Search

This collection consists of the incoming correspondence of Catherine M. Barker of Guilford, Connecticut, who received letters from family members and acquaintances during the mid-19th century. Her sister Mary wrote of her search for work in New Haven, Connecticut, and other correspondents commented on their social lives in Connecticut and New York.

This collection consists of 34 incoming letters addressed to Catherine M. Barker of Guilford, Connecticut, who received correspondence from female family members and acquaintances during the mid-19th century. Her sister, Mary A. Barker, wrote the first 8 letters while seeking work in New Haven, Connecticut, between 1856 and 1863. She occasionally discussed her experiences as a laborer in a garment factory and provided news of her social life. She described the boarding house where she lived and a visit to a performance hall, where she saw a show by French acrobat Charles Blondin (March 23, 1861). At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mary mentioned the local scramble for news, and lamented that war seemed to be the sole topic of conversation.

The letters Catherine received after 1869 originated from multiple acquaintances, primarily female, who discussed their social lives in Connecticut and New York. Emma Scranton (later Leete) wrote 6 letters to Catherine, commenting on a visit to P. T. Barnum's circus (January 8, 1873), urging Catherine not to marry her beau, Edgar (undated), and offering updates on her social life. Other correspondents planned upcoming visits with Catherine, and one friend, Ruthie, described her shock upon hearing that a friend's wife had left him.

This collection contains letters from brothers William Edward Caton and Albert Robert Caton to their family in Illinois as they travel and work in Iowa, the Dakota Territory, and Colorado. This collection offers insight into daily life and the economic growth of the Western frontier.

The Caton family papers consist of 112 letters, 5 financial and legal papers, and 1 item with genealogical content.

In a series of letters to their parents and sister, William Edward (Ed) and Albert Robert (Bob) Caton describe efforts to establish themselves economically in Chicago, Iowa, the Dakota Territory, and Colorado. The letters from Edward describe his business activities in Iowa and the Dakota Territory, and discuss in detail his speculation in land sales and leasing.

Bob Caton, whose letters cover the years 1876-1882, writes of his time in the Dakota Territory, and later describes working as a miner and living in Colorado. His letters contain more details on living conditions and daily activities than his brother's business-oriented correspondence does.

The Financial and Legal Papers series holds five items: William P. Canton's Cook County mortgage from 1849, a building receipt enclosing a two cent bank check stamp, and three records of loans. The Miscellaneous Papers series holds an index card with information on W.P. Caton, copied from the Will County Pioneers' Register.

The collection consists of two letters and five empty envelopes written between 1868 to 1879 by various businesses relating to human hair goods and services. They are addressed to C. E. Hartung & Company, hair importers and dealers of New York.

The collection consists of two letters and five empty envelopes written between 1868 to 1879 by various businesses relating to human hair goods and services. They are addressed to C. E. Hartung & Company, hair importers and dealers of New York. The two letters include one written on May 5, 1870, by H. Holcomb, "Manufacturer and Dealer in Human Hair Goods" of Galesburg, Illinois, on printed, illustrated stationery featuring a white woman with curled hair. He acknowledged he would not be able to pay his bill on time. The other was written by A. Domec, an importer of human hair from Louisville, Kentucky, ordering hair products. All of the envelopes in the collection are advertising covers for the various hair businesses.

The empty envelopes date from 1868 to 1879, with several undated.

• Madame Zwick of Cincinnati, Ohio, "Ladies' Wig Store, Braids, Fronts, Curls &c. All kinds of hair jewelry done to order. The Hair furnished by customers always used, and the Gold warranted."
• N. Demongeot of Washington, D.C., "Importer of Human Hair and Perfumery, Ladies Hair Dresser and Wig Maker."
• Mrs. M. Survey of Utica, New York, "Manufacturer of all kinds of Ornamental Hair Work."
• J. Y. Smyth of Peoria, Illinois, "Manufacturer and Dealer in Human Hair, at Wholesale and Retail."

The collection consists of two letters and five empty envelopes written between 1868 to 1879 by various businesses relating to human hair goods and services. They are addressed to C. E. Hartung & Company, hair importers and dealers of New York.

The collection consists of two letters and five empty envelopes written between 1868 to 1879 by various businesses relating to human hair goods and services. They are addressed to C. E. Hartung & Company, hair importers and dealers of New York. The two letters include one written on May 5, 1870, by H. Holcomb, "Manufacturer and Dealer in Human Hair Goods" of Galesburg, Illinois, on printed, illustrated stationery featuring a white woman with curled hair. He acknowledged he would not be able to pay his bill on time. The other was written by A. Domec, an importer of human hair from Louisville, Kentucky, ordering hair products. All of the envelopes in the collection are advertising covers for the various hair businesses.

The empty envelopes date from 1868 to 1879, with several undated.

