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

The Isaac Bonsall journals is a four volume collection documenting three missionary journeys of Bonsall in 1803, 1806, and 1823. The journals describe the Society of Friends missionary outreach to the Indians of western and northern New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and document the vast network of Quaker communities that he encountered throughout this region.

The Isaac Bonsall journals consist of 4 volumes (234 pages total) documenting three missionary journeys of Bonsall in 1803, 1806, and 1823. Volume 1 is 41 pages covering from September 9-October 18, 1803; Volume 2 is 45 pages covering from September 17-30, 1803; Volume 3 is 93 pages with a list of the trip's expenses on the back page, covering September 2, 1806-January 19, 1807; and Volume 4 is 55 pages with a list of the trip's expenses on the back page, covering July 12-November 17, 1823.

The journals describe both the Society of Friends missionary outreach to the Indians of western and northern New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and the vast network of Quaker communities that Bonsall encountered throughout this region. Each journal contains detailed information on the terrain covered, daily miles traveled or the day's activities, the number of houses and housing stock in each town or settlement visited, the quality of the soil or productivity of local crops, Friends Meetings attended (always noting the size of the gathering, the quality of the participants, and occasionally the matters discussed), and the names of the Quakers, Indians, and lodging owners that his traveling group encountered. In addition to providing insight into early 19th Century Quaker-Indian relations, Bonsall's accounts provide a snapshot of the development of many burgeoning centers in what was then the western regions of America and Lower Canada over these years.

The first and second journals cover the dates September 9-October 18, 1803, and September 17-30, 1803, respectively and describe the same missionary journey from Pennsylvania, through western New York, up to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and the trip back to Pennsylvania. For this trek, Bonsall traveled on horseback with two other men: Isaac Coats and James Wilson; all three were agents of the Philadelphia Society of Friends under the appointment of the Yearly Meeting Committee of Indian Affairs. Their charge was to visit the Seneca Indians and the Quaker missionaries living with them, to report on the progress of the missionary work, and to convene with the Seneca chiefs to inquire about establishing additional Quaker settlements close to the reservation at Geneshunguhta.

The group arrived at the first settlement of Indian cabins on September 17 (vol. 1, p.6). Soon after, they stayed at the Quaker's settlement located near Geneshunguhta on the Allegheny River, just north of the Indian Chief Cornplanter's property. The Indians there were eager to meet the visitors and to show appreciation for the Quakers' efforts (vol. 1, p.10). The following pages include transcriptions of the speeches given by the Quakers, Cornplanter, and other Indians on the current Indian-Quaker situation and suggestions for improvement. The Quakers were interested in expanding their missionary presence by buying 692 acres of property that adjoined the reservation from the Holland Land Company and sending additional Friends to settle the area. The Indians seemed generally satisfied with the current situation and valued the Quaker's generosity and good advice that led them to stop drinking "spirituous liquors" (vol. 1, p. 29). However, they requested an additional plow, yoke of oxen, and various farming tools as additional aid. They also requested that the Quakers take a few of their boys back to Philadelphia to train them in modern agricultural practices. Throughout the recounting of the speeches and description of the meetings, Bonsall included notes on eating and smoking, and detailed various improvements made to the town, including house construction, decorations such as glass windows and curtains, and clothing (vol. 1, p.24).

The group left for the next reservation on September 27 and visited some Delaware Indians on the 29th (vol.1, p.29). Over the next five days (September 31-October 4th) they traveled on to Lake Erie and Niagara Falls, which "fed the eyes greedily" (vol.1, p.31). On this leg of the journey they stayed with Chief "Young King" Sachem and Red Sachet of the Six Nations and crossed into Canada where they found a small garrison of British soldiers. Bonsall described the falls: "rising to see the great and stupendous Works of Nature for the Sight of which some have crossed the mighty Ocean...it being awfully grand and sublime beyond what art could effect the Pencil delineate or Tongue or Pen describe" (vol.1, p.34). On October 4, they started the return journey, on which they attended various Friends Meetings (vol.1, p.35) and met Jacob, an Indian Blacksmith, who seemed to have taken to the industrious Quaker lifestyle. "Jacob wears his Trowsers yet and we hope will keep to them and is a sober industrious fellow -- he informed us that none of their People used Wiskey that the Chief would not allow of it" (vol. 1, p.36). They traveled through York (the capital of western Canada), by Canandaigua, where they saw some large and elegant houses, and followed the Susquehanna, staying with generous Friends along the way.

These two journals share much of the same language and content and are likely either based on a common set of notes taken during the journey, or, possibly one is an earlier draft of the other. Language in the journals, as well as the relative scarcity of corrections in both volumes, suggest that they were written after the journey. Though similar, each text contains large passages of unique content. The entry for September 29, 1803, in volume two, for example, contains an extended passage in which Chief Flying Arrow asked the Quakers if they kept slaves. It also mentions that the Chief's daughter is "a modest good looking Woman" (vol.2, p.40). These two notes are missing from volume one. Likewise, the first volume contains passages not found in the second. Of note is a thorough description of the Seneca Indian's dress and housing stock (vol. 1, p.24-25). A close reading of both versions is necessary in order to construct the most complete account of the journey.

The third journal covers Bonsall's journey from September 2, 1806-January 19, 1807, when he and fellow Quakers Holliday Jackson, John Philips, and Nicholas Waln, Jr., traveled to the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Tonawanda Seneca, revisiting many of the settlements and reservations of the 1803 trip.

