Morris Clark Papers, 1823-1912

Title:

Morris Clark Papers, 1823-1912

Creator:

Clark, Morris
Gove, George S. , Dr.

Creator Role:

Author

Accession / Call Number:

1991.030

Object ID:

1991.030

Date:

1823-1912

Physical Description:

9 boxes

Scope and Content:

The Morris Clark Papers, 1823-1912, present a broad picture of a family who kept in touch regularly. Clark frequently corresponds with his nephews and nieces. There are interesting pioneer letters from his brother-in-law, Ambrose Pierce, and his brother, Calvin, in the mid-west. There some letters that mention a "fallen daughter" in May of 1843. Clark's daughters write about school in Claremont, NH, and Newbury, NH. When Clark was away in Concord, NH, for a legislative session, he and his wife, Lucy, corresponded frequently. J.S. Emmons, a prisoner in Concord at the state prison, writes a long letter in 1852 about the philosophy of prison punishment and the conditions at the prison in Concord. There is also a letter describing life in California dated May 27, 1852. Lucy Clark's correspondence is mostly from her sisters Harriet Cossit and Charlotte L. Cossit, who lived in Claremont. Charlotte's husband Ambrose writes about politics and Harper's Ferry on November 16, 1859. Otherwise, the content of letters to Lucy mostly concerns household matters. There are to letters to Mrs. Clark, dated 1958 and 1959, from the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of New Hampshire. They hoped she would help raise money to preserve the house and grave of George Washington. The family correspondence contains letters to and from the daughters concerning school. There is a letter from Theron Dickey praising life in Canada in 1858. The bills and receipts within the papers reflect shopping from Montreal to Boston. There are decorative bill-heads from Concord, Claremont, and other nearby towns. There is a bill from a dentist dated September 3, 1853 for "plugging eleventh teeth." The legal papers include Esther Clark's will dated 1825 and a will for Morris Clark of Janesville, Wisconsin dated December 15, 1873. A mill lease agreement and land sale agreement reflect some of Clark's business arrangements. Both the business and personal papers overlap as he did business with relatives and friends. Print materials include items regarding White Mountain hotels, the Orford Academy, and ball invitations. The miscellaneous section contains a school paper on the issue of whether a woman's mind is inferior to a man's as well as a parody poem about women's rights. The business correspondence of Morris Clark and his family regards land purchases, sales of lumber and shingles, an order for a circular saw, land surveys, and other business transactions. Personal matters and politics are also included in some of the business correspondence. Letters also related to the White Mountain Railroad. There is a request for wood from Botanist William Oakes dated September 9, 1847. The legal documents vary from the purchase of a horse to the rental of a mill. They include a power of attorney for the Browns in Wisconsin, papers for Clark as assessor of state prison buildings, and legal wrangling with Ebenezer Carleton of Bath and the White Mountain Lumber Company. Estate papers include an inventory of the property of John T. Gove dated 1852 as well as papers pertaining to William Oases, Samuel G. Clark, and Daniel F. Cotes all from the late 1840's and 1850's. There are a few decorative billheads, including one from the White Mountain Band and Railroad. The decorative billheads are found with the receipts and bills. The documents on Civic Activities contain correspondence regarding state and local politics. Correspondents include James M. Rix, George Bellows, John S. Wells, Francis Peabody, N.B. Baker, and others. There are printed democratic circulars as well. Other types of civic activities concern surveying, postal delivery, schools, and pauper support. Clark's work with the Marshall on the census and as county treasurer are also reflected here. There are some letters written in 1864 regarding the beginnings of the State Agricultural College, now the University of New Hampshire. Papers on the White Mountain Railroad include letters from O.C. hale, G.B. Chandler, Isaac Watts, G.B. Redington, Charles Lane, and others. There are announcements of directors meetings, discussions of locations of a passenger station, subscriptions of stock and financial problems, lumber agreements, and legal wrangling. Morris Clark was an agent for various insurance companies during the 1850's including Atlantic Insurance, People's Mutual, Belknap Mutual Fire, and Union Mutual Fire. There are blank forms, annual reports, policy documents, and appointments as agent. George S. Gove was also active in Democratic state politics. He frequently corresponded with John M. Gove and J.S.M. Gove. Much of his correspondence pertains to purchasing and shipping liquor from Boston, MA. There are three interesting letters from 1863 to 1864 to William R. Allyn in Worcester, MA, regarding building an aqueduct in Whitefield, NH. Gove's cousin, Jonah Gove Daniels, writes about his new home in Fairfax County, VA. There is an agreement followed by a lengthy disagreement regarding a medical practice agreement with Dr. Joseph M. Harwell. Gove also appears to have been involved marginally in the lumber business, corresponding with many of the same people as Morris Clark. The miscellaneous folder contains an inventory that may be part of the appraisal of the state prison property. There is also a recipe for paint and some plans of land lots. There is a tailor's ad for Woolson & Brothers in Littleton, NH, and some affidavits, one regarding counterfeit money.

Subjects:

Lumbering. , Lumber. , White Mountain Railroad. , Physicians. , Insurance. , Billheads. , Prisons New Hampshire. , Prisons. , Census. , American Telegraph Company

Locations:

Whitefield, NH
Orford, NH
Bath, NH
Wisconsin

People:

Peabody, Francis , Carleton, Ebenezer , Rix, James Madison, 1811-1856 , Oakes, William, 1799-1848 , Bellows, George , Butterfield, George, 1815-1884 , Cole, George W. , Cossit, Ambrose , Cossit, J.S. , Davey, John , Dunbar, John , Farr, John, 1810-1892 , Fletcher, Hiram A., 1806-1879 , Goodall, Daniel G. , Goodall, Ira , Johnston, William , Leslie, George , Liscomb, Charles , Littlefield, Joshua E. , Lyon, John E. , Nesmith, George W. , Stevenson, Rueben , Tappan, John W. , Washington, George (1732-1799) , Gove, George S. , Clark, Morris

Credit Line:

Gift of the University Archives, Jackson Library, University of North Carolina at Greensboro in March, 1991.

Restrictions:

Available for research.

Level Description:

Collection