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:          Quincy, Sarah A.                                             

Title:               Travel diary

Dates:             1858

Call No.:         Doc. 1027

Acc. No.:         96x130

Quantity:        1 v. (9 p.)

Location:        31

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Sarah A. Quincy appears to have been from New Hampshire, but nothing else is known about her.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Sarah A. Quincy kept this diary on her three week journey during the fall of 1858.  She recorded traveling through Portland, Maine, and into Quebec, Canada, where she attended a high mass at the Montreal cathedral.  From Montreal she traveled to Kingston and Toronto, Ontario, before crossing Lake Ontario to Niagara.  Quincy wrote that Niagara Falls was "the most wonderful cataract in the world."  Her journey continued through such Ohio cities as Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, where she recorded suffering from insects at the Barnet Hotel.  Traveling through Kentucky she "passed through several tunnels and much stupendous railroad work" on her way to Wheeling, Virginia [now West Virginia].  Riding the B&O Railroad, Quincy then journeyed to Washington, DC, where she stayed at the National Hotel.

 

Highlights of her visit to Washington included climbing the dome of the Capitol Building and touring the Navy Yard, White House, Washington Monument, and the U.S. Patent Office.  She recorded traveling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, via Baltimore, Maryland, and Wilmington, Delaware.  In Philadelphia, Quincy attended a Friends meeting and observed the U.S. Mint coining money.  Her journey continued to New York.  There, she commented on Central Park's reservoir, the Crystal Palace, Trinity Church, Castle Garden, the Greenwood Cemetery, and Barnum's museum.  She returned home, passing through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

   

           

ORGANIZATION

 

Entries 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

 

Purchased from DeWolfe and Wood, Alfred, ME.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

            People:

                        Catlin, George, 1796-1872 - Exhibitions.

 

Topics:

            Hotels.

            Voyages and travels.

            Society of Friends.

            Ribbons.

            Women travelers.

Women – Diaries.

Kentucky - Description and travel.

Maine - Description and travel.

            Montréal (Québec) - Description and travel.

            New York (N.Y.) - Description and travel.

Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.) - Description and travel.

            Ohio - Description and travel.

            Philadelphia (Pa.) - Description and travel.

            Washington (D.C.) - Description and travel.

West Virginia - Description and travel.

            Diaries.

            Travelers.

           

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION OF THE DIARY

 

Note: the transcription follows Sarah A. Quincy’s punctuation and spelling.

 

 

Written by Sarah A. Quincy, 1858

 

Diary of a journey in the fall of 1858

 

Sept. 20.  Left Derry at 11 ½ oclock.  Went to Haverhill to dine.  Stopped at Brown’s Hotel.  In the evening went to Portland.  Stopped at the United States Hotel. 

 

Sept. 21st.  Left Portland in the morning dined at Island Pond at the Island Pond House arrived at Richmond Canada at 3 ½ oclock P.M.  Rode to St Francis Hotel procured supper and left at 7 for Quebec at Quebec stopped at Russells Hotel.

 

Sept. 22nd.  Rode down to the Fall of Montmorencie, went over the citadel and fortifications out to the plains of Abraham and over the city

 

Sept. 23rd.  Left in the morning and arrived at Montreal 1 ½ oclock P.M.  Stopped at the Ottawa Hotel.  In the afternoon rode round the mountain, visited the Grand Tubular Bridge, the Gray Nunnery and many other points of interest. 

 

Sept. 24th.  Attended high Mass in the morning in the Cathedral.  In the afternoon visited Bishops Church.  The North Britain steam ship and took an interesting walk round the city and along the quay and the St Lawrence.

 

Sept. 25th.  Left Montreal passed through a beautiful country dined in Kingston Upper Canada and reached Toronto same night distance 338 miles.  Stopped at the American House.

 

Sept. 26th.  Crossed Lake Ontario in Steamer Zimmerman landed at Niagara City and arrived at the Falls to dine.  Stopped at the International Hotel.  In the afternoon visited all the curiosities of the place including Suspension Bridge, Goats Island, Terrapin Tower, Biddle’s stairs, Prospect point &c. &c.

 

Sept. 27th  Took a last look of the Falls the most wonderful cataract in the world and proceeded to Buffalo.  Stopped at the Mansion House.  In the afternoon took a carriage and rode round the city.

 

Sept. 28th.  Took the cars and went to Cleveland.  Dined at Dunkirk.  Passed through Erie and other large towns upon the borders of the Lake. 