The group started off from Bonsall's home in Uwchlan, Pennsylvania, and by September 9th had arrived at the first Indian Settlement at a town called "Cold Springs," close to Geneshunguhta. They found the community greatly improved (vol. 3, p.3). Bonsall is particularly impressed with the roads built by the Indians which were "remarkably well executed and would be well worth the attention of the frontier white inhabitants" (vol. 3, p.3). The group met with Cornplanter on September 14 and entries from the next 5 days include transcriptions of a series of Quaker and Indian speeches, which describe the changes to the community and note the current dynamic of Quaker-Indian relations (vol. 3, p.4-37). Of interest is a discussion between Chiefs and the Friends about how the money raised to benefit the Indians by the Quakers had been spent on various tools, construction, and missionary projects (vol. 3, p.20-25). On September 16th, Bonsall complained of the lack of a reliable interpreter (vol. 3, p.26). In general, however, Bonsall was pleased with the reservation's increasing industry and economy. He noted that he felt his work had not been in vain, and described visiting different tribes and leaders. This journal also contains a transcription of a "Letter from the Committee" to the Seneca Nation; the letter encouraged a continuing commitment to sobriety, a basic statement of Quaker philosophy, and appealed to them to love and know the Christian God (vol. 3, p. 31-33).

The group next traveled to the town of Erie, New York, which Bonsall described at length (vol. 3, p.41). They continued their travels and on October 4th reached the eastern edge of Ohio, where they joined a large 60-family meeting (vol. 3, p.46). As they traveled deeper into Ohio, Bonsall continued to note trees and soil quality, town sizes, and meetings attended. On October 19th, he met the family of his deceased wife Mary Milhouse, which was a happy occasion for all involved. The next major episode concerned the new Ohio constitution, which mandated militia participation for its citizens, a conflict with the Quaker tenet of non-violence. The group received instructions on how to lobby the State Congress at one of their "four Monthly Meeting[s]" in Concord, Ohio, on October 20th (vol. 3, p.52-54). By December 4th, they arrived at Cincinnati to meet with Governor Edward Tiffin and various prominent congressmen (vol. 3, p.78-81). These meetings went well and the politicians were sympathetic to the issue; they seemed eager to defend the Quaker's religious liberties.

The group started the return journey on December 8th, and on the 21st, again stayed with Bonsall's brother Edward Bonsall in Short Creek, Ohio. There they attended a "Meeting which was very large and an opportunity wherein the peculiar regard of heaven was signally manifest by the the [sic] breaking of bread and distributing to the multitude" (vol. 3, p. 84). On January 19, 1807, the group returned to Philadelphia, having traveled 1950 miles. Expenses for the journey are tallied on the back of the journal.

The fourth journal covers the period from July 12-November 17, 1823 and documents the journey made by Isaac Bonsall and his wife Ann Bonsall through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Indiana. Bonsall described meetings with Quaker groups and visits with Indians on their reservations. As in his previous journals, Bonsall described towns, trees, and soil quality, but, for this journey, he also regularly noted the quality of the roads and turnpikes and frequently complained about traveling conditions. The couple traveled by carriage, which needed a number of repairs along the way.

Early in their trip, Bonsall described the coal mines of western Pennsylvania and the series of dams along the Lehigh River used to transport the coal from the mines to Philadelphia. Bonsall marveled at the extent of the coal operations and reflected that "It is supposed the Coal cannot be exhausted" (vol. 4, p.4). On July 22nd, the Bonsalls reached Friendsville where they attended a small, solemn meeting (vol. 4, p.7). July 23, they arrived at the flourishing town of Ithaca, New York, and the next day traveled on to Waterloo, New York. Here he briefly described the keel boats and steam boats that navigated the Finger Lakes (vol. 4, p.8). By July 26, they had reached the Erie Canal, "called by some of the Dutch Clinton's big ditch" (vol. 4, p.9). In the next few pages, he described more locks, bridges, and canal structures in the area. On the 30th, they traveled to, and described, Rochester, New York, which was just then blossoming as a town, though it had only a small Quaker population (vol. 4, p. 12). The Bonsalls also toured the Rochester Cotton Manufactory which was "worked by water[;] most of the work was done by Children and young Women[,] the weaving entirely by the latter and about 3000 yds were wove per Week" (vol. 4, p.14). A few pages later, Bonsall noted population and business information from a recent "census of the Village of Rochester taken in the 7th Mo" (vol. 4, p.17). He was particularly impressed because "in 1812 no Village was here" (vol. 4, p.18).

By August 2nd, the Bonsalls arrived at Lockport, New York, and he is surprised by how much the town has grown and developed in the past two years, largely because of construction of the Erie Canal. He listed the number of new inhabitants and even detailed new professions (physicians, lawyers, mechanics) that the village boasted (vol. 4, p.15). Over the next several pages, Bonsall discussed recent construction efforts of the Erie Canal, including the use of dynamite to blast through solid lime stone. On the 4th, they set out for Niagara Falls and passed through Lewistown and Queenstown, and entered into Canada. This was Bonsall's third time viewing the cascades, but the first for his wife (vol. 4, p.19). The following day they followed the Chippewa River and finally reached a Delaware Indian Reservation by the 8th (vol. 4, p.23). Bonsall, however, was not impressed with their progress. Tensions between the missionaries and Indians were immediately apparent: "one of the Indians very freely stated to us that the reason so little was done might be ascribed to the attempt to place a Missionary among them and the adherence of a number of their People to their Missionary system which had produced great divisions among them" (vol. 4, p.24). Though many children were learning how to read, spell, and sing, some families still "lived much in the state formerly practiced by them prior to any attempts at Civilization" (vol. 4, p. 25). Other families, nevertheless, were obviously more industrious and kept apple orchards or a yoke of oxen and "knew very well that our council to them was good" (vol. 4, p.26). A few Indians reported that they were indeed following the Friends example and abstaining from drink and working hard.

