Colchester & Chatham Turnpike

In the 19th century, turnpikes were private business corporations with stockholders and directors. They built and maintained roads in particular areas in exchange for the right to collect fees from travelers. In 1809 a group of men from Colchester, Connecticut, gathered to create a turnpike company. The road was geographically divided into 100 shares sold at $66.00 each and there was a total of 60 stockholders. The Directors were Henry Champion, Lemuel Storrs, John Isham, John R. Watkinson, Jabez Comstock, Samuel Wetmore and Jesse Hurd.

Two volumes of records of the Colchester & Chatham Turnpike were recently donated by a descendant of the last clerk to serve the company. The books are in excellent condition and the handwriting remains very clear. The details in the account book, although it is entitled dividends, illustrates how much time and labor was needed to build and then keep the road in repair. It appears that if the road passed through a gate, the the gate owner collected a fee from the company. Everything came down to money. I know there are more interesting tidbits just waiting to be discovered.

The first page of the minute book of the Colchester & Chatham Turnpike Company lists the directors. Ms 101701.

The most remarkable thing about these record books is that they document the entire life of the company, from its founding in 1809 to the day in 1856 the directors voted to sell the company’s assets. Such complete documentation is rare.

First page of the by-laws of the turnpike company. Ms 101701.

Decorated furniture

I have looked through all sorts of account books kept by furniture makers, but I have yet to find an entry that indicates anything like inlay. Maybe they used a different term? What a shame I couldn’t find anything, since the last in our summer furniture series will include a demonstration of inlay by Steve Latta. The lecture/demonstration is scheduled for Friday, August 17 at 6:00 pm. at the CHS.

Instead of inlay, I looked for other forms of decoration in the account book of Solomon Cole of Chatham, Connecticut, 1794-1809. In 1800 he painted eight dining chairs yellow for John Hale. For Thomas Hunt he made a bureau with swelled brackets (1802). In 1807 he made Thomas Stevens 6 fan-backed chairs in black, with ornamentation. He also made at least two candle stands with beading and  painted cradles, blinds, bedsteads, chairs (at least three orders were for yellow and blue and several sets of “ornamented”) and chests.

In reading through Cole’s account book, I was struck by the man’s versatility–he made scythes, whiffletrees for wagons and carriages, made and painted sleighs, repaired broken tool handles, and made the occasional coffin. One also gets from the entries the types of furniture a household would not want to be without, such as arm, rocking and dining chairs, bureaus, breakfast and dining tables, and candle stands. So, although I did not find any evidence of inlay, I learned a great deal about the social and economic life of Chatham in the early 19th century. Time well spent, I would say.

You may see Solomon Cole’s account book at the Research Center. Ask for Ms 72771.

Results!

Barbara and I have been cataloging our backlog for close to four years now. We are on our second, two year grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). I have lost track, but I believe our goal for the first grant was to catalog 900 manuscripts and account books. We surpassed that goal by over 1100! As of today we are at 2940 for the second grant. The grant period ends in August and I am fully confident we will manage to get the last 60 records – and probably more – done by then.

I am rarely in the Research Center reading room, but am filling in today. I have already pulled several manuscript collections, for researchers visiting today, that I know have been cataloged as part of this project. It is so fabulous to see results from all of our work. We are so grateful to the NHPRC for providing the funding.

What does this all mean? When you search our online catalog, you can find more collections about the people and places of Connecticut than ever before. Additionally, just about everything in the catalog is available for YOU to research. Visit our website for our hours, and come visit!

 

May in the Archives

This was a month of commonplace books and account books for me.  Account books, particularly large, leather-bound volumes, often attract an audience.  A few weeks ago, carrying several large volumes, I walked past a school group and watched the eyes of one young girl open wide at the sight. Interns and volunteers peer over at the account books sitting on my desk for cataloging, wondering what secrets they hold.  Every now and then I need to remind myself how unusual and magical an anonymous farmer’s account book can be.  Working with them on a daily basis, it becomes so easy for me to classify them as “boring” and move quickly toward a volume that, if nothing else, at least has an owner’s name.

