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

The Northwest Territory Celebration letters chronicle the daily experiences of a group of re-enactors who traveled from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Ohio, by ox-driven Conestoga wagon and self-made flatboat in 1937-1938 to mark the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Northwest Territory.

The 64 Northwest Territory Celebration letters chronicle the daily experiences of a group of 36 historical reenactors who traveled from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Ohio, by ox-driven Conestoga wagon and self-made flatboat in 1937-1938, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Northwest Territory.

The party produced letters en route almost daily from December 3, 1937-January 20, 1938; weekly from January 20, 1938-March 29, 1938; and almost daily from March 29, 1938-April 7, 1938. These letters were sent to subscriber Fred G. Olson of Fulton, Illinois, and contain reports about towns in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. At some stops, local Boy Scout troops or other groups staged reenacted attacks by Native Americans; at other times, the travelers faced difficulties when crossing snowy landscapes and the Allegheny Mountains. The travelers mentioned their oxen, "Tom" and "Jerry," and other animals, such as horses and dogs. While at West Newton, Pennsylvania, they discussed their efforts to construct 18th-century flatboats for the final leg of their journey (February 10, 1938-March 29, 1938).

The Northwest Territory Celebration Commission authorized the journey, and postage was free. Each of the letters was folded, addressed, and sealed with wax in the style of 18th-century post. The address on each is accompanied by an illustration by party member Milo Scott. The illustrations depict scenes of the journey and of pioneer life.

This volume (112 pages) contains Sarah Welles Hunt's reminiscences about her life, as well as occasional journal entries that Hunt composed from July 1, 1851-May 23, 1893. She wrote about her travels in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and Québec; her encounters with famous individuals; her family; and current events.

This volume (112 pages) contains Sarah Welles Hunt's reminiscences about her life, as well as occasional journal entries that Hunt composed from July 1, 1851-April 9, 1891. She wrote about her travels in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and Québec; her encounters with notable individuals; her family; and current events.

Hunt began her diary on July 1, 1851, with her recollections about her life from her birth in 1810 to around 1851, including information about her family, travels, and notable individuals she had seen or met. She mentioned attending the Clinton Female Seminary in 1826 and noted the cholera outbreak of 1832 in Utica, New York. Some pages have been cut out of the volume.

From 1851-1891, Hunt occasionally wrote journal entries about her life in New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. While living in the east, she recounted her visits to family members in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Ashtabula, Ohio; on one occasion, she traveled through New York to Montréal, Québec (1860, pp. 77-78). After moving to Michigan, Hunt sometimes traveled to Ohio and New York. Hunt periodically recorded news about her siblings, parents, in-laws, and children, including dates of births, marriages, and deaths. She also commented on current events, such as European politics in the early 1850s, a railroad accident in Norwalk, Connecticut (May 6, 1853, pp. 46-47), and the Civil War (1864-1865, pp. 80-83). In 1876, Hunt visited the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Genealogical notes and 2 newspaper obituaries for John Alfred Davenport are laid into the volume.

This collection contains the disbound contents of a scrapbook that Massachusetts minister Calvin Durfee kept during the mid-19th century. The scrapbook includes Durfee's journal about a trip through New York and the upper Midwest in 1851, newspaper clippings containing biographical sketches he composed, and manuscript sermons.

This collection contains the disbound contents of a scrapbook that Massachusetts minister Calvin Durfee kept during the mid-19th century. The first item is Durfee's 14-page journal describing his domestic travels from April 22, 1851-June 20, 1851. He embarked from South Dedham, Massachusetts and travelled, often by steamboat, across northern New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The journal records Durfee's daily activities, including delivering sermons and making social calls in numerous cities, and also contains a genealogical record of his sister's family, the Lashiers of Maine, New York (page 10).

