October was a busy month for the CHS manuscript catalogers. As part of our NHPRC grant funded project, we completed over 120 entries for the online catalog! Here are some of the highlights.

Three of the entries pertain to the Hartford Bridge Company (Account Book collection/Ms 32203,32205,32206) . CHS has a number of items from the Hartford Bridge Company, so while these particular lists of stock shares and tolls collected may not be the most exciting information in our archives,  the company as a whole could make an interesting research topic.

In the spirit of Halloween I will mention the Boston and Albany Railroad Co. Surgeon’s record (Ms. 36423).  This is a record of incidents occurring on railroad property.  Each entry contained the name of the injured individual, their position with the company, what happened,and where they resided (if they survived). Injuries reported included fingers being crushed, ankles being twisted, and more gruesome occurrences, such as bowels being torn open.

What happened in 1802 that caused many members of the Turkey Hills Ecclesiastical Society of East Granby to leave the society and join the Episcopal church? Perhaps the answer is among the Society’s papers (Ms. 100769). Dating between 1737 and 1910, the papers include meeting minutes, treasurers’ accounts, a record of admissions, births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, correspondence, statements of admissions and withdrawals,  documents related to inviting or dismissing pastors, warnings of society meetings, financial records, sales of slips and pews, and documents related to disciplinary actions taken by the society, including complaints, responses to allegations, confessions, and testimony.

Upon her 1862 graduation from the Hartford Female Seminary, Annie B. Wadsworth’s mother gave her an autograph book (Ms. 46297). A precursor to today’s yearbooks, Annie filled the pages with photographs of her Seminary classmates and gathered their signatures.

In 1845 Sarah Coit Day and her daughter Catherine traveled to the Brattleboro (Vermont) Water-Cure for treatment. Day kept a journal (Ms. 47047), writing about taking tepid baths, walking, the view of the Connecticut River, and other people who were also at the facility. Though not mentioned in the journal, the Brattleboro Water-Cure was attended by many well-to-do people, including Harriet Beecher Stowe and her sister, Catharine Beecher.

Just a quick update to a previous post… Rich, our fearless Head of Collections, sent along this bit of information regarding Solomon Porter:  Solomon Porter also became surveyor and and collector of revenues for the port of Hartford in the 19th C.  He was also engaged in the West Indies trade. We have a nice miniature of him in the collection, as well as one or two portraits of his lovely daughter Rebecca Porter Conner. By the way, he married his first cousin!

This Satuday, November 7, is the first Saturday of month. Here at CHS that means FREE admission from 9am to 1pm. Come visit! And while you are here, become a member!!

“…if I do get home alive I shall expect to see you in Hartford to see us when we land & when I come out to Manchester on the cars I shall expect to see you standing on the platform at Buckland with a little note for me with some little love message in it…”

Cpl. William L. Norton letter to Jennie E. Annis, March 25, 1863, MS 100767. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.

Corporal William L. “Willie” Norton, Company B, 10th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, missed his sweetheart. Jennie E. Annis was home in Buckland (Manchester), Connecticut.  Willie was fighting in the South with the Union Army. Recently CHS acquired two letters written by Willie to Jennie. The first was written in March 1863 from Island St. Helena, South Carolina,  and the second was written from Seabrook Island, South Carolina in July 1863.

In March Willie wrote about the snakes and lizards living on the island, as well as an alligator that was recently shot. He missed Jennie, and having lost her photograph, requested a new one.  As indicated by the excerpt above, Willie longed for his homecoming. Additionally, Willie reminds Jennie to send him the results of the gubernatorial election.

When Willie wrote on July 6, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg had ended three days earlier. “We have heard,” he wrote, “that [the Confederate troops] are within 15 miles of Philadelphia & that when the rebs advanced on Harrisburg the militia run without firing a gun! Shame on them.” He was obviously unaware of the entire story. He still missed Jennie, and continued to lament the loss of her photograph.

We do not know if Jennie was waiting at the Buckland platform, but Willie did return home to her. They married, and are listed on the 1880 census in Northampton, Massachusetts. When the letters returned to Connecticut last month they joined another item in the CHS collection, a history of Company B, 10th Regiment written by William L. Norton (MS 88894). Penned in 1884, the history contains extracts of letters from the Civil War years, including the two letters just acquired.

William L. Norton and Jennie E. Annis Norton are both buried at West Cemetery in Manchester, Connecticut. She died in 1885 at age 44. Willie lived until 1921, dying at age 79.

Many times a collection will come into the archives with duplicate materials. While we would like to keep everything, that is not always possible or practical. Most of the time we will keep a couple examples of the item, and discard the remainder. To be more specific, if a collection comes in with 50 copies of the same poster, we will keep two or three. This allows us to study and learn from the piece, but also to conserve space.

Earlier this year I cataloged the records of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (MS 86607, 2.5 linear feet).  Incorporated in 1950, the papers reflect activity until 1965.  The collection contains papers and records compiled by the UNESCO officers, including the chapter’s treasurers, secretaries, and chairmen. Other items include membership lists, UN Day program material, a variety of UN/UNESCO publications, account books, and copies of the by-laws.