One set of account books that stood out this month was owned by Rev. George Carrington of Hadlyme, Connecticut. Carrington kept three meticulous account books of his family’s income and expenses while he served as a pastor in Hadlyme. In addition to listing the charges, Carrington provided explanations for most of his expenses, or descriptions as to how the transaction came about. Charges include food, clothing, taxes, and donations to mission organizations. He received income from the church, as well as from selling books and boarding students. The volumes contain several unique entries, one of which being that Carrington performed the marriage of  Amasa Day to Ursula M. Gates. Day’s house still stands and is a museum operated by Connecticut Landmarks. Carrington paid a colored woman, Olive, to do the family’s laundry in 1839. He also noted purchasing a small basket from a black woman. (Ms 74169)

George Carrington Account Books, 1837-1843, Ms 74169. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Most of the commonplace books I encounter contain black and white newspaper clippings. E.P. Rogers’ account book, however, contains full color fruit and vegetable labels. E. P. Rogers kept a general store in New London, Connecticut. The collection consists of a ledger and two daybooks . The ledger contains little detail, but corresponds with the entries in the later daybook (1853-1857). The earlier daybook was also used as a commonplace book and includes labels for vegetables grown in New York and Maine, such as Onondaga Tomatoes and Yarmouth Sugar Corn. There are also numerous black and white articles and drawings. Rogers & Co. sold a variety of food and household goods. (Ms 74303)

E. P. Rogers & Co. Account Books, 1853-1857, Ms 74303. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Barbara has been concentrating on new acquisitions lately, but did work on a few unique collections, including the North Consociation of Hartford County records. The North Consociation was an association of ministers from throughout Hartford County. The collection contains correspondence and minutes of Ecclesiastical Councils held at individual churches to ascertain a candidate’s fitness for the ministry, to dissolve a church’s relationship with a pastor, and to consult on church discipline. Councils met in the parishes in the towns of Avon, Barkhamsted, Bloomfield, Bristol, Burlington, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Hartford, Manchester, Simsbury, South Windsor, Suffield, West Hartford and Windsor. (Ms HartColl 24)

Those of you who regularly follow this blog are aware that this cataloging project has been funded by a two-year grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The grant period will end in August, but we are quite pleased to announce that the NHPRC has awarded us another two-year grant. Our goal, by 2012, is to have entries for all our manuscripts and accounts books in our online catalog. Many, many thanks to the NHPRC for making this possible!

The collections mentioned above, and many others, are available for research. Come visit!

April in the Archives

This past month found Barbara cataloging many, many sermons. There are too many to list,  but if you are looking for 18th or 19th century religious writings, definitely search our catalog. If you need any help, never hesitate to contact us (regarding sermons or any of our other research material).

Another collection with a religious aspect is that of Rev. Philemon Robbins (1709-1781) of Branford, Connecticut. The collection primarily contains writings, notebooks, sermons, and correspondence of the Robbins, his son the Rev. Ammi Ruhanah Robbins (1740-1813) of Norfolk, Connecticut, and their close family members. Correspondents include Lazarus LeBaron (1698-1773), the Rev. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), and Irene Robbins (1746-1800). The papers contain Philemon and Ammi’s corpus of sermons, school notebooks, several astral and solar drawings and tables, Church Records from the First Congregational Church (Branford, Conn.) in 1760, and a musical score entitled “Nineteenth Century L.M.,” attributed to the Rev. Thomas Robbins (1777-1856). Also included is an account of a shipwreck that Ammi’s son Chandler Robbins (1738-1786) survived off the coast of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1786, and several letters written between Ammi and his wife Elizabeth [LeBaron] Robbins (1745-1829) while he was serving in the military as a Chaplain in Col. Charles Burrall’s Regiment, Schuyler’s Brigade in the Canadian campaign during the Revolution. (Ms 100829)

It seems to have been the month for Robbins family collections. Though a small collection (0.5 linear foot), several generations are represented in the papers of John Robbins (1716-1798) and his wife Mary Russell Robbins. The collection begins with John’s probate papers. It also includes papers of Frederick and Mehitable (Wolcott) Robbins, Frederick Robbins, Jr., Horace W. Robbins, Philemon Ames, Eunice Ames, Franklin Robbins, Ashbel and Elizabeth Ann (Rutledge) Robbins, Philemon Frederick Robbins, Philemon Wadsworth Robbins, and Harriet Elizabeth (Cook) Robbins, and Clarinda Robbins (a cousin). These papers include probate documents, correspondence, last wills and testaments, deeds, promissory notes, and invitations. The family’s venture into the purchase of land in now what is known as Old Saybrook, Connecticut is represented with several property deeds, a stock certificate for The New Saybrook Company, and two maps of New Saybrook (published by the Kellogg & Bulkeley Co.). The maps portray great development and expansion in the town. An interesting piece of Frederick Robbins’ (1756-1821) is a notebook he kept on breeding and planting cycles. The papers of Harriet Elizabeth Cook Robbins include genealogical research on the family. For further details, please see the catalog entry. (Ms 100846)

