious process of loading sheep and cattle from the shores of Sacrificios onto the Princeton.

The Harlan family Legal and Financial documents subseries contains 165 items, dating primarily between 1815 and 1924, and consisting of land deeds and contracts, estate-related materials, and assorted receipts, accounts, checks, and other financial materials. The bulk of the real property referred to in the documentation was in Harford County, Maryland.

One bundle of 21 telegrams, manuscript notes, and newspaper clippings trace the April 1902 Disappearance and Suicide of James V. P. Turner, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer and son of Commodore Peter Turner.

A group of 12 miscellaneous Writings, Cards, and Invitations date from the 1870s to the 20th century. These include 1877 New Year's resolutions by Hettie F. Turner; an 1886 "Journal of Jimmie & Pansie Harlan's Doings and sayings" [By Hettie Foster Turner Harlan?]; a handwritten program for Darlington Academy commencement entertainments, June 18, 1897; and a typed graduation speech titled "We Launch To-night! Where Shall We Anchor?" ([James T. Harlan?], Darlington Academy, class of 1899).

The Photographs series includes six cyanotypes, three cartes-de-visite, four snapshots and paper prints, and three negatives depicting members of the Turner and Harlan families. The CDVs are portraits of Commodore Peter Turner (unidentified photographer), a 16 year-old Henry Harlan (by Richard Walzl of Baltimore), and Hettie Foster Turner Harlan in secondary mourning attire (by Philadelphia photographers Broadbent & Phillips). The cyanotypes, prints, and negatives include 1890s-1910s images of the family's Strawberry Hill estate, Henry and Hettie Harlan, "Pansy" (Hettie F. Harlan), and other family members.

The Scrapbook subseries is comprised of six scrapbooks relating to different elements of the Harlan family.

  • "Old Harlan Papers" scrapbook, 1750-late 19th century, bulk 1810s-1840s. Includes 19th century copies of 18th century land documents. Land documents, property maps, and other legal documentation largely respecting Harford County, Maryland, lands. The real property includes "Durbin's Chance," "Betty's Lot," "Stump's Chance," and other properties. The original and copied manuscripts are pasted or laid into a picture cut-out scrapbook belonging to Peter Smith, ca. 1960s (Smith may or may not have been the compiler of the "Old Harlan Papers").
  • Harlan Family scrapbook, March 21, 1793-[20th century]. This volume includes land deeds, contracts, documents, letters, printed items, and genealogical materials related to multiple generations of the Harlan family, particularly in Maryland. Of note is a March 6, 1835, legal agreement respecting the sale of Emory, a 17-year old slave, by Anne Page to Dr. David Harlan, Kent County, Maryland.
  • Harlan Family scrapbook, "Furniture References," 1860s-1960s, bulk 1890s-1920s. This volume contains interior and exterior photographs of the Harlans' "Strawberry Hill" farm near Stafford, Maryland. Some of these photographs include notes about the furniture depicted in them. Other significant materials include approximately 15 letters by Hettie F. Harlan, James V. P. Harlan, and others, 1898-1902.; and an 1864 "Great Central Fair" committee ticket for Hettie F. Turner (a "Lady's Ticket"), accompanied by a tintype portrait of two women.
  • James T. Harlan, "Photographs" album, 1906-1913, 1948-1949. Harford and Baltimore County, Maryland. Interiors and Exteriors of Harlan and Stump family homes; travel photos to Perry Point (Perryville), Maryland, in 1910. 1909/1910 motorcycles, 1906, 1909, and 1910 snapshots from the Baltimore Automobile Show; a 1911 trip to Newport, Rhode Island; ca. 1905-1907 trip to Druid Hill Park; snapshots of James T. Harlan's Baltimore office, National Surety Company of New York.
  • Cleveland Commission for the celebration of the Centennial of Perry's Victory on Lake Erie (Perry Centennial Committee of Cleveland, Ohio) scrapbook, 1913. Newspaper clippings, correspondence, real photo and picture postcards, a printed program "The Progress of Woman" (September 16, 1913); printed invitation card for a reception held by the "Committee on Women's Organizations of the Cleveland Commission Perry's Victory Centennial" September 15, 1913); mounted paper portrait photograph of William G. Turner, 1902.
  • Handmade album titled "Harford" by an unidentified compiler. Through pasted-in postcards, snapshots, verses from newspaper clippings, and plant matter, the unidentified compiler documented their sentimental attachment for scenes and people in Harford County, Maryland (particularly Stafford and Darlington).

The Printed Materials series includes:

  • Approximately 20 newspaper clippings (19th-early 20th century) and a single copy of the newspaper Public Ledger (v. 1, no. 1; Philadelphia, Friday Morning, March 25, 1836).
  • In Memory of Elizabeth Dale, Widow of Admiral George C. Read, 2nd ed. (Philadelphia, 1863).
  • Henry E. Turner, M.D., Greenes of Warwick in Colonial History. Read Before the Rhode Island Historical Society, February 27, 1877 (Newport, RI, 1877).
  • [The Quaker Calendar], Westtown 1907 (Philadelphia: Printed by Leeds & Biddle Co. [incomplete]).
  • University of Maryland Annual Commencement. Academy of Music. Monday Afternoon, May Thirty-First at Four O'Clock (1909)
  • William Jarboe Grove, Carrollton Manor Frederick Country Maryland. By William Jarboe Grove, Lime Kiln, Maryland., March 29th, 1921 (198 pages [incomplete]).
  • Charles D. Holland, Some Landmarks of Colonial History in Harford County, Maryland (Baltimore, 1933).
  • "Commodores Belt of Blue Cloth and Gold Embroidery." Addressed to Commodore Peter Turner from the Navy Department. One page, showing design for a commodore's belt and sword sling, and including a manuscript notation "This is correct" (undated).
  • One page "prayer."

The Turner-Harlan Genealogy series consists of a wide array of materials relating to genealogical research of the Turner-Harlan families. Items include handwritten family trees, familial biographies, and professionally-produced genealogical items. Also included are 20th century Harlan family newsletters.

Collection

Tufts-Day papers, 1915-1920

2 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, and other items related to Nathan Tufts, a native of Massachusetts who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his future wife, Dorothy Day of Connecticut.

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, and other items related to Nathan Tufts, a native of Massachusetts who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his future wife, Dorothy Day of Connecticut.

The Correspondence series (1.5 linear feet) comprises the bulk of the collection. Incoming letters to Nathan Tufts at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, are dated as early as November 11, 1915. His correspondents included his mother, who wrote of life in New York City and Lawrence Park, New York, and Elbridge Stratton, a friend, who anticipated their matriculation at Yale. Dorothy Day received early letters from friends and family while she attended Miss Wheeler's School in Providence, Rhode Island. Friends and family continued to write letters until the late 1910s, and the Tufts received many letters of congratulation following their engagement around May 1918.

Tufts began corresponding with Day in the fall of 1916. He wrote about his experiences and activities at Yale and expressed his romantic feelings for her. After the declaration of war against Germany in April 1917, Tufts reported on his participation in drills and related activities for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He later described his training experiences at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. In Kentucky, he commented on the Central Officers' Training School, travels in the South, fellow soldiers, camp life, and kitchen duty. After the Armistice, Tufts anticipated his return to civilian life and his future with Day; he returned to Yale in 1919 and wrote about vacationing in Maine. His final telegram is dated February 21, 1920. Enclosures include a postcard showing the Rocky Broad River (November 3, 1918) and photographs of a military camp (October 18, 1918).

The couple's other wartime correspondents included Corporal Francis Harrison, who discussed his preparation for front-line duty in France in August 1918, and "Clark," a friend of Dorothy, who served at the Plattsburgh Barracks after September 1917. Clark discussed his training at the Reserve Officers Training Camp and his later service in the 302nd Machine Gun Battalion at Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In his letter of October 6, 1917, he described his unit's preparations for military exercises in trench warfare, and his expectation that the infantry would "sit in trenches and fire once in a while" in France.

The Diaries series contains two items. Dorothy Day kept a daily diary (unbound) between January 17, 1916, and August 16, 1919, writing mostly about her social life and her relationship with Nathan Tufts. She sometimes remarked on news, such as the results of the 1916 presidential election and the country's declaration of war against Germany. In 1918, she wrote about Tufts's military career; some of her entries from this period are constructed as letters to him. Day usually wrote daily entries on one side of each page, copying quotations, poetry, and other miscellany on the reverse side. A calling card, a printed advertisement, a flower, and a photograph are laid into her diary.

The Nathan Tufts diary covers much of his active-duty service at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. From August 18, 1918-November 14, 1918, he wrote intermittent journal entries, often addressed to Day, about his daily routine at Camp Jackson, military training exercises, other soldiers, the good reputations of Yale students and alumni, and the end of the war. Journal entries by Day, apparently mailed to Tufts, are interspersed among his later entries; her final journal-letter is dated January 23, 1919. A military pass, United States Reserve Officers Training Corps patch, and newspaper clippings (often of poems) are pasted into the volume.

The School Papers series (9 items) pertains to Nathan Tufts's education at the Taft School and at Yale College's Sheffield Scientific School. A group of printed entrance exams for Yale College and its Sheffield Scientific School, dated June 1914 (1 item) and June 1915 (5 items) contain questions related to Latin, American history, ancient history, and trigonometry. A printed exam given by the college entrance examination board from June 19, 1916-June 24, 1916, contains questions about American history, the German language, and English literature. An exam requiring a translation of lines by Virgil is dated 1916. A bundle of examinations and school documents belonging to Nathan Tufts includes Yale College's semi-annual examination for June 1917, with questions in subjects such as physics, history, English, German, and Latin; a printed course timetable and list of professors and classrooms for Yale College freshman during the 1916-1917 term, with manuscript annotations by Nathan Tufts; and a typed military examination for Yale students, given on June 4, 1917 or 1918. The subjects of the military examination are hygiene, military law, topography, and field artillery regulations and drill.

The Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, and Ephemera series contains around 50 items, including visiting cards, invitations, Red Cross donation certificates, and a printed program. Many of the newspaper clippings contain jokes or brief articles about World War I. A group of photographs includes a framed portrait of a United States soldier, a negative, and several positive prints.

Collection

Tristram Ractcliff family account book, 1775-1786

1 volume

This account book documents the financial transactions of the Ractcliff family of Vere, Jamaica, from 1775-1786, as they managed sugar plantations, enslaved laborers, and estate disputes. The Exeter Plantation is the principal nexus of activity, but the volume also relates to Greenwich Plantation and Harmony Hall, all in Vere. The Ractcliffs also had accounts with Rockland Farm, Tom King's Plantation, and Carver Plantation. Information relating to inheritance and estates from the Read and Ractcliff families is also present.

This account book documents the financial transactions of the Ractcliff family of Vere, Jamaica, from 1775-1786, as they managed sugar plantations, enslaved laborers, and estate disputes. The Exeter Plantation is the principal nexus of activity, but the volume also relates to Greenwich Plantation and Harmony Hall, all in Vere. The Ractcliffes had accounts with Rockland Farm, Tom King's Plantation, and Carver Plantation. Information relating to inheritance and estates from the Read and Ractcliff families is also present.

The volume begins with a two-page copy of an inventory of Tristram Ractcliff's estate in Clarendon Parish, prepared according to an order from Edward Trelawny on February 27, 1745. The inventory lists his household furniture and wearing apparel; his bonds, notes and outstanding debts; 28 enslaved men, women, and children; and horses, mares, asses, mules and cattle. Later entries relate to estate accounts of the Mackenzie family, seemingly through Tristram Ractcliff's mother Elizabeth (Mackenzie) Ractcliff, as well as his father's estate (for examples see pp. 17-18, 108, 115).

The volume's daybook accounts (192 numerated pages) begin on August 31, 1775, in Vere, Jamaica, with lists of names, expenses, and the nature of the financial matter, extending through May 17, 1786. The entries can be sporadic, sometimes with several pages recorded in one day before jumping ahead several months and occasionally more than a year between entries. References to a waste book and numerical notations in the margins indicate this daybook was part of a robust financial accounting system.

The volume contains records of routine transactions relating to plantation management, including tax payments; insurance; the purchase and sale of enslaved people; maintenance of equipment; purchase of supplies; freight and wharfage; and payment for specialized laborers like carpenters, penkeepers, overseers, wheelwrights, sawyers, blacksmiths, coopers, masons, bookkeepers, and more. Accounts relating to materiel and labor for sugar production, rum distilling, and mills provide information about the kinds of industry supported by the plantations. Sugar, rum, cotton, corn, and livestock accounting can be found throughout.

Financial documentation relating to enslaved people reveals some details about their lives. Entries relating to medical treatment speak to health care and costs, and accounts relating to food, clothing, and fabric purchases glean light on material conditions. For example, an entry for June 10, 1781 (p. 148), concerns a payment for George Henderson to "negotiate for provisions" for the enslaved laborers, and an entry on October 16, 1784 (p. 153), relates to a dispute over a case of ling fish and two kegs of split pease that were deemed "too dear for Plantation use." The account book also documents slave labor, with many accounts relating to the rent and hire of enslaved laborers and others detailing specific tasks, such as the account with Carver's Plantation for the hire of enslaved people for "Billing, Hoeing & Holeing 12 Acres" and "Clearing & Burning off Acres of Land" (p. 30). Some of the hired enslaved laborers performed skilled jobs like sawyers, masons, tailors, boilers, and bricklayers. Several entries relate to Billy Read, a mixed-race carpenter and wheelwright, who performed work or acquired rum and sundries from the Ractcliffs (see pp. 22, 33, 39, 109, 139, and 148).

Several entries hint at resistance efforts of enslaved men and women as well as the brutal punishments such attempts wrought. An entry for October 18, 1775, lists a payment in regards to "Candis a Runaway Negroe" (p. 11). A number of accounts appear to relate to the trial of Kent, a blacksmith who may have been enslaved (pp. 156 and 171). On October 29, 1784, Exeter Plantation hired a constable "for warning a Jury to try Kent & Quaco" (p. 174), and a payment on January 28, 1784, related to "Kent who was hanged" (p.167). On April 7, 1786, the Ractcliffs sold Quaco, "to be ship'd off for attempting to fire Exeter" (p. 185). An entry for January 11, 1779, reflects payments pertinent to a trial of Fortune and Congo Hector who Ractcliff prosecuted for stealing sheep (p. 118).

