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

Congregationalist preacher Almon Underwood kept this journal from 1832-1850. Underwood wrote about his faith, religious work, and life in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The volume also contains an autobiography entitled "My Life Work," 2 sermons, and 15 pages of financial records, some of which concern John Underwood's estate.

Congregationalist preacher Almon Underwood kept this journal (630 pages) from June 1832 to 1850. He began writing in Troy, New York, and discussed his religious life, the state of the church, sermons, Sabbath schools, and other religious institutions; one entry contains "rules for sermonizing" (p. 58). Underwood sometimes reported on his travels to towns such as Brunswick and East Nassau, New York. A few entries pertain to current events, such as riots (p. 13) and cholera epidemics (pp. 35, 38). Prompted by harsh reactions to his opposition to slavery, Underwood moved to Newark, New Jersey, in 1844, where he continued to write about religion. The volume also contains an autobiography entitled "My Life Work" (pp. 307-403), 2 sermons, and 15 pages of financial records, some of which concern John Underwood's estate.

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.

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).

Ann M. Van Wart kept these 2 journals about her life in New York City in the early 1830s. She wrote about attending Episcopal church services, teaching Sunday School, and taking trips to northern New York and surrounding states.

Ann M. Van Wart kept these 2 journals about her life in New York City from August 11, 1832-January 31, 1834 (Volume 1, 144 pages), and February 2, 1834-March 13, 1837 (Volume 2, 117 pages). Each volume contains some regular daily entries, though she wrote less frequently over time; most entries are dated between 1832 and 1835.

Van Wart began her journal in Orange, New Jersey, where she and her parents were living in an attempt to evade the New York cholera epidemic. She returned to New York on August 28, 1832. In later entries, Van Wart, who traveled with her parents by stagecoach and steamboat, described visits to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New Haven, Connecticut; Orange, New Jersey; and towns in northern New York such as Albany and West Point. While in Philadelphia, she described the Fairmount Water Works, and one trip to northern New York included a visit to Mount Lebanon Shaker Village.

Van Wart noted her attendance at religious services, particularly at Christ Church in New York City, where she heard and reflected on sermons by Thomas Lyell and Aldert Smedes, and, on at least one occasion, Bishop Benjamin T. Onderdonk. Van Wart also wrote about her experiences teaching Sunday School, sometimes commenting on visits to pupils' houses. Her other social activities included visiting friends and family members and taking French and music lessons; in her entry of December 31, 1832, her twenty-first birthday, she mentioned having rejected a potential suitor.

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."

This diary chronicles the daily activities of Archibald Rhind, a Scottish immigrant, from March 17, 1834-July 31, 1839. Rhind owned and operated a farm in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, throughout most of the 1830s, and produced goods such as barley, potatoes, syrup, and alcohol.

This diary (approximately 300 pages) chronicles the daily activities of Archibald Rhind, a Scottish immigrant, from March 17, 1834-July 31, 1839.

The first 11 pages are manuscript copies of 4 letters that Archibald Rhind wrote in early September 1833, shortly after his arrival in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Rhind described his journey from Scotland to New York, his route from New York City to Northern Pennsylvania, and his first few weeks in North America. He also shared his impressions of the Erie Canal, American farms and laborers, and American notions of freedom (page 11).

Rhind began his diary (pp. 12-306) as he left Warren, Pennsylvania, for Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania. After establishing his farm, he frequently wrote about the weather and the progress of his crops and livestock, which included barley, wheat, potatoes, and sheep. He also remarked on tapping trees and refining the sap, distilling alcohol, and employing laborers, who included at least one Scottish immigrant and one African American. Though he focused on his farm work, Rhind occasionally described his travels, local events, and social activities. On January 29, 1839, for example, he remarked on hostilities between the local Congregationalists and Presbyterians. From February 15, 1837, to April 18, 1838, he recorded the birth, illness, death, and burial of his daughter Margaret.

The volume concludes with 8 pages of financial accounts (pp. 307-314) concerning Archibald Rhind's crops and payments to hired hands.

The collection consists of various papers of the Arnold family including civilian commentary on the War of 1812.