Rounding off Barbara’s collections is that of  George Hall. Hall was a merchant in Savannah, George and New York City. His collection consists of correspondence, accounts, bills, receipts, insurance documents, deeds, and bills of lading. The correspondence is both personal (from his brother who is sometimes in Hartford, Connecticut) and business related and includes loose items as well as letter books. Hall & Hoyt, one of his partnerships, engaged in the slave trade. They were also merchants sending cargo, including cotton, to Liverpool and Amsterdam. The financial records include accounts with various vessels, bills of lading, freight bills, and customhouse bills. Needing more research are deeds of wharf lots and land in Effingham (Georgia?) in 1835 and deeds for land in New York State. Hall also was heavily invested or was a partner in the Savannah Steam Saw Mill, for which many bills and receipts exist. One bundle of papers is identified as belonging to Henry Hall and is dated 1811-1816. (Ms Hall)

My collections this month were primarily smaller account books. Though they may not contain as much information as larger collections, I do enjoy working with the more unique ones. The Bristol & California Co. was formed in Bristol, Connecticut, in December 1848. Their purpose was mining gold in the Sacramento River Valley of California. The volume includes their articles of incorporation and the treasurer’s accounts.

Bristol & California Co. account book, 1848-1849, Ms 72657. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Most of the anonymous account books I encounter are farmers, merchants, or blacksmiths. Finding an undertaker was unusual. This particular tradesman worked in Griswold, Connecticut. The records contain the name and age of the deceased, location of the funeral, place of burial, to whom the services were billed, and additional services, such as sewing, flowers, and flags. The volume contains 655 entries. (Ms 72849-10)

Undertaker's account book, 1884-1895, Ms 72849-10. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Lastly, it is always great to find papers kept as they were by their original owner. Benanuel Bonfoey‘s leather pocket book contains receipts and a small account book. The receipts include store purchases, carding wool, attendance at a hospital, and a school bill. The account book records shipyard work. Bonfoey lived in Haddam, Connecticut. (Ms 72053)

Benanuel Bonfoey Pocket Book, 1796-1822, Ms 72059. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Please visit and research with us!

Joshua Leffingwell

Joshua Leffingwell, a native of Hartford, Connecticut, seems to have enjoyed wintering in a warmer climate. Leffingwell was an architect and builder in Hartford. According to the Leffingwell Record (a genealogy published in 1897), Joshua and his brother, John, built a number of buildings, including the Hartford Bank, Center Church, and the Old State House.

When not involved in the large projects, Joshua Leffingwell constructed houses, disassembled them, and shipped them to Trinidad. He then spent the winter reassembling them on that sunny, warm, Caribbean island. Sounds great!

There are several mentions of this enterprise in Leffingwell’s diary and account book. In the image below, Leffingwell has detailed his travel back to Connecticut from Trinidad. The journey, he notes on the bottom of the page, took 32 days.

Joshua Leffingwell diary and account book, 1805-1808, Ms 73124. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Later in the volume, Leffingwell recorded his labor as a house carpenter during the winter months. John Munro, who is listed as the debtor, was his employer, and is mentioned many times throughout the volume.

Joshua Leffingwell diary and account book, 1805-1808, Ms 73124. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT

Numerous recipes and household remedies have been entered in the volume. Some are directly written in, others are sewn or pinned in. Most are handwritten, though others are from newspapers. Among the various entries are a “receipt to make a beautiful and lasting white-wash,” a remedy for curing an inflamed cow, recipes for seasoning sausages, Washington Cake, and keeping meat in warm weather. The recipes shown below are for Queens Cake and Potato Pudding.

Joshua Leffingwell diary and account book, 1805-1808, Ms 73124. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford CT

As always, this volume is available for research. Come visit!

Using Census Data

I admit to being very disappointed when I read my Census form earlier this week. It certainly accomplishes its goal of counting the people, but will offer little else to future researchers.

I use the census data from 1790-1930 on a daily basis. Often I will have an account book with little identifying information. On the inside there may be a notation such as, “John Smith, His Book.” Where did John Smith live? Many times I can determine the town, or at least the county, by searching the census for the names of others listed in the book. The more information I am able to add to my catalog records, the better I am serving my library’s patrons.

Recently I was working on the account books of Franklin A. Camp and his son, Franklin I. Camp. Among the clues about the family was a stamp on the inside of one of the volumes:

Camp family household account books, 1888-1937, MS 69136. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.

It would have been easy to assume the Camps lived in Waterbury. However, there are many mentions of Meriden throughout the volumes. By searching the census I was able to confirm family’s residence was Meriden, not Waterbury. Franklin A. Camp had many notations about the International Silver Company. The 1900 census confirms that he was a bookkeeper for the company. The 1930 census shows us that Franklin I. Camp was indeed in sales, though no longer in stationary and office supplies (click to enlarge images).