Occasional construction accounts and personal purchases shed light on the lifestyles of the Ractcliff family. For example, acquisitions of satin and lace (p. 6), jewelry and clothing (pp. 21-22, 27, 28, 48, 55), and a phaeton (p. 107) provide details about the family's fashion. Meanwhile, accounts like the one dated February 2, 1776, for the framing of a 47 foot long house at the Exeter Plantation with a "Piazza all round" and four windows with shutters, give a glimpse into the built architecture at the plantation (p. 36). The financial affairs of the family are also reflected in their handling of bonds, interest, bonds of exchange, and notes throughout the volume.

Several entries reflect the political and military unrest of the period. One from January 18, 1777 (p. 92), relates to the recovery of insurance for a shipment of sugar that was taken prize by Americans in July 1775. A note in an entry for February 25, 1780 (p. 146), reveals ships sailing in convoys. On January 28, 1784 (p. 167), Ractcliff recorded supplying cattle to the government "in Martial Law."

Additional information in the volume relates to Dorothy (Read) Ractcliff's inheritance of her father, Ennis Read's, estate, including property and enslaved laborers. Accounts refer to legal disputes, seemingly on a contested inheritance. Entries indicate the hiring of lawyers, noting the estate was "being illegally detained" (pp. 82-85, 124), and transactions that relate to serving an ejectment include the replacement of clothing and tack ruined by paint as well as doctors' fees for one of the men who served the ejectment being beaten (p. 103).

The inside front cover bears the inscription "Mary Eleanor Elisabeth Bellairs" who may have lived ca. 1841 to 1910, and appears to have been the great-granddaughter of Mary (Read) Mackenzie and Peter Mackenzie, Tristram Ractcliff's sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

Collection

Townsend Young daybook, 1876-1877

800 pages (1 volume)

The Townsend Young daybook contains financial accounts for Young's business as a clothier in Sing Sing, New York. His clients were predominantly individuals, who paid cash for many types of clothing, cloth, tailor work, and sewing tools. He also rented Singer sewing machines. Each entry includes the customer name, goods purchased or rented, costs, and reference numbers. While Townsend Young held a work contract with Sing Sing's female prison during at least part of this period, no products in this daybook are specifically identified as the result of contract system labor.

The Townsend Young daybook contains 800 pages of financial accounts for Young's business as a clothier in Sing Sing, New York, between 1876 and 1877. His clients were predominantly individuals who paid cash for many types of clothing, tailor work, cloth, and sewing tools. He also rented Singer sewing machines. Each entry includes the customer name, goods purchased or rented, costs, and reference numbers. While Townsend Young held a work contract with Sing Sing's female prison during at least part of this time period, no products in this daybook are specifically identified as the result of contract system labor.

Townsend Young's store also provided tailor services such as sewing, cleaning, pressing, repairing, making buttonholes, and other work. The list of products sold by Young is lengthy. A selection of the goods referenced in the daybook include vests, suspenders, buttons, suits, hats, caps, silk hats, pants, drawers, cravats, studs, spools, silk, socks, needles, linen, "brick", collars, coats, handkerchiefs, shirts, scarves, coachman gloves, kid gloves, castor gloves, bows, umbrellas, elastics, overcoats, canes, muslin, satin, "livingston collars", "geyser water", night shirts, cashmere, cotton coats, bending (cloth), foweling (cloth), balls of cord, wiggan, cotton goods, "grey Cadet cloth" (September 12, 1876, p. 265), velvet, ties, "Campaign Uniforms"/"Campaign Suits" (A. L. Young, October 12, 1876, p. 315; B. C. Insler, Abraham Hyatt, and Dr. Woodcock, November 4, 1876, p. 360), "Suits of Clothing" (George R. Young, Agent and Warden of Sing Sing Prison, October 19 and 26, 1876, pp. 327 and 338), epaulettes (Sharp Terrell's coat, October 21, 1876, p. 331). sheet wadding, canvas, pocketing, twist, thread, slaven jackets, fanning, "Wolf Robes" (Mrs. Dr. Mead, January 10, 1877, p. 487), buffalo robes, and more.

Collection

Toll-Mitchell-Clark family photograph album, 1831-1893

31 items

The Toll-Mitchell-Clark family photograph album includes photographs of residences belonging to the Toll, Mitchell, and Clark families in upstate New York and Los Angeles, California, as well as studio portraits of various family members. The album also contains deeds, financial records, and other manuscripts related to the Toll, Mitchell, and Clark families.

This collection is comprised of a photograph album and three groups of manuscripts related to the Toll, Mitchell, and Clark families of upstate New York and Los Angeles, California.

The photograph album (27cm x 32cm) contains 30 photographs: cabinet cards, card photographs, and photo postcards laid into the volume. The first several images are exterior views of Toll and Mitchell family homes in Baldwinsville and Memphis, New York, sometimes with family members present. Other images show the Baldwinsville cemetery, the interior of A[sabel] K. Clark's music store, and interiors of the Clark family home in Los Angeles, California. The remaining items are mounted studio portraits of Toll and Mitchell family members; photographs of Truman Mitchell, Sarah Hyde Toll, Sophia Hinman Mitchell, and Abel Hyde and Sarah Mitchell Toll with manuscript wills mounted on the back, dated as early as 1856 and as late as 1893. Two images are duplicated: a portrait of Abel Hyde and Sarah Mitchell Toll (2 copies) and a photographic postcard featuring an unidentified residence (7 copies). The album's purple cloth cover originally had the title "Photographs" stamped front and back; the text is now faded.

The remaining items are approximately 34 manuscripts related to the Toll, Mitchell, and Clark families, including deeds, bank checks, financial records, wills, and correspondence. The deeds relate to land in upstate New York, and a few items pertain to estate administration. Personal letters from Laura F. Clark of Los Angeles, California, to her father are also present, as is a marriage certificate for Mariah Mitchell [sic] and Oliver Glass.

Collection

Thompson family papers, 1821-1973 (majority within 1821-1934)

8.75 linear feet

This collection is made up of the papers of Arba U. Thompson and his wife Frances Warner Thompson of Farmington and Avon, Hartford County, Connecticut, as well as the correspondence of their children Herbert, William, Lewis, Leila, Charles, and Frances May Thompson. The collection also includes the correspondence of Lucelia "Leila" U. Thompson, an educator who traveled with her husband William P. Baker to India in 1853 to serve for a decade as a missionary and teacher.

This collection is made up of the papers of Arba U. Thompson and his wife Frances Warner Thompson of Farmington and Avon, Hartford, Connecticut, as well as the correspondence of their children Herbert, William, Lewis, Leila, Charles, and Frances May Thompson. The papers include 2,713 letters, plus one linear foot of diaries, legal and financial documents, school papers, a commonplace book, a notebook, poems and writings, photographs, ephemeral materials, and printed items.

The Thompson Family Papers correspondence includes a wide range of writers and recipients. A temporary, rudimentary selection of them is as follows:

  • The earliest portion of the collection is largely comprised of the incoming correspondence of Frances "Frankie" Warner / Frances Warner Thompson, 1850-1851, and the often lengthy, journal-like letters of Lucelia "Leila" U. Thompson who traveled with her husband William P. Baker to India in 1853, where she served as a missionary and teacher until her death in 1864. Lucelia's letters begin with correspondence from Dwight Place Seminary, New Haven, in 1850. By 1852, she served as a teacher at Germantown in a school of Mary Fales, then in 1853 determined to travel as a missionary abroad. From 1853 to 1864, she wrote lengthy, at times journal-like letters from different locations in India, including "Ahmednuggur," "Khokar," Bhingar, "Shingvay" (illustrated letter from Bombay, January 1, 1855). Her recipients included Emmie Gallup (in Essex, Conn.), Lottie R. Andrew, and Emily Hubbard.
  • After Lucelia's death, her husband William P. Barker wrote letters to their parents, daughter Mary, and niece Leila Anna. Barker wrote from Minneapolis and Cottage Grove in the 1860s and 1870s, and from Carbon, Wyoming Territory, in the early 1880s.
  • Early 1850s courtship correspondence of Arba Thompson and Frances Warner.
  • Early 1850s letters from Mary E. Hubbell of Ipswich, Massachusetts; Avon, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; and North Stonington, Connecticut, to Abigail "Nabby" Thompson.
  • Correspondence of Frances Thompson's brother "Baxter" at Yale College, beginning in 1854.
  • Letters by Flora Thompson in Avon, Connecticut, to her siblings beginning in the 1850s, then from Carthage, Ohio, by the 1870s.
  • Letters of Abel M. Thompson of Rockville mid-1850s
  • Correspondence of Pliny F. Warner of Aledo, Illinois, a job printer and publisher of the weekly Aledo Banner, editor of the Mason County Republican out of Havana, Illinois, and then the Havana Republican.
  • Letters by Frances Warner's father Milo Warner of Strykersville, New York, 1850s-1860s.
  • Letters by Frances Warner's sister Cordelia Morrill of Brooklyn, Strykersville, "Shadow Nook," and Java Village, New York, 1860s-1890s.
  • Post-Civil War correspondence to Frances, Abigail "Nabby", and Herbert Wilson Thompson.
  • Letters to Frances and Arba from cousin Dr. C. D. Woodruff of Lima, New York.
  • Letters of E. G. Warner in Amherst, Massachusetts, to cousin Leila Thompson, 1880s.
  • Letters from Charles and Anna Thompson to Frances Thompson from Bridgeport, Connecticut, late 1880s. Charles K. Thompson worked for the American Gramophone Company at Bridgeport.
  • Letters of H. W. Thompson, working at C. H. Smith & Co., loan brokers and western real estate out of Hartford, Connecticut, late 1880s.
  • Correspondence of Edith A. Warner of Brooklyn, New York, while teaching at Granville Female College, Granville, Ohio, in the 1880s.
  • By 1890, the volume of letters to Frances May Thompson, known as May, from siblings and cousins increased dramatically. In the early 1890s, May took a job as a teacher at a schoolhouse in Washington, Connecticut. While there, she received letters from Helen M. Webster (1860-1905), a supervisor at the American Asylum at Hartford, Connecticut; later, Helen married to a man named George Reed and wrote from Hill City, South Dakota, in 1896 and 1897. By the late 1890s, May received letters from her husband, who worked at Harvey & Lewis, opticians and photographic supplies. He also used New York Life Insurance Company stationery.
  • Correspondence between siblings Lewis and Leila Thompson, 1900s.
  • Incoming letters to Leila Thompson from Alice P. Warner of Beloit, Wisconsin, early 1900s.
  • Letters between Leila and Alice H. "Claire" Alderman in Clarkston, Georgia; St. Petersburg, Florida; and elsewhere, 1900s-1910s.
  • Later letters between Beatrice A. Hoskins and her mother Frances Hoskins.

The collection includes two small, unsigned diaries, dated 1848 and 1923. Legal and financial documents include 57 accounts, tax receipts, land indentures, loan receipts, four account books (1824-1927), and other papers, largely from Avon and Farmington, Connecticut. One account book, kept by Guy Thomson in 1824, includes accounts for sawing, mending a halter, plowing, mowing, planting, picking apples, making cider, shoeing horses, mending fences, and other labor, plus monies taken in from a boarder.

School papers include 10 rewards of merit, report cards, school programs, a student's notebook, and a teacher's notebook, all dating from 1851-1925. A commonplace book by Leila U. Thompson dates from the 1840s and includes poetry and excerpts, including a multi-page poem, "The Missionary's Call." A notebook, marked "O.V. Brainerd" contains page after page of scribbles.

Poems and other writings include 42 loose leaf copies of poems on subjects such as temperance, resignation, death and bereavement, friendship, sentimental and religious topics, Christmas, and other subjects. Seventeen photographs include a CDV of Fannie Warner as a young girl, and a selection of snapshots, apparently of members of the Hoskins family.

The Thompson Family Papers include a variety of ephemera and printed items, including 12 visiting cards; 33 invitations and announcements; 46 birthday, valentine, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and other holiday cards; genealogical notes; newspaper clippings, pamphlets, programs, and other items.

Collection

Thomas Gage warrants, 1763-1775

10 linear feet

The Thomas Gage warrants are financial documents authorizing payment for the British military forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War through the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The warrants are one series within the larger Thomas Gage papers. The Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index provides additional information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.

The financial records contained in this collection represent financial accounts for British forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. These documents are secretarial copies retained by Thomas Gage (1720-1787) for his personal records.

Types of documents in the collection:
  • Subsistence warrants: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for regular salaries and rations.
  • Warrants for extraordinary expenses: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for irregular expenses.
  • Temporary warrants: Documents signed by Gage allowing financial advances.
  • Annexed accounts: Detailed lists or accounts affixed to warrants, often including vouchers and receipts from various middlemen and agents. These may be lists of bills of exchange and are occasionally signed.
  • Abstracts of accounts: Abstracts or explanations of complex accounts.
  • Vouchers: Receipts showing payment.
  • These may include:
    • Bills of lading: Used when dealing with hired ships.
    • Pay rolls: Listing of personnel, their occupations, and their wages.
    • Invoices: Enumerating goods received.
    • Bills of exchange: Calling for one party to pay a certain amount to a second party; may be accompanied by receipts.
The miscellaneous documents in the collection include:
  • Memorials: Signed statements certifying that a service has been performed.
  • Legal documents: Depositions, testimonies, contracts, or other witnessed and sworn statements.
  • Discharges: Documents releasing men or vessels from military service.
  • Wrappers: Papers in which documents were originally contained.

See the Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index (pdf) for more information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.

See the finding aid for the Thomas Gage papers for a complete description of the collection.

Collection

Thomas, Frederick, and Robert Hubbard family papers, 1803-1902 (majority within 1810-1869)

2.5 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, and other material related to Thomas Hill Hubbard of Utica, New York, and his sons Frederick and Robert.

This collection contains correspondence, writings, documents, and other material related to Thomas Hill Hubbard of Utica, New York, and his sons Frederick and Robert.

