Recent Collections

William Hathorne warrants, 1663.

Location: Maine Historical Society.

Background: Major William Hathorne, Puritan, of Salem, Mass., an ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne, was involved in the persecution of Quakers and other religious heretics. Rev. Robert Jordan, a priest of the Church of England, came to Richmond's Island, in Maine ca. 1640 and became a landowner in that area. Owing to his religious affinities and associations, Jordan was an object of suspicion and hostility to the Puritan government of Massachusetts who forbade him to marry or baptize. He paid no attention to this order, and continuing to discharge the duties of his office, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered his arrest and imprisonment in Boston. This occurred twice, in 1654 and in 1663.

Contents: Warrant (1663 Apr. 9), issued by William Hathorne and Eleazer Lusher to Joseph Phippeny, of Falmouth (later Portland), Me., for the arrest of Rev. Robert Jordan. Also includes warrants (undated) to Nathaniel Masterson and Edward Rushworth, probably relating to the Jordan affair.

Deed from Owaneco, Chief of the Mohegans, confirming grant by Uncas and Waweco to Maj. John Mason, to Samuel and Daniel Mason, of land between New London and Norwich, 1684-1714.

Location: New London County Historical Society.

Contents: Deed from Owaneco confirming grant by Uncas and Waweco to Maj. John Mason, to Samuel and Daniel Mason, of land between New London and Norwich, Conn., reserving planting land, wood, timber for fencing, and liberty to hunt, fish, and fowl (1684 Feb. 12), with mark of Owaneco, witnessed by Jonathan Tracy and Hugh Ames, attested to by Thomas Minor (1684 Feb. 14), copied by Daniel Wetherell (1714 May 10); together with deed of gift of same land from Daniel Mason of Stonington to son Peter Mason of Colchester (1713 Nov. 11), attested to by Nathaniel Chesebrough, witnessed by Joseph Stanton, Thomas Stanton, and Nehemiah and Abigail Mason.

Elizabeth Wadsworth, Peleg Wadsworth, and Tobias Lear correspondence concerning a lock of President Washington's hair, 1800.

Location: Maine Historical Society.

Background: A lock of George Washington's hair was given to Elizabeth Wadsworth, sister of Zilpah Longfellow, mother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, by Martha Washington, and subsequently left to Zilpah Longfellow. Later it was encased by H.W. Longfellow in a gold locket, now known as the "Longfellow Locket", which is currently owned by the Maine Historical Society.

Contents: Correspondence of Elizabeth Wadsworth, Peleg Wadsworth, and Tobias Lear, secretary to Martha Washington, concerning a lock of President Washington's hair which was given to Elizabeth Wadsworth by the president's widow upon request of Peleg Wadsworth, Elizabeth's father.

Collection of recollections about Abraham Lincoln, 1856-1973 and undated.

Location: McLean County Museum of History (Bloomington, Ill.)