This is just one (and not even necessarily the best) of many examples I could share illustrating how the census regularly assists me as I catalog materials. I’m sure the Census Bureau has their reasons for shortening the form, but I hope they will consider expanding it again for 2020.

Teazles

Teasel: 1. A plant of the genus Dipsacus, comprising herbs with prickly leaves and flower-heads; esp. fullers’ teasel, D. fullonum, the heads of which have hooked prickles between the flowers, and are used for teasing cloth (see 2); and wild teasel, D. sylvestris, held by some to be the original type, but having straight instead of hooked prickles.
~Oxford English Dictionary (online)

Archival practices have changed over the years. No longer is it acceptable to put a sticker directly on an account book, as we find far too often here at CHS. However, had the sticker on the cover of Ira Wells’ account book not informed me of the contents, I’m not sure I would have picked up on the several mentions of teazles (as he spelled it).

Ira Wells (1783-1857) was a farmer in East Windsor, Connecticut. His account book dates between 1833 and 1869. It was most likely it was taken over by his son, Hezekiah Lathrop Wells (1819-1899), after his death.  In the account book he mentions many crops with which we are still familiar, such as potatoes, apples, corn, and oats.  As you can see from the images below, Ira Wells and the people who worked with him were also active in growing, buying, and selling teazles, a crop unfamiliar to most of us.

Buying teazles from Mr. Watson, October 13, 1835. Ms 65725.

These two pages show all the work that went into the teazle crop. April - September 1834. Ms 65725.

Wells seems to have continued growing this crop for a while. Entries in the spring of 1844 show that he was still weeding the teazles, and was also weeding tobacco, a crop that continues to be grown in the area today.

The entry for this account book will be added to our online catalog early in February. You are welcome to visit our research center and take a look at any time! If you are interested in this branch of the Wells family, we also have Hezekiah’s account book (1851-1865, Ms 65725/Account Books) and diaries (1839-1849, Ms 65726).

December in the Archives

As the year ended we continued cataloging materials for our NHPRC project. Here are some of the treasures we were able to add to our online catalog last month:

The Greene & Park minute book is a small booklet recording an 1806  “cheese” voyage by the Sloop Lady Washington for the firm Greene & Park of Norwich, Connecticut (yum!). The voyage, to Baltimore, Maryland, was captained by  Roswell Roath.  The minute book, as they called it,  includes entries for repairing the vessel, loading the cheese, ship’s stores, nails, and other expenses.  The bulk of the small pamphlet is a record of the expenses incurred on a trip to Baltimore and back, probably taken by Ebenezer Greene of Preston, whose name is written on the back cover. (Account Books/2009.367)

Abner Gilbert of Ridgefield and Danbury, Connecticut, kept a journal while purchasing items in London. Gilbert’s purchases included tobacco, canary, and several other types of wine. The last page contains a drawing of a tavern sign. CHS maintains the largest collections of tavern signs in New England, so this is quite interesting to us. (Account Books/Ms 59198)

Abner Gilbert account book, 1787, MS 59198. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut

Newgate Prison, in East Granby, Connecticut, began as a copper mine in the early 18th century. In 1773 it was first used to house criminals. Of the three account books in our collection, the earliest volume (1796-1801, unbound) is a record of materials received and sold. Many loads of wood and coal were delivered, and the prison was selling nails. The second volume is a daybook from 1824. Entries are for shoe making, blacksmithing, and carpentry work. The entries in the latest volume (1826-1828), an account book, are similar to those in the daybook. Shoes were being made for both people and horses, and tools were being mended. Bills received were for iron, steel, and timber. The first few pages of the latest volume have been covered with newspaper clippings. Newgate received nail stock from Forbes and Adam, an iron manufacturing firm in East Canaan, Connecticut, and is listed as one of Forbes and Adam’s customers in the the account books of Dr. William Adam (Ms 100044). Today Old Newgate Prison is operated as a historic site by the State of Connecticut. (Account Books/Ms 60236)

For the Civil War buffs out there, an online record has been added for the Michael Kelly Civil War diary. In addition to the diary, the collection includes Private Kelly’s military papers, a transcription of the diary, and an index. Kelly was from Sharon, Connecticut, and served with the 25th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. (Ms 62097)