The journal is followed by biographical sketches of pastors from Pittsfield and Lanesboro, Massachusetts, clipped from the Berkshire Courier (approximately 14 pages); the clippings include manuscript annotations. Two additional clippings are a history of the pastors of the Presbyterian Church at Whitfield, Massachusetts, and a note regarding the marriage of Durfee's son Charles. The collection also contains 7 sermons that Calvin Durfee delivered by between 1852 and 1876, consisting of 6 manuscripts and one newspaper reproduction. Four of the sermons are between 18 and 30 pages long.

Additional printed material includes a program from Charles S. Durfee's ordination in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on September 8, 1869; a related letter of congratulation; and a printed invitation from the First Presbyterian Church of Newburyport (August 24, 1869). The original scrapbook cover is housed with the collection.

• Thomas Allen
• William Allen
• Thomas Penderson
• Heman Humphrey
• Rufus William Bailey
• John W. Yeomans
• Chester Dewey
• H. N. Brinsmade
• John Todd
• S. A. Allen

• Daniel Collins
• John De Witt
• Noah Sheldon
• Ransome S. Cook
• John Furgerson
• Edward Joab Brace
• Martyn Tupper
• Chauncey Eddy
• Charles Newman

This collection contains twelve letters written by Edward W. Chesebro of Guilderland, New York, and Allen D. Chesebro of Gallupville, New York, to John Carhartt of Bridgeport, New York, in the mid-1840s. Edward described his teaching career and made observations about the educational system and about his brief stay in the South. Allen provided updates on Edward and on other members of the Chesebro family.

This collection contains twelve letters written by Edward W. Chesebro of Guilderland, New York, and Allen D. Chesebro of Gallupville, New York, to John Carhartt of Bridgeport, New York. Edward wrote ten letters between January 3, 1846, and February 21, 1847, primarily about his career as a schoolteacher in Guilderland and Bangall, New York. He frequently shared his opinions of his students, who often performed far below his expectations, and expressed his frustration with their shortcomings, both academic and moral. He also gave his generally negative opinions upon the state of education in the region and the importance of attending the State Normal College at Albany while pursuing an educational career. In October 1846, he described his travels along the Erie and Ohio Canals.

The letters include updates on Chesebro's family members, and he occasionally mentioned contemporary political issues, including violence at the New York Democratic Convention (April 2, 1846). About the American South, he wrote, "I returned as perfectly disgusted…as any live man could be" with the people, the climate, and slavery (December 7, 1846). In two additional letters, Allen D. Chesebro (1822-1902) of Gallupville, New York, discussed his own travels throughout New York, Edward's plans to move to either Texas or Mississippi, and news of the Chesebro family.

Samuel L. Young of Reading, Pennsylvania, kept this 108-page journal "during a tour through the United States" between June 1, 1846, and October 12, 1846. He traveled by railroad, steamship, and stagecoach, and recorded his impressions of major cities, local scenery, and fellow travelers. Young ventured as far west as St. Louis, Missouri; as far north as Niagara Falls, Canada; and as far south as Lexington, Kentucky.

Samuel L. Young of Reading, Pennsylvania, kept this 108-page journal "during a tour of the United States" between June 1, 1846, and October 12, 1846. He traveled by railroad, steamship, and stagecoach, and recorded his impressions of major cities, local scenery, and fellow travelers. Young ventured as far west as St. Louis, Missouri; as far north as Niagara Falls, Canada; and as far south as Lexington, Kentucky.

Young's journal, which contains descriptions and anecdotes from his travel, begins with an entry expressing his sadness upon leaving his loved ones (p. 1). He departed Reading for New York City, where he remained for 4 days; there, he witnessed a procession by the Sons of Temperance. Young then traveled to Connecticut and Massachusetts, where he commented on Boston's Chinese residents (p. 8). He continued to Niagara Falls, Detroit, and Chicago. In Detroit, he received copper samples from Morgan Bates, a prospector (p. 31); in Chicago he recorded his disappointment with the city and its construction. While in western Illinois and Iowa, Young visited a smelting furnace and mine (pp. 43-44), a "lead cave" and mine (pp. 48-49), and the Mormon temple at Nauvoo, Illinois (pp. 56-58).