 

Sept. 29th.  Left the Angier House at Cleveland and went to Cincinnati.  Dined at Columbus the Capital of Ohio.  Stopped at the Burnet House where we suffered severely from cockroaches bed bugs and mosquitoes. 

 

Sept. 30th.  Went in St. Peters Cathedral also crossed the ferry into Covington Kentucky and crossed the Suspension Bridge over the Licking river into Newport.  Saw the United States Barracks also Ludlow and the Piers of the Suspension Bridge over the Ohio river.  in the afternoon took a carriage and rode all over the city.  From Mt. Auburn obtained a magnificent view.

 

Oct. 1st.  Took the cars and went to Wheeling Virginia.  Dined at Zanesville Ohio.  obtained a fine view of the State Capitol at Columbus.  Crossed the Suspension Bridge over the Ohio at Wheeling.  Stopped at the McLane House Passed through several tunnels and much stupendous railroad work

 

Oct. 2nd.  Took the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for Washington.  dined at Grafton and stopped at night at the St Nicolas Hotel at Cumberland Md. 

 

Oct. 3rd.  Dined at Harpers Ferry.  stopped two hours at the Relay House and reached the National Hotel Washington.  No language can be adequate to give a description of the Scenery of this route one moment we ride along dizzy pricipices and over iron viaducts of immense height, the next we dash along through long tunnels and over valley streams.  The Tourist will find new views to interest every moment and many things ever to be remembered.  There are on the road and branches twenty two tunnels the longest seven eights of a miles in length

 

Oct. 4th.  Rainy in the morning.  In the afternoon it cleared away and we took a walk to the Capitol.

 

Oct. 5th.  Took a carriage and rode to the Capitol.  We ascended the roof and obtained a delightful view from the dome.  Also visited the new hall of Representatives and the Senate Chamber.  next went to the Navy Yard and saw the process of making Minnie rifle balls, also cannon balls, percussions caps, shells, boring guns also rolling copper wire, and the largest steam hammer in the world.  Next visited the White house and called on the President.  also Washington Monument and examined pieces sent for insertion from many States and Nations.  Next the Patent Office with its never ending variety of American invention and the products of the Exploring Expedition and the Smithsonian Institution where we saw Catlin’s Indian Gallery and a great variety of specimens of animals, also the domestic ware of Smithson.  The public buildings at Washington are of splendid marble and very imposing in appearance.

 

Oct. 6th.  Rode to Philadelphia passing through Baltimore and Wilmington Delaware obtaining a fine view of Chesapeake Bay Delaware Bay and river.  Stopped at the Girard

House.  In the afternoon took a carriage and visited the Eastern Penitentiary Fairmount Water Works and Girard College.  Went to the top of the College and obtained a magnificent view. 

 

Oct. 7th.  Went to the Meeting of Friends The Spirit not moving any one it was a silent gathering.  In the afternoon went to the Franklin and Logan Squares and played with the Squirrels and deer.  Oct. 8th.  In the morning visited the Mint and saw the process of coining money.  Also saw many rare curiosities viz. the Widows mite the Jewish Shekel the first specimen of watches remnants Pompeii and first coinage of American money.  Also visited Masonic hall and other places of interest.  In the afternoon went to New York and stopped at the Astor House.  Crossed the New York Bay on the route

 

Oct. 9th.  In the morning visited Central Park, the Reservoir, saw the ruins of the Chystal Palace ascended Trinity Spire and examined the Church.  also the Battery and Castle Garden. 

 

In the afternoon went to Greenwood and spent some time in the famous city of the Dead.  It is a beautiful Cemetery containing many splendid monuments and artificial ponds and basins.  Traveler will find much here to interest him much to study and admire.

 

Oct. 10th.  Rainy.  Staid in all day.  In the evening went to Barnums Musuem.  Saw many curiosities among them some fine aquaria and several live serpents.

 

Oct. 11th.  Left in the morning passed through Bridgeport, Norwalk, New Haven and Hartford and arrived at Springfield.  In the afternoon visited the Arsenal, Armory and other United States buildings, the Cemetary and rode through several beautiful streets.  Stopped at the Massasoit House.

 

Oct. 12th.  Went to Worcester and stopped over night at Nashua.  The County Fair was in session.

 

Oct. 13th.  At home again having traveled several thousand miles, seen much beautiful country, and many curiosities.

Our trip was a delightful one and in every way successful.

 

Hon. Josiah Quincy and wife

J.H. Quincy and wife