On August 9th the Bonsalls returned to travel and reached brother Edward Bonsall's house near Salem, Ohio, on the 12th. They stayed in this area for the next ten days during which time they toured the area, noted how it had changed since 1814 (the last time Bonsall was in the area), and attended various Friends meetings (vol. 4, p. 27-33). Though they traveled further west to Canton, Ohio, attending Quaker meetings and lodging with fellow Friends, by the 28th they were again staying with Edward Bonsall.

From September 7 through 12, the Bonsalls kept busy attending the Friends Committee's Yearly Meeting at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, after which "a number of Friends concluded it was the best yearly Meeting they had ever had" (vol. 4, p.32). They left Mount Pleasant on the 13th and, by the 24th, had arrived in Waynesville, Ohio, for a monthly meeting of Miami. While in the area, they explored what is now known as Fort Miami, an "ancient fort of fortification the banks of which were raised a considerable height and had every appearance of having been effected at a very remote period by the labour of Man with Tools not found in America upon its discovery by the Europeans...[it is] considered the works of Man acquainted with the civil arts at a former distant period of the world" (vol. 4, p.41).

On the 26th, they arrived in Cincinnati where Bonsall's son Joseph lived. Their next stop was Richmond, Indiana, where they attended a large public meeting and stayed until October 10th, after which they headed back to Columbus, Ohio, the first leg of their return journey (vol. 4, p.46). By November 14th, they were almost to Philadelphia (vol. 4, p.53). The entire trip, Bonsall estimated, was 1874 miles "performed in 5 days over 4 months" (vol. 4, p.54). The final page contains a list of expenses for the trip.

The Hopkins family papers contain wide variety of materials relating to the Hopkins family of Vermont and California. A few of the wide variety of topics covered include the Episcopal Church, student life at the University of Vermont, the 1849 Gold Rush and 19th-century life in California, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, art, and music.

The Hopkins Family papers document the activities of several generations of the Hopkins family of Vermont and California, whose members included prominent 19th century artists, musicians, religious figures, and writers. Among its notable figures are John Henry Hopkins (1792-1868), the first Episcopal bishop of Vermont; John Henry Hopkins, Jr., best known for writing the song "We Three Kings"; and Caspar Hopkins, a writer, early explorer of southern Oregon, and miner and entrepreneur during the California Gold Rush. Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the Hopkins family was the wide extent of their collective talents and experiences. As a result, their collection touches on numerous historical subjects, including the Episcopal Church, the insurance business in California, shipping, Vermont in the 19th century, California during and after the Gold Rush, gothic architecture, classical and religious music, education, and family life during the 19th century. Spanning 1800 to 1932, and comprising four linear feet of material, the collection contains a huge variety of material, including correspondence, documents, printed matter, drawings, manuscript and printed music, photographs, broadsides, pamphlets, monographs, periodicals, and maps.

The Correspondence series contains approximately 400 incoming and outgoing letters, spanning 1824 to 1932, with the bulk concentrated in the years between 1830 and 1890. Caspar Hopkins contributed the largest number of letters to the collection, writing approximately 25%; followed by his brother, John, Jr., (15%); his mother, Melusina (10%); his wife, Almira (5%), and his father, John, Sr., (5%). Caspar wrote frequent letters to his wife and family, and they document many stages of his life, such as his 1849 voyage to California via Mexico and his participation in the Gold Rush as a speculator and businessman, his exploration of the Umpqua River in southern Oregon in the early 1850s, and his career as president of the California Insurance Company in the 1860s through the 1880s. His Gold Rush letters in particular contain incisive comments on the miners he encountered and on their way of life. On October 14, 1850, he wrote a letter to "Friend Clarke," describing frontier conditions, the attitudes of settlers, and the habits of Native Americans in the Klamath River Valley. Many letters also discuss religious and intellectual matters, two areas of interest for Caspar.

Bishop John H. Hopkins' letters span 1831-1866 and contain a great deal of advice to Caspar, as well as his thoughts on religious matters, the Civil War, family affairs, and many other topics. In a few early letters written to Caspar when he was a young man, John described his views on the raising of children and gave advice on being successful (December 11, 1850); he lamented Caspar's lack of interest in the ministry as a career (February 20, 1851). Other letters by the bishop touch on the satisfaction of worship (August 17, 1854), contain pro-South speculation as to the causes of the Civil War (May 28, 1861), and mention his upcoming golden wedding anniversary with Melusina (March 10, 1865). In a letter of August 10, 1866, John addressed Caspar's growing skepticism toward organized religion, urging him to return to the church "to which you and your dear family rightfully belong," despite its "earthly" defects. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., wrote several dozen letters, primarily concerning his experience as a member of the clergy, touching often on pedagogical subjects which ranged from arguments on why Lincoln was a bad president to theological discourses, some even written in Latin. On February 25, 1844, he wrote a particularly good description of student life at the University of Vermont, and bemoaned the "inveterate practice of loafing into each other's rooms in study hours" and "lolling on each other's beds." The Hopkins women are also well-represented among the letter-writers. Melusina Mueller Hopkins, the wife of Bishop Hopkins, wrote numerous letters to Caspar, which include biographical information about Caspar's siblings and father, as well as other family news. Others female writers include Amelia Muller (Melusina's sister), and Caspar's sisters Caroline Hopkins Canfield and Matilda Hopkins Camp.

