Fletcher Family
The Fletcher Family collection includes family correspondence from the period 1826-1903 and photographs from circa 1860-1890. The material comes from the Fletcher Family subseries of the Consuelo Northrop Bailey Papers, which contains family papers collected by Consuelo's mother, Katherine Fletcher Northrop.
The correspondence included in this collection was collected by Ruth Allen Colton Fletcher, Henrietta Smith Fletcher, and Katherine Fletcher. Ruth was born in 1810 or 1811 to Lydia and Lemuel Colton of Sharon, VT. She married Andrew Fletcher in 1839, and lived in Waterville, Belvidere, and then Johnson, VT until her death, circa 1903. Her oldest surviving child was Andrew Craig Fletcher, who married Henrietta Smith in 1869. Henrietta was born in 1845 to Catherine and George Smith of Burke, NY. Katherine Fletcher was born in 1870 to Henrietta and Andrew Craig Fletcher of Jeffersonville, VT. She attended Johnson State Normal School from 1885-1887, graduating in January 1888.
The correspondence describes the experiences of several family members who moved west to New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and California. The correspondents recount in great detail the work of creating and managing their farms in these new states or territories, and many letters give meticulous lists of the prices of land, grains, stock, and groceries. The families in this correspondence endure a great deal of sickness and deaths and these as well as some accounts of their medical treatments are described in the letters. There are a few letters from Enos Fletcher and Charles Hogan that are from the Civil War, and several letters refer to the War and its effects on their communities. There is an account of the "St. Albans Raid" by Ruth's son Andrew Craig Fletcher, who was working in St. Albans at the time. Katherine Fletcher's correspondence with her family and classmates document her life and studies at Vermont's teacher training institution twenty years into its history as such.
Showing 381 - 390 of 452 Records
Lydia Colton to Ruth Fletcher\, 1839 May 24
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- Creator: Colton, Lydia.
- Description: Topics include the death of their sister Susan Pratt.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher\, 1850 April 28
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include her new dress and silver ware, her brother Cornelius in Massachusetts, and the activities of friends and family.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Maria Horner to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1854 August 20
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- Creator: Horner, Maria.
- Description: Topics include her recent illness and religious activities.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Charles Hogan to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1863 March 25
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- Creator: Hogan, Charles.
- Description: Topics include Charles' recent illness, his religious activities in his Company during the War, his friendship with Enos Fletcher, and the situation of their camp near Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, Florida.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher\, 1893 May 21
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include reading material, clothing items, and money, which Mary has sent or plans to send to Ruth.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1847 December 6 and Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1847 November and Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1847 November 19
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- Creator: Colton, Lemuel., Colton, Moses Shepard.
- Description: Topics include their illnesses over the summer, the rich and inexpensive farm land in Indiana, the prices of stock and grains, and the travelling and work activities of family members.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher and Daniel and Lydia Willey\, 1852 [March?] 8
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- Creator: Colton, Lemuel.
- Description: Topics include family illnesses, compaints about Brother Shepard's disinclination to help their mother, the death of Andrew's and Ruth's daughter, locals' plans to go to California for gold, farming activities, and local farm product prices.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lyman Colton to Ruth Fletcher\, 1853 May 15
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- Creator: Colton, Lyman.
- Description: Topics include Lyman's apology for his behavior when staying with the Fletchers for two years as a child.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher\, 1855 July 30
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include a family visit, Uncle's hurt hand, runaway horses, the birth of a neighbor's daughter, and the sale of wood.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Ellen Colton to [Carlos Colton?]\, 1855 November 29
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- Creator: Colton, Ellen.
- Description: Topics include Ellen's graduation, her work in a factory in Danville, and the death of her father, Zebina Colton. The letter is to one of her brothers, probably Carlos.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family