Contents: Recollections, remembrances and memoirs about Abraham Lincoln. There are many articles contemporary to Lincoln and many items simply remembering Lincoln in the courthouse or during his many Central Illinois speeches. Includes newspaper articles, speech transcripts, and book excerpts. Newspaper articles from the Weekly Pantagraph, the Peoria Weekly Republican, the New York Evening Post, and the Illinois Statesman (1854-1860). Photocopies of newspaper articles from the Daily Pantagraph, the Democratic News, the Daily Bulletin, the Weekly Bulletin, Chicago Tribune, McClure's, Centennial Pantagraph (1864-1947 and undated). Anti-Nebraska convention newspaper articles from the Illinois State Journal (Springfield, Ill.); the Illinois State Register (Springfield); the Weekly Advocate (Belleville, Ill.); the Weekly Courier (Alton, Ill.); the Weekly Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.); the Democratic Press (Chicago); the New York Daily Times; and the New York Daily Tribune. Manuscript recollections (photocopies in various vertical files) including, "Recollections of J.B. Ayers," (undated); "An address on Abraham Lincoln by James E. Ewing at the Opera House in Bloomington, Illinois, February 12th, A.D. 1909, Reminiscence"; "Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln," a speech delivered to the McLean County Historical Society, Mar. 6, 1894 (by George W. Minier?); "A day with Abraham Lincoln," by E.M. Prince (undated); "Local recollections of Abraham Lincoln, Early history of Bloomington influenced by the Rail Splitter, from personal interviews with men who knew Lincoln," by Dwight E. Frink (1907); and information on Adoniram Judson Wilson from the journal of Edward M. Wilson (1891). Printed material includes biographical sketches of Kersey H. Fell and William F. Flagg, including recollections of Lincoln, published in "The Good old times in McLean County, Illinois," by E. Duis (1874); a reminiscence of Lincoln by Joseph W. Fifer, published in "Private Joe Fifer" (1936); an article entitled, "A Law student's recollection of Abraham Lincoln," by Jonathan Birch, published in "The Outlook" (Jan.-Apr. 1911); "Personal reminiscences of Lincoln," in The Aegis (Feb. 1906; a Bloomington High school publication) including those of Adlai E. Stevenson, George P. Davis, James E. Ewing, Ezra M. Prince, J.H. Burnham, and J.G. Stewart; and notices and speeches.

Lester S. Willson diaries, 1863-1865.

Location: Montana State University--Bozeman Libraries, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections.

Background: Lester Sebastian Willson was born in Canton, N.Y., on 15 June 1839. His parents, Ambrose and Julia Willson had at least two other sons, Davis and George. Lester enlisted as a private in the Company A, 60th New York Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and spent the early months guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland. He rose quickly in rank. At the war's end Willson was breveted a brigadier general and administered the Soldier's Home in Albany, N.Y. In 1867 he moved to Montana Territory to join his brother Davis in the mercantile business at Bozeman. Willson entered into a partnership with Loren W. Tuller and Charles Rich at Bozeman, eventually replacing both men to become a sole proprietor. He also served in the state legislature and with the state militia. Lester S. Wilson continued to operate his business until his death on 26 Jan. 1919.

Contents: The first volume of Willson's diaries contains entries made from 3 July 1863 to 5 Sept. 1864, with substantial gaps. Willson's terse entries describe his final days at Canton, N.Y., recuperating from a wound he received at Chancellorsville up to his reunion with the 60th New York Infantry in northern Virginia on 11 July 1863. The diary resumes on 26 June 1864 as Willson's regiment prepared to move on Confederate positions guarding the approaches to Atlanta through their subsequent capture of the city. These entries cover in some detail the construction of field works and battle actions at Peach Tree Creek. The second diary begins on 3 Nov. 1864 and ends on 2 May 1865, again with substantial gaps. Willson records his experiences on Gen. William T. Sherman's march from Atlanta to Savannah on the Georgia coast. The actual surrender of Savannah was not recorded by Willson, but the subsequent march from that city to Columbia, S.C., received many entries. The diary concludes with the 60th New York on their campaign into North Carolina and the surrender of the Confederate army of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Willson describes the logistics of marching with Sherman's army, the destruction of property by Union troops, and the liberated slaves who accompanied the army. As a staff officer, Willson also touches on the arguments and in-fighting among officers on matters of promotion and command organization.

Ulysses S. Grant, 3rd, papers, 1860s-1973 (bulk 1920-1968).

Location: Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Background: General Ulysses S. Grant, 3rd (1881-1968), the grandson and namesake of President Ulysses S. Grant, was, like his father and grandfather before him, a West Point graduate and a military man, whose Army career spanned forty-three years. A man of wide-ranging interests, he was active in numerous local and national organizations and causes related to the local history and government of Washington, D.C., city planning, Civil War history, historic preservation, conservation, and patriotism. He led or played major roles in the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Columbia Historical Society (now the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.), the American Planning and Civic Association, the Civil War Centennial Commission, The George Washington University, Government Services, Inc., and other organizations.