The Bishop Hopkins' Sermons and Pastoral Letters series contains ten manuscript sermons (including one fragment), two printed sermons, and two printed pastoral letters. The manuscript items note the various dates on which Hopkins read them before his congregation; he frequently performed them multiple times between 1824 and 1862. The printed sermons and pastoral letters all date to the period of 1850-1855. They touch on numerous religious and scriptural themes and shed light on the Episcopal Church in Vermont and Hopkins' own views on morality, the meaning of life, and the role of the church. Many additional items written by Hopkins are housed in the Book Division, and listed under "Additional Descriptive Data."

The Caspar Hopkins' Writings and Documents series contains one linear foot of material, dating from Hopkins' college years (1845-1847) to the end of his life in the 1890s. Containing both manuscript and printed items, it includes four subseries. The General Writings subseries consists of 24 items, including essays that Hopkins wrote for classes at the University of Vermont, several plays, and articles that he wrote on topics as diverse as divorce law, happiness, American government, and the insurance agency. The second subseries, Berkeley Club Writings, contains 16 manuscript essays that Hopkins wrote between 1873 and 1889 for presentation to the social and intellectual organization, the Berkeley Club. They pertain to such topic as evolution, agnosticism, religion in public schools, and marriage and divorce. The Autobiography subseries consists of three copies of Hopkins' self-published biography, written in 1889, which provides biographical information and insightful commentary on himself and various other members of the Hopkins family. The final subseries, Documents, includes three documents relating to Caspar Hopkins dated between 1873 and 1893: a publishing contract, a printed petition, and a will.

The Printed Matter and Clippings series contains miscellaneous printed items related to or collected by members of the Hopkins family, dating ca. 1850 to ca. 1940. The series comprises printed playbills and concert programs, newspaper articles relating to members of the family, and other printed material. It also includes an undated phrenology chart for Caspar Hopkins. Two printed broadsides in this series are housed in the Graphics Division. For more information, see "Separated Materials" under "Additional Descriptive Data."

The Genealogy series contains manuscript and printed information on various lines of the Hopkins family, gathered primarily in the early 20th-century.

The Music series includes manuscript and printed music played or written by various members of the Hopkins family. Among the many items of interest are a volume of music written by Bishop John Hopkins; a set of scores written and copied by Caspar Hopkins while in California, 1861-1865; and two ca. 1800 books of German songs belonging to the sisters of Melusina Mueller, Charlotte and Theresa.

The Art series contains the drawings, sketches, watercolors, and hand-colored botanical paintings produced by Bishop John Hopkins, his mother (Elizabeth Fitzackerly), and his children. Included are six volumes of drawings and watercolors by the bishop, which depict scenes he encountered while traveling in upstate New York in 1825, gothic churches, landscapes, and human hands. Of particular note are nineteen large plates from Hopkins' 1834 Vermont Flower Book, nine of which his children hand-painted, as well as a letter from William Bayard Hopkins, laid into the volume, describing their habit of working together around the dining room table. Also of interest are botanical paintings by Hopkins' mother, Elizabeth Fitzackerly, dating to the late 18th- or early 19th-century.

The Photographs and Maps series includes approximately 50 photographs of various members of the Hopkins family, including John Hopkins, Sr.; Melusina Hopkins; Caspar Hopkins; John Henry Hopkins; Jr.; Frances (Hopkins) Hinckley; William Bayard Hopkins; and various family groups, landmarks, and homes. Formats include cartes de visite, cabinet cards, tintypes, and a glass plate positive. Also present are two large views of San Francisco shortly after the destruction of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The collection also includes three maps, housed in the Map Division. They include an 1849 sketch of San Francisco by Caspar Hopkins; a map of Penobscot County, Maine (ca. 1900); and one of the Union Pacific Railroad and its rail connections (1872). For more information, see "Separated Materials" under "Additional Descriptive Data."

This collection is made up of approximately 160 items related to the Hillard family and Low family of New York and Boston, including correspondence, documents, photographs, poetry, ephemera, and pamphlets. Family members wrote around one-third of the approximately 110 letters and typescripts, as well as 35 pages from a letter book, while living and working in China in the mid-1800s. Other letters and additional materials concern the families' social and business lives in New York and Massachusetts throughout the 19th century. The families were related by marriage.

This collection contains approximately 155 items related to the Hillard family and Low family of New York and Boston, including correspondence, documents, photographs, poetry, ephemera, and pamphlets. Family members wrote around one-third of the approximately 110 letters and typescripts, as well as 35 pages from a letter book, while living and working in China in the mid-1800s. Other letters and additional material concern the families' social and business lives in New York and Massachusetts throughout the 19th century. The families were related by marriage.

The Correspondence series contains the following subseries: Manuscript Correspondence, Edward Low Letter Book, and Low Family Typescripts.