• Madame Zwick of Cincinnati, Ohio, "Ladies' Wig Store, Braids, Fronts, Curls &c. All kinds of hair jewelry done to order. The Hair furnished by customers always used, and the Gold warranted."
• N. Demongeot of Washington, D.C., "Importer of Human Hair and Perfumery, Ladies Hair Dresser and Wig Maker."
• Mrs. M. Survey of Utica, New York, "Manufacturer of all kinds of Ornamental Hair Work."
• J. Y. Smyth of Peoria, Illinois, "Manufacturer and Dealer in Human Hair, at Wholesale and Retail."

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

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

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

The Charles and Silas Crowell papers consist primarily of Civil War-era letters addressed to and composed by Silas Crowell during his service with the 93rd Ohio Infantry Regiment. The collection also contains post-war correspondence from members of the Crowell family.

The Charles and Silas Crowell papers consist primarily of Civil War-era letters addressed to and composed by Silas Crowell during his service with the 93rd Ohio Infantry Regiment. The collection also contains post-war correspondence from members of the Crowell family.

The majority of the material dates from the final two years of the war, when Silas Crowell served in Tennessee. In his letters to his uncle, Silas M. B. Simpson, he recounted his experiences, which included his convalescence from a severe leg wound. In additional letters from November and December 1864, Crowell discussed a pair of custom-made crutches and a skirmish near the Smoky Mountains. During the war, Charles Crowell described his life and work at the Eastern Engine House in Dayton, Ohio. He also shared news of his daughters Clare and Katie and, in one letter, commented on Abraham Lincoln's re-election (November 10, 1864).

Postwar material relates to the Crowell and Simpson families. Ira A. Stout wrote Silas M. B. Simpson about farming in McLean County, Illinois, and took note of the large numbers of people leaving for Kansas and the West (July 26, 1866). Also included are letters between two sisters, such as a letter to "Carrie" about life in Los Angeles, California. An undated patriotic poem is entitled "Uncle Sam."

The July 1, 1874 kidnapping of four-year-old Charles Brewster "Charley" Ross from a sidewalk in front of the family home in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania became the first nationally publicized kidnapping for ransom case in the United States. This collection contains six items: one letter, a manuscript reward advertisement, handwritten notes, a pencil sketch portrait of Charley, a manuscript account of experiences with the main suspects, and an undated newspaper clipping related to the continuing investigation of the child's abduction, ca. 1909.

The July 1, 1874, kidnapping of four-year-old Charles Brewster "Charley" Ross from a sidewalk in front of the family home in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania became the first nationally publicized kidnapping for ransom case in the United States. This collection contains six items: a letter, a manuscript draft of a reward advertisement, handwritten notes, a pencil sketched portrait of Charley, a manusscript account of experiences with the main suspects, and an undated newspaper clipping-related to the continuing investigation of the child's abduction, ca. 1909.

The one Letter in the collection is from Charley Ross's father Christian K. Ross to Rev. Henry Whitney Cleveland, October 20, 1877; Philadelphia. 2 pages. In it, Mr. Ross states that he cannot help Cleveland publish a book as his time is spent searching for his missing son. Ross mentions the book he published on the case, lamenting that he published it using a subscription service as it limited its circulation.

Written on the verso of printed, illustrated stationery of the Haynes Hotel, Springfield, Massachusetts, the manuscript draft of a Reward Advertisement stipulates a $10,000 reward for the return of Charley Ross alive, promising not to seek out or discover the identity of the kidnappers. The page is headed "For Local Article."

Notes: Six pages of pencil notes on checkbook stubs, measuring approximately 9x4 inches. Dating from July 1, 1874, to an unknown point in 1909, the notes begin from the point of Charley's kidnapping, chronicling accounts of the case. First remarking that Christian Ross had "run down false clews [in a] vain attempt" to locate Charley, the unidentified writer continues with a sparse summary of the alleged kidnappers capture "at Fort Hamilton, L.I. [Long Island]" and Joseph Douglas's confession that "Mosher & I stole Charly [sic] Ross." The next entry, dated 1909, discusses one Wm. G. Eyster, whose claim to be the lost Charley Ross was rejected.

The notes conclude with a sketch of a man wearing glasses and a bow tie, with the caption "3 days to get it ready, $20,000," followed by what appears to be notes related to other kidnappings and reference to a "Jessy James."

Manuscript: On October 9, 1932, James H. Hall wrote a nine-page summary of George W. Murdock's recounting of his experiences with the main suspects in the Charles Brewster Ross kidnapping case, Bill Mosher and Joe Douglas, while his mother was in charge of the lighthouse in the Hudson River. Murdock recalled Mosher and Douglas attempting to sell them a boat, described the two men, and described encounters with detectives who searched their premises and read their mail. Hall speculated about the possible role of the boat in the kidnapping.