When Young reached St. Louis, Missouri, he boarded a riverboat bound for Louisville, Kentucky, though he and three other travelers opted to walk the final stretch of the trip (pp. 70-71). Young recalled a stagecoach conversation about slavery, though he declined to participate (pp. 74-75). Upon his arrival in Lexington, Kentucky, he met with Henry Clay at his Ashland estate (pp. 87-88). Young spent much of September in Cincinnati, Ohio. Between Cincinnati and Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), he met Lewis C. F. Fatio, former captain of the United States revenue cutter Wolcott, who was on his way to contest a charge of disobedience in Washington, D. C. (pp. 101-102). Young began the last leg of his journey on October 10, 1846, heading for Philadelphia and, later, Reading, where he returned on October 12 (p. 108).

Young occasionally encountered dangerous situations, including a narrowly avoided stagecoach accident between Kalamazoo and St. Joseph, Michigan (p. 33), a fire next door to his Chicago hotel (pp. 36-37), and a suspicious stagecoach passenger at Rockford, Illinois (p. 42). He made acquaintance with many fellow travelers, and often joined them for excursions. Young played the accordion, read local newspapers and the works of Friedrich Schiller, occasionally measured the distances he traveled or noted the costs of transportation, and recorded the name of every hotel at which he boarded.

The Sewell P. Barker journal concerns Barker's daily activities in northern New York between January 1843 and September 1845. Barker taught school in several towns near Rochester, New York, and frequently attended religious meetings and church services.

The Sewell P. Barker journal (336 pages) concerns Barker's daily activities in northern New York between January 1, 1843, and September 21, 1845. Barker taught school in several towns near Rochester, New York, and frequently attended religious meetings and church services.

Barker dedicated his journal on January 3, 1843, by copying five "Rules of Life" attributed to Thomas Jefferson. Originally from Sweden, New York, Barker frequently traveled to and taught in towns such as Greece, Riga, Brockport, Churchville, Spencerport, and Chili, New York. He reported the subjects of sermons and other religious gatherings he attended, noted the days on which he taught school, and recorded the names of those with whom he boarded while traveling. Several entries from early 1843 refer to courses he attended at "the Institute" in Brockport, New York. On September 20, 1843, Barker went to Rochester, where he heard a speech by Martin Van Buren (p. 91). From April 1844-June 1844, he lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked for the firm Churchill & Co. He described his travels by stagecoach and steamboat and reflected on his separation from his wife, whom he had married on Thanksgiving Day 1843 (December 14, 1843, p. 124). While in Cincinnati, Barker attended services at several Methodist churches. Some entries include religious poetry. The final page (p. 336) has a note on the drowning death of Daniel Foster of Strattanville, Pennsylvania, on May 11, 1844.

This collection is made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Amelia Lippincott Williams of New York City and her husband, Esek Hartshorne Williams of Red Bank, New Jersey. The bulk of the collection is comprised of 15 letters that Esek wrote to Amelia during their courtship and while traveling for business reasons during the first few years of their marriage. Amelia and Esek received the remaining 7 letters from friends and family members in New York and New Jersey.

This collection is made up of the incoming and outgoing letters of Amelia Lippincott Williams and her husband, Esek Hartshorne Williams. Esek wrote 16 love letters to Amelia during their courtship and early married life. Amelia also received 2 letters from friends and 1 from a niece named Mary. Esek received 1 letter from Amelia, 2 from his brother George, and 1 from a friend.

Amelia Lippincott was living in New York City when she received 7 letters from Esek H. Williams of Red Bank, New Jersey, between April 22, 1833, and November 10, 1834 (including 1 undated). His letters are affectionate and flirtatious, and often refer indirectly to the couple's romantic relationship. Esek Williams shared news from Red Bank, occasionally mentioned his work in a local store, and, on November 4, 1834, joked about Amelia's political awareness and her support of the Whigs.

