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1 volume

This diary contains personal reflections and stories from the life of James Shields Coon, a lawyer who practiced in Salem, New York, before the Civil War. Coon commented on contemporary political issues, life as a lawyer, and his family; he noted the births of his three children, reflected on the deaths of family members, and kept some genealogical notes about his family.

This diary (approximately 178 pages) contains personal reflections and stories from the life of James Shields Coon, a lawyer from Salem, New York. The volume opens on July 1, 1840, with a three-page dedication statement devoted to Coon's reflections on the historical record. Coon wrote his first entry on July 3, 1840, as he sought treatment in Albany for ill health. He kept entries fairly regularly throughout the next few months, and described a trip to New York City in July; there, he stayed with his uncle's family, relaxing and taking in some of the local atmosphere while he recorded his impressions of the city. After his return to Salem, he mentioned a series of fires, possibly a case of arson, that ravaged the town, and wrote about his daily life.

In many entries, Coon commented on contemporary political affairs; he devoted five pages (November 2, 1840, and November 18, 1840) to the 1840 Presidential election, which he believed would be of great historical significance. He also described a debating club meeting about slavery, which led to a three-page entry in his diary (January 11, 1841). After beginning his legal education in April 1841, he wrote less often, but continued to reflect upon his personal life, career, and current events; on May 11, 1846, for example, he wrote of his marriage to Jane Clegg. As his entries became less frequent, he began to concentrate more on the deaths of families and friends, and he described several funerals throughout the 1840s. Toward the end of the diary, he focused on the births of his three children, their birthdays, and his devotion to his family. In the final entry, dated July 13, 1858, he mourned the death of his youngest son, Charles.

Additional material in the journal includes two poems, a four-page list of books Coon read and studied, and genealogical records of the Poole and Coon families.

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41 items

This collection consists of 41 letters between members of the Beattie family of Salem, New York, including 24 letters that John C. Beattie sent to his wife while working at Clinton Prison in Dannemora, New York, during the Civil War.

This collection consists of 41 letters between members of the Beattie family of Salem, New York, including 24 letters that John C. Beattie sent to his wife while working at Clinton Prison in Dannemora, New York, during the Civil War.

John Beattie's letters home pertain to his daily experiences at Clinton Prison, and he reported on prisoners and conditions within the institution. He reported news of his sons, both members of the Union Army, and occasionally commented on current events, such as his wish that John Wilkes Booth had been hanged or burned at the stake rather than shot (April 27, 1865). In a letter to his sister Martha, Robert Beattie mentioned his enlistment in the "Salem Company" and his preference for enlistment over the draft (August 3, 1862). The remaining correspondence is made up of letters by members of the extended Beattie family and the family's acquaintances.

0.25 linear feet

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 result in this collection