Since 1948 the United Nations has celebrated UN Day each year on October 24 (you may visit the UN’s web site to learn more about this year’s activities).  Posters were printed for one of the celebrations in the early 1950s. The Greater Hartford group had many left over, and they had been kept among the records over the past 50+ years.  As I alluded above, I kept a few of the posters, and discarded the rest. I also kept one for the bulletin board in my office.

UN Day Poster

The poster is very representative of life in the United States during the 1950s. World War II had brought patriotism to a peak. The flag in front of the family was something to be proud of. The men who had gone off to protect our country, were now back at home protecting their families. It was a time when everyone was thought to be the same. Families, such as the one in the poster, were buying houses in the suburbs and consumer products to fill the houses. Sadly, this was also a time of segregation. If a poster were printed today, promoting freedom, peace, and security of the United States, it is very likely the poster would feature the ethnic diversity of our nation. Obviously, the 1950s poster did not.

Are there any school children reading this? Here is a trivia question for you. How do we know, just by looking at the poster, that it was printed before 1959? Post your answer as a comment to this blog! Need a hint? Think about where President Barack Obama grew up, and where Sarah Palin was governor.

This is a question I am asked routinely by family, friends, and co-workers. Admittedly, I often struggle to come up with something more profound than, “Uh…um…you know, stuff.” I encounter great material every  day, and it is so hard to remember all of it! The larger collections are usually easier to recollect, simply because they can be discussed more broadly. Many times, though, some of the most original pieces are found in the smaller collections.

Such was the case today as I started working on the Solomon Porter papers (MS 62050, 0.25 linear foot, 1 box). Solomon Porter was born in Windsor in 1753. He later moved to Hartford where, in 1782, he married Rebecca Dodd. The earliest papers date from 1783, when Porter was working as a merchant with his father, Nathaniel Porter. I found three pieces that were different than I have seen before.

A traveler, perhaps one of the Porters, journeyed to Boston and made several stops along the way. This piece demonstrates that not only did the traveler make multiple stops along the way, but he chose to stop at different places on the way home from Boston than on the way there.

The Porters sold a variety of goods, including musical instruments. Who knew that instructions for German flutes were so popular. The list suggests they had 48 copies! Most often I read of merchants selling staples such as wheat and sugar. Not too many are selling bassoons!

My favorite for the day is a 1792 order for a backgammon table, clothes, and “print of an angel descending with a child.” The buyer wants to make sure the coat binding they receive will match their clothes, and has therefore attached five samples to the letter, with wax.  There are so many things about this piece I enjoy, and if I were teaching, I think this piece could provide young students with so many lessons. Among other things, I would love to show the wax seals and refer to it as 18th century Scotch tape.

In September 2008 CHS embarked on a two year, NHPRC grant funded, project to catalog a backlog of 900 manuscripts and account books. Today, 13 months into the project, we have been able to create and add more than 600 catalog records to our online catalog.

Some of the highlights from the past month include the Morgan-Geer-Gallup papers, the Thomas Knowlton account book, New Haven Woman Suffrage Association record books, and the Gennaro Capobianco papers.

The Morgans, Geers, and Gallups were families in the Norwich and New London areas of Connecticut. There was much intermarriage, and tracing the family lines became increasingly confusing! One interesting piece is a notebook filled with dance instructions. (Ms. No. 17964)

Captain Thomas Knowlton is considered the United States’ first intelligence professional. He was the namesake for Knowlton’s Rangers, a unit which made a significant contribution to intelligence gathering during the early Revolutionary War. This account book details information about the men serving with Knowlton. One young man sent half his pay home to his mother. (Account Book collection)

There are, in my opinion, far too few woman suffrage collections available. The New Haven Woman Suffrage Association records include the group’s constitution, membership lists, meeting minutes, and press clippings. (Ms. No. 55712)

Gennaro Capobianco was a newspaper editor, funeral home director, security guard, and advocate for all things Italian.  His papers are organized into eight series: Personal Papers, Family Papers, Italian-American Societies & Organizations, Connecticut/Hartford General Organizations, Historical Documents, Italian-American Culture, “Our Roots” Project, and Research Material.  This collection was processed over the summer by one of our fabulous volunteers, Robert. Robert volunteered at CHS for a year after graduating from college and before heading to Simmons College’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science. (Ms. No. 100476)

All of these collections are open to research.

Looking for something to do on Saturday October 3? Come to CHS for a Civil War reenactment!

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, in her book Good Wives, uses the term “deputy husband” in describing one of many roles a woman assumed as a wife.   Sarah Butler was acting as a “deputy husband” when she gave her consent to William Gaylord to propose marriage to her daughter Hope.  A remarkable letter written by Sarah Butler recently came into our possession and has amazed all of us by its uniqueness.

Sarah Stone married Thomas Butler of Hartford, Connecticut and with him had 13 children.  By 1688, Thomas was dead and she still had children at home, including her youngest, Hope.

She responded to a letter from a kinsman of William Gaylord,  in which he expressed William’s desire that she provide her “approbation or allowance” so he could “treat” with her daughter Hope “in order to an agreement of marrying”.