The collection's Correspondence is divided into two subseries. Chronological Correspondence (63 items) consists of personal letters to and between various members of the Hubbard family, dated December 12, 1803-April 9, 1902; most of the material is dated 1811-1858. Many letters pertain to personal and family news and travel. The series includes correspondence between Thomas Hill Hubbard and his wife Phebe; from Frederick Hubbard to his parents, Thomas Hill and Phebe Hubbard; and between the children of Thomas Hill and Phebe Hubbard. The subseries also contains incoming letters to "Philinda" from siblings, cousins, and a niece, who wrote in the mid- to late 1850s.

The Letter Books subseries is comprised of 6 volumes.

1. The first letter book contains around 99 pages of extracts from letters by Reverend Robert Hubbard (dated June 1810-May 24, 1840), who discussed religious topics. A poem by Grace D. Litchfield for her grandmother (December 16, 1869) and an unknown writer's poem for their mother ([December] 1888) are laid into the volume.

2. The second letter book has a few outgoing business letters by Thomas Hill Hubbard (July 10, 1841-July 7, 1842, 9 pages), but mostly contains outgoing letters by Robert J. Hubbard about matters related Thomas Hill Hubbard's estate (May 27, 1859-September 11, 1869, 362 pages).

3-4. The first of 2 letter books belonging to Frederick Hubbard contains outgoing letters and financial accounts pertaining to his work for the Northern Indiana Railroad in South Bend and La Porte, Indiana (March 3, 1851-June 18, 1852, 457 pages). His second letter book (June 18, 1852-November 10, 1854, 464 pages) is comprised outgoing letters and financial accounts pertaining to his work for the Northern Indiana Railroad in La Porte, Indiana, and the Michigan Southern Railroad in Clinton, Michigan.

5. One volume contains outgoing business correspondence of Litchfield & Co., often signed by C. H. Manson and E. Darwin Litchfield (letter book "J," February 12, 1857-April 29, 1860, 366 pages), and additional letters by Robert J. Hubbard about his father's estate (June 21, 1861-May 8, 1871, 387 pages).

6. Robert J. Hubbard kept a letter book with outgoing correspondence to family members and acquaintances (November 20, 1855-January 1872, 344 pages). He most frequently discussed finances, property, and business affairs.

The Diaries and Journals series (30 items) pertains to Frances Elizabeth Hubbard and Frederick Hubbard. Frances Elizabeth Hubbard began her two diaries on November 27, 1835 (around 140 pages), and April 25, 1836 (around 100 pages). She commented on her daily experiences, social activities, and travels in and around Richmond, Virginia, and Middletown, New York. The first volume also includes 4 pages of financial records and a list of names.

The Frederick Hubbard travel journals consist of 23 slim bound volumes (approximately 50 pages each), which together comprise a detailed account of Hubbard's travels in the United States and the Caribbean between March 1842 and October 1855. He often traveled on the New York & Erie Railroad.

An additional 5 volumes of writings by Frederick Hubbard recount a Grand Tour of Europe and the East between 1855 and 1857. He created the manuscript later in his life, by copying his earlier travel notes into blank books. He provided detailed observations and descriptions of locations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Madeira, Malta, Palestine, Rome, Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Nubia, England, Syria, and other areas. Hubbard contributed original illustrations and tipped relevant engravings, prints, and maps into the books. Linnaeus Shecut II transcribed and edited the 5-volume manuscript in Notes of Travel in Europe and the East in the Years 1855-1856 and 1857: a Yankee Engineer Abroad (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2007).

The Writings series contains approximately 50 compositions, including groups of school essays, descriptions about Florida locales, and book proposals. Robert J. Hubbard composed around 40 of the school compositions at Utica Academy in the mid-1840s. Also included are notes on the history of Christianity; poetry; a manuscript copy of extracts from the Biblical gospels; and a personalized, alphabetical subject index, written in a volume printed for that purpose, belonged to Edward B. Hubbard and Robert J. Hubbard in the 1840s.

Documents and Accounts include Land Documents, Financial Records, and a Passport. The Land Documents subseries contains 2 items: an indenture (1841) and a book recording the disposition and dispensation of lands that belonged to the estate of Thomas H. Hubbard in 1857, with notes dated as late as the early 1880s. Financial Records (49 items) consist of a ledger regarding property and real estate assets in multiple states in the 1830s and 1840s and receipts made out to various persons, including Robert J. Hubbard and his wife, in 1868. The receipts concern various types of household items and services. The Passport dates between 1854 and 1887 and includes documentation from Europe and northern Africa.

The Published Material series is divided into two subseries. The Pamphlets and Tables subseries includes two pamphlets, "A Short and Easy Method with the Deists" by Charles Leslie (1830) and "Conrad and Medora; or, Harlequin Corsair and the Little Fairy at the Bottom of the Sea" by William Brough (undated). A printed table, "Table of Ranges of Temperature on a Journey up the Nile, and through the 'Long Desert' and 'Syria.' January to June, 1857," is also included. The A Yankee Engineer Abroad subseries contains digital versions of Notes of Travel in Europe and the East in the Years 1855-1856 and 1857: a Yankee Engineer Abroad, ed. Linnaeus Shecut II (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2007).

Collection

Thomas Downs papers, 1862-1938

1.75 linear feet

The Downs papers consist of assorted material relating to Thomas Downs of Connersville, Indiana, focusing on the period between 1903 and 1911, when he was employed as an Indian agent to the Ute, Winnebago, Yakima, and other Native American nations in the western United States.

The Downs papers includes a portion of the personal and professional correspondence of Thomas Downs of Connersville, Ind., focusing on the period between 1903 and 1911, when he was employed as an Indian agent to the Ute, Winnebago, Yakima, and other Indian nations in the western states. While there is comparatively little information on Native Americans or Native American cultures, per se, Downs' letters do provide a glimpse into the mind of one Indian agent during the first decade of the 20th century, and documentation of the strained relations between Native Americans and the federal government and the cold reality of reservation life.

There are three topics within the Downs Papers which stand out as being of particular interest. First, there is approximately a dozen letters sent to Downs and other Indian service officials relating to the "rebellion" of Ute Indians at Thunder Butte in November, 1907. These letters, along with several newspaper clippings and a memoir written in about 1911 by Florence Downs Reifel (apparently from Downs' notes) provide a sense of how the situation unfolded and the pressure Downs must have felt to resolve the crisis quickly, if harshly.

The second topic relates to Downs' 1909 inspection tour of the Round Valley Indian School in Covelo, Calif., and the reservations at Neah Bay and Yakima, Wash. Throughout the year, Downs was accompanied by his wife, Mary Jane (Jennie), and although all of the letters are signed "Pa and Ma," they were actually written alternately and independently by Thomas and his wife. Jennie Downs' letters are not particularly informative, though they contain a few useful observations on the conditions of life on the reservation and at Indian schools. Thomas' letters are somewhat more detailed, providing a good impression of the Yakima reservation, in particular, which was then being placed under a comprehensive system of irrigation. On a side note, three of Downs' letters include amusing comments on the difficulty of train travel amidst the crush of visitors to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition of 1909.

Finally, there is a small, but interesting group of letters pertaining to Thomas Downs' efforts to enroll the Winnebago Indians in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska during October and November, 1909. These include a sad letter describing the scattered and depressed condition of the Winnebagoes in Wisconsin, and a far more optimistic assessment of their kin at the Winnebago Agency in Nebraska, who had taken up farming and other "industrious" habits.

Also noteworthy are three bound "journals" kept in Indian Service notebooks and a photocopy of a fourth. Notebook 2 (Box 5) includes notes taken by Downs in the field at the Yakima Reservation in 1909, describing the status of individual Yakima (and mixed blood) men and women. Notebook 3 (Box 5) includes what appear to be essays or speeches by Downs, including one dealing with racism and citizenship, comparing the social conditions of African-Americans and Native Americans. The fourth journal, present only in photocopy (filed under correspondence for the year 1911), includes an exceptional account of the protracted illness and death of Thomas Downs, as well as an excellent Downs-eye view of the Thunder Butte incident.

The remaining correspondence in the collection includes several touching letters dictated by Thomas Downs to Florence Downs Reifel in December, 1910, when Thomas was too ill to write for himself. These copies include a dramatic letter addressed to Downs' sister, Eliza, with whom he had broken off relations 45 years previously. Through this letter, Downs hoped to mend some family fences before his death, and although Eliza's acceptance of the olive branch -- and her forgiveness (1911 January 7) -- eventually came, it seems probable that it would have arrived after Downs was too ill to read it.

Downs' children and grandchildren are less well represented in the collection, except as recipients of letters. There are some juvenile writings of his daughters, Florence and Susan Jane, and sparse materials relating to the children's education, including grade school report cards and a few miscellaneous letters from George Downs, written while in college at Purdue and medical school in Ann Arbor. Of a more personal nature are two lovely mother's day letters from Jane Reifel to her mother, Florence (1921 May 8, 1938 May 7), extolling Florence's virtues as a mother. Jane admits to having been a rebellious youth, but confesses that she now realizes how Florence's mothering had made her a solid person, unlike her social-seeking cousins. Box 3 also includes a hand-drawn mother's day card from Jane. On an entirely different note, Box 3 contains two "mash cards" -- one a calling-card-sized card printed with the words "May I C U Home?" -- with the answers "yes" and "no," printed on the ends of the card, presumably to be used by the young woman to signal her reply. The other card, "Cigar Flirtation," describes the sexual code of cigar smoking. Finally, two undated letters from Thomas Downs to his son-in-law, Jesse Rhoads, outline his specifications for a house being built for the family, including a photograph of the house and a rough floor plan.

The Downs Papers includes a large number of deeds, accounts, receipts, banking records, canceled checks, and other financial miscellany (Box 4), some leather wallets and a silver match case engraved "Capt. T.D." (Box 7), along with a few obituaries and biographical essays on Thomas Downs, his sons William (who died at 16) and George, and other family members.

Collection

Suckley family papers, 1791-1885

2.5 linear feet

The Suckley family papers provide documentation of family life, mercantile business, and the Methodist Church in antebellum New York City.

This Suckley collection is only a small residuum of a much larger collection, yet what remains provides important documentation of several aspects of nineteenth century life, particularly relating to commercial life in antebellum New York City and the Methodist Church.

Boxes 1 and 2 consists primarily of in-coming correspondence dated between 1791 and 1839, centering on the personal and professional life of George Suckley, with the earliest material originating in the family of his first wife, Miss Lang, in England. The letters contain some information on English Methodism (1:1-6, 16-18). Of particular interest are the letters of the Methodist missionary, Francis Asbury (1:10-11) and of the wife of Richard Reece, who began his itinerant ministry in 1787 (The Christian Advocate and Journal, May 13, 1846, contains a brief sketch of Reece's life). The letters of Catherine Rutsen Suckley and Joseph Holdich include discussions of the Methodist Church in America, and the missionary Freeborn Garretson, is discussed in several letters (1:21-23,25,26,32).

George Suckley's business correspondence includes dealings with the English firm of Holy, Newbould and Suckley (1:33-42,47) and two sets of letters from agents who Suckley retained to manage his vast land holdings, John Reed in upstate New York and John Rangeley in Maine. Among the personal correspondence are several letters from Philadelphia lawyer(?) Cornelius Comegys and letters from three of George Suckley's sons. John Lang Suckley wrote frequently to request money to pay his servants; Rutsen Suckley assisted in managing his father's properties, and Thomas Holy Suckley was a college student.

Box 3 contains family correspondence written after George's death in 1846. Among the family members represented are George's children Rusten, Mary, and Thomas Holy Suckley, and his grandson Dr. George Suckley (1830-1869). George's letters are the most intrinsically interesting, as they were written during a period in the 1850s when he was practicing in Oregon and Washington Territory and considering land investments in California. During this same period, Dr. Suckley was the recipient of several letters from David and Jack Green (apparently cousins of some sort). One item (3:39) relates to George's Civil War service. The later correspondence heavily concerns New York charities. One interesting letter (3:52) is a stableman's apology for drunkenness on Christmas.

Boxes 5 through 9 are arranged in folders by subject. Of particularly interest are materials that document the various New York City rental properties owned by Rutsen Suckley, recording rents collected and upkeep expenses between the 1840s and 1870s. The cost of living in New York can be calculated from bills and receipts for a wide range of products and services.

Collection

St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran Church Pew Register and Index, [1770s?], 1834-1853

2 volumes

This collection is made up of two volumes related to members and pew ownership in the St. Michael's and Zion churches of Philadelphia. One volume is an index of members, church affiliations (St. Michael's or Zion), and pew numbers (ca. 1770s?). The other is a register of pew ownership for Zion Church, 1834-1853.

This collection is made up of two volumes related to members and pew ownership in the St. Michael's and Zion churches of Philadelphia.

The first volume is a 50-page index to a pew register for the St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran churches of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (ca. 1770s?). The location of the pew register is currently unknown. The index reflects the division of the Philadelphia German Lutheran congregation between St. Michael's and Zion churches. It includes the names of members of the congregation, occupations (occasionally), church affiliation (St. Michael's or Zion), and pew number. The entries are grouped alphabetically by surname.

The second volume, titled Applicationen für Sitze, contains records of pew purchases and ownership in the Zion Church from October 1834 to December 1853. The recorder noted the names of parishioners who purchased seats (most often for $1.00) and pew numbers. Manuscript and partially printed receipts and documents regarding individuals' ownership of pews are laid into the volume. The church's president signed some of the receipts.

Collection

Stinchfield family papers, 1837-1999

6.25 linear feet

The Stinchfield family papers contain the correspondence, business records, financial and legal documents, photographs, and genealogical papers of the Stinchfield family, founders of a successful lumber business in Michigan in the mid-19th century. The collection also includes materials related to social and family events in Grosse Pointe and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, through the mid-20th century.