Newspaper Clipping: An undated clipping regarding one Mr. W.C. DeWitt, claiming to be the lost Charley Ross and giving a lecture, titled "The True Story of My Abduction."

Portrait: A pencil sketch of Charley with an inscription that reads,"at the time of his abduction. Then 4 yrs. and Walter, his 6-yr-old brother. Disappeared from the sidewalk, near their home. July 1, 1874."

This collection consists of approximately 1,250 business letters and financial documents concerning the professional affairs of Charles P. Cogswell, a banker and investor based in Norwich, Connecticut, in the latter half of the 19th century. Included are roughly 1,180 letters and financial records, 77 checks and receipts, and 1 photograph. In addition to serving as president of the Second National Bank of Norwich, Connecticut, Cogswell owned stock in several railroads, lumber companies, and other firms in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Cogswell's incoming business correspondence and documents pertain to his relationships with other bankers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, and to his financial interests in the western states.

This collection consists of approximately 1,250 business letters and financial documents concerning the professional affairs of Charles P. Cogswell, a banker and investor based in Norwich, Connecticut, in the latter half of the 19th century. Included are roughly 1,180 letters and financial records, 77 checks and receipts, and 1 photograph. In addition to serving as president of the Second National Bank of Norwich, Connecticut, Cogswell owned stock in several railroads, lumber companies, and other firms in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Cogswell's incoming business correspondence and documents pertain to his relationships with other bankers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, and to his financial interests in the western states.

Charles P. Cogswell's incoming Correspondence and Documents (about 1,250 items) cover many of his financial interests and monetary investments between 1877 and 1899, such as the affairs of the Second National Bank of Norwich, Connecticut, and its relationships with other banks throughout the state and in New York and Massachusetts. Early items include receipts and bills for labor and other expenses, dated between 1870 and 1877. In and after 1877, most items are business letters, often brief, related to banking and to Cogswell's financial investments in firms such as the Sibley Machine Company, lumber companies, railroads, and harvester manufacturers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Later correspondence often concerns stock Cogswell held in various companies, as well as those companies' financial standing and value.

One group of letters from attorney Charles L. Mitchell in Cincinnati, Ohio, written in 1883 and 1884, pertains to a legal action in which Mitchell and other executors of the late Charles D. Coffin's estate sought to invalidate several mortgages; a copy of the action is also included (January 12, 1884). The bulk of the collection ends in 1899. Four later items, dated between 1912 and 1921, are related to C. C. Sterling of Hartford, Connecticut, and to the Hart & Hegeman Manufacturing Company of Hartford. At least two items are personal letters Cogswell received from a member of the Miner family.

The Checks and Receipts series contains 77 checks and receipts signed by and issued to Charles P. Cogswell. His checks were drawn on the Second National Bank. Receipts include 4 for Cogswell's use of naturall gas provided by the Norwich City Gas Company.

The Photograph is a 5.5"x3" black-and-white print mounted on thick cardboard. The picture depicts six people standing in front of a house, identified as grandparents and aunts.

This collection contains correspondence that Charles Deane, a merchant and historian based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, received in the mid-19th century. Deane's correspondents included ministers, historians, and politicians, who discussed American history, contemporary historiography, and the activities of historical societies in the Boston area.

This collection contains correspondence, gift acknowledgements, engraved portraits, and photographs related to Charles Deane, a merchant and historian based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Deane's correspondents included ministers, historians, and politicians, who discussed American history, contemporary historiography, and the activities of Boston-area historical societies.

The Correspondence series (165 items) contains 146 letters to Charles Deane, 5 letters to Robert C. Waterston, 4 letters to Helen Waterston Deane, and 10 letters to Deane's children and other recipients. Charles Deane's correspondents provided news of social events in Boston and Cambridge, particularly related to local historical and antiquarian societies. Many writers offered opinions on Deane's writings, acknowledged the receipt of his publications, or thanked Deane for reviewing their own material. Others discussed topics in American history. One partially printed invitation regards a "Popham Celebration" in honor of the founding of the first English colony in North America (August 10, 1869). Additional items include a condolence letter from Thomas Wentworth to Helen Deane after Charles Deane's death (November 14, 1889).

Charles Deane received 8 Gift Acknowledgements between April 17, 1845, and October 13, 1864, thanking him for contributions to the Harvard University Library (6 items), the Boston Public Library (1 item), and the Boston Athenaeum (1 item). The documents are signed by Josiah Quincy, John Langdon Sibley, and other library affiliates. Two Engraved Portraits depict William Ellery Channing (1780-1842) and Amos Lawrence (1786-1852).

The Photographs series contains 3 carte-de-visite studio portraits depicting William Ellery Channing, Ezra Stiles Gannett, and George Livermore.

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

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

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

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