The Manuscript Correspondence subseries contains around 100 items related to the Hillard and Low families. "Caroline," a friend of Harriet Low, wrote letters to Harriet in New York City from Macau, China, in 1834 and 1835. Caroline commented on aspects of her life abroad, such as William Napier's arrival from Great Britain and the difficulty of having goods shipped from the United States. Other early correspondence includes personal letters between members of the Low family, who often wrote from Boston about family news and their social lives.

Francis (Frank) A. Hillard wrote 25 letters to his parents and siblings between June 1844 and July 1846, including 2 while traveling onboard the ship Honqua and 23 while living in Canton (now Guangzhou) and Macau, China. He described many aspects of his everyday life and of his career as a merchant, and provided detailed accounts of scenery, people, customs, and local news. He also commented on his experiences as a foreigner living abroad. After returning to the United States and settling in Brooklyn, New York, he corresponded with his brother Oliver, to whom he wrote approximately 30 letters between 1847 and 1853. Frank discussed his mercantile career and social life, which included interactions with members of the Delano family. The bulk of the correspondence ends in 1853.

Abiel Abbot Low wrote 4 letters to his wife Ellen on June 12, 1841, and from June 28, 1845-August 21, 1845. In his first letter, he described his travels in northern New York along the Erie Canal. Low's letter of June 28, 1845, pertains to his transatlantic voyage to Manchester, England, on the Great Western: he discussed his fellow passengers, his leisure activities on the ship, and his reunion with his sister Harriet and her children. The final 2 items (August 16, 1845, and August 21, 1845) concern Low's life in New York City after his return from England; he provided news of acquaintances and briefly mentioned the possibility of war with Mexico.

The subseries contains a letter Frank received from his brother Oliver, who provided news of United States politics (June 9, 1846), a letter from a girl named Hattie to her mother that mentions a sermon by a "Mr. Longfellow" [1864?], and a letter and membership card from the New York State Woman Suffrage Association sent to Mary Loines (September 21, 1895).

The Edward Low Letter Book is comprised of 35-pages of retained copies of letters that Low wrote to various family members, including William Henry and Abiel Abbot, while living in Macau, China, from May to September 1842. He discussed his life and work in China, as well as the Chinese economy and current events.

A group of Low Family Typescripts contains 12 letters exchanged by members of the Low family between 1829 and 1841, accompanied by a table of contents and a letter about the original material, dated 1935. The location of the original letters is unknown. Harriett Low wrote the first 9 letters between 1829 and 1834, while traveling in the Pacific and living in Macau, China. She told her mother and sister of her life onboard steamships and about her loneliness, caused by separation from her family in the United States. The remaining 11 letters include items by Frank and William Henry Low concerning their travels to China and around the Pacific region. They also commented on financial affairs.

The Documents series has 2 subseries: Legal and Financial Documents (5 items) and Passports (2 items). Included are an indenture between John Hillard, Harriet Low, and Seth Low (November 1, 1836); 4 receipts (August 1894-March 9, 1896, and undated); and passports for John Hillard (1842) and George Stillman Hillard (1859). Each passport is housed in a leather wallet.

The Photographs series contains 3 cartes-de-visite of Samuel Stillman and Rebecca Allen Stillman, as well as 3 card photographs of George Stillman Hillard.

Poetry and Other Writings (10 items) are comprised of 3 small poems, including one Francis A. Hillard wrote for his brother Oliver; 1 long poem entitled "The Tale" (27 pages); a preface and notes concerning the preparation of a work on the Low family papers; 3 loose pages and 1 packet of notes; and a 2-page prose draft.

The Genealogy series holds a 25-page document with genealogical information about the Hillard family and associated families.

Printed Items are divided into 3 subseries. Printed Ephemera (4 items) includes an illustrated envelope for the company Fritz and Dean, a business card for John B. Hillard, an image of George S. Hillard, and a bookplate for items bequeathed to the Massachusetts Historical Society by James Savage. The Currency (13 items) was all issued in North America between 1770 and 1780. Three of the four published Pamphlets were written by George Stillman Hillard between 1843 and 1852. The final pamphlet is a copy of "A Clipper Ship and Her Commander" (1924).

This collection is made up of 7 letters that George Franklin Lee of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote to his father, wife, and son while traveling in 1844. He described the scenery, towns, and people that he encountered along the Ohio River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Illinois River, and Great Lakes.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that George Franklin Lee of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote to his father, wife, and son while traveling through in 1844. He described the scenery, towns, and people that he encountered along the Ohio River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Illinois River, and Great Lakes.

Lee's letters (approximately 20 pages) are dated from April-May 1844. He wrote 4 letters from St. Louis and Independence, Missouri, and 1 letter each from Chicago, Illinois; Buffalo, New York; and Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. Lee traveled by river steamers, including the Valley Forge, Lexington, Jasper, Panama, Bunker Hill, and Emerald. He reported the names and populations of cities and towns he passed and visited, and often compared them to northeastern cities. He occasionally encountered migrants headed west.

While in Missouri, Lee visited Indian agents and spent time with the Shawnee and Kickapoo Indians, noted the denominations of local religious missions, and described some aspects of Native American life. He also responded to news of his family's health, mentioned his business affairs, and commented on riots in Philadelphia. On his return journey from Missouri, Lee traveled on the Great Lakes, where he saw Mackinac Island and Detroit, Michigan, and Cleveland, Ohio. After reaching New York, he visited Niagara Falls, where he hiked behind one of the waterfalls and discussed English customs in Canada. One letter includes an engraving of the Cathedral of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri (postmarked May 11, [1844]).