The high points of the Arnold family papers are the civilian commentary provided on the War of 1812 and an excellent 77 page journal kept by William Arnold during his journey from Rhode Island to Niagara Falls and Ontario in 1825. Arnold's journal includes a list of places visited, mileage, and a manuscript map of the Finger Lakes region. Also of interest is a detailed description of the reinterment of Oliver Hazard Perry in 1826, seven years after his death in Venezuela. The funeral was followed by a lavish party.

The Blake family correspondence is made up of incoming letters to Jonathan Blake of Warwick, Massachusetts, and New York City, and a smaller set of incoming letters to Blake's future son-in-law, Ephraim Lyon of New York City. Correspondents from New England and New York discussed daily life, education, religion, travel, and other topics.

The Blake family correspondence (140 items) includes incoming letters to Jonathan Blake of Warwick, Massachusetts, and New York City (around 115 letters), along with a smaller set of incoming letters to Blake's future son-in-law, Ephraim Lyon of New York City (around 15 items). Their outgoing correspondence makes up the remainder of the items.

Jonathan Blake's incoming correspondence, which is dated from 1825-1847, mainly consists of personal letters from his siblings and cousins, though he also received letters from other acquaintances. His family often provided news of their lives in Warwick, Massachusetts, and Northampton, Massachusetts, commenting on subjects such as education, local and family health, and religion. A brief group of letters between Jonathan Blake and his wife Mary in 1838, 1840, and 1843 concerns his attempts to persuade her to join him in Warwick, where he hoped to nurse his fragile health, though she did not wish to leave New York City. After 1847, the correspondence largely consists of incoming personal letters to Ephraim Lyon and Lyon's letters to Mary Blake before their marriage. His friends and family members reported on their social lives in Waterford, Connecticut, and on other subjects, and Lyon wrote to Blake about his romantic feelings for her and, in one letter, the possibility of moving to California to pursue his fortune (August 3, 1852).

This volume contains financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

This volume is comprised of financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

• Undated list of prices for animal skins, "Expences Coming to Pennsylvania," and "Expences at the quitting" (1 page)
• Chronological accounts (11 pages, February 1806-March 1806; September 1806-November 1806; and undated)
• Double-entry accounts (9 pages, February 1806-May 1806)

Several individuals, including Sidney Wells, Matthew Gibson, and Daniel Whipple, are represented in both chronological and double-entry records. Most entries pertain to skins from mink, muskrat, and martin, and to manual labor tasks such as cutting grubs, drawings logs, and rafting. Other accounts concern sundries, a knife, a watch, and "a Balance between Guns."

The volume contains 3 pages of notes and journal entries about the author's travels from Cambridge to towns in Pennsylvania (2 pages, February 1806-July 1806); and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Lansingburgh, New York, via New Jersey and New York City (1 page, August 1806). His notes refer to travel by land and water.

Two pages concern crops planted at Cambridge in May 1808, including potatoes, beans, cabbage, corn, peas, beets, and oats. The volume also has an 8-page list of names and numbers; drawings of a compass rose and geometric shapes; signatures of James Peters and Lydia M. Peters; a very rough sketch of an "apple machine" (apparently for coring or peeling and apple) below which is written the name "George Washington"; and page of manuscript sheet music for the "Duke of Halstein's March."

The Christopher Ripley collection is made up of four manuscript notebooks, which include diary entries, financial records, writings, and other entries about many subjects, including Ripley's life in Hartford, Connecticut, and Ogdensburg, New York.

The Christopher Ripley collection is made up of four manuscript notebooks (around 210 pages total) which include diary entries, financial records, writings, and other entries many numerous subjects.

Volume I (106 pages) largely consists of diary and journal entries dated 1802-1808. The earlier entries are predominantly philosophical musings, and later entries consist mostly of brief notes about sermons he heard from "Mr. Flint" in Hartford, Connecticut. The diary is followed by financial accounts, including some made at Ogdensburg, New York, in 1831. The volume has one page of notes about Kenyon College. Volume II (45 pages) is an account book with financial records related to travel in northern New York and personal finances (1841-1845). Volumes III and IV (about 100 pages and 35 pages, respectively) are commonplace books and collections of miscellany, including notes about religion, the California Gold Rush, the Mexican War, U.S. and international politics, steamboats, personal health, and other topics. They also contain poems, recipes for health remedies, genealogical notes, and lecture notes about "Blairs Rhetoric." Several blank sheets of lined and colored paper are enclosed in volume IV.