Charles (Carlos) Hernández was the head of a large family that emigrated from Cuba to New York in the early to mid 1800's. After living for a time in New York City, they settled in Grand View-on-Hudson, in Rockland County, NY. Hernandez was a merchant for several decades and much of the correspondence consists of letters from his agent in Havana, Antonio Gonzalez de Mendoza, regarding financial matters.
Diary/journal kept by Hiram Herring in Rodman, Jefferson County, N.Y. from 1843-1860.
Hezekiah and Corintha Hall were residents of Norwood, New York. H.B. Hall died in 1895 at the age of 80. He served as a land agent for wealthy property owners in Norfolk and Louisville. He also worked as a land surveyor and farmer. Corintha Yale Hall was H.B. Hall’s 4th wife. The couple had no children of their own, but adopted a daughter, Katie Hall. Corintha Hall died in 1940 at the age of 93.
A. Barton Hepburn was born July 24, 1846 in Colton, New York and died January 25, 1922 in New York City after being struck by a bus. He was educated in Colton, St. Lawrence Academy in Potsdam, and Middlebury College in Vermont. He was a lawyer, legislator, head of the Railway Committee of 1879, served as Superintendent to the Banking Department of the State of New York, US Bank Examiner, Comptroller of Currency, and with Chase National. He was benefactor to Hepburn Hospital in Ogdensburg, New York and six libraries in St. Lawrence County, New York all which are named for him.
Henry Hunn Thompson was born in Pompey, NY in 1824 and died in Passaic, NJ in 1918. He was educated at Hamilton College in New York. In 1863 he was appointed chief clerk in the office of the U.S. Treasury, while serving in this office he witnessed the shooting of Abraham Lincoln. At the close of the Civil War, Thompson resigned his treasury office and organized a National Bank in N.C. In 1877 he became cashier of the Erie Railroad and later became a cashier at the People's Bank and Trust Company of Passaic, NJ where he remained until his death.
Dr. Henry D. Payne was born in Depauville, NY on July 15, 1837. He was educated in area schools and as a young adult, lived in Watertown, NY where he worked in the building trades. Dr. Payne served as a lieutenant in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery during the Civil War and received an honorable discharge. Following his military service, Payne secured an apprenticeship with a local dentist in Watertown, later establishing his own successful practice. He passed away February 27, 1916.
Harland R. (Fred) Horton (1886-1975) owned his own surveying business, working out of his home office in Massena, NY. Much of his work was done in the Massena, Lousiville, Norfolk area of St. Lawrence County as well as areas of eastern Franklin County.
The Hallen family spent at least a portion of their lives in Waddington, NY. The principal character in the collection Maggie Hallen, who worked as a dress maker/seamstress in Waddington in the 1880s and 90s. Other members of the family during the time of the letters hail from Alexandria Bay and Binghamton, New York and Bluffton, Indiana. Maggie Hallen’s father, James Hallen served as town of Waddington Tax Collector in the late 1870s.
This collection consists of photographs, photo albums and diaries belonging to a Mrs. H.J. Phelps from Newton Center, MA. The diary entries chronicle the every day happenings in Mrs. Phelps' life. The majority of the photos are both dated and described. One of the photograph albums consists entirely of formal portrait photos while the other album is of candid and landscape shots. An undated, but quite old, copy of the King James Bible is also part of the collection.
This collection contains signatures, letter and images of several notable Americans of the 19th and early 20th century. Many of the items are marked “presented by H. B. Taylor”, although we have no information on who Mr. Taylor was. The collection also includes a document signed by Louis XVI, king of France.