Fletcher Family
Collection Overview
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...
Show moreThe 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. Below is a list of most of the correspondents and their basic biographical information if known. Some of the dates are those found in Katherine Fletcher's geneaological research and some have been inferred from the correspondence. The list is alphabetized by first name. Addie Melvin (friend of Katherine) Addie Quimby (friend of Della Fletcher Oakes) Almira T. (friend of Ruth) Andrew Craig Fletcher (son of Ruth) (b. 1842; d. 1917; m. Harriet Smith 1869; ch. Katherine, Carrie, Rhett, Ray, Bess) Andrew Fletcher (husband of Ruth) (b. 1812; d. circa 1892; m. Ruth Colton, 1839) Angie Day (friend of Katherine) Arvilla Coats Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Moses S. Colton, 1824) Ashley Dixon (uncle or friend of Andrew Craig Fletcher) Bertha Daggett (friend of Katherine) Betsey Verona Colton Jagua (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla) (b. 1828; d. 1872; m. Seth Jagua; ch. Sarah Eveline) Carlos Colton (nephew [older] of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (m. Hannah) Carlos Colton (nephew [younger] of Ruth; son of Lemuel and Matilda Colton) (died young) Carrie Blodgett (friend of Katherine) Carrie Carroll (friend of Katherine) Carrie Fletcher (sister of Katherine) Carrie Maude (friend of Katherine) Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla Colton) (b. 1826; d. 1852; m. William Potter, 1843?, and Hiram Holdridge 1850?; ch. Cyril and another son) Catherine Emily Alvord Smith (also spelled with a "K") (mother of Henrietta) (b. 1820; d. 1885; m. George Smith, 1840; ch. Edward, George Bent, Henrietta) Clara Gris (friend of Carrie Fletcher) Clark Pratt (m. Susan Colton, 1831; d. 1839?) Cora Davis (friend of Katherine) Curtis Colton (nephew of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (d. 1859?) Cyrus Cornelius Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1833) Daniel Willey (brother-in-law of Ruth) (m. Lydia Colton [sister], 1849) Della (Adella) Fletcher Oakes (daughter of Ruth) (b. 1857; m. ? Oakes) Edward C. Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1843; d. 1933; m. Marilla S. Derby, 1869; ch. Carl Carlsmith, Mattie, Grace [died young], George [died young], Mabel [died young], Winifred) Elias Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth) Ella Fletcher [s.n.] (daughter of Ruth) Ellen Colton Church (niece of Ruth; daughter of Zebina Colton) (m. John Church) Enos Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth) Florence [s.n.] (friend of Carrie Fletcher) George and Mary Sprague (friends of Ruth from Craftsbury) George Bent Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1841; m. Lucy A. Brown, 1879; ch. Edward, Gladys) Gertie Harrington (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Harriet Fletcher Perham (friend of Ruth; sister of Andrew) Harriet Hodgkin (acquaintance of Ruth) Harry C Fallangton (friend of Katherine) Henrietta Lurena Smith Fletcher (b. 1845; d. 1916; m. Andrew Craig Fletcher, 1869; ch. Katherine, Allison Craig [died young], Carrie, Edward George [died young], Rhett, Ray, Bessie) Hiram Holdridge (2nd husband of Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge, m.1850?, d. 1854?) Ida Barton (teacher in Jeffersonville 1886-1887) Ira Clark (nephew of Ruth by marriage) (m. Mary Powers) Isa Hazen Thorp (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Jane Fletcher (sister-in-law of Ruth) Jennie Perry (also known as "Joe") (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Joe [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Julie Galushia (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Katie Smith (daughter of George B. and Lucy Smith?) Lemuel Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1800?) (m. Matilda) (ch. Lemuel and Carlos) Lemuel Colton, Jr. (nephew of Ruth, son of Lemuel Colton) (m. Lue) Levi Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1835) Lizzie Harvey Hobart (grandniece of Ruth; daughter of Mary Pratt Harvey) Lois Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Zebina Colton) Lucy [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Lucy Brown Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. George B. Smith) Lucy L[eland?] (friend of Katherine) Lue Colton (niece of Ruth; wife? of Lemuel Colton, Jr.) Lulu F. R. (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Lydia Colton (mother of Ruth) (b. 1767; d. 1852; m. Lemuel Colton, 1796) Lydia Colton Willey (sister of Ruth) (b. 1804; d. before 1885; m. Daniel Willey, 1849) Lyman Colton (nephew of Ruth; brother of Betsy Verona and Carseldana) (b. 1830?; d. 1884; m. Nancy, 1859?) Mamie Flagg (friend of Katherine) Maria Fletcher Horner (sister-in-law of Ruth) Marilla Derby Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. Edward C. Smith) Mary A. Johnson (friend of Ruth) Mary Powers Clark (niece of Ruth) Mary Pratt Harvey (niece of Ruth; daughter of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1831; m. Caleb Harvey; ch. Lizzie and Clark) (Not to be confused with Caleb's sister, Mary Harvey) Matilda Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (d. 1883; m. Lemuel Colton) Moses S. Colton (also known as Shepard) (brother of Ruth) (b. 1799; d. 1868; m. Arvilla Coats, 1825; ch. Carseldana, Betsey Verona, and Lyman) Myrtie Grean (friend of Katherine) Nate [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Nida George (friend of Katherine) Ruth Colton Fletcher (b. 1810/11, d. circa 1903; m. Andrew Fletcher 1839; ch. Infant, d. 1841; Andrew Craig; Frederick Cornelius; Emma Alvora, died young; Ella Aldora; Allison Evelyn, "Allie," a boy, died circa age 15; Ruth Adella, "Della") S.H. Alvord (sister of Catherine Smith?) Sally Dwinnell (aunt? of Ruth) Sarah Nolan (sister-in-law of Catherine Smith) Susan Colton Pratt (sister of Ruth) (b. 1806 or 1807; d. 1839; m. Clark Pratt 1831; ch. Mary, Cornelius, Levi) Tom Guild (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Willis Hubbard (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Will Newcomb (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Zebina Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1802; d. 1856; m. Lois Buck, 1831; ch. Zebina, Curtis, Carlos, Ellen)
