The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Kidder family.

Title: Papers

Dates: 1799-1864

Call No.: Col. 527

Acc. No.: 79x352

Quantity: 80 items

Location: 34 K 1

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

The Kidder family originally resided in Massachusetts, but moved to upstate New York, particularly Genesee County, during the early 19th century. Members of the family included John, his wife Ruth, Hosea, Alice, and Earl. John Kidder was elected secretary of the Batavia, NY Republicans in 1810.

Several other families are represented in this collection, but their relationship to the Kidders, if any, is unknown.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Collection contains business, estate, and personal papers of the Kidder and other families between 1799-1864. Items in the collection include promissory notes and receipts for the estate of John Kidder, and several recipes for dyes. Minutes from a political meeting and a letter with political sentiments document activities of three political parties, the Democrats, Republicans, and Whigs. There are two Civil War letters; one is about the Vicksburg Campaign. Also included are two pieces of Confederate currency.

Although the bulk of the materials relate to the Kidder family of Genesee County, New York, other materials relate to the Rodgers family of Ohio and the Brown family of Wisconsin. It is not known if these families had any connection to the Kidder family. One Brown letter gives details of his new farm in Wisconsin. The other mostly expresses religious thoughts (after the death of a family member). Two letters were written to Mira Rodgers of Ohio by Civil War soldiers. One wrote about his trip from Memphis to the Yazoo River in December 1862, part of a move on Vicksburg. The other letter specifically mentioned that there was no military action for his unit at the time of the writing of his letter.

ORGANIZATION

The papers are divided into receipts and promissory notes; letters; and miscellaneous items. Within folders, the items are in chronological order.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Gift of Dwight Lanmon.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Brown family.

Rogers family.

Topics:

Recipes.

Dyes and dyeing.

Paper money.

Political parties - United States - History.

United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865 - Campaigns.

Religious thought – 19^th century.

Promissory notes.

Receipts (Acknowledgments).

Letters.

Minutes.

Money - Confederate States of America - Specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 K 1

Folder 1: receipts and other documents (acc. 79x352.1-14, .16-.21, .23, .25, .29, .31-.34, .36-.41, .43-.46, .48-.60, .63, .65)

Packet of receipts and promissory notes (acc. .1-.10, .13-.14, .16, .19-.21, .23, .25, .29, .31-.34, .36-.41, .46, .47-.51, .55, .57-.60, .63, .65)

This group covers 1799-1825, plus a few undated. The receipts or promissory notes are given to or by John, Ruth, or Earl Kidder. Almost all just give the amount of money paid, but a receipts mention the goods purchased: a lady’s fur, copperas, wool hats, pine boards, grain, and pork.

.11-.12 2 copies of an agreement between John Kidder and Caleb Blodgett, Jr., both of Genesee County, about payment of a debt, November 28, 1808

.17 order from Jeremiah Hascall to John One [or Oney], David Rowland, Elijah Root, Jr., and James [illegible] to appear in court, in Caledonia, issued November 25, 1809; endorsed on back by John Kidder, that he was able to serve subpoena on all but John Oney, Batavia, December 5, 1809

.18a-b notice about having a meeting of Republicans in the vicinity of Batavia to make arrangements for election, April 16, 1810, Ezekiel Lewis, chairman, John Kidder, secretary [notice is in two pieces]

.45 Samuel Horn—(?) acknowledges receipt of money from Ruth Kidder and John Riddle, administrators of estate of John Kidder, Batavia, September 17, 1813

.52 B. Blodgett received $1 form Selag(?) Kidder for advertising the estate of John Kidder, July 2, 1814

.53 bill from Ephm. Brown to administrator of John Kidder, for medical services, January-March, no year

.54 bill from Ephraim Brown to estate of John Kidder, for medical services, March 1813, payment received December 15, 1815

.56 “I certify that John Kidder had the above executions to collect and never did pay the money over to me,” sign J. Riddle(?), Alexander, August 8, 1817

Folder 2: Kidder family letters, 1861, 1865 (acc. 79x352.66-.68)

.66 J.(?) M. Kidder, Bruce, [no state,] to brother Hosea Kidder [spelled Kider], Alexander, Genesee County, N.Y., November 11, 1861; Mack’s baby had several fingers cut off in an accident, but seemed to be doing fine; Loretta had a baby boy; had a row with Luke [Loretta’s husband?] because Luke was cursing and swearing and making too much noise; please don’t sell farm without consulting with him first; Democrats have beaten the Whigs

.67 Earl Kidder, Alexander, [NY,] to brother Hosea, no place, March 19-April 3, 1865; thaw has started and hopes sap is running; Mrs. Emory Shadbolt died; prices for fodder and grain; fears rebels will prove a formidable foe for awhile yet; surprise parties; Judge Rix would not attend one party because a Copperhead was going; has been waiting to learn if he has bought Mr. French’s farm

.68 Earl Kidder, to brother Hosea, no place, April 19, 1865; went to visit cousin Haslow(?); started to plow, but rained and then turned to snow; someone [name unclear] is to preach a funeral sermon for President Lincoln; deaths in neighborhood; didn’t make much [maple] sugar this season; hasn’t bought French farm yet; failure of First National Bank of Attica has caused much suffering