The Stinchfield family papers consist of the correspondence, business records, financial and legal documents, photographs, and genealogical papers of Jacob W. Stinchfield, his wife Maria Hammond Stinchfield, and their descendants. The collection's correspondence and documents are organized by generation, reflecting their original order. The earliest items in the collection (Generation I series) include real estate transactions involving Jacob Stinchfield of Lincoln, Maine, dating from 1837. Beginning in the 1860s, after the family’s move to Michigan, the records include correspondence, accounts, and other financial records relating to the lumber business, begun by Jacob and continued by his son Charles Stinchfield. The materials provide information respecting the management of men in lumber camps, logging in winter weather conditions, methods of transportation, the challenges of rafting logs downriver, and other lumber business operations in volatile market conditions. Jacob and Charles Stinchfield’s partner, and frequent correspondent, was David Whitney, Jr., a wealthy Detroit businessman.

The Stinchfields expanded their company to include railroads (to facilitate their logging operations) and mineral mines. Many documents in the Generation II series, including manuscript and printed maps, concern land development in Michigan, where the family owned a farm in Bloomfield Hills, and in the West, especially Wyoming. The family traveled extensively and corresponded about their experiences in Europe, Asia, and the western United States. The Civil War is represented with small but significant holdings -- among them, a September 21, 1864, note written and signed by President Abraham Lincoln, requesting a fair hearing for a furlough (probably for George Stinchfield), and a February 14, 1863, letter from Vice President Hannibal Hamlin to Jacob W. Stinchfield, assuring him that George McClellan would not be ordered back to the command of the army.

The collection's twentieth-century materials (Generation III and Generation IV series) consist largely of the personal correspondence of Jacob Stinchfield’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The life of Charles Stinchfield, Jr., is well documented, from his schooling at St. John’s Military Institute in Manlius, N.Y., and a brief time at Cornell University, through his roles in the family business, his marriage, and the raising of his three children. Interactions between Charles Stinchfield, Jr., and his father, Charles Stinchfield, a demanding and energetic businessman, are also well represented in the collection. The materials reveal relationships between family members and their servants, and spiritualists' attempts to contact Charles Stinchfield III, who died of appendicitis in 1933 at the age of 15. Later papers provide descriptions of the social life of a wealthy family in the early and mid-20th century, at their residence in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and at their country home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The Genealogy series, compiled largely by Diane Stinchfield Klingenstein, contains extensive background research on family members, copies of Ira and George Stinchfield’s Civil War records, transcriptions of letters written by Charles Stinchfield on a journey west in 1871 (not otherwise represented in the collection), and a typewritten draft of Diane Klingenstein’s family history, "One bough from a branch of the tree: a Stinchfield variation."

In addition to materials organized by generation, the collection includes photographs, scrapbooks, pastels, realia, and books. Many of the photographs are individual and group portraits (both studio and candid) from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The images include many exterior views of the land and buildings of the family’s country home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (Stonycroft Farm, ca. 1910), and of the Stinchfield residence in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (ca. 1940s). Early 20th-century lumber camps and railroads in Oregon and mining camps in Nevada are represented in photographs and photograph albums. The collection contains photos from trips to Japan (ca. 1907), the American West, and Europe. The collection's scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, invitations, and photographs, mainly concerning the life of Diane Klingenstein in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Stinchfield family papers contain three pastel portraits of unknown subjects. The Realia series includes a bone ring likely made by George Stinchfield when he was a prisoner on Belle Isle, Virginia; a ring bearing Ira Stinchfield's name and regiment, in case he died during the Civil War; hospital identification and five baby pins for Diane W. Stinchfield (1925); a variety of additional Stinchfield family jewelry; and several wooden, crotched rafting pins, apparently from Saginaw, Michigan.

The Books series includes a copy of The Pictorial Bible, given to Charles and Mary from Father Fish, June 12, 1879, and a selection of 9 additional publications, which are cataloged individually. A comprehensive list of these books may be found by searching the University's online catalog for "Klingenstein."

Collection

Stephentown (N.Y.) Library School District account book and William Wallace Elliot penmanship exercise book, 1838-1840

1 volume

This handmade account book contains financial accounts for the Stephentown (N.Y.) school district library, including fines imposed on individuals for late returns of books, as well as damages. This volume was repurposed later by William Wallace Elliot as a penmanship exercise book.

This handmade account book contains financial accounts of the Stephentown (N.Y.) school district library, including fines imposed on individuals for late returns of books, as well as damages. This volume was repurposed at a later date by William Wallace Elliot as a penmanship exercise book.

The final page is a "Register of damages to books." The cover is made from a scrap of a paper ream wrapper. Sections used by William for penmanship exercise feature repeated phrases and quoted passages.

Collection

Stephen Sparks ledger, 1816-1860

1 volume

Stephen Sparks maintained this ledger between 1816 and 1860, documenting his family's financial activities as they related to shoemaking and farming in Leicester, Vermont. Sparks was making and mending shoes and boots, was also active with agricultural crops, livestock, and lumber.

Stephen Sparks maintained this ledger between 1816 and 1860, documenting his family's financial activities as they related to shoemaking and farming in Leicester, Vermont. Sparks was making and mending shoes and boots, and was active with agricultural crops, livestock, and lumber.

Evidence of broader family involvement in the financial affairs is also apparent, as Stephen Sparks' brother Harvey Sparks acted as an agent for him, and an 1861 promissory note made out to George Sparks, Stephen's son, is laid into the volume. Several pages are dedicated to purchases of "Articles Found for Mother," including items such as snuff, flour, molasses and sugars, cloth, candles, butter and lard, tea, spices, rum and brandy, and medical care.

Collection

Stephen Sparks ledger, 1816-1860

1 volume

Stephen Sparks maintained this ledger between 1816 and 1860, documenting his family's financial activities as they related to shoemaking and farming in Leicester, Vermont. Sparks was making and mending shoes and boots, was also active with agricultural crops, livestock, and lumber.

Stephen Sparks maintained this ledger between 1816 and 1860, documenting his family's financial activities as they related to shoemaking and farming in Leicester, Vermont. Sparks was making and mending shoes and boots, and was active with agricultural crops, livestock, and lumber.

Evidence of broader family involvement in the financial affairs is also apparent, as Stephen Sparks' brother Harvey Sparks acted as an agent for him, and an 1861 promissory note made out to George Sparks, Stephen's son, is laid into the volume. Several pages are dedicated to purchases of "Articles Found for Mother," including items such as snuff, flour, molasses and sugars, cloth, candles, butter and lard, tea, spices, rum and brandy, and medical care.

Collection

Stamp account book, 1889-1890

1 volume

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

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

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

Collection

Stamp account book, 1889-1890

1 volume

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

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

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

Collection

Shays' Rebellion collection, 1784-1787 (majority within 1787)

10 items

This collection is made up of individual financial documents and letters from Massachusetts, primarily composed during the early months of 1787. Among other subjects, the material concerns the state's economic climate and military forces commanded by Major General Benjamin Lincoln during Shays' Rebellion.

This collection is made up of individual financial documents and letters from Massachusetts, primarily composed during the early months of 1787. Among other subjects, the material concerns the state's economic climate and military forces commanded by Major General Benjamin Lincoln during Shays' Rebellion.

Among the items directly related to military forces are notes, documents, and accounts for the supply of rations, other provisions, and wages to military troops (5 items) and a request sent by Adam Wheeler to Benjamin Lincoln, for safe passage. Massachusetts Militia officer William Shepard wrote 2 letters to Benjamin Lincoln and Colonel Ezra Badlam about raising troops to defend the Massachusetts government against rebel forces (February 22, 1787, and February 24, 1787).

The collection includes a petition letter that Timothy Fuller sent to the Massachusetts legislature on behalf of many residents of Princeton, Massachusetts, enumerating and discussing several of their complaints against the state government. In addition to voicing their concerns about high legal fees and the salaries of public officials, the residents of Princeton attempted to disassociate themselves from recent violent conflicts (February 1, 1787). One additional item records accounts between the estate of Elisha Doane and Samuel A. Otis of Boston, Massachusetts, dated between August 20, 1783, and March 12, 1784.

Collection

Sears family papers, 1767-1848

0.75 linear feet

The Sears family papers contain the financial records and correspondence of Peter Sears, who owned a general store in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and his adopted son, Peter, who settled in Dexter, Michigan.

The Sears family papers contain 31 letters, 21 account books, 20 legal documents, 9 school writings, and 360 receipts, spanning 1767-1848.

The Correspondence series primarily covers two periods of time: 1771-1806 (21 letters) and 1832-1842 (10 letters). Relatives of the elder Peter Sears and his wife Thankful wrote many of the letters dating to the earlier period, concerning family news and health. An early undated letter, written by Salley Sears during the Revolutionary War, conveys the news that one of Peter Sears' brothers had been captured and transported to Charleston, South Carolina. On September 12, 1802, Joseph Sears wrote a letter to Thankful, acknowledging Peter Sears' death and expressing sympathy. Several other letters of this period contain orders for salt from Peter Sears' store. The younger Peter Sears is the recipient of all of the later correspondence; relatives who had settled across the Midwest, in towns such as Kalamazoo, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Perrysburg, Ohio, wrote to him with updates on their new lives. A common theme in the letters is the hardships they faced as early settlers.

The Documents series contains 20 items ranging in date from 1770-1853, including three wills, several legal documents relating to land in Washtenaw County, and two items relating to the younger Sears' service in the Massachusetts Militia. The Account Books series encompasses records for Peter Sears' store in Yarmouth from 1768-1794, which list items that he bought for himself, as well as orders that he placed for others.

The Receipts and Financial Records series is by far the largest, and spans 1770-1849. Records from 1770 to 1802 show the types of items that Peter Sears stocked in his store, as well as well as his network of suppliers. After 1802, the financial materials relate to the younger Peter Sears; they document his purchases, payment of taxes, sale of land prior to leaving for Michigan, and debts.

Collection

Scots Thistle Society of Philadelphia records, 1806-1865, 1904 (majority within 1806-1865)

2 volumes

This collection consists of two volumes of organizational records from the Scots Thistle Society of Philadelphia, a fraternal mutual aid society. The volumes include the society's constitution, bylaws, and a brief history of the founding of the society, as well as minutes, financial records, and membership lists. Although these volumes were begun in 1806 following the loss of earlier records, they contain information from before that, including the constitution, bylaws, and membership lists from 1805. The bulk of the collection dates to 1806-1865, with one inserted leaflet dated 1904.

This collection consists of two volumes of organizational records from the Scots Thistle Society of Philadelphia, a fraternal mutual aid society. The volumes include the society's constitution, bylaws, a brief history of the founding of the society, minutes, financial records, and membership lists. Although these volumes begin in 1806, after the loss of earlier records, they contain information from before that, including the constitution, bylaws, and membership lists from 1805. The bulk of the collection dates to 1806-1865, with one inserted leaflet dated 1904.

Inserted into the front cover of Volume 1 is a printed reminder note for the Scots Thistle Society meeting held on March 7, 1904, with handwritten meeting notes. Another laid-in leaflet bearing handwritten notes is located in the "Laws section" of the volume. The record of minutes for the meeting held on March 4, 1826, includes a written reference to the United States Constitution.

Four loose sheets of notes are inserted into Volume 2: one sheet in the Quarterly Dues section at the page for 1847; two at the minutes of the meeting held on June 1, 1840; and one at the minutes of the meeting held on June 26, 1845.

See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for tables of contents for the two volumes.

Collection

Samuel D. Bates family papers, 1841-1910 (majority within 1850-1899)

1.75 linear feet

This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1892 and includes letters to and from his wife Lodeemy Brockett. Documents in the collection reflect S. D. Bates' engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of his 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of autobiographical writings are also present. Several hundred sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.

This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as material relating to his son, Harley A. Bates, and his spouse Harriette (Hattie) E. Rice. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1899, with the bulk dating from 1849 to 1892 for Samuel D. Bates and from 1889 to 1899 for Harley A. Bates. The personal correspondence reflects family dynamics, courtship, events in Marion and Hillsdale, Ohio, and matters relating to college fraternities due to Hattie Rice's heavy involvement in that field.

Documents in the collection reflect Samuel D. Bates's engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Various financial and estate documents as well as certificates and other items provide additional insight into the family's affairs. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of Samuel D. Bates's 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of his autobiographical writings are also present.

Several hundred of Samuel D. Bates's sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.

Invitations, printed materials, and ephemeral materials further reflect on the family's social and intellectual life. Printed items include items such as funeral notices, the program for Samuel D. Bates's memorial service, newspaper clippings, among others.

Collection

Samuel Coates collection, 1772-[ca. 1809]

12 items

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and a poem related to Philadelphia merchant Samuel Coates, including Coates's recounting of Mayhew Folger's discovery of the HMS Bounty mutineers' colony on Pitcairn Island, correspondence concerning nautical travel in 18th-century New York and contemporary opinions on the American Revolution. Four items relate to the late Doctor Samuel Cooper, for whom Coates served as estate executor.

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and a poem related to Philadelphia merchant Samuel Coates. Most of the material consists of incoming personal letters addressed to Coates, including three letters by Richard Dimsdale, who recounted his recent nautical travels around New York City and throughout the state of New York (June 29, 1773) and provided his opinion on recent social unrest in the colonies (September 9, 1775). Another acquaintance, Joseph Pemberton, inquired about food prices in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, and shared his desire for Washington to surround General Howe and secure victory (January 23, 1777). Additional incoming items include a letter from Ezekiel Edwards (October 25, 1772), a shipping receipt (December 18, 1772), and a letter from William Jones concerning the estate of the late Samuel Cooper (February 4, 1799). The collection also holds three items written by Samuel Coates: a letter to Moses Brown describing a recent epidemic and conditions in the Pennsylvania Hospital (October 30, 1798); a letter about Samuel Cooper's estate (December 6, 1806); and a letter from Samuel Coates to Henry Clifton (ca. 1809) containg whaling captain Mayhew Folger's account of his discovery of a colony on Pitcairn Island consisting of the widows, children, and last survivor of the HMS Bounty mutineers. Additional material includes an indenture apprenticing Samuel Cooper to Samuel Clark, Bartholomew Wistar, and Samuel Coates, managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital (January 1, 1793), and a poem written by Enoch Lewis in memory of Samuel Cooper (September 6, [1798]).