Contents: The collection includes material related to the Grant family; Grant's articles, speeches and correspondence; papers connected with organizations in which Grant was active; and topical reference files. The earliest item in the collection dates from the 1860s, but there are scant items from the nineteenth century, and most material dates from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Nate Druxman Seattle boxing photograph and ephemera collection, 1920-1945.

Location: Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library (Seattle, Wash.)

Background: Prominent Seattle boxing promoter Nate Druxman (1892-1969) was born in Seattle to Ukrainian Jewish parents, owners of a furniture store at Second Avenue South and Yesler Way. Druxman played semi-pro baseball and did some lightweight boxing as a young man. Though he had quit fighting, in 1914 Druxman began promoting boxing shows at Seattle's Elks Club at Fourth Avenue and Spring Street, one of several local venues for private club boxing. By 1925, Nate had opened his own club, the Druxman Athletic Club, at the Crystal Pool on Second Avenue; he also promoted fights at the Civic Ice Arena, Dugdale Park, and the National Athletic Club during this period. After boxing was legalized in Washington in 1933, Druxman was able to promote world title fights in Seattle--eleven of them between 1933 and 1940, including the middleweight title bout between Freddie Steele and Al Hostak in 1938. Though Druxman also operated a real estate business, he continued to promote boxing until 1942, when he went to work for the special services section at the Port of Embarkation during the war. Nate Druxman died on 20 Nov. 1969.

Contents: The collection consists largely of photographs of local Seattle boxers and boxing events associated with Seattle boxing promoter Nate Druxman but also includes images depicting other boxing promoters and other individuals. The bulk of the photographs documents the career of boxer Freddie "the Tacoma Assassin" Steele, ca. 1930-1938, including images of Steele's fights with Frank Battaglia in 1937 and Al Hostak in 1938. The collection also includes several images of Jack Dempsey, in Seattle for an exhibition bout in 1931, and to referee a bout promoted by Druxman in 1937. Other boxers depicted include Dode Bercot, Maxie Rosenbloom, Ken Overlin, and Barney Ross, among others. Ephemera consist largely of programs and ticket envelopes for Seattle boxing matches promoted by the Druxman Athletic Club, ca. 1936-1942. The series also includes a pamphlet about the career of Jack Dempsey to 1931, and a ticket to the Freddie Steele vs. Al Hostak match (refereed by Jack Dempsey) at the Civic Stadium on 26 July 1938, one of Seattle's first major sporting events.

Margaret Doub photograph collection, 1930-1959.

Location: Museum of the Great Plains.

Contents: One hundred ten images, some duplicates, chiefly of Cheyenne and Kiowa Indians, Native American art and clothing, historic sites, and the Wichita Mountains, originally part of a photograph album. Includes note indicating that the pictures of Chief Lean Elk (John Otterby) and his family were presented to Jack Simmons, father of Margaret Simmons Doub and a personal friend of the Cheyennes. Includes photograph of Margaret Simmons Doub as a child wearing a buckskin dress made by Hot-me-o-mah-si (Cheyenne). Other persons represented include Mickey White Horse, Frank Rush, Chief Magpie, Little Beaver, Belo Cozad, Tennyson Berry, Jack Sankadoke, Stephen Mopope, Len Parker, Sam Tahmekera, Marie Z. Simmons, and Florence Wong.

Greta Abrams survivor testimony, 1947?

Location: Holocaust Center of Northern California (San Francisco, Calif.)

Contents: Holocaust survivor testimony of Abrams. Topics include her escape to Holland; imprisonment in Terezin; deportation to Auschwitz; and her liberation.

Joshua Mitcheltree interview, 2005 Oct. 5.

Location: U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office (Washington, D.C.)

Background: Joshua Mitcheltree was a U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer Third Class, Aviation Survival Technician Third Class (ASTC3). He participated in rescue missions during Hurricane Katrina as a helicopter aircrew rescue swimmer.