As I combed the shelves yesterday I found a slim manilla (very acidic and therefore harmful to collections) envelope bearing the name of Ann Frances Darling Ibbotson, and stating that it contained letters to her parents. It did indeed contain those letters, and a few other items as well. My initial reaction, though, was to be perplexed about the relation of the items to Connecticut.  Why do we have a collection of letters being sent from England to New York? However, it is this sort of mystery that makes this job exciting.

Following an afternoon of research, I figured out the Connecticut connections. Ann Frances Darling Ibbotson is a descendent of  the Ely family, who first settled in Lyme, Connecticut in the 1600s. Her father, Thomas Darling, is said to have been of New Haven and New York. Ann Frances and Henry Ibbotson were married out of her father’s New Haven house. Later, the Ibbotsons’ son, Henry William, married Lucy Matilda Cary and settled in her hometown, Portland, Connecticut.

Of the early letters (1832, 1833 and 1840), three describe life for Ann Frances, a bride in her husband’s native England. She obviously misses her family, and in October 1833 wrote to her mother,

Wherever we are, under every variety of circumstances in which we may be placed, ones thoughts naturally turn to home,_ the abode of our earliest friends with feelings of the liveliest affection: is it not so? I know my mother can, from her own experience, appreciate  my feelings, for doubtless after she was left in a strange country, altho among very dear friends, yet often, like me, did she long for the presence of her Parents, and in a thousand trivial matters to as a mother’s advice, and many a time the knowledge of what she approved determined her conduct.

She continues to share information about their travels and activities in England. In the same letter Ann Frances describes the reaction her black servant, Eliza, has been receiving.

She attracts great notice, and crowds gathered round her when she first went to chapel to look at the novel sight of a black woman, and many shook hands with her…Perhaps Eliza is more looked at on account of her appearing better dressed than the servants here, whose apparel is subject to the direction of their mistress.

I have not had time yet to completely read Ann Frances’ letters, but am certainly curious what other observations she has.

After 1833, the letters skip to 1840 when Ann Frances and her children have arrived in Brooklyn. Her next letter is written in 1882, from her home in Binghamton, New York, to her granddaughter Anne.

Aside from the genealogical connections, I was also able to connect these letters with items in our museum collections.

The CHS has two pairs of shoes and a pelerine owned by Ann Frances, including the pair she wore at her wedding on 23 July 1833. It is so great to be able to read Ann Frances’ thoughts on paper and also catch a glimpse of how she presented herself in public. Overall, we come away with a more complete image of this former Connecticut resident.

The shoes, pelerine, and Ann Frances (Darling) Ibbotson papers (Ms 71966) are open for research. A catalog record for the papers will be uploaded to our online catalog, HistoryCat, in early February. The shoes and pelerine may also be viewed on eMuseum. Come visit!

Gold Street after being widened (click to enlarge).

“But for you Gold Street would still be a blot on our beautiful city, and we all owe you a debt of gratitude. Now if those stables could go, there would be nothing to offend the eye when the street is finished.”

These words were written to Emily Seymour Goodwin Holcombe by Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt in June 1899 (Ms 66889). Mrs. Colt was responding to an invitation to be present at a ceremony that would be held on June 17th to mark the transfer of Gold Street land to the City of Hartford.

On February 5, 1895 Rev. George Leon Walker, pastor of Center Church, read a paper before the Connecticut Historical

Eastern end of Gold Street before widening (click to enlarge).

Society in which he recommended something be done to clean up the area around Gold Street and the Ancient Burying Ground.  As The Hartford Courant noted the following morning, “Few of the living of the present Hartford have ever set foot there or set eye there even. It is shut out from sight and it and its are forgotten.” An area such as that, the resting place of approximately 6000 citizens, deserved better.

The woman to take up the charge was Emily Seymour Goodwin Holcombe. A descendant of the founders of Hartford, Mrs. Holcombe was also Regent of the Ruth Wyllys Chapter of the

Western end of Gold Street (click to enlarge).

Daughters of the American Revolution. The work was done under the auspices of the DAR. In January 1897 Mrs. Holcombe and her committee appealed to the Court of Common Council, who passed the matter to the Streets Board. Soon after meeting with the Streets Board, the project was approved. Fundraising was swift and most of the money, almost $24,000, had been raised by October.

Even though the owners of the buildings on the north side of Gold Street were willing to sell, the destruction of those tenements did not begin till April 1899. Two months later, though, they were gone. The street had been widened, the cemetery cleaned up, and it was time to celebrate.