Collection

Salem (N.Y.) collection, 1760-1891 (majority within 1785-1891)

0.25 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, documents, financial records, newspaper clippings, and other items related to Salem, New York, and its residents, primarily from the 1780s-1890s.

This collection is made up of correspondence, documents, financial records, newspaper clippings, and other items related to Salem, New York, and its residents, primarily from the 1780s-1890s. Many of the items were once bound together.

The Correspondence series is comprised of around 60 incoming and outgoing letters related to Salem, New York, and to the history of the state of New York. Early letters between residents of Salem and other locales concern a wide range of topics including education, political offices and appointments, and legal cases. After 1856, most items are incoming letters to James Gibson, a native of Salem who was state senator, judge, and president of the Washington Academy. Three letters written during the Civil War concern military commissions and officers. Many of Gibson's incoming letters, particularly later items, relate to his genealogical work; some correspondents offered or requested information about their ancestors.

The Documents series contains over 140 indentures, financial records, petitions, and other items, primarily related to residents of Salem, New York, in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the indentures concern land ownership in Washington, County, New York, and personal financial agreements. Other material relates to the Washington Academy, including a list of pupils. Legal orders largely concern private debts, and one document pertains to a local election. Some documents have newspaper clippings pasted onto them, and others were once bound together. One item is a diploma that the Washington Academy issued to James McEl. A group of land indentures is housed in a large bound volume.

The collection's Printed Items include articles, programs, and newspaper clippings. The majority of newspaper clippings concern the Washington Academy in Salem, New York. Other articles concern the "Bench and Bar of Washington County," the Bancroft Public Library, and the family of William Williams. Some clippings are pasted onto large sheets of paper, with manuscript annotations; a small number of complete newspapers are present. The series also has several copies of a program from the dedication ceremony of the Bancroft Public Library in July 1890.

The Photograph, Essay, Notes, and Fragments series is made up of items pertaining to Salem, New York. The carte-de-visite photograph depicts J. B. Steele. The various notes, essay, and fragments pertain to genealogy.

Collection

Russell-McCabe autograph album, 1759-1920

1 volume

This album contains autograph manuscripts and signatures of famous American politicians, military figures, authors, artists, actors, and religious figures, begun by Boston resident "Mrs. Russell" in 1859. A small number of contributors wrote directly into the volume, which also includes pasted-in letters, documents, poetry, excerpts, and signatures.

This album (145 pages) contains autograph manuscripts and signatures of famous American politicians, military figures, authors, artists, actors, and religious figures, begun by Boston resident "Mrs. Russell" in 1859. The first few pages include notes and signatures written directly into the volume, mostly dated at Boston in 1859. The majority of the album consists of pasted-in letters, poems, fragments, and standalone signatures written as early as 1759 and as late as 1920; 3 items from 1912, 1917, and 1920 are addressed to James C. McCabe of Bay City, Michigan. The correspondence refers to politics and current events, the memory of George Washington, and other subjects. One letter from Maria Mitchell to "My Dear Emily" assured the recipient that she had consulted the stars for auspicious signs (p. 100). The contributions from John Quincy Adams and James Madison are unsigned handwriting samples. The album includes a financial document signed by Jenny Lind regarding the distribution of proceeds from a charity performance (p. 6). A small number of materials are accompanied by clippings containing biographical information about the contributors. A complete index is available in the Manuscripts Division.

Collection

Robert and Peter Van Brugh Livingston collection, 1733-1737

22 items

This collection is made up of 22 business letters and financial documents related to the Livingston family of Albany and New York City. Most of the material concerns the Livingstons' financial relationship with Samuel Storke of London, England.

This collection is made up of 22 business letters and financial documents related to the Livingston family of Albany and New York City. Most of the material concerns the Livingstons' financial relationship with Samuel Storke of London, England.

The first 3 items are copies of contracts between Philip Livingston and Lendert Lewis for loans totaling over £350 (November 3, 1733). The remaining items consist of letters, accounts, invoices, and payment orders between Robert Livingston, Robert & Peter Livingston & Company, Samuel Storke, and Storke & Gainsborough. Robert and Peter Van Brugh Livingston shipped textiles such as cotton wool and beaver pelts, as well as other items, to Great Britain in the mid-1730s. Many of the goods were shipped onboard the Albany. In one of his letters to Samuel Storke, Robert Livingston discussed his unsuccessful attempts to sell clothing in New York (June 2, 1735). The payment orders are addressed to Storke & Gainsborough of London, England, and concern money that Robert Livingston owed to individuals, often for merchandise. The final letter pertains to the Gentleman's Monthly Magazine, which Robert Livingston wished to have sent to his father (December 1737).

Collection

Robert and James T. Miller letters, 1829-1864 (majority within 1861-1864)

134 items

This collection is primarily made up of letters that brothers Robert and James T. Miller wrote to their parents and siblings while serving in Pennsylvania infantry regiments during the Civil War. They described battles, illnesses and hospital stays, scenery, and military life. The collection also includes additional correspondence and documents related to the Miller family.

This collection (134 items) is primarily made up of letters that brothers Robert and James T. Miller wrote to their parents and siblings while serving in Pennsylvania infantry regiments during the Civil War. They described battles, illnesses and hospital stays, the scenery, and military life. The collection includes additional correspondence and documents related to the Miller family.

The James T. Miller letters (around 80 items) pertain to his service in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia from November 13, 1861-July 15, 1864. He discussed the various camps where he was stationed, soldiers' leisure activities, drills, and many other aspects of military life. He commented on the political atmosphere in Baltimore, Maryland, and the effects of the war throughout the South. Miller sometimes shared his opinions about Copperheads, conscription and men who chose not to fight, Union and Confederate generals, and the Confederate cause. During his service, he participated in (and described) many skirmishes and larger engagements including the Battle of Cedar Mountain, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Gettysburg. He also wrote about his experiences while recovering from a wound in army hospitals in late 1863. Miller's letters are addressed to his parents and several of his siblings; he occasionally wrote on patriotic stationery. The final item in this group of letters is a note from H. Allen to the elder Robert Miller regarding James T. Miller's death (August 2, 1864). Letters from Susan A. Miller, wife of James T. Miller, about her everyday life during the war are interspersed with her husband's correspondence.

Robert E. Miller's letters to his parents and other correspondents (about 30 items) relate to his experiences in Company F of the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment from November 2, 1862-July 18, 1863. Though he wrote less frequently than his brother, he provided vivid descriptions of army life and military engagements, also commenting on the progress of the war and political issues.

Additional materials include a marriage license for Robert Miller and Janet Todd (December 28, 1829), letters by the elder Robert Miller, financial records, and documents related to the Miller family.

Collection

Riley family papers, 1835-1910

4.5 linear feet

The Riley family papers (2,902 items) document the personal and business activities of Ashbel Wells Riley and his son George Stillson Riley of Rochester, New York. The papers concern family relationships and society in western New York, as well as the Riley family's participation in the temperance movement, and George Riley's involvement in the Grand Council of the Iroquois.

The Riley family papers (2,902 items) document the personal and business activities of Ashbel Wells Riley and his son George Stillson Riley of Rochester, New York. The papers concern family relationships and society in western New York, as well as the Riley's participation in the temperance movement, and George Riley's involvement in the Grand Council of the Iroquois.

The Personal Correspondence series (356 items) consists primarily of letters to Ashbel W. and George S. Riley, from friends and family members. Included are several letters from Charlotte to her husband Ashbell, when he was traveling in Europe in the 1840s; letters from Ashbel Riley, Jr., to George during his travels in Cuba and around New York; and letters from Anna H. Riley to her family from the Utica Female Seminary and while living with her husband in Chicago. Of particular interest are letters, written in the 1840s by George's cousin Caleb Hutton Hammond, in which he relayed family news and commented on social happenings in Rochester. These include his criticisms of several wealthy acquaintances who follow the Graham System (September 13, 1840); a description of a lecture and demonstration by Dr. Reid of Philadelphia, who studied phrenology; and a discussion of a lecture on American Antiquities that claimed that Egyptians must have settled Central America and built pyramids there (February 26, 1841). The majority of the letters spanning 1892-1917 are from Belle Hart ("Aunt Belle") to George Riley. She wrote from hotels in New York City and Rochester; the content is personal in nature.

Visual material includes letters on hotel letterhead that feature engraved depictions of the hotel, and a December 25, 1849, letter from Ashbel Riley, Jr., to George Riley that contains a diagram of his invention for a device that holds writing paper.

The Business Correspondence series (494 items) documents the Rileys' business communications, largely concerning property transactions and debts. Both Ashbel and George invested heavily in land but struggled to pay back debts throughout their lives. The bulk of these papers ranges from 1840 to 1895. In addition to letters requesting repayments for loans, the series contains copies and drafts of outgoing letters from George S. Riley to business partners and debtors, with many sent o S. P. Ely concerning property in Diamond, Utah, and in Michigan.

The Personal Writings Papers series (189 items) is comprised of non-correspondence writings, including notes, speech drafts, and fragments (1841-1908). Included are two bundles of items, which are kept in their original order, entitled "Scribblings & odds & ends -- t. c. in reference written mostly 1841, 2, & 3" and "Temperance Convention" from October 1845. These primarily relate to temperance activities with some material concerning the Seneca Indians.

The Financial Records series (1481 items) consists of receipts and accounts, account books, tax records, insurance records, stocks, and other miscellaneous items related to the Rileys' finances. The bulk of these records dates from between 1850 and 1880. In addition to the family's detailed business accounts, the series conatins a 1844 house expense book.

The Documents series (226 items) consists of legal papers (62 items), real estate papers (131 items), Grand Council of the Iroquois papers (14 items), and temperance-related papers (13 items). The legal papers concern Ashbel and George's financial problems related to land owning and paying taxes. It also contains George's patent certificate for "Improvements in smoke consuming furnaces." The real estate papers document the Riley's land holdings, mostly in upstate New York, consisting of land agreements and details on values. The Grand Council of the Iroquois papers are comprised of documents and letters relating to meetings of the Grand Council between 1842 and 1846. These include a description of a Seneca fort and a burial ground that Timothy Sullivan destroyed during his raids in 1779, a petition to Congress concerning Seneca landholdings, and a heavily edited description of a meeting. The Temperance papers contain documents related to various temperance meetings held in Rochester in 1845.

The Photographs series (1 item) contains a photograph of a bearded man, likely George S. Riley, taken by Notman & Fraser of Toronto, Ontario.

The Printed Material series (91 items) is comprised of the following:
  • Newspaper clippings (71 items), mostly from Rochester papers containing topics such as death notices, scientific and philosophical articles, poetry, and news of the day
  • Pamphlet (1 item) entitled, "Inquiries, Respecting the History, Present Condition and Future Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States" [1847]
  • Invitations (9 items) for formal and religious events such as lectures, plays, memorials, weddings, and a piano recital
  • Miscellaneous material (10 items), including a voter registration reminder, and a constitution for the Christian Reform Association of Monroe County, New York.
Collection

Rich Patch Iron & Ore Company collection, 1874, 1899-1903

0.25 linear feet

The Rich Patch Iron & Ore Company collection is made up of correspondence, reports, financial records, maps, and other items related to mining operations in Virginia, West Virginia, Ontario, and Minnesota. Many items pertain to the geologic composition of lands in Alleghany County, Virginia, and Raleigh County, West Virginia, particularly with regard to iron and coal.

The Rich Patch Iron & Ore Company collection is made up of correspondence, reports, financial records, maps, and notes related to mining operations in Virginia, West Virginia, Ontario, and Minnesota. The majority of the items are reports addressed to individuals and companies about coal seams and iron mining in Alleghany County, Virginia, and Raleigh County, West Virginia, including geologic and chemical analyses; many concern the Glade Creek coal field in West Virginia. The collection also includes surveyor's map of land in Alleghany County, Virginia (November 14, 1874). A small group of "Daily Reports from Patch Mines" provides information on daily expenses, including the total cost of workers' wages. Other business letters and reports pertain to companies such as the Union Steel Company, and some of the notes contain illustrations of rock strata in coal lands. A smaller group of reports and maps concerns lands near Lake Nipigon in Ontario, Canada, and iron ore mining and shipments around Lake Superior. Another group of documents includes maps, notes, and reports about "Little Mesabi" (or "Mesaba") in Minnesota.

Collection

Richard Peters collection, 1749-1825

11 items

This collection contains correspondence and documents related to Reverend Richard Peters (1704-1776) and his nephew, also named Richard Peters (1744-1828), both of Philadelphia. The bulk of the material pertains to their professional and financial affairs.

This collection (11 items) contains correspondence and documents related to Reverend Richard Peters and his nephew, also named Richard Peters, who both lived in Philadelphia in the mid- to late 18th century. The material pertains to Pennsylvania property and Cumberland County boundaries, Arlington sheep, finances, and politics. The collection includes a certified copy of a map of property belonging to Peters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (copy dated March 17, 1810), an account book kept by the younger Richard Peters from 1785-1789, and a letter that the younger Richard Peters wrote to William Rawle about his uncle's biography (September 22, 1825).

Collection

Revolutionary Cuba and Philippines collection, 1849-1925 (majority within 1895-1903)

2.75 linear feet

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

Please see the box and folder listing in this finding aid for extensive, detailed descriptions of items and groups of items in the Revolutionary Cuba and Philippines Collection.

Collection

Ramsey family papers, 1786-1935 (majority within 1827-1935)

7 linear feet

This collection is comprised of correspondence, diaries, documents, financial papers, and other materials of the family of stonecutter and marble worker John M. Ramsey, his wife Cyanea, and their children. The family lived in Greenfield, New Hampshire; Milwaukee and Port Washington, Wisconsin; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Around 60 Civil War letters and one diary of the Ramseys' son Henry, who served in the 16th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and around 10 letters of a cousin Ridgeway P. Cragin, of the 32nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, are included. Particularly notable are 96 daily diaries of the Ramsey daughters Emily S. and Cyanea H., kept largely while they lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1870s-1920s.