Warren F. Perkins, Jr. ("Frank") wrote 36 letters to his parents in Providence, Rhode Island, while traveling and working in Canada, the Midwest, and New York from 1904-1906. He commented on his life and work in Chicago; Saint Louis; Topeka; and Kokomo, Indiana, and also discussed his travels to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis and his work on a houseboat in and around the state of New York.

Warren F. Perkins, Jr. ("Frank") wrote 36 letters and postcards to his parents in Providence, Rhode Island, while traveling and working in Canada, the Midwest, and New York from February 21, 1904-July 15, 1906. In his first letter, Perkins discussed his attempts to find work in Chicago and the strike-related violence he witnessed there (February 21, 1904). In August and September 1904, he traveled to Toronto and Niagara Falls before settling in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he first stayed at "Camp Lewis," a tent city. While living in Saint Louis, Perkins and his companions occasionally visited the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and traveled to the surrounding area. He complained about inflated prices resulting from the exposition, described his accommodations, and discussed his series of blue-collar jobs. His letter of October 16, 1904, contains a sketch of his boarding house.

In November 1904, Perkins left for Topeka, Kansas, where he considered further travel to Omaha, Nebraska (November 28, 1904). By December, he had returned to Chicago, where he again reported on labor disputes, striking workers, and a contentious mayoral election in early 1905. In May 1905, Perkins wrote to his family from Kokomo, Indiana; he drew a map of Kokomo in his letter of May 30, 1905. A final group of 7 letters pertains to his time working on a houseboat in upstate New York and around New York City in June and July 1906. He described the boat and commented on his experiences on the Erie Canal, on the Hudson River, and in New York City. Perkins reached Connecticut by the time he wrote his final letter on July 15, 1906.

This collection is primarily made up of letters between members of the Washburn family of Worcester, Connecticut, including Massachusetts governor Emory Washburn, his wife Marianne, and their children Emory, Charles, and Marianne. Emory Washburn also wrote letters to various individuals during his time as a professor at Harvard Law School.

This collection is made up of around 125 letters between and to members of the Washburn family of Worcester, Connecticut, including Massachusetts governor Emory Washburn, his wife Marianne, and their children Emory, Charles, and Marianne. The bulk of the collection is comprised of love letters that Emory and Marianne Washburn wrote to each other during their courtship and marriage (1830-1851). Many of Emory Washburn's letters were addressed to Marianne in Walpole, New Hampshire. They corresponded about their social lives, family news, and travel in New England and New York. Occasionally, they reported their recent activities, such as Emory's letter to his children about his visit to the Mayflower landing site in Plymouth, Massachusetts (December 3, 1844). Later items often pertain to the health and activities of their children, and the collection has a series of letters between Emory Washburn and his daughter Marianne. Other correspondence includes letters between the Washburn children, often enclosed in their parents' letters to one another. Emory Washburn also wrote a series of later letters to various acquaintances during his tenure at Harvard (1859-1875).

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this volume around the 1890s. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec.

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this journal from approximately 1893-1896. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec. The volume contains 200 pages, not all of which are used.

Wilcox wrote a 2-page introduction on June 2, 1893, intending to record details of his life for friends and family to discover after his death. In approximately 43 additional pages of prose, he wrote about his courtship with and wedding to Clara Stuart, his early years in New York City, numerous hunting and fishing trips in northern New York, and a summer vacation in New Hampshire and Québec. Two of the accounts describe a salmon run and an encounter with bears, and one pertains to a youthful prank. Some of the journal's watercolors, drawings, and sketches illustrate aspects of Wilcox's travel stories; most depict hunters, fishers, fish, rowboats, cabins, and woodland scenery. One pencil drawing utilizes shading to create the illusion of a nighttime view and appropriate shadows. Photographs include a picture of a man in a military uniform posing by a paper globe and paper cannonballs (possibly taken around 1917), studio portraits of an unidentified man and woman, a studio portrait of a man in his underwear, views of steamboats in a canal or lock, pictures of cacti in a desert, and a picture of hunters in a wooded area. Also present are interior shots of a shipping or similar commercial office and a man working in an enclosed office space, as well as street scenes. Two newspaper clippings concern E. E. Wilcox's use of shed human skin as a painting canvas and a painting he made as a young man.

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.

This collection is made up of the papers of five generations of the Dwight, Willard, Alden, Allen, and Freeman families of the East Coast and (later) U.S. Midwest, between 1752 and 1937. Around 3/4 of the collection is incoming and outgoing correspondence of family members, friends, and colleagues. The primary persons represented are Lydia Dwight of Massachusetts and her husband John Willard, who served in the French and Indian War; Connecticut mother Abigail Willard along with her husband Samuel Alden, who ran an apothecary in Hanover, New Jersey; Allen Female Seminary School alumna and teacher Sarah J. Allen; American Civil War surgeon Otis Russell Freeman; Presbyterian minister and temperance advocate Rev. Samuel Alden Freeman; and prominent public librarian Marilla Waite Freeman. The papers also include diaries and journals, writings, school certificates, military and ecclesiastical documents, photographs, newspaper clippings, advertisements, business and name cards, invitations to events, and brochures for plays and other performances.

The collection is arranged first by family grouping, then by material type. These series roughly reflect the arrangement of the collection when it arrived at the William L. Clements Library.