Folder 3: Brown family letters, 1850-1851 (acc. 79x352.74-.75)

.75 Ira(?) S. Brown, Elk Horn, Wis., to parents, Pardon Brown, Plymouth, Chenango County, NY, April 28, 1850; hurt finger when accidentally stuck a needle in it – had to travel 6 miles to see doctor; thinks the country is good and healthy but hesitant to urge them to join him in case they do no like it; mentions crops he plans to plant; got money for teaching – spent it on farm; many heading for California; urges Charles to come out and find a teaching position;

.74 Maxey(?) Brown, Elk Horn, Wisconsin, to Sheldon Brown, Plymouth, Chenango County, NY, June 11, 1851; returned home safely to find that his brother Charles had died – urges Sheldon and others (addressed as “children”) to turn to the Lord while they have time; talks about trip home (through Buffalo and Detroit); aunt not well when arrived; building plank roads in Plymouth; addresses brothers and sisters Sheldon, Abigail, Chapman, Harriet; would be nice if they could send him some small fruit trees; hopes Russell still plans to come

Folder 4: miscellaneous letters, recipes (acc. 79x352.15, .64, .71-.73a, .76)

.15 dyeing recipes for turkey red, scarlet, and blue, signed Elizabeth Slow(?); plus a note in which Aba. Blodgett promises to pay Alice Kidder, dated Alexander, uly 16, 1819

.64 recipes and letter: letter not signed, Alexander, [month illegible] 19, 1823, to respected brother, had had the mumps but now well; Mother ill for a time; Mary Lee has smallpox; several had died of it, although know it can be stopped by “knockelation” (inoculation);

on back: dyeing recipes for the colors green and bottle green and for a compound using indigo

.71 Charles G. Otis, Forks, Madison County, NY, to friend James Taylor, Smithport, McKean County, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1825; congratulations on birth of son; John Muir has returned from Scotland and hopes to bring his wife and child over next year; please send particulars about whiskey concern; Calkins can have pistol for $3; not much time to write as in the middle of wheat harvest; Sam [Taylor?] has returned and is saying terrible things about James and his wife, but most don’t believe him

.72 partial letter, no signature noted as being from James R. McQuaid, Canton, Fulton County, Illinois, to Benjamin Hartman, Manor Hill, Huntingdon County, Penn., April 18, 1846; dispute over interest owed on a note; would have left his guns in payment, but knew that Hartman would not have accepted them; had not planned to come to Canton but was persuaded to do so and is finding much work for his gunsmith skills;

.73a Mary, Boston, to friend Franklin D. Sower, Norristown, Penn., postmark May 23, no year; hopes to be back soon; news of family and friends; went to see cousin Martha’s brother-in-law’s chemical works in Roxbury; rode around Jamaica Plains; is taking a shower bath every morning and finds it does her good

.76 Chester(?) and Mother Jones, Pittsfield, [probably Vermont,] to Jackson Rodgers, Greenfield, Hyland County, Ohio, November 6, 1853; Chester: grief and sympathy on death of Nancy (Chester’s sister, Jackson’s wife); suggests he and his children return to Vermont; Mother Jones: grief at death of her daughter Nancy; great sorrow about her motherless grandchildren; religious thoughts

Folder 5: Civil War letters (acc. 79x352,77-.78)

.77a-b [signature illegible], Memphis, Tenn., to friend Mira Rodgers, Good Hope, Fayette, County, Ohio, December 20-26, 1862; with envelope; is sending an account of their expedition, leaving Memphis on Dec. 20 on a boat, heading down river; when reach mouth of Yazoo, head up that river; gives account of their voyage from Memphis to the beginning of the ascent of the Yazoo

.78a-b Joel(?) McCoy, Larkinsville, Alabama, to Mira Rodgers, Good Hope, Fayette Co., Ohio, April 7, 1864; with envelope; was ill when returned but is better now; very lonely being back at camp; wishes he could go hunt gold like Thomas rather than spend time soldiering; has been making out returns of camp equipment;

Folder 6: mostly printed forms, mostly from justices of the peace (acc. 79x352.22, .26-.28, .30, .35, .62)

.22 judgment against William Parkin in favor of Samuel Hardy, Caledonia, Genesee County, NY, March 16, 1811, Jeremiah Hascall(?), J.P.

.26 judgment against Daniel Jackman in favor of Charles Fox, Batavia, Genesee County, NY, June 10, 1811, Stephen Day, J.P.

.27 judgment against Abel McKean(?) in favor of David Raceland(?), Batavia, Genesee County, NY, August 22, 1811, Harvey Hawkins, J.P.

.28 judgment against John Fales(?) in favor of Horace Gibbs, Batavia, Genesee County, NY, October 7, 1811, Harvey Hawkins, J.P.

.30 notice to sheriff of Genesee County to bring Joseph Rix to the court of common pleas in Batavia on November 16, 1811, to answer unto Joseph Wilder, S. Cumings, clerk, D. B. Brown, atty.