This collection is comprised of 1,182 letters; 98 diaries; 210 documents; 468 receipts, checks, and account books; seven school papers and writings; three photographs; 34 printed and ephemeral items; and other materials of the family of stonecutter and marbleworker John M. Ramsey, his wife Cyanea, and their children. The family lived in Greenfield, New Hampshire; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Around 60 Civil War letters and one diary of the Ramseys' son Henry, who served in the 16th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and around 10 letters of a cousin Ridgeway P. Cragin, of the 32nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, are included. Particularly notable are 96 daily diaries of the Ramsey daughters Emily S. and Cyanea H., kept largely while they lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1870s-1920s.

The Correspondence series includes 1,182 items and opens with the 1827-1830s letters of Caroline and Hannah Ramsey of Greenfield, New Hampshire, and a sister, Sarah Marshall, of Augusta, Maine. A group of letters pertain to the courtship and marriage of John M. Ramsey and Cyanea Stevens--including a letter from Cyanea's parents Lemuel and Reliance about Cyanea's request for their approval of the wedding (August 5, 1836). Letters of the 1850s include correspondence of Collins Hinckley Stevens, regarding the death of Cyanea's mother Reliance in 1858, and incoming letters to Emily Ramsey from her schoolmates. A selection of letters to Emily from E. H. Langdon, a schoolteacher in Milwaukee, are present.

In the 1860s, sisters Emily, Frances "Fannie", and Cyanea carried on correspondence with each other and with friends and family, including:

  • "Hannah" from the Baraboo Female Seminary (Sauk County, Wisconsin) in 1863
  • Fannie to Emily while visiting Stoughton in 1863; Fannie's correspondence while attending the Ripley Female College, 1865-1866; her letters while staying with family in Greenfield, New Hampshire; and correspondence while in Chicago for medical reasons
  • Ora Stevens in Nashville and Louis H. Stevens of Manchester, Vermont
  • Friend "Louise" in Hartford, Connecticut (who moved to Bay City, Michigan, and married Edwin Wood)
  • John M. Ramsey's nephew David Butler Ramsey (1829-1899), from Chicago and Milwaukee, many written while working in the law offices of Palmer, Hooker & Pitkin, later Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
  • Female friends and family to Emily and Fannie, written from Evanston, Illinois; Milwaukee and Ozaukee, Wisconsin; and Poultney, Vermont

The Ramsey family correspondence includes around 60 Civil War letters of Corporal Henry C. Ramsey of the 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry. He wrote from Camp Randall, the steamship Planet, Camp Sabin, Camp near Grand Junction, Camp near Memphis, Camp near Lake Providence, Louisiana, Camp Randall, and Vicksburg. In the mid-1870s, Henry was admitted to the Michigan Asylum for the Insane at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the family received letters from Dr. E. H. VanDensen about his progress, especially around 1876. Around 10 letters of a cousin Paul Ridgeway Cragin, of the 32nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, are included.

Cyanea's and Emily's other correspondents from the 1870s to the 1930s include but are not limited to:

  • Friends, cousins, and other relatives, including the Stevenses in Vermont; Persis Moore of Niles, Michigan; "Augusta" of Allegan and Otsego, Michigan; Almira Marshall in Owasso, Michigan; Frederick Marshall of Saginaw, Michigan; "Lizzie" in Woburn, Boston, and Framingham; Elvira Elizabeth Ramsey in Greenfield, New Hampshire; "David" in Greenfield; Murray J. Hoppock of Fremont, Michigan; and many others
  • William H. Ramsey, Jr., a cousin, employed at the Ozaukee County Malting Company at Port Washington, Wisconsin, in the late 1880s; and as Secretary and Treasurer of the Wisconsin Chair Company in the 1890s
  • Grand Rapids attorneys More & Wilson and bankers Edward M. Deane and Company, following the death of their father in 1897
  • Gertrude P. Newton (Mrs. E. B. Newton) from Newton's Ranch, Colusa, Kansas, early 1900s
  • Cousins James and Sarah (Saidee) Baker, from Ancón, Canal Zone, Panama, 1921-1935

The Diaries series includes 98 daily diaries, 96 of which were kept by sisters Cyanea H. and Emily S. Ramsey between 1873 and 1935, while the two lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The remaining two diaries include Henry C. Ramsey's Civil War diary for the year 1864 and a partial 1921 diary kept by [Howard Stevens?] in a pre-printed 1894 pocket journal. Henry Ramsey's 1864 pocket diary includes entries covering the 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry's movements from Vicksburg to Tennessee, to Georgia, with accounts of Kennesaw Mountain and the battle of Atlanta. The diary also covers his experiences as part of Sherman's march to the sea.

The Documents series is made up of 210 legal and financial documents pertinent largely to land and property in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Michigan, between 1786 and 1919 (bulk 1825-1911). Additional items include tax documents, stock-related items, and other materials.

The Financial and Business Papers includes 300 receipts, around 160 bank checks, and eight account books. The receipts date between 1831 and 1928, pertaining largely to John M. Ramsey's marble and stonecutting business. Additional receipts relate to personal property and tax payments. The 160 checks are drawn largely from Grand Rapids, Michigan, banks between December 1869 and October 1880. The account books include:

  • [John M. Ramsey?] Account Book, 1830-1836. Comprised largely of accounts related to farm labor (haying, plowing, tending stock, etc.) in Greenfield, New Hampshire.
  • John M. Ramsey Ledgers and Account Books, 1854-1886 (7 vols.). Consisting of the accounts of John M. Ramsey's marble and stonecutting businesses. One undated, illustrated manuscript book of monuments designed by N. Merritt for J. M. Ramsey, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is included with the account books.

The collection's School Papers and Writings (7 items) include John M. Ramsey's teacher's book, November 1830-February 1831; a fragment of mathematical rules by J. M. Ramsey; a chronological table by Emily Ramsey, 1851; a reward of merit for Mary Ramsey; two penmanship exercises; and a manuscript issue of The Literary Chip Basket (vol. 111, no. 11), Port Washington, 1861, with list of contributors including Fanny Oatman and Emily Ramsey.

The Photographs series includes one carte-de-visite of Henry C. Ramsey of the 16th Wisconsin Infantry; and one carte-de-visite and one cabinet card of unidentified individuals.

The Ephemera and Printed Items series is made up of invitations, Nashua Manufacturing Company employee regulations (August 31, 1837), advertisements for marble and other products, and torn pages from the History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, ed. Hurd, 1885.

The collection also contains items pertinent to Genealogy (6 items) and an Address Book, Fragments, and Envelopes.

Collection

Puffer-Markham family papers, 1794-1910 (majority within 1860-1879)

2.5 linear feet

Online
The Puffer-Markham family papers (1,875 items) is comprised of business letters, personal letters, legal documents, and financial records related to an extended family with business and agricultural interests in Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, and South Carolina. Also present are letters from five Civil War soldiers, containing descriptions of their wartime experiences.

The Puffer-Markham family papers (1875 items) is comprised of business letters, personal letters, legal documents, and financial records related to an extended family with business and agricultural interests in Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, and South Carolina. Also present are letters from five Civil War soldiers, containing descriptions of their wartime experiences.

The Correspondence series (1535 items) contains family business and personal letters. These largely document William G. Markham's business activities in selling wheat, cattle, and sheep, as well as personal letters from Guy Markham's children, grandchildren, spouses, and friends from upstate New York. The family letters report on news, daily life, sickness, and courtship. Also present are letters related to Charles C. Puffer's business activities: as a banker in Massachusetts before the war, and as a plantation manager in Reconstruction-era South Carolina. Among the personal papers are many Civil War-era letters, involving both business carried on during the war and letters from Union soldiers on the frontlines.

The papers concerning Guy Markham and his son William Guy Markham are almost exclusively related to business matters. Guy was involved with farming in and around Rush, New York. William G. Markham, who inherited much of his father's land, established himself in the cattle industry. Throughout the 1870s, he received orders for Durham cattle (shorthorn heifers) from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, and as far as Denver, Colorado, and Walla Walla, Washington Territory. Letters concerning his interest in cotton are also represented. He was president of the Sea Island Cotton Company, trustee of the Port Royal Cotton Company, and an associate with the United States Cotton Company. Beginning around1880, Markham became heavily involved with wool production and corresponded with other national and international woolgrowers, including the National Wool Growers Association, headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, which lobbied the House of Representatives against a congressional act that would lift overseas wool tariffs. He had multiple dealings with selling sheep and wool in Australia and South Africa.

Other Markham letters relate to William's siblings Wayne and Mary. Wayne Markham described his agricultural activities and his life in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mary wrote of her experiences at the Music Institute of New London, Connecticut, and frequently requested money to cover her school expenses.

The Charles Puffer letters cover his business interactions with the Shelburne Falls Bank, and the Puffer-Markham partnership, which purchased plantations in Beaufort and Hilton Head, South Carolina (summer of 1865). In 15 letters to his wife Emma Puffer (1870-1876), Charles, while living in Columbia, South Carolina, described managing plantations for his family, working as an activist for the state’s Republican party (particularly in the 4th congressional district), and his relationship with Governor Daniel Henry Chamberlain. He reported on a disorderly state convention in 1870, and of receiving $16,000 from Governor Chamberlain to distribute to county convention attendees with the promise that Charles would become county treasurer (September 4, 1874). By 1876, Charles had declared that he had left politics.

Listed below are the dates of these letters:
  • January 2, 1870
  • January 13, 1870
  • March 11, 1870
  • June 2, 1870
  • July 27, 1870
  • August 1, 1870
  • January 1, 1871
  • February 10, 1871
  • August 22, 1874
  • September 4, 1874
  • October 7, 1874
  • December 1874
  • January 14, 1876
  • April 12, 1876
  • [1870s]

Between 1887 and 1890, the collection focuses on the lives of sisters Linda and Isabel ("Belle") Puffer, daughters of Charles and Emma Puffer. These comprise 12 items sent from and 39 items addressed to the sisters, while they were attending Wellesley College.

The collection contains 22 letters from five Civil War soldiers: Horace Boughton (9th and 143rd New York Infantry), Morris R. Darrohn (108th New York Infantry), Isaac R. Gibbard (143rd New York Infantry), Charles W. Daily (50th New York Engineers), and Samuel P. Wakelee (54th New York National Guard). Horace Boughton, who wrote eleven of these letters, described his regiment's activities and instructed his friend William Guy Markham on how to allocate his paychecks to his family and business interests. Below is a list of Civil War soldiers' letters.

All are addressed to William Guy Markham unless otherwise noted:
  • October 27, 1861: Horace Boughton at Fort Corcoran
  • December 1, 1861: Horace Boughton at Fort Cass
  • May 4, 1862: Horace Boughton at a camp near Fort Davis, Virginia
  • July 27, 1862: Horace Boughton at Westover, Virginia, concerning recruitment problems and arguing that seasoned troops are much more valuable than new recruits
  • July 27, 1862: Horace Boughton at Westover, Virginia
  • August 6, 1862: Horace Boughton at Westover, Virginia
  • October 28, 1862: Morris R. Darrohn on picket duty near Harper's Ferry; at Bolivar Heights he had a view of the house where John Brown took Louis Washington prisoner; he mentioned meeting the enemy at the battle of Antietam; that day he milked a stray cow so they could have cream in their coffee
  • November 14, 1862: Horace Boughton now with the 143rd New York Infantry stationed at Upton Hill, Virginia, and president of a court martial
  • February 25, 1863: Horace Boughton at New York 143rd Infantry headquarters, to Susan Emma Markham, discussing his ideas on womanhood and "the yoke of matrimony"
  • March 27, 1863: Morris R. Darrohn at Falmouth, Virginia, concerning drills, dreaming of home, and being trapped along the Rappahannock River at the Battle of Fredericksburg
  • March 29, 1863: Horace Boughton requesting photographs of the Markham family for his album
  • June 5, 1863: Morris R. Darrohn near Falmouth, Virginia
  • June 13, 1763: Isaac R. Gibbard near Williamsburg, Virginia, concerning leaving Yorktown with a division led by General Gordon; notes that "miasmas and diseases at West Point came very near whipping our regiment out…the Rebels said they would not attack us but let the diseases do it."
  • July 30, 1863: Isaac R. Gibbard sick at the Seminary Hospital at Georgetown, mentioned starting a band of musicians
  • August 16, 1863: Horace Houghton at New York 143rd Infantry headquarters, advising William not to join the war if possible
  • January 3, 1864: Morris R. Darrohn near Stevensburg, Virginia, cautioning against joining the Masons or the military
  • January 31, 1864: Horace Boughton at Bridgeport, Alabama
  • April 16, 1864: Charles W. Daily at Rappahannock Station, Virginia, expecting a march on Richmond that may be "the greatest battle of the war within 10 days"
  • [1864]: Samuel P. Wakelee to Puffer while guarding "Johnnys at Elmira" prison; he paid a prisoner tobacco to mould a Delta Kappa Epsilon ring in silver; he described the prison and wrote: "We have 10,600 Rebs in the Pen [,] Dirty, Lousy, Godforesakin crew[.] The majority of them are stalwart & robust…"
  • January 19, 1865: Horace Boughton on board the ship St. Patrick and discussed traveling by railroad
  • February 7, 1865: Horace Boughton at Bridgeport, Alabama
  • February 26, [1860s]: Cousin William reported on visiting various corps and hearing members of Congress, "the negro minstrels have a dance" and meeting General Fitzgerald
Below is a list of highlights from the Puffer-Markham correspondence:
  • July 1, 1842: School essays by Margaret G. Greenman
  • September 19, 1853: Homer Broughton to Guy Markham concerning picking out a tombstone for their grandmother
  • June 7, 1855: Horace Boughton's description of a trip from Rush, New York, to St. Paul, Minnesota, with details on the town
  • October 14 and 25, 1855: Wayne Markham in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to his brother, discussing moving into a new house, noting the price of meat in Michigan, and reflecting on the moral and industrious character of the citizens of the town
  • December 4, 1860: Mary Markham to her father describing visiting family in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Ionia, Michigan
  • November 6, 1763: Certificate for William Markham joining the Lima, New York, chapter of Freemasons
  • August 18, 1864: A letter from Mt. Morris, New York, concerning a lawsuit over a $50 cow killed at an Avon railroad crossing
  • September 5, 1864: Henry Puffer to Charles Puffer concerning purchasing land in Hilton Head, South Carolina
  • January 15, 1865: This letter from Henry M. Puffer and Company contains a drawing of a house on Gardner Plantation
  • February 11, 1865: News sent to Charles Puffer concerning land purchased for plantation farming in Beaufort, South Carolina
  • March 1, 1865: William Markham concerning returning soldiers purchasing land that is interest free for three years, and other news from South Carolina
  • June 19, 1765: Robert C. Clark to William Markham regarding visiting Oil Creek, Pennsylvania, and noting the failure of the Genesee Valley Oil Well
  • January 6, 1866: George Fisher of Rochester, New York, concerning the state of the local Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter
  • September 13, 1866: Letter from the Cook and Martin Music Dealer in Rochester, New York, concerning the sale of a piano, on letterhead featuring a picture of a piano
  • August 26, 1868: From a St. Louis member of Delta Kappa Epsilon providing for a member who can write in shorthand
  • April 15, 1869: Brooklyn photographer E. Bookhout gives prices for his services
  • [1860s]: M.F. Randolph to William Guy Markham detailing the price of cotton before the Civil War
  • January 5, 1870: Homer Broughton in Topeka, Kansas, to his family in New York concerning his productive new farm on an "old Indian field" and the many new settlers in the area purchasing land at "government prices"
  • January 13, 1871: A pencil sketch of people standing at podiums
  • June 1891: Papers related to shipping ewes and rams to Cape Town, South Africa
  • 1892: Print of an Atwood Ram named Wooly Bill, 1549, bred by C.W. Mason in Vergennes, Vermont
  • December 28, 1893: Instructions for judging sheep at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago sent to W.I. Buchanan of the Department of Agriculture
  • July 2, 1902: Francis E. Warren of the National Wool Growers Association to William G. Markham concerning a treaty with Argentina that would harm the American wool industry