In her April 16, 1701 letter, she writes “I have considered of the motion and have looked up to God for direction and commendation of the man concerning his peaceable disposition & your hopes of grace & also something concerning his advantage for maintenance in this life.”  These were concerns a father would surely have had for his daughter, particularly the man’s ability to support a wife. In this case, however, Sarah had to take charge.

Sarah gives her consent in this letter, and a year later William and Hope were married.

Sarah Butler letter, 1701 April 16. Ms 100711.

William Mortensen was born in Hartford in 1903, the son of Danish immigrants. He attended Antioch College in Ohio and took classes at the Hartford College of Law.  For 40 years Mortensen managed the Bushnell Memorial Hall. Upon his retirement, well-wishers included Carol Channing, with whom he had posed for a photograph when the actress performed at the Bushnell. Additionally, Mortensen served as Mayor of Hartford (Republican), a State Senator, and as a member of several other boards and committees. Mortensen earned honorary degrees from Trinity College and the University of Hartford.

Among the many types of papers found within this collection, which is finally being cataloged thanks to our NHPRC-funded grant, are life records, audio recordings, photographs, diplomas and awards, deeds, wills, financial records, diaries, and correspondence from family, friends, and co-workers. The correspondence particularly demonstrates Mortensen’s longtime association with the Seaverns family. The Bushnell Memorial was the brainchild of Mary Bushnell (Hillyer) Seaverns and her mother, Dotha (Bushnell) Hillyer. Mrs. Seaverns’ husband, Charles Frederick Taft Seaverns was President of the Bushnell and worked with Mortensen for many years. Mortensen also maintained friendships with the Seaverns’ son Appleton and grandson Charles.

Mortensen and his first wife, Alice, began the William and Alice Mortensen Foundation. The Mortensen’s gave generously to local non-profit organizations, including the University of Hartford and Hartford Public Library. Mortensen died at his Old Saybrook home in 1990 at age 87. He was survived by his second wife, Trice.

William H. Mortensen Papers and Records, 1922-1990.  Ms 98235

One of the largest collections cataloged for our grant project was the Stonington selectmen’s records, 1792-1903.  The collection, measures 30.25 linear feet (61 boxes) and dates from the entire 19th century, the bulk of the records are from the 1880s and 1890s. Earlier records, from the 1820s, have yielded names of colored people (a term often used to refer to Native Americans) and Negroes living in town. Later records detail purchases of groceries for the poor, schoolhouse expenses, and labor for highway repairs. Each month the selectmen would submit their bill to the town, complete with all their receipts. Earlier submissions were entirely handwritten, but by the 1880s the majority of the documentation was written on pre-printed forms.

Among the more interesting discoveries was that supplies for the poor were divided among the five voting districts, with the second district receiving the most assistance. Also, dog owners were fined if their dog killed or injured a sheep.  By 1890 the fine for this offence was up to five dollars per sheep.

Also of interest are many bills for town residents enrolled at the Connecticut School for Imbeciles and those receiving services at the Connecticut State Hospital. There are several mentions of town residents being treated for small pox. A list, compiled during the Civil War, provides the names of substitutes drafted to serve in place of Stonington residents.  MS 70293

Herman Katims, and his wife Miriam Lapin Katims,  were pianists and composers who lived for many years in the Rowayton section of Norwalk, Connecticut. The couple each had several pieces of music published. The collection contains copies of their copyright registrations with the Library of Congress. Copies of their songs, including “Caprice and Fuge”, “No Longer” and “Knickerbocker on Parade” can be found as well. The bulk of the papers are manuscript musical compositions, most without any provenance.  We hope a person with more music knowledge than any one on our staff has can help us identify some of these pieces.  These manuscript compositions are found in both spiral notebooks and loose pages. Family photographs are also included. In 1935 Herman Katims performed in Carnegie Hall. Oversized items in the collection are a poster from the Carnegie Hall performance and additional music scores. Miriam Katims taught piano lessons to local students. The couple also owned their own music publishing company, The Lyric Music Company, which they operated out of their home.

Herman Katims Music Collection, 1930-1980, MS 94883.

Although small in size, the collection of Noah Scovell shipping papers, 1768-1812, is filled with some fascinating information.  The collection consists primarily of correspondence and bills and receipts of a Saybrook, Connecticut, ship captain and shipowner and his son. Letters discuss such topics as trading in the West Indies and Portugal, purchasing anchors in New London and New York City, and the purchase of a figurehead in New York.  Bills and receipts reflect the same items–shipping and trade, anchors purchased from Lamberton Cooper and Peter Spencer, and ordering a woman’s figure as a figurehead.  The figurehead information is probably the most unique.  For those who like ship building, there are specifications and other documents concerning the construction of the Ship Northern Liberties.  To round out this collection, there is personal and business correspondence of Noah Scovell, Jr., with letters to his mother, father, and brother Lewis.  This is only one of several collections we own documenting the work and life of Scovell and his son.  He would make a great topic for an article in a historical publication.
Ms 60072