The Courant reported that the

dominant feeling of the great gathering ws one of gratitude that the shame of the old Gold Street, with all its uncanny and wicked associations, had vanished forever before the unremitting efforts of the women of the chapter and their friends, and that in its place there was a wide avenue, full of June sunshine, and that just where the line of the old rookeries backed up against Hartford’s precious but neglected God’s acre, there was the open of sweetness and light just tempered by the shade of a few trees that have withstood bad treatment and lived until their tall branches could once more drink in the warmth of the sun.

Bands played, speeches were given, and Mrs. Holcombe was presented with a cup for her efforts. The deeds for the property, purchased by the DAR, were formally presented to the City of Hartford.

Presentation of Gold Street deeds to the City.

In 1913 the Court of Common Council reserved space for Mrs. Holcombe’s own burial in the cemetery she worked so hard to preserve. She died at her home in Hartford on March 28, 1923.

Today, while gathering manuscripts to catalog, I found a patent issued to Isaac A. Bevin for an improved gong bell.

Patent for improved gong bell, 1866 October 9, Ms 73508. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

A great find during this holiday season, as Bevin makes all the bells for the Salvation Army. Clicking on the image will enlarge it, though it may still be difficult to read. All are welcome to view it in person. Come visit and research!

*My apologies if you have difficulty accessing the Courant article. You may have to log in to iConn with a Connecticut library card number in order to view it.

Report on the Dedication of Brainard Field, 1921, Ms 56776. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

The dedication of Brainard Field was held on June 11, 1921. It was an event that lasted the entire afternoon, beginning with a speech given by Hiram Percy Maxim, President of the Hartford Aviation Commission. Maxim stated that with the field in Hartford, “we have established an Air Port of the first class which opens the way into New England. Before this field was established, it was an adventurous air navigator who would attempt to enter New England. After leaving New York, the traveler by air was compelled to take his chances.” Brainard changed all that. Hartford would now be on the aviation map. According to Maxim, visiting U.S. Government authorities stated that Brainard was “one of the best in the country and only inferior to the military airdromes of the United States Army and Navy.” Maxim concluded by noting that the field was named for former Hartford Mayor Newton C. Brainard.

At 1:45 pilots gathered for the Hartford-Springfield Handicap Race. Lieutenant R. C. Moffatt, flying a De Haviland, won the event in 25 minutes, 35 seconds. For the race, “Planes shall leave on signal at 1 minute intervals and obtain an altitude of at least 1000 ft. before crossing the starting point. This altitude shall be maintained throughout the entire race making left-hand turn around Springfield Municipal tower until contestant reaches high tension wires south of Hartford Bridge. The finish may be made between 500 and 1000 ft.”

Report on the Dedication of Brainard Field, 1921, Ms 56776. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

The next event was bomb dropping. As explained in the report, “Each entrant shall be supplied with five dummy bombs which shall be dropped at target destinations from an altitude of not less than 500 feet. The line of flight shall be in a north to south direction. Each contestant is limited to 5 circuits.” It was won by E. P. Lott, flying a Curtiss J.N. 4C.

E. P. Lott had another victory in the landing contest. The report does not mention whether he chose option a) Straight glide from 3000 ft. over Travelers Tower to landing circle or b) Spiral from 2000 ft. directly over landing circle. They also had a seaplane landing contest, won by Lieutenant G. L. Richard in a Curtiss M.F., with a time of 19 minutes and 50 seconds. The seaplane contest had the pilots flying south toward the bridge in Middletown.

The next event of the day was aerial acrobatics. “Each entrant will be assigned a definite sector for stunting to which he will confine himself after reaching 2500 ft. Requirements: 1 loop; 1 Immelmann to right, 1 to left; 1 tail spin. Contestants can perform any other acrobatic feat. Minimum altitude 1500 ft. Do not re-climb.” Once again, E. P. Lott took first place. The day ended with Passenger Carrying.

Report on the Dedication of Brainard Field, 1921, Ms 56776. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

In compiling this report, James B. Slimmon, Secretary of the Hartford Aviation Commission, wrote, “We hope that in these pages your Honorable Court may find further indisputable evidence of the wisdom and foresight of your determination to establish and maintain the premier first-class municipal flying field in New England and one which can be made one of the best airports in America.”

Times have changed, but private planes still fly in and out of Brainard. After World War II commercial flights moved to Bradley Airport. Brainard is currently owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Two flight schools are located there, as is a restaurant.

This document is open for research. Come visit!

In my ongoing expedition through the miscellaneous boxes here at CHS, I continue to come across many an anonymous letter. Many are addressed “Dear Friend” or “Loving Mother” or not addressed at all. If they are signed, it’s usually with just a first name or something like “Your devoted son.”