The Correspondence series contains 172 undated items. Of note is a letter with a hand-sketched map of plots of farm land near St. Joseph, Michigan, and a series of school essays written by Margaret G. Greenman (Mrs. Sumner Clark) on "Broken Friendships," "Penmanship," "Envy and Deceit," and "Buds of Flowers" among others.

The Documents series (114 items) contains legal and business documents relating to the family's land holdings and entrepreneurial endeavors. Included are the land deeds and mortgages of William Markham, Guy Markham, Phoebe Markham, and William Markham (primarily in Genesee County, New York), records for debts, land purchases, whiskey purchases, estate documents, and business agreements between the Sea Island Cotton Company and the United States Cotton Company.

The Accounts and Financial Records series (199 items) consists of material related to the personal and business activities of the Markham and Puffer families, including materials documenting management of the cotton companies during Reconstruction. Personal records amount to accounts and bills for tuition, day labor, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, furniture purchase and repair, insurance, and groceries. The business accounts document the Sea Island Cotton Company, the Hilton Head Cotton Company, and the accounts of C.C. Puffer (1865-1767). Present are accounts for plantation supplies, office expenses, salaries, cotton sold on speculation, sales of stocks, lists of share owners, and various receipts. Of note are the records for salary advances made to South Carolina freedmen in 1866.

This series also contains four account books:
  • April-October 1840: Accounts of C.S. Boughton
  • September-December 1856: Accounts of William Guy Markham
  • 1865-1867: Two accounts of William Guy Markham's accounts with D.W. Powers Bank of Rochester

The Printed Items series (21 items) is comprised of blank Sea Island Company stock certificates, and government records related to the regulation of United States wool and fabric production. These records include the following bills from the 57th Congress: H.R. 6565, H.R. 14643, H.R. 14488, and documents concerning "Shoddy vs. Wool" and the National Wool Growers Association (1901-1902). These items were of interest to William Guy Markham, a wool producer and sheep expert.

The Miscellaneous series (6 items) contains photographs, stamps, and other miscellaneous material. One photograph is of Mrs. Hinkley Williams, Mrs. L. Boltwood, and Mrs. E. Boltwood ("Three Generations") sent to Guy Markham in 1892. The second photograph is of 84-year-old Hinkley Williams of Gorham, Massachusetts (1892). Also of interest is a list of Guy Markham's presidential picks from 1824-1888.

Collection

Pratt & Kintzing papers, 1790-1847 (majority within 1796-1800)

3 linear feet

The Pratt & Kintzing Papers consist of correspondence, accounts, and receipts, largely relating to the Philadelphia mercantile firm of Pratt & Kintzing between 1797 and 1800. The collection also includes materials relating to the American Land Company (1796-1829); manuscript maps of Pratt's real estate holdings; correspondence relating to the partnership of Pratt and John Miller, Jr., involved in shipping gun powder to Europe (1797-1800); and correspondence relation to the Union Canal Company.

The Pratt & Kintzing Papers consist of three linear feet of correspondence, accounts, and receipts, largely relating to the Philadelphia mercantile firm of Pratt & Kintzing between 1797 and 1800. The collection also includes materials relating to the American Land Company (1796-1829); manuscript maps of Pratt's real estate holdings; correspondence relating to the partnership of Pratt and John Miller, Jr., involved in shipping gun powder to Europe (1797-1800); and correspondence relation to the Union Canal Company.

Collection

Pöpplein & Brothers daybook and account ledger, 1806-1843

710 pages (2 volumes)

The Pöpplein & Brothers Day Book and Account Ledger are a record of business conducted by this Baltimore, Maryland, dry goods store and mercantile firm between 1806 and 1843. The volumes document client purchases, services, goods sold on commission, investments, insurance, and aspects of importing goods directly from Germany. The Pöppleins' clientele stretched as far west as Missouri and as far south as Alabama. They imported farming tools and other supplies to Joseph Bimeler at Zoar, Ohio, and pianos and parts to the Huppmanns of Baltimore. They also arranged legal and practical affairs for German and other immigrants, handled bank stock investments and dividends, and offered other services.

The Pöpplein & Brothers Day Book and Account Ledger are a record of business conducted by this Baltimore, Maryland, dry goods store and mercantile firm between 1806 and 1843. The volumes document client purchases, services, goods sold on commission, investments, insurance, and aspects of importing goods directly from Germany.

The 519-page daybook is a record of daily transactions as they occurred between 1824 and 1839. The entries typically include the date, the name of the customer/contact, the goods/services provided, and payment information. The 191-page account ledger covers 1806 through 1843. It begins with an alphabetic index, which is followed by entries arranged by customer name. The double-entries typically include date(s), goods/services provided, and method(s) of payments/credits. Regular customers' accounts were tallied annually.

The Pöpplein brothers sold goods and sent products on commission to Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lynchburg, Virginia; Washington and Georgetown, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; New York; Alabama; Cincinnati, Royalton, and Zoar, Ohio; and elsewhere. They sold clothing, textiles, foodstuffs, writing supplies, household goods, farming implements, and more. Some examples include gloves, oil cloth, ribbon, wadding, black wadding, bolting cloth, milled and woolen stockings, iron lamps, silk, wool, gold and silver lace, Maryland tobacco, scrap tobacco, snuff boxes, hosiery, casks, coffee mills, metal leaf, quills, postage for letters, thread, and lead pencils. The accounts include the sale of a small number of books, such as Trollope's Refugee in America ("Dutchman's Fireside" copy) and a set of "Lady Guion's books" in 1821 to a female purchaser.

The store imported a variety goods from Germany and France, with a few scattered items from elsewhere in the world, such as specie from Lima, Peru, and wool from the Netherlands. One of the brothers, Andreas Pöpplein, remained in Germany to acquire goods there and ship them to the United States with the help of S. F. Seebohm at Frankfurt. Seebohm was also a customer, purchasing Maryland tobacco and, on June 26, 1822, "a Box of Natural Curiosity." Among the customers for imported goods were George, Nicholas, and Valentine Huppmann, who paid the Pöppleins for piano fortes and upright pianos from Nuremburg, piano parts, and eolinas. They also received cash loans for travel and expenses, and they paid for currency exchange shipping Prussian dollars home to Frankfurt, drayage, and insurance for shipments of pianos to New Orleans and elsewhere. The Huppmanns made regular payments to the Pöppleins as "contribution towards the meeting" (NB: the volumes do not contain any references to the purpose or nature of the meetings). Baron von Uslar Gleichen of Celle, Germany, held an account on a box Nurnbergware (January 12, 1835; ledger page 164).

Customers tended to make payments in cash and by check. However, the Pöppleins' store functioned partly as a financial institution, serving as an intermediary in buying bank stocks, handling insurance, arranging loans and barter, and securing payments through dividends. Their customers received dividends from the Mechanics Bank, Bank of Baltimore, and the U.S. Bank, which were applied directly to their accounts with the Pöppleins. In one case, Samuel Edgar & Co. settled their 1817 accounts for sundry merchandise and interest by selling "claims on Jno. McDonal Attorney at Pittsburgh for 935 Reams Paper" amounting to $2,200, in 1824. A later entry for John McDonal represents the receipt of a note from Samuel Edgars & Co., interest, and the settlement of debt by 935 reams of paper.

The Pöpplein brothers offered valuable services to Germans and other immigrants working through the United States citizenship processes. The account books include payments to Swedish, Dutch, and German consuls, costs of preparing and executing documents, obtaining abdications of allegiance and copies of citizenship papers, payments to Württemberg consul general Chr. Mayer for attesting powers of attorney, and similar services.

The volumes also contain accounting related to the Pöpplein's rental of a house to C. H. Nestmann in the early 1820s. During one stretch of time, Nestmann's rent payments were balanced against construction, repairs, and handling a flooded cellar (see ledger page 51, for example). The Pöppleins at one time took Nestmann to court for unpaid rent and afterward are Nestmann's payments on monied owed.

Joseph M. Bimeler and Zoar, Ohio, Entries:

The Pöppleins had as a customer Joseph M. Bimeler, the founder and primary financial manager of the utopian communal society of German separatists at Zoar, Ohio. From the early 1820s onward, Bimeler paid for imported and domestic dry goods, hardware, groceries, postage on letters to/from Germany, freight for shipping various goods, a barometer, scythes, pineapples, cloth, stocking weavers and needles, wool cards, and much more. The Pöpplein brothers helped Bimeler purchase Ohio lands and the accounts include paperwork costs, such as acquiring deeds and paying commission. The account books also show Bimeler purchasing U.S. Bank stock and then regularly paying for goods/services with dividends. He also paid with mailed checks and with cash in person and by mail.

The following suggest the type of content present in the many Zoar, Ohio, entries within the Pöpplein Brothers Account Ledger:
  • Page 94: Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering June 15, 1827-August 22, 1828. Debts include balance from page 86, payment of Thomas and George's hardware bill, Charles Simon's bill for imported dry goods, Shaw & Tiffany & Co. bill for domestic goods, John T. Barr's bill for imported dry goods, F. König's bill for German dry goods, Mathew Smith's bill for chinaware, G.H. & J.S. Keerl's bill for drugs, John Henderson's bill for groceries, and commission to Pöpplein for purchasing all of those goods. Also, duty on steelyards, an additional list of bills, and "Sundry Mdze" from Pöpplein's store. Bimeler paid with checks by mail drawn on the Western Reserve Bank at Warren, and drawn on the Manhattan Company in New York. Cash was also collected by A. Pöpplein minus commission for collecting it. Cash in bank notes.
  • Page 99: Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering August 22, 1828-January 28, 1830. Debts include commission for buying unnamed products for a list of sellers, including Thomas Irwin, S. T. Walker, Anthony Moore, Jno. Henderson, etc. Postage on letters received from brother A. Pöpplein. On freight paid by A. Pöpplein for boxes, steelyards from Ludwigsburg, "Ditto for 810 sent to him by J. Seyfang being for acct of Raizers Childerns," postage to and from Wurten. Purchase of 50 shares of U. S. Bank stock, sundry machine wool cards, and a 1-year subscription to Niles Register (1 year). Bimeler's credits included cash in bank notes, cash, checks on the Manhattan Company of New York and the Western Reserve Bank, dividends collected on U.S. Bank shares, and money received by A. Pöpplein from Seyfang. Pinned to page 99 is a small manuscript pertinent to accounts of Andreas Pöpplein and Seyfang (postwagen), 1827-1828—in English and German Kurrantschrift.
  • Page 123: Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering February 7, 1831-April 28, 1832. Debts include services for certifying eight powers of attorney by Ch. Mayer consul (including those of C. & J.G. Ruof, J. Kiebach, Jb. Schneider, and Barbara Ackermann), 250 pr. Steyermark Scythes imported from Germany, sundry merchandise bought from sundry persons, six pineapples, cash paid to Peter del Vechio balance due on repairing barometer, bolting cloth, cash paid to Joel Crudenten of Georgetown, D.C., for a tract of land in Ohio, cost of deed and commission, interest due, commission for collecting dividends, 200 Sickles imported from Germany plus duty, and 800 stocking weavers and needles. Bimeler's credits included dividends on U.S. Bank shares minus commission, and "By 1 Vol. Theophrastus Paracelcius which Ando. Pöpplein received of Jb. Seyfang."
  • Page 157. Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering September 17, 1834-January 1, 1836. Debts to Chr. Mayer consul for certifying/legalizing powers of attorney for E. Farion, J. F. Metzger, J. G. Stanger, Walzer, Eberlein & J. Kimmerle, and Hipp. and for abdications of allegiance. Bimeler also paid C. F. Hoyer, consul at New York, for legalizing the power of attorney for J. F. Lindemann. Purchases included cash for a draft in favor of H. Niles, 300 sickles imported per his order and his account from Germany, and cash paid per his order to W. Paust's wife at Bremen. Among Bimeler's credits were a "Bill of exchange on Paris in favor of F. Schlienz for frames" collected by A. Pöpplein, dividends on U. S. Bank stock, "By our Draft for his acct on E. & J. Griffith & Co. at New York at sight," and collection made by Barbara Wagner's Power of Attorney in Germany.
  • Page 168: Bimeler, Roby & Pollock of Ohio. Covering April 1, 1835-April 2, 1835. Debts. To net proceeds of two loads of bacon. Credit by cash paid per their order to Gosnell & Hamilton; C. D. & I Slingluff; N. Pöpplein Jr; and Pöpplein & Bros.
  • Page 174: Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering January 1, 1836-January 1, 1838. Bimeler's debts included drafts paid in favor of John C. Rickey, Jackson & Fawcett, and J. S. Sinclair; cash paid to Ch. Mayer consul, legalizing J. G. Roth, Seb. Strobele, Ann Wilmu Jacob Gunther powers of attorney and abdications; cash advances to pay for merchandise; and cash paid to Horatiah Robby of the firm Bimeler Robby & Pollock, merchandise. Bimeler's credits included dividends on U.S. Bank stock, as well as a string of receipts ending in Bimeler's credit: A. Pöpplein received of Jb. Seyfang a draft by G. F. Walzer on a bill of Chr. Mayer, a bill of exchange received by Bimeler, drawn by Arnold & Gutman on Lazarus Arnold in Philadelphia payable eight days sight.
  • Page 188: Joseph M. Bimeler of Zoar, Ohio. Covering February 21, 1838-January 1, 1842. Bimeler's debts include payment to Hoyer consul for certifying Joh: Fritchel power of attorney, cash refunded to Cathe. Kusterer which he received of her from Joh. Kapp of Stark County, Ohio, to Mayer for legalizing powers of attorney for D. Kuhnle, Christ: Meke, and Joh Jb. Ade, for Sundry merchandise bought by the firm Bimeler Robby & Polack, and on interest balance. Bimeler's credits included dividends by U.S. Bank stock, cash sent by letter, and cash received on Bimeler's account from Consul Chr. Mayer.

