Frank F. Starr Collection

Résumé du livre

Papers of Nathan Starr, Sr. and Jr. (Series 1) include correspondence about the development of the Andrew Jackson party in Connecticut and communications with Gideon Welles, as well as mention of the U.S. Bank and arms industry and tools. In addition there is a diary written by Nathan Starr, Jr., about his trip from Connecticut to and through the Western Territories and then down the Mississippi River in 1810-1811 which describes travel conditions, the towns and cities he visited, behavior, architecture, the landscape, and the wildlife. There are extensive records that give a glimpse into the reason why a branch of the Bank of the United States was established in an area, the workings of the Bank, and the procedures of suing the bonders of the bank when malfeasance occurred. The communications between other family members and friends give a glimpse of the social, domestic, and other aspects of life in Middletown and surrounding towns during the first half of the 19th century. Papers of E.W.N. Starr (Series 2) include correspondence, financial and legal documents, Connecticut militia records, educational materials, and information about local and social events and collateral business connections. The records regarding the state militia reflect the workings of a town's company, the Mansfield Guard, the conflict resolution procedure when strife occurred between soldiers and officers, the administrative procedures of the top echelon of the state militia (E.W.N. Starr was the State Adjutant in the 1850s) and interaction between the state government, the state militia, and individuals on a particular issue, in this case, the type of materials and colors of uniforms. This series also provides information about state and local government positions during 1841-1891 including postmaster for a town, probate judge, and town clerk. It shows the day-to-day duties, financial matters, and election and appointment procedures. The Frank F. Starr papers (Series 3) include correspondence, financial, genealogy, and legal records, documents pertaining to his position as a town clerk and notary public records and his historical writings. These records show the process for outside review of town land records and vital statistics and a developing awareness of standards for document storage for town administrative records and historical important documents, and the role a town clerk and notary in the State of Connecticut of the 19th century in a lawsuit that spans both decades and states. This series also includes important writings by Frank F. Starr on Middletown and Connecticut history and particularly his correction of information published during Connecticut's Tercentenary of cemetery records based on his own research because many of the original tombstones had disappeared during the intervening years. Other Starr Family papers (Series 4) include correspondence, education, military, and work records of other family members. Estate records (Series 5) include information about domestic issues, household items and the financial state of Starr family members.