After their marriage, Esek wrote 9 letters to his wife while he traveled west for business reasons; he sent 6 of these letters from Michigan in the winter of 1840-1841. He described his experiences near Fredonia, New York (December 13, 1840); Cleveland, Ohio (December 19, 1840); and Kankakee, Illinois (February 14, 1841). He mentioned his lodgings and modes of travel, and often remarked about his love for his wife and children, who remained in New York City. He spent much of his journey in southeast Michigan, where he had financial interests, and provided Amelia with news of his arrival and activities in Detroit (January 1, 1841, and January 10, 1841) and Ann Arbor (March 7, 1841). He discussed financial matters, including his difficulties with state-issued currency, "Michigan money," which he referred to as the only currency in regular circulation in Ann Arbor (March 7, 1841). On a later trip to Michigan, he noted the economic conditions in Detroit (January 1, 1843). On July 2, 1848, he composed his final letter, written from Marshall, Michigan; he expressed his intent to sell his farm in Ann Arbor. Two of his letters have pencil sketches of horses.

Amelia Lippincott Williams received dated personal letters from R. Montgomery, who shared her thoughts on fashionable hats (May 26, 1835), and a woman named Catherine Lent, who hoped Amelia could soon visit (October 1, 1835). Undated letters include 3 from friends and acquaintances, including one in which Amelia's niece Mary mentioned an outbreak of measles and a large social gathering in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Esek H. Williams received two brief personal letters from his brother George.

Samuel Ranger's diary consists of five separate sections, the first three apparently being rough drafts or notes, and the final two being completed journals. Ranger's daily recordings from October 18, 1830, to March 28, 1831, document a journey with his brother, Ezra, from Glens Falls, New York, to Cincinnati, Ohio, via stagecoach and packet boat, as well as their experiences wintering in Cincinnati. He included descriptions of landscapes, agriculture, architecture, the weather, his health, and frequent bouts of homesickness. He noted travel-related mileage and expenses, and discussed an attempted robbery while in transit. During his time in Cincinnati, Ranger recorded observations on women, the disabled, small pox, and fires in the city.

Samuel Ranger's diary consists of five separate sections, the first three apparently being rough drafts or notes, and the final two being completed journals. Ranger's daily recordings from October 18, 1830, to March 28, 1831, document a journey with his brother, Ezra, from Glens Falls, New York, to Cincinnati, Ohio, via stagecoach and packet boat, as well as their experiences wintering in Cincinnati. He included descriptions of landscapes, agriculture, architecture, the weather, his health, and frequent bouts of homesickness. He noted travel-related mileage and expenses, and discussed an attempted robbery while in transit. During his time in Cincinnati, Ranger recorded observations on women, the disabled, small pox, and fires in the city.

A sketched map of Cincinnati appears in the third section, and a drawing of a house with a garden appears on the back cover of the fifth section.

This collection contains letters that United States Army lieutenant (and later general) Amos Beebe Eaton wrote while training at the United States Military Academy and traveling in New York, Connecticut, Ohio, and Michigan. His early letters reflect the daily life of cadets at West Point in the mid-1820s, and his later letters to his wife provide family news, as well as information about the Army and contemporary politics.

This collection (59 items) contains letters that United States Army lieutenant (and later general) Amos Beebe Eaton wrote to his grandmother, Tryphena Cady of Canaan, New York, and to his wife, Elizabeth Selden Eaton.

Eaton wrote 6 letters to his grandmother between September 14, 1822, and March 26, 1826, while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He described cadets' daily lives at the academy, including their physical regimen, and discussed the possibility of remaining in the military after graduation. Though he considered applying for the marine corps or becoming a doctor, he stayed with the army, and wrote 3 letters to his grandmother between April 16, 1828, and October 21, 1830, while he served at the Hancock Barracks near Houlton, Maine. A group of 5 letters, written to his sister and grandmother from Fort Niagara, New York, between February 21, 1831, and November 8, 1833, concern his movements with the army and his family life, including news of his new wife and young daughters. He also described Fort Niagara and shared some of his opinions on enlisted men. He wrote to his grandmother from Fort Gratiot, Michigan Territory, on July 7, 1834, commenting on his distrust of the pursuit of recognition.