The Dwight-Willard-Alden Family Papers are comprised of around 250 items, dating between 1752 and 1884. One fifth or so of this grouping is predominantly correspondence between Lydia Dwight/Lydia Dwight Willard, her father, stepmother, siblings, husband, and sons, 1752-1791. These intermarried families were based largely in Sheffield and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The letters include discussions about mending and cleaning clothing; feelings about their father/husband gone to serve in the French and Indian War; putting up a monument to replace faltering graves; the return of Elijah and Col. Williams from the field on account of sickness; coming and going of soldiers; moral and practical advice; teaching and boarding young students during the war; settling into (“no longer free”) married life; the death of Bathsheba Dwight; the meeting of local men in private homes and the training of minute men in Stockbridge; the prolonged case of smallpox experienced by Lydia’s son in 1785; and news of John Willard, Jr.’s admission to Harvard.

The remaining four fifths of this grouping are largely incoming correspondence of Abigail Willard Alden (1771-1832) and her daughter Abigail Alden (1809-1854). Their correspondents were located in Stafford, Connecticut; Hanover and Lancaster, New Hampshire; Lunenburg, Vermont; and elsewhere. They begin with letters from siblings and parents to the newly married Abigail Willard Alden (ca. 1800); Samuel Alden travel letters to New York City; and news of a Stafford doctor named Chandler who had promised marriage to a woman and then fleeced her for $500 before fleeing to parts unknown. A group of letters regard pharmacy matters, the burning of Samuel Willard’s drugstore (January-April 1802), and the state of Anti-Federalists and Federalists in Stafford (1802). A large portion the letters include content on sickness and health, with varying degrees of detail, including several family members sick and dying from measles in 1803. Other topics include Hanover, New Hampshire, gossip on local premarital sex; a debate on whether or not to hire a black female domestic laborer; comments on a local suicide attempt; a young woman deliberating on objections to women spending time reading novels (April 10, 1806); and treatment by a quack doctor. These papers also include two diaries, poetry and essays, two silhouettes, genealogical manuscripts, and miscellaneous printed items.

The Allen Family Papers are largely incoming letters to Sarah Jane Allen prior to her marriage to Samuel A. Freeman (around 300 items), and from her father-in-law Otis Russell Freeman (around 60 items) between 1860 and 1865. An abundance of the letters were written to Sarah while she attended the Allen Female Seminary in Rochester, New York, and afterward when she lived at Honeoye Falls, New York. They include letters from her parents, cousins, friends, and siblings. A sampling suggests that the bulk are letters by young women attempting to eke out a life for themselves through seminary education, teaching, and domestic labor. Among much else, they include content on Elmira Female Seminary, New York state travel, and female friendship and support.

The Otis Russell Freeman letters date between 1862 and 1865, while he served as a surgeon in the 10th and 14th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers. He wrote about the everyday camp life with a focus on the health and sickness of the soldiers. His letters include content on the defenses of Washington, D.C., fighting at Cold Harbor and outside Richmond, Virginia, the surrender of Robert E. Lee, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and Lincoln's body lying in state at Jersey City. Two carte-de-visite photographs of Otis Freeman are present.

A diary kept by Sarah J. Allen began on the day of her marriage, September 26, 1865, documents her honeymoon to Niagara Falls. It ends in November 1865. The remainder of the volume is filled with recipes for baked goods, pickles, and other foods. The printed items include ephemera from Sarah Jane Allen’s tenure at Elmira Female College five issues of the Callisophia Society’s newspaper The Callisophia (vol. 1, nos. 1, 3-6; March/April 1860-January/February 1861), as well as a Catalogue of Books in Callisophia Library, December 1862.

The Samuel Alden Freeman Family Papers include approximately 300 largely incoming letters to Presbyterian minister S. A. Freeman, plus printed materials, ephemera, photographs, and bound volumes, dating in the 1810s and from the 1860s to 1880s. Correspondence of his second wife Olive dates from the 1810s in central New York. The collection includes letters to S. A. Freeman from his first wife Sarah, daughter Abigail Alden Freeman (1873-1925), and Sara Harriet Freeman (1879-1946). These materials include courtship correspondence of Sarah Jane Allen and S. A. Freeman. A considerable portion relates to Presbyterianism and at least one temperance society pledge sheet is present. Approximately 50 photographs, about half of them identified, are largely of Samuel A. Freeman and the Freeman daughters Marilla and Abigail. Among the printed ephemeral items are advertisements for programming at Corinthian Hall (probably Rochester, New York), items related to a Sunday School Association (including a printed broadside catalog of books at a N.J. Sunday School), and pamphlets on Presbyterianism. A medicinal recipe book from the mid-19th century and a commonplace book of poetry are examples of the S. A. Freeman family bound volumes.

The collection concludes with letters, photographs, ephemera, and printed items comprising the Marilla Waite Freeman Papers. Around 600 letters are largely incoming to public librarian M. W. Freeman from female educators and librarians. They discussed their profession, books, reading, and intellectual topics. A small clutch of letters, about three dozen manuscript and typed poems, and a dozen or more newspaper clippings, 1900s-1910s, comprise poet Floyd Dell’s contributions to the collection. Marilla also corresponded with poets and writers Margaret Todd Ritter, Robert Frost and Mrs. Frost, and Marie Bullock about public and private recitations and lectures. Examples of subjects covered by the printed materials include orations, educational/school/college items, library-related items, newspapers and clippings, fliers, women's clubs, New York City theater, the American Library Association, Poetry Society of America, poems by various authors, such as Ina Robert and John Belknap, visiting and business cards, and travel.