.35 judgment against Jacob Seymour in favor of Daniel Benedict, Batavia, Genesee County, NY, August 22, 1811, Harvey Hawkins, J.P.

.62 agreement signed by Levi A. Robbins to pay Earl Kidder, in response to a judgment against Robbins in favor of John Ennes before Eben North, dated at Alexander October 8, 1823 [not a printed form]

Folder 7: miscellaneous items (acc. 79x352.24, .42, .47, .61, .69, .70, .73b, .79-.80)

.24 part of a document, April 8, 1811, with names S. Cumings, K.(?) Fleming, D.(?) Vancleve(?) (in pieces)

.42 promissory note, James Tiffany promises to pay John Kidder, Batavia, February 23, 1813 (in pieces)

.47 part of a promissory note, Batavia; names on back: John Kidder, Ruth Kidder

.61 receipted bill, John Kidder bought of Isadore(?) Spencer, wine, brandy, tobacco, Batavia, March 23, 1823

.69 list: kerosene oil, spirits of turpentine, weak lye from wood ashes, capsicum

.70 slip of paper: has names John Kidder and Aron(?) Gale; list of items: handkerchief, boarding, flax(?), etc.; figures

.73b envelope addressed to Francis Baylies, chargé d’affaires of the United States to Buenos Ayres [sic], Boston, franked: Department of State, Edw. L. Wright, Washington, Feb. 29, no year

.79-80 two Confederate bank notes, one for $100, and the other $5, both dated Feb. 17, 1864, both signed

Index to Col. 527, acc. 79x352.1-.80

Adams, P. .33

Averitt, Samuel .8

Ball (of Keatings & Ball) .79-80

Barkin, William .22

Baylies, Francis .73b

Benedict, Peter .21, .23-24

Bessell, Ezekiel (Dr.) .3

Blodgett, Alvah .15

Blodgett, B. .52

Blodget, Caleb (Jr.) .11-12, .16

Brown, D.B. .30

Brown, Ephraim .53-54

Brown, Maxey .74

Brown, Pardon .75

Brown, Sheldon .74

Bunce, John .58

Chaffey, Joseph .31

Churchill, W. S. .65

Cogswell (of Evans & Cogswell) .79

Confederate States of America .79-80

Cumings, S. .30

Curtis, Jotham .39

Day, Rodney .54

Day, Stephen .26

Denton, Isaac .40

Dodge, John .46

Dolan, Peter .4

Evans & Cogswell .79

Fales(?), John .28

Farnsworth, Calvin .14

Fellows, Joseph .10

Fleming .20

Flint, Phineas .4

French, John .3

French, S., & Co. .63

Gibbs, Horace .28

Goodrich .73

Hardy, Samuel .22

Hartmann, Benjm. .72

Hascall, Jeremiah .22

Hawkins, John .60

Hawkins, H. .48, .50-51

Hawkins, Harvey .27-28, .32, .35, .49

Horn—(?), Samuel .45

Hunt, Rufus .20

Huntington, Christopher .7

Jackman, Daniel .26

Keatings & Ball .79-80

Kidder, Alice .15

Kidder, E. .63

Kidder, Earl .58-60, .62, .65, .67-68

Kidder, Frances .2

Kidder, Hosea .66-67

Kidder, John .1, .3, .5-7, .9, .11-12 .17-19, .21, .23, .25, .31-38, .40-44, .47, .51, .53, .56, .61, .70

Kidder, John (Estate of) .53, .54

Kidder, John, Jr. .13, .61

Kidder, Lyman .13

Kidder, Mrs. .50

Kidder, Rufus .11-12

Kidder, Ruth .37, .45-49, .57

Kidder, S. M. .66

Kidder, Selag .52

Kidder, Wm. .11-12, .29, .37, .43

Landon, Seth .44

Latham, S. .51

Latham, Samuel Jr. .31, .39, .50

Loomis, Chauncey .56

Loomis, Dodridge .36

Man, Seth .4

Mann, Micah .14

McCoy, Joel .78

McQuaid., James R. .72

Morgan, Justin .9

Morton, Martin .55

Mullet, James .44

Nelson, Levi .16

Nichols, Reuben .37

Otis, Charles G. .71

Parish, Daniel .13

Park, John .50

Parley, Peter .73

Parrish, Clark .57

Peters, C. S. .59

Raceland, David .27

Riddle, J. .56

Riddle, John .45

Rix, Joseph .30

Robbins, Levi A. .62

Roberts, Stephen .9

Rodgers, Jackson .76

Rodgers, Mira .77, .78a

Root, Elijah, Jr. .10, .1,7

Seymour, Jacob .35

Shadbolt, Mrs. Emory .67

Shoop, Henry .36

Sloan, George .59

Smith, Jona. .6

Sower, Franklin D. .73a

Spencer, Isadore(?) .61

Sprout, Amos .25

Sprout, Nathaniel .33

Taylor, J. .71

Thomas, Samuel .48

Tiffany, James .41-42

Tilden, J. Thomas .5

Turnbull .38

Vancleve, D. .24

Wilder, J. .50

Wilder, Joseph .30