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 31 - 40 of 452 Records
Zebina and Lois Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher and Lydia Colton\, 1850 January 20
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- Creator: Colton, Zebina., Colton, Lois.
- Description: Topics include the location of the old family record, their son Curtis' ill health, and Zebina's desire that Andrew should purchase his farm in Pierpont.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Ellen Colton to Ruth Fletcher\, [circa 1855] April 22
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- Creator: Colton, Ellen.
- Description: Topics include a visit to Mary and Caleb Harvey's house, her work in a factory, and the health of various family members.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1860 January 29
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- Creator: Colton, Moses Shepard.
- Description: Topics include the various prices of crops and land in Indiana, the state of his farm and finances, the state of Lemuel's farm and finances, Lyman's preaching, and Verona's and Seth's families activities.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lyman Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1875 February 9
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- Creator: Colton, Lyman.
- Description: Topics include the death of his father Moses in 1868, the death of his sister Verona in 1872, his abuse as a boy at the hands of Enos Fletcher, his children and wife and their health, and the devestation in Kansas from the grasshoppers and the resulting famine and poverty affecting his family.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1875 August 30
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- Creator: Colton, Lemuel.
- Description: Topics include the weather and crops and prices in Indiana, and his nephew Lyman's experiences with the grasshoppers in Kansas.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1883 March 17
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- Creator: Colton, Lemuel.
- Description: Topics include the death of Lemuel's wife Matilda.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Lemuel Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher\, 1883 October 10
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- Creator: Colton, Lemuel.
- Description: Topics include Lemuel's plans to visit with Mary (Harvey?), his stable but poor health, and the cool summer and reduced crop yields of 1883 in Indiana.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth and Andrew Fletcher\, 1887 February 7
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include the health and activities of Mary's family members and her desire for a visit from Andrew and Ruth.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher and to Ella [s.n.]\, 1892 December 29
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include Andrew Fletcher's death, some unexplained trouble that ensued for Ruth Fletcher and was resolved by Charles Hogan, and Ruth's plans to move in with her daughter Ella and husband.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family
Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher\, undated
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- Creator: Harvey, Mary.
- Description: Topics include clothing for Ruth's children, and family members' health.
- Parent Collections: Fletcher Family