The Cushing family collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items pertaining to the family and descendants of Boston merchant Hayward P. Cushing.

The Cushing Family collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items pertaining to the family and descendants of Boston merchant Hayward P. Cushing, including his son, Hayward W. Cushing.

The Correspondence series (124 items) is primarily made up of incoming letters to Hayward P. Cushing, Maria Peirce Cushing, and Hayward W. Cushing. The first item is a letter to Betsy Barber in Epping, New Hampshire (May 9, 1790).

Hayward P. Cushing received personal and professional letters from family members and business acquaintances from 1828-1870. His brother Nathaniel wrote of his life in Brooklyn and Grand Island, New York, in the 1830s and 1840s; one letter concerns his journey to Grand Island on the Erie Canal (August 9, 1835). Jane Cushing, Hayward and Nathaniel's sister, discussed her life in Scituate, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century. Sophia Cushing, Hayward's cousin and his most frequent correspondent, reported on her financial difficulties, thanked him for his assistance, and shared news from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Hayward P. Cushing received letters from his wife Maria while she vacationed in Maine, and from his daughter Florence. His business correspondence includes a letter about the sale of the brig Ann Tyler (January 23, 1858).

Maria Peirce Cushing's earliest incoming letters are courtship letters from Hayward P. Cushing, her future husband. After the mid-1850s, he wrote to her from Boston, Massachusetts, while she vacationed in Scituate, Massachusetts, and Frankfort, Maine. He provided news about his life and their children. Maria's sister Caroline discussed her life in Bridgeport, Maine, and a cousin named Abby described her life in Boston. In the mid-1870s, the Cushings' daughters Florence and Jenny wrote to their mother about their courses, textbooks, and experiences at Vassar College.

The final group of dated correspondence consists of incoming letters to Hayward Warren Cushing, including news from Massachusetts medical organizations operating in the 1880s and a series of 10 letters by his wife Martha, who described her trip to Europe in 1928. She discussed her transatlantic voyage and Mediterranean cruise on the Canadian Pacific ship SS Empress of Scotland, as well as her experiences in countries including Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Egypt, Monaco, France, and England. She enclosed a postcard from Naples, Italy, in one of her letters.

Undated correspondence includes additional letters to members of the Cushing family, as well as picture postcards showing French surgeons, statues, and buildings.

The Journals and Notebooks series consists of 2 items. Florence M. Cushing kept a diary while visiting London from January 2, 1880-January 18, 1880. Her sightseeing excursions included trips to the British Museum, National Gallery, Windsor Castle, and Westminster Abbey. The notebook contains recipes, instructions, and scientific notes compiled by Hayward W. Cushing. Entries about building animal traps and tying knots are accompanied by explanatory illustrations. Other topics include medicinal formulas and chemistry, instructions for making types of ink (including invisible inks), and lists of items used on camping trips.

The Financial papers series is comprised of account books, receipts, and other records related to members of the Cushing and Peirce families.

• An appraisal of Hayward Peirce's estate in Scituate, Massachusetts, recorded in March 1827, with two sections listing the value of his personal property and transactions involving his land.
• H. M. Peirce's record of purchases, primarily of school supplies, from May 1834-April 1835. A printed notice about the estate of Silas Peirce is laid into the volume (May 21, 1920).
• Nathaniel Cushing's account book, pertaining to transactions with Nathan Cushing, from whom he primarily purchased groceries between October 1853 and August 1861.
• Hayward P. Cushing's account book concerns shares that he and Jane Cushing owned in railroad companies and banks (July 1849-July 1855). Additional financial notes relate to the settlement of related financial accounts.
• Account book recording Maria P. Cushing's investments and dividends (October 1870-January 1894); she received income from the estate of Silas Peirce, Sr., among other sources.

The Receipts, Checks, and Accounts (over 300 items) are arranged by person and company; each group of items is arranged chronologically. Nathaniel Cushing materials pertain to board, taxation, food, and other miscellaneous expenses. The Cushing, Hall, and Peirce documents concern financial affairs, including stock and bond investments. The group of items related to Hayward W. Cushing includes a large number of personal checks from many different banks, as well as additional accounts and documents. Among the financial papers related to Hayward P. Cushing is a receipt for Jane Cushing's board at the McLean Asylum for the Insane (December 31, 1869). The series contains additional accounts and financial records.

The Documents series (20 items) is made up of legal and financial contracts related to business partnerships, estates, and land ownership. The final item is an "Apple Pest Survey in Worcester County" for 1929-1931 (April 15, 1932).

The Drawings (3 items) are architectural drawings of methods for dropping masts (February 25, 1888), several floor plans (1919-1931), and an overhead view of an orchard (undated).

The Printed Items and Ephemera series includes 3 newspapers (1800-1864), 2 annual reports of the Boston Lyceum (1838 and 1840); a lecture by Benjamin Scott about the Pilgrims (1866); a reprinted love letter from John Kelly to an unidentified recipient (original 1817; printed in 1892); a group of check tickets from the Pullman Company; a printed calendar for 1870; a facsimile of The New-England Courant from February 1723; calling cards and invitations; and an embroidered piece of cloth.

The Genealogy series (14 items) consists of pamphlets, bulletins, newspaper clippings, and other items related to various members of the Cushing family from the 19th century into the early 20th century.