Between 1832 and 1836, Eaton wrote to his wife Elizabeth ("Betsy") while he traveled in New York, Connecticut, Ohio, and Michigan, on military and personal business. He often mentioned family members, religious sentiments, and general details of his daily life. Two letters were written from Detroit during the Black Hawk War, in which he briefly mentioned ill soldiers, his opinion about the mistreatment of Native Americans, and the military's pursuit of Black Hawk (July 24 and 30, 1832). In another he discussed foreign relations with France as well as abolitionism (February 12, 1836). The collection also contains 2 letters that Eaton wrote while serving as Commissary General of Subsistence in 1867.

Several letters are addressed to Amos Eaton. One, written by "Gordon" on August 10, 1832, comments on the public reaction to and possible consequences of a recently published letter of Amos's, wherein he attributes the cholera outbreak in the military during the Black Hawk War to the mistreatment of Native Americans. Also included is a letter that Amos Beebe Eaton's father wrote to his son with extracts of his communication with New York Senators about the motivations behind Eaton's statements, a partial copy of the offending letter, and the impact it had on his military career (September 21, 1838). Other material includes one letter addressed to Elizabeth Eaton from a sibling (July 3, 1836) and a copied document signed by several recruits, stating that they had recently received pay (June 9, 1835).

This collection is made up of 6 diaries written intermittently by Ann Price Gibson Paschall (later Jackson) between 1820 and 1855. Her entries concern Quaker meetings and her religious views; daily life in Darby, Pennsylvania; family news; and travel to New York, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

This collection is made up of 6 diaries written intermittently by Ann Price Gibson Paschall (later Jackson) between 1820 and 1855. Her entries concern Quaker meetings and her religious views; daily life in Darby, Pennsylvania; family news; and travel to New York, Ontario, and the Midwest.

The first two diaries (April 17, 1820-September 22, 1820, and October 25, 1820-November 17, 1820) are numbered 3 and 5 in a series. Paschall wrote about household tasks, such as working in the kitchen and mending clothes; news of family and friends, including illnesses and deaths; and her young children. Many of Paschall's entries concern attendance at Philadelphia-area Quaker meetings. She frequently refered directly or indirectly to her religious beliefs; she often began entries with a Biblical citation. The third, unsigned volume (September 3, 1823-December 31, 1823) contains similar content related to the author's religious beliefs and attendance at Quaker meetings.

The fourth volume contains diary entries that A. S. P. copied from her mother's diary; she later presented the book to her brother, William P. Sharpless. Other owners included Sarah J. Sharples and her niece Mary. The original author, likely Ann Gibson Paschall Jackson, wrote several entries each month between January 1, 1830, and September 8, 1839. The introspective writings often pertain to religion, and many discuss the schism between Hicksite and orthodox Quakers. Despite their differences, Jackson remained friendly with orthodox leaders. On a few occasions, she heard speeches and sermons by Lucretia Mott. The entries also refer to social visits, local news, cholera outbreaks, and family news (particularly marriages).

The fifth diary contains daily entries dated August 15, 1840-June 8, 1843; poetry and a draft letter written in the back of the volume indicate that it belonged to Ann Paschall Jackson. The diary entries concern the author's daily life, often revolving around religious activities, such as attendance at Quaker meetings, and religious beliefs. Several entries mention an "Indian Committee." The diary also contains the author's remarks on her travels in Ohio, Indiana, New York, Ontario, and Michigan. The poems in the back of the volume concern religion and matrimony; one was copied for Ann P. Jackson by a friend.

The final diary consists of daily entries written between May 24, 1853, and February 4, 1855; references to Stephen and Mary Paschall, the author's children, indicate that the volume belonged to Ann Paschall Jackson. She wrote about her children and other family members, church news, and religion; at the time, she attended the "West Chester Meeting."