These are only a few notes on entries related to Zoar, Ohio, and Joseph M. Bimeler. The account books contain more.

Collection

Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents, 1818, 1823-1851

46 documents

The Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents consist of 46 receipts, committee meeting reports, meeting requests, and grand lists of taxes relevant to operation of the 1st school district in the village of Perkinsville between 1823 and 1851. A single document dated March 10, 1818, grants David Graves permission to open a "publick Hous" in the town of Ira.

The Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents consist of 46 receipts, committee meeting reports, meeting requests, and grand lists of taxes relevant to operation of the 1st school district in the village of Perkinsville between 1823 and 1851. School expenses reflected in the documentation include payments for teachers' wages, supplies, and services rendered. A single document dated March 10, 1818, grants David Graves permission to open a "publick Hous" in the town of Ira.

Local townspeople covered school costs, labor, and other needs. They cut and delivered fuelwood, boarded teachers, and transported educators to and from the school. They also repaired and cleaned the schoolhouse, and built desks and chairs. Supplies specified in the documents include brooms, blackboards, dippers and pails, nails, and glass. A letter dated August 6, 1841, to Mr. Horace Phelps contains a request for a supply of wool.

The bulk of these documents were generated by district clerks and superintending committee members, including Solomon R. Demary, Benjamin Chillson, J. F. Chillson, Luther Perkins, Charles Barrett, and Earle Woodbury. The receipts were signed and dated with the payment amount on the verso by the recipient. Many committee meeting reports were recorded on lined paper with dates in the left margin.

Two items of note include a meeting request for the purpose of building a house for the convenience of smaller scholars dated September 5, 1846, and a meeting request to discuss the opening a second school in District One, dated January 1, 1848.

Collection

Ohio Court of Common Pleas (Jackson County) Manumission Documents and Register of Justices of the Peace, 1816-1854

1 volume

The first portion of this volume dates from 1816 to 1854 and contains records on African Americans registering with the Jackson County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, in accordance with the state's restrictive Black Laws. The bulk of the entries are copies of evidence used to prove free status with brief notes about the officials who attested to the information in the originating state and recorded the information in Ohio. Occasionally the entries provide physical descriptions of the registrants, including general age, skin tone, height, hair, and scars or marks on their bodies. The second portion of the volume primarily contains copies of the commissions for Jackson County justices of the peace from 1816 to 1842. Occasional justices' resignations appear as well as documentation of ministers authorized to solemnize marriages.

The first portion of this volume dates from 1816 to 1854 and records information on African Americans registering with the Jackson County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, in accordance with the state's restrictive Black Laws. The first entry is apparently a copy of an 1816 document (Wm Sterett was county clerk in Mason, West Virginia) that was recorded by the Jackson clerk in 1818. The bulk of the entries are copies of evidence used to prove free status, with brief notes about the officials who attested to the information in the originating state and recorded the information in Ohio. Evidence provided includes manumission deeds, brief notes about manumission papers, portions of wills, oaths, court certificates, registration records from other states, and statements made in open court. Occasionally entries also provide physical descriptions of the registrants. Such descriptions often include the registrants' general age, skin tone, height, hair, and scars or marks on their bodies. Registrants in the volume appear to have migrated from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina or have already been residents of Ohio.

Names of African American residents whose proof of free status was copied into the volume include:
  • Benjamin Johnston, enslaved and manumitted by Lawrence Augustine Washington "because of the solemn and entire conviction that I feel of the justice and propriety of the act"
  • Lewis and Jinsey Burchett, enslaved and manumitted by John Burchett
  • A number people enslaved and manumitted by John Poindexter, including Charles; Edy and her son Tarlton; and Jack
  • Charles, husband to Edy named above, manumitted by her "in consideration of the natural love and affection which I bear to my husband Charles whom I purchased of David Shepherd"
  • Walter, enslaved by Alexander Catlett and manumitted by his children Alexander Catlett, Jr., and Horatio Catlett
  • Children of Lucy Morris (alias Yancy), born free: William Henry Yancy, Martha Jane Yancy, Charles Alexander Yancy, Lucy Ann Yancy
  • Ann Carter, daughter of Hannah Grant, "a free woman of colour"
  • Sam Cale, son of Sam Cale, "a free man of Colour"
  • William Mitchel, "a Coulered man about to travel to the northwestern Country . . . born of free parents"
  • Various men, women, and children enslaved by John Skurry and emancipated by his will, including Mack Skurry; the children of Eliza Skurry (William, Giles, Richard, Jane, Betsy Ann, Nancy); and Sally Ann
  • Various men, women, and children enslaved by Joseph Perkins and emancipated by his will, including Isham; Milly, mother of five children, Ann, Martha, Jacob, John, and Isham; and Polly and her child Dick. Notably Polly appears to have registered in Jackson four years after Isham and Milly.
  • Charles Roberts, born free
  • Various men, women, and children enslaved by William Morrow and emancipated by his wife Elizabeth Morrow: Samuel Cale, his children Sam and Ester, and his grandchild Susan; Hannah Grant and her children Ann Carter, Jonathan, Reuben, Sam and Mary, and her grandchildren Frances or Sally; Sina and her child Fayette; Rachel and her five children, Betty, Sam, Agnes, Patton, and James
  • Milly, enslaved by Richard Hawks and emancipated by his will
  • Julius, enslaved by Thomas Whittington and emancipated by his will. Over fifty other additional men, women, and children were also named as being manumitted in the will.
  • Richard Grant (alias Dick), enslaved and manumitted by James Withrow
  • Ison McGhee, enslaved and manumitted by James Stephenson
  • Jesse Artist, "of free Parentage"

The second portion of the volume primarily contains copies of the commissions for Jackson County justices of the peace from 1816 to 1842, while occasional justices' resignations also appear as well as documentation of ministers authorized to solemnize marriages. Denominations represented include Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and the United Brethren in Christ.

The collection also includes a single disbound page of financial accounts relating to court fees, ca. 1841.

Collection

Norton (Mass.) property inventories, 1850-1876

10 items

This collection is made up of 10 inventories of the personal and real property of one person or family in and around Norton, Massachusetts, over the course of 26 years. The entries include objects and land ownership, along with valuations. The property owner began with four heifers/steers/bulls, around 10 acres of woodland, carpenter's tools, and a selection of clothing items. The following inventories reflect the expansion of a carpentry business, accumulation of more and higher quality clothing, aging of livestock, acquisition of horses, lambs, and oxen, improved tack, neck stocks, wagons, plows, shovels, chains, and more. In the late 1850s and 1860s, they gained a "detach Lever silver watch," picture frames, a checkerboard, a sword cane, pocketknives, firearms, lanterns, and other household goods. After the Civil War, they started saving money in a bank account, purchased bonds, and held cash and currency. By 1876, the real property expanded to over 43 acres in Norton, Easton, and Mansfield. The concluding inventory is a list of real estate, a selection of objects, and an entry for "Houshold Stuf to numerous to mention." In 1850, the total assets were $760.50. By 1876, they were $17,076.25.

This collection is made up of 10 inventories of the personal and real property of one person or family in and around Norton, Massachusetts, over the course of 26 years. The entries include objects and land ownership, along with valuations. The property owner began with four heifers/steers/bulls, around 10 acres of woodland, carpenter's tools, and a selection of clothing items. The following inventories reflect the expansion of a carpentry business, accumulation of more and higher quality clothing, aging of livestock, acquisition of horses, lambs, and oxen, improved tack, neck stocks, wagons, plows, shovels, chains, and more. In the late 1850s and 1860s, they gained a "detach Lever silver watch," picture frames, a checkerboard, a sword cane, pocketknives, firearms, lanterns, and other household goods. After the Civil War, they started saving money in a bank account, purchased bonds, and held cash and currency. By 1876, the real property expanded to over 43 acres in Norton, Easton, and Mansfield. The concluding inventory is a list of real estate, a selection of objects, and an entry for "Houshold Stuf to numerous to mention." In 1850, the total assets were $760.50. By 1876, they were $17,076.25.

Collection

New York (State) Farmer's diary, 1852-1855

1 volume

This diary was kept by a farmer, likely in Saratoga County, New York, from 1852 to 1855, detailing his agricultural work, accounts with laborers, and local news. The diarist recorded weather as well as his work planting, harvesting, and tending to various crops, orchards, and livestock. The writer noted the local hired laborers who worked for him, and several times he used disparaging remarks about their Irish heritage. The writer also wrote about local events, including church affairs, social events like marriages and deaths, correspondence with family and friends, and notable occurrences like fires, fairs, and attending a séance. The writer identified as a Whig and recorded political events like election days, the death of Daniel Webster, the inauguration of Franklin Pierce, a lecture by Horace Greeley, and the Crimean War. The writer also took a trip to New York and the State Fair at Saratoga Springs, and included ongoing comments about the travels and jobs undertaken by his son, Augustus.

This diary was kept by a farmer, likely in Saratoga County, New York, from 1852 to 1855, detailing his agricultural work, accounts with laborers, and local news. The diarist recorded weather as well as his work planting, harvesting, and tending to various crops, orchards, and livestock. The writer noted the local hired laborers who worked for him, and several times he used disparaging remarks about their Irish heritage. The writer also wrote about local events, including church affairs, social events like marriages and deaths, correspondence with family and friends, and notable occurrences like fires, fairs, and attending a séance (December 14, 1853). The writer identified as a Whig and recorded political events like election days, the death of Daniel Webster, the inauguration of Franklin Pierce, a lecture by Horace Greeley (December 27, 1852), and the Crimean War (December 31, 1853). The writer also took a trip to New York and the State Fair at Saratoga Springs, and included ongoing comments about the travels and jobs undertaken by his son, Augustus.

Marginal notes for expenses like items purchased and wages owed to hired laborers appear throughout the volume. The last several pages were used for recording accounts with individuals, including male and female workers and transactions relating to agricultural products and livestock.

Several newspaper clippings are pasted into the volume, including "Advice to Parents," marriage notices, recipes, and instructions for whitewashing and fencing.

Collection

New York merchant's daybook, 1811-1813

1 volume

A currently unidentified shipping merchant operating out of New York, New York, maintained this daybook between 1811 and 1813, recording the daily financial transactions of his firm which was trading with the West Indies, along the Atlantic seaboard, and France, among other ports. Business records document details about traded goods including sugar, rum, and other wares, as well as labor costs and more.

A currently unidentified shipping merchant operating out of New York, New York, maintained this daybook between 1811 and 1813, recording the daily financial transactions of his firm which was trading with the West Indies, along the Atlantic seaboard, and France, among other ports. Main customers included Hoffman & Glass, Francis Markoe, Thomas Masters, David Finlay, Pratt & Kintzing, and William Heyling among others. Several entries relate to transactions with Elizabeth Heyliger, daughter of trader William Heyliger of the West Indies (July 31, 1811; December 31, 1811; September 1, 1812).

The firm was trading in St. Croix sugar and rum as well as shipping "sundries from New York to St. Croix." Other goods traded included sugar from Brazil and Cuba, mahogany, tea, whiskey, wine, tobacco, flour, corn meal, and other foodstuffs, molasses, coffee, cigars, and fabrics. Business expenses were also recorded, such as costs relating to laborers, ship maintenance and hire, advertising, cartage and wharfage, custom duties and port fees, storage, and insurance. One entry for December 5, 1812, notes the capture of the ship Olive Branch en route from Kiel, Germany, to Philadelphia, and dealing with insurance to cover its loss, possibly in relation to War of 1812 privateering. Another entry dated March 30, 1813, refers to proceeds from Madeira wine, sweet almonds, and ship materials "received by the Ship Swift, Howland master from Liverpool which were taken up at sea, from the wreck of the Spanish Brig General Ballesteros from Madeira."

One color printed illustration of a woman and child seated before a birdcage was clipped and pasted in the volume, and another illustration of women was pasted in and later partially removed.

Collection

New-York and Boston Steam-Boat Company collection, 1830

16 items

This collection is made up of financial records related to the steamers President and Benjamin Franklin, regarding the ships' profits and expenditures for the year 1830. Both ships were owned by the New-York and Boston Steam-Boat Company.

This collection (16 items) is made up of financial records related to the steamers President and Benjamin Franklin. Both ships were owned by the New-York and Boston Steam-Boat Company. Reports pertain to each ship's gross receipts and monthly expenses, divided into categories such as washing, repairs, provisions, wages, and miscellaneous disbursements. One document concerns the New-York and Boston Steam-Boat Company's finances throughout 1830.

Collection

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

9 pages (1 vol.)

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

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

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