One of the goals of our project is to match manuscript materials with objects in our museum collections. A great example this month is courtesy of Ebenezer Mix. An account book was kept by Ebenezer H. Mix aboard the Schooner Ann.  One portion of this volume, contains personal accounts.  Mix sold a variety of clothing items aboard ship. He also recorded Richard Salter’s method of lunar observations and determining distance. The other portion of the volume contains a journal from aboard ship. Most of the entries date between 1817 and 1820.  Later, in 1837, Dr. Theodore H. Wadsworth recorded items he presented to his aunt, Ebenezer Mix’s wife, Sally Mix. Additionally, Wadsworth recorded an inventory of articles which belonged to Martha H. Mix of Farmington, Connecticut. The items were being sent to Ohio. In our museum collections we have platters, a soup tureen, a bowl, dinner plates, soup plates, and a tray  originally owned by Mix and his family. These items originated in the Jiangxi Province of China, and could have been acquired by Mix during one of his voyages. (Ms 64109 and 1956.3.11-.27)

All of these materials are available for research. Come visit!

November in the Archives

There was no turkey coma in the CHS manuscript department this year. We have prepared another 145 records for the online catalog! All of these collections are open for research, so please stop by. While you are here, <shameless plug> do  some of your holiday shopping! We have several books for sale in our store (more choices in person than online), written by staff members, about Connecticut and our collections. This month we are offering special deals on books when you buy a membership. “Give the gift of history.” </shameless plug>

And now, the highlights:

Account Books – One of my favorite discoveries this month is the Retreat for the Insane account book. Opened in 1824, the Retreat is now Hartford Hospital’s Institute for Living. The account book lists patients from 1824 to 1853. Each patient’s entry contains their name, date of admission, date of discharge, residence, principal on bond, surety on bond, weekly rate for board and medical attendance and by whom payable (bondsman, state, or town), total board, total of other expenses, number of weeks and days spent at the Retreat, and remarks. Remarks included “discharged recovered”, “restored”, “much improved”, and “no improvement”. Additionally, some patients died while still admitted (Account Books/Ms 56441). Another interesting account book is that of Cooke & Hale. Unlike a typical account book, this one chronicles Oliver Cooke and Horatio Hale’s partnership from its beginning to its dissolution. The volume begins with the Agreement and Articles of Partnership signed and witnessed on March 9, 1816. It continues to list all of the property brought into the partnership by Oliver Cooke per the partnership agreement. There is also a section of balances due to and owed by the Cooke & Hale ledger, and notes due to and against Cooke & Hale. The volume ends with a final inventory and the disolution of the partnership.

Diaries – Rebecca Noyes kept diaries of everyday life. A single woman, Noyes lived with her brother and his family in Stonington, Connecticut. She wrote between 1801 and 1831 (Ms 49498). Albert Hills began writing his diaries at age 14. He writes of sleighing on Main Street, skating on the Little River at Trumbull Street, the election of Governor Buckingham, attending school and church, and activities such as playing ball and billiards. Most of the daily entries mention the weather (Ms 52506).

Maps – With help from Ann, one of our fabulous volunteers, Barbara made great progress cataloging manuscript maps. The highlights from these maps include a topographical Map of West Hartford. Drawn in 1916, this map shows roads, bridges and buildings in that portion of West Hartford bordered by Mountain Road on the west, Park Street on the south, Albany Avenue on the north and Steele on the east.  It was created under the direction of Captain J.H.K. Davis.  Soldiers’ Field was part of Hartford, now Riverside Park.  The land was allotted to 29 soldiers of the Pequot War, 1637, and the lots are laid out on the map with the soldier’s name and amount of acreage.  The Connecticut River and Little River are outlined in blue, and swamp land is indicated by green. The map was drawn in 1887. An 1806 map displays the portions of Hartford and East Hartford adjacent to the Connecticut River.  An interesting feature on the Hartford side is the footprint of the State House.  Additionally, it shows the Mill River, Pantry’s Pond, Ferry Street and a wharf (all three are Ms Maps Large)

Town Papers and Records – CHS maintains a number of town paper and record collections created by past staff members. This month the records for Canterbury, Franklin, Hebron, New Hartford, Stonington , and Winsted were created. Each collection generally contains material from several accessions, and items without accession information are often added. Many times the papers were sorted into categories such as Court Papers and Deeds. Perhaps the best word to describe these is, eclectic.

Mystery of the Month – Is anyone familiar with the shipping firm of Page and Banett? It is quite possible the second name is actually Barett, Barnett, or similar. The opening pages of their account book (Account Books/Ms 53887) list their location as Hebron. While there is a Hebron, Connecticut, it is landlocked and not a very plausible location for a shipping company.  Additionally, census data have not helped us place Ebenezer Page and Horatio Banett. Several of the other locations in the account book are in South Carolina and Georgia.  Any thoughts? Let us know!