Most of these letters aren’t terribly interesting, they may mention a relative’s health or travel plans or express how much they long to see the recipient. With little more than a first name to go on, it’s impossible to identify who the writer was in order to try and put it into some sort of context.

I generally make a few notes about each then add them to a growing “miscellaneous letters” folder. I figured the same would happen with a 13-page letter I found addressed “My dear and esteemed friend.” It was signed “James Garland, 1816″ which is more than I can say for half of the correspondence I find.

I began to read the letter and see if I could find any more to go on. Garland mentions leaving Connecticut and arriving back in England. Interesting… He also mentions his Admiral and crew. That must mean he was in the British Navy. My interest was now piqued. I felt it safe to assume he was probably in America fighting during the War of 1812. But he managed to make a friend in Connecticut he wanted to write to? I continued reading.

Garland goes on to write the world “… now was busier than ever preparing for a war on a scale larger than has ever been heard of before to crush the gigantic powers of the man whom no social or solemn contract could bind.” Hmm, 1816, preparing for war against one man, could he mean Napoleon? It would certainly fit. My eyes were now flying down the pages.

Garland goes on for a few pages about the death of his father and I figured no more mention of  “the man” would be made. He then writes of leaving Weymouth to board his ship docked at Plymouth in order to “blockade the French coast from Brest to Bordeaux” and my heart began to beat a bit faster. Garland identifies himself as a First Lieutenant and how Sir Henry Hotham tried to have him appointed Captain to no avail. It appears Garland was no lowly sailor. He says he sailed home from America on the HMS Superb. A quick search reveals that ship was commanded by Hotham and was present when Napoleon surrendered in July of 1815. This letter was getting better and better.

Keeping me in suspense, Lt. Garland digresses to talk about how much he misses the friends he made in Hartford and how much he loves the map of Connecticut he was given. Interesting, if only he would mention their names! The action picks up again on page 9 when Garland mentions Napoleon by name and how he “surrendered himself to the Superb and Squadron, then at anchor at Rochefort.” The next sentence nearly made me fall off my chair. “The following day, this wonderful man with his adherents breakfasted on board of us with our good Admiral.” Wow, I had found a letter written by someone who had watched Napoleon eat breakfast. And all this time, it was just sitting in a box.

Garland goes on to describe his impression of Napoleon and what happened aboard the ship. Fascinating is the only word I can use to describe what he wrote. Here’s a small sample.

To us he was most affable, most inquisitive and the most communicative-he spoke of all his battles and his plans with the greatest ease and familiarity. He is perfectly conversant in all subjects-political, moral [unintelligible] as well as military. He wished to know why we would not grant him a pass to America. He surmised ‘Did we suppose the Americans would put him at their Head for him to take Canada from us?’ We need not fear (he continued that, for he had finished his military [unintelligible] for ever.) ‘Books and friends were to be his future occupation.’

You can’t get more of a first-person primary source than what was in my hands. This is like discovering oil to a historian. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Garland describes showing Napoleon around the ship.

The map of Connecticut caught his eye,  at the instant he remarked it was unusually well executed and he did not think such a thing could have been done with you.

I can picture it all in my head. But so many mysteries remain unsolved. Who made the map? Who was the friend in Hartford? Why was Garland there? Garland asks the recipient to give his regards to the Hudsons and Goodwins and says he was grateful for Reverend Morgan’s blessing after his hearing. He also asks his friend about a monument to Superb midshipman T. B. Power who is interned in the Stonington churchyard. A search for James Garland on-line doesn’t reveal much, other than he was eventually promoted to Captain and was born in Weymouth in 1781.

I’m left with more questions than answers but that is part of the reason I love this work. The letter is now cataloged and available for viewing so someone else can come and read it and perhaps solve another clue.

This post does not do the full letter justice and if you would like to read it, come on down to CHS and ask to see MS 101310. It’s a trip back in time you’ll be happy you took.

Three years after Camp Fire was founded, in Vermont, it had made its way to Hartford. Louise Blair was a member of the Suckiag Camp Fire club. In a small notebook she recorded the law of the Camp Fire:

Seek Beauty
Give Service
Pursue Knowledge
Be Trustworthy
Hold on to Health
Glorify Work
Be Happy

These seven principles are represented among the pages of another notebook kept by Blair. Meeting agendas began with the Wohelo call.

