I knew Marshall Jewell had been Governor of Connecticut from 1869-1872 but I was surprised to see a letter for sale on eBay that was written by him from St. Petersburg, Russia. He was serving as minister to Russia, a post he held for only seven months. Well, we just had to have it! Continue reading
Detail of Pieced Quilt. 1876. Gift of Susan Goodrich Motycka in memory of my father John Quincy Goodrich. 2013.74.1.
Quite a bit happens behind the scenes here at CHS that most people never see (unless you come on a behind-the-scenes tour!). It is usually all those seemingly small, unglamorous tasks that make it possible for us to share our great collections with all of you. Tuesday, Diane Lee, our Collections Manager, and I spent an entire day doing one such seemingly small, unglamorous task.
Often times at the CHS, we write articles, present programs, and give tours based on our collections. Many times these articles, programs, and tours are based on information and items we already know we have in the collection. However, sometimes the topic comes first, and the illustrations come second.
Cheney Album. Volume 5. 1991.28.5.
The cataloging has continued here at CHS. Here is a sampling of some of the records making their way to the online catalog.
Aliens!
Ok, maybe not that kind of alien. One of the collections cataloged last month was the Governor John Treadwell papers. The papers include incoming and outgoing correspondence and several speeches of John Treadwell while Lieutenant Governor and then Governor of Connecticut. The incoming letters discussed such issues as the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, the election of 1800, the use of gun-boats for national defense, and the early talks of Union secession over the institution of slavery. Correspondents include Lyman Beecher, Henry W. Dessasure, Chauncey Goodrich, Governor Roger Griswold, James Hillhouse, Ebenezer Huntington, Joseph Lyman, Timothy Pitkin, Benjamin Tallmadge, Uriah Tracy, Jr., Benjamin Trumbull and Rev. Newton Skinner. Treadwell’s speeches include his acceptance as Governor and those given at the opening of the General Assemblies during his term. (Ms 22445)
Witches!
An unusual piece Barbara uncovered is a handmade booklet, primarily consisting of newspaper clippings about witchcraft in Connecticut and Massachusetts printed in the Hartford Evening Post and The Union and Advertiser of Rochester, NY. Along with it is a handwritten letter from Jules to Pat (no last names) about witches in Windsor. The booklet is titled Witches of Windsor, and the Witch-hunters of Hartford and was written by David Williams Patterson. (Ms 10732)
Why the teacher always told you to put your name on the paper!
Ten of the account books we cataloged this month have unknown authors. They include several merchants and storekeepers, a dressmaker, a weaver (more below), a bricklayer, and two butchers. We have many anonymous account books, which is really too bad. The information can be quite interesting and it would be great to be able to give the authors credit. For example, the Dressmaker’s account book records the sale of shoes, hooks and eyes, dresses, undersleeves, hats, hair pins, whalebone, welting, yard goods, lace veils, and aprons. Charges were for cutting, fitting, making and basting dresses. The customers, mostly women, lived in the Norfolk, Connecticut area. There was, though, also an account with Joseph Battell & Co. (Account Books/2010.002)
Genealogy
Lately Barbara has started venturing into our genealogical manuscript collections. Among these is the collection of Donald L. Jacobus genealogy correspondence, research, and personal diaries. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, arranged alphabetically by correspondent, related to Jacobus’ genealogical research. Correspondents include Helen G. Carpenter, John I. Coddington, Meredith B. Colket, Jr., George Dudley Seymour, Helen Turney Sharps, Frank Farnsworth Starr, Clarence A. Torry, and the publisher Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. There are also notebooks, abstracts of vital and cemetery records, newspaper clippings, index cards for his sources, research on the descendants of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and a selection of book announcements, sent to him either in his capacity as editor of The American Genealogist or as an independent researcher. Included are manuscripts for two of his books, one on the families of New Haven and the other on the Waterman family. Of note are diaries kept by Ida Wilmot Lines Jacobus and her son, Donald Lines Jacobus, which provide insight into their private lives. Both Donald and Ida lived in New Haven, Connecticut. The volumes from 1905-1907 and 1922-1948 were kept by Ida Jacobus. When she became ill at the end of 1948, the diary was continued by Donald. With the exception of one entry in 1952, Donald kept the diaries from 1903, 1952, and 1963-1969. On February 27, 1952, Donald noted his mother’s death. Ida’s diary entries were more in depth than Donald’s, but both wrote of day to day activities. Also of interest is Donald’s baby book and several posters, in Russian, promoting socialism over capitalism. (Ms 97520)
Genealogist D.L. Jacobus in his early years (Donald L. Jacobus Genealogy Correspondence, Research, and Personal Diaries, 1903-1969, MS Jacobus. CHS, Hartford, CT)
Weavers
In addition to the Anonymous weaver’s account book, I also cataloged the Lippitt Manufacturing Co. weaving book and the White & Robinson weaving book. All three seem to be from Rhode Island, though the clients recorded in the anonymous book resided throughout central Connecticut. The Lippitt volume has an interesting twist. In addition to listing the names of the weavers, as well as information on the amount and type of work they performed and their pay, the volume was used to record sales of lottery tickets for the Fairfield (Connecticut) Episcopal Society. Most of the purchasers were from the Pomfret, Connecticut area. Geographically, Pomfret and Fairfield are about as far apart as any two Connecticut cities can be! (Oversize/Ms 64633, Ms 66336-12, Account Books/Ms 66336-22)
All of these collections are open for research. Come visit!
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!
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!!
inside the CHS 