Louise Blair Camp Fire records, 1913-1915, Ms 79896. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

The group pursued knowledge indoors and out, learning sign language, going on nature hikes, and similar activities. There was a heavy Native American influence, evidenced by the name of the group (Suckiag). Each girl was also given a Native American name. At periodic ceremonial meetings, the girls were rewarded for their efforts with beads, used to decorate their uniforms.

Louise Blair Camp Fire records, 1913-1915, Ms 79896. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

The beads were orange for home crafts, red for heath crafts, brown for camp crafts, green for hand crafts, blue for nature lore, yellow for business, and red, white, and blue for patriotism. Some activities were required, such as tying a square knot and opening windows (presumably for the health benefits).

The optional activities included walking 40 miles in 10 days, preparing eggs in four different ways, keeping notes on raising two families of birds, knowing ten city institutions, and making shirtwaists. Each girl’s accomplishments were noted, along with the corresponding bead she would receive.

Louise Blair Camp Fire records, 1913-1915, Ms 79896. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Blair typed up a report of the group’s activities in 1915.  Among other events, the report mentions a joint meeting with a Camp Fire group from South Manchester. We do not know what other towns had groups at the time.

When the author of this post participated in Camp Fire in Glastonbury in the late 1980s, it was still exciting to earn beads and patches. Our activities had changed somewhat, though. While we still took nature hikes and completed craft projects, I can’t imagine any of us knew what a shirtwaist was.

Camp Fire was present in Connecticut until the 1990s. Examples of Camp Fire uniforms may be found among the museum collections. Come visit and research!

Handwritten meeting minutes were kept in a notebook until 1940. They note attendance at the meetings, who should be included in the membership committee (two members of each class), those who would be arranging the annual assembly for the following year, and similar information regarding the running of the club.

In addition to the minutes, the collection includes financial statements, and a bank book, covering much of club’s existence. Dues were $1 per family each year. This money covered the cost of rentals for gang gatherings, frankfurters, ice cream, and, especially as time went on, bouquets of flowers for families of members who passed away. Additional items in the collection are an address book with member names and addresses, newspaper clippings about gang activities, and correspondence. The gangsters who contributed the most to the collection were Mrs. Grace Kilby, J.W. Tyroll, Raoul W. D’Arche, and William J. O’Brien.

By 1947, the number of remaining classmates was dwindling, their ages ranging from 76 to 85. The gang disbanded that year, donating the remainder of their treasury to the Newington Home and Hospital for Crippled Children (later the Newington Children’s Hospital and now part of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center).

The date of the photo below is not certain, but obviously was taken  in the hey-day of gang activity.

South School gang group photograph, Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT (click to view larger image)

South School was later named for its principal, Chauncey Harris. According to Google Maps, a Chauncey Harris Park remains in the area of the school, in the block bordered by Buckingham Street (N), Park Street (S), Hudson Street (E), and Wadsworth Street (W).

This collection is open for research. Come visit!

I am sure I have written this before, but stumbling upon documents like this is part of the reason I love my job. This letter, the rest of the collection, and many others are all available for research. Come visit!

Lewis Hazard was born in Winchester, Connecticut, about 1840. He enlisted in Company G of the 29th Regiment on January 5, 1864, describing himself as a farmer living in  Glastonbury, Connecticut. This particular letter was written from Beaufort, South Carolina, on May 20, 1864, to his mother Louisa who was living in New Hartford, Connecticut.

First page of a letter from Lewis Hazard, May 24, 1864, to his mother, Ms 101259.

The letter reads, without any spelling or grammatical changes, in part,

“my Dear mother, i now take my pen in hand to Let you kno that I am as well as usal and bill is to and i must say to you that i am rdused [reduced] to the ranks [from corporal] and i Like my persisian [position] much better i am as i must say to you that the privates get the same pay as the oncomissioned officers do and i think that i had rather be a private for the oncomissioned officers have it heard [hard] to be running hear and there on gard and so on first corpral of the gard one day and corpral of the perleise [police] the other and so it keeps you A going and they say that Richmond is taken [untrue] we got the news yesterday the 19 teenth and the battries fired their cannons and the artilary fired to and they say General Butler took it with 12 thousands Blacks and yesterday we sined the pay rolle for 700 dollers from the Government and they say the state of connecticut is to pay us 600 and that will make us 13 dollers . . .”

Lewis was killed in action near Richmond on October 27, 1864.

We have a large collection of letters and diaries from Connecticut men who served in the Civil War. You can check our web site at http://www.chs.org/finding_aides/kcwmp/index.htm to read a description of some of our collections, or check our library catalog and eMuseum databases on our web site http://www.chs.org to see what other materials, including more diaries and letters, as well as photographs, uniforms and military accouterments that we have available for research.