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Related Archival Collection
(401 - 420 of 472)
Pages
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1850 April 28
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Topics include her new dress and silver ware, her brother Cornelius in Massachusetts, and the activities of friends and family.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1850 February 26
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Topics include Mary's brother Cornelius' move to Massachusetts, her spelling school activities, her health and medicinal treatments, and inquiries about friends and family.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1852 August 8 and October 9
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Topics include Mary's trip back home during warm weather, her family members' activities, and the numbing illness of Cornelius that last several weeks.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1853 August 26
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Topics include the birth of her Mary's daughter, and the health of family members.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1855 January 26
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Topics include the illnesses and deaths among friends, neighbors, and family.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1855 July 30
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Topics include a family visit, Uncle's hurt hand, runaway horses, the birth of a neighbor's daughter, and the sale of wood.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1864 April 19
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Topics include the birth of her son, their work on the farm, and school teachers and qualification in Iowa.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1868 October 6
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Topics include her difficulties with her husband, her brother Levi's family, her children, the difficulties of women compared to men due to the machinery used in men's work, and the flourishing of her community in Iowa.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1883 February 22
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Topics include details of Mary's work on their farm and house, her son Clark's work in school, her daughter Lizzie's and her son-in-law Frank's land in Beloit, Kansas,and their home, family, and material goods, her brother Cyrus Cornelius' money making schemes and how he left his wife for another...
Show moreTopics include details of Mary's work on their farm and house, her son Clark's work in school, her daughter Lizzie's and her son-in-law Frank's land in Beloit, Kansas,and their home, family, and material goods, her brother Cyrus Cornelius' money making schemes and how he left his wife for another woman, and her desire to visit Ruth in Vermont.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1884 March 22
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Topics include Mary's visit to see her brother Levi and his family in Michigan and framing her photographs from Ruth.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, 1893 May 21
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Topics include reading material, clothing items, and money, which Mary has sent or plans to send to Ruth.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, undated
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Topics include clothing for Ruth's children, and family members' health.
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- Mary Harvey to Ruth Fletcher, undated
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Topics include plans for visiting family and friends.
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- Mary M.Powers to [Katherine Fletcher?], 1885 March 29
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Topics include her snowy train ride home, making a dress, attending church, and helping her physician father with his work.
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- Mary Powers to Ruth Fletcher, [1852?] April 18
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Topics include Mary's families activities, their new home, a "Donation Party," the death of Ruth's daughter, Emma, and Mary's teaching activities.
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- Mary Pratt to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1849 April 8
- Description
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Topics include her work, her brother Cornelius' work, eating warm sugar, and the health and activities of those around her.
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- Mary Pratt to Ruth Fletcher, 1847 May 6 and Almira T. to Ruth Fletcher, 1847 May 6
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Topics include a measles outbreak in Winooski.
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- Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher and Betsey Verona Jagua to Ruth Fletcher, 1861 September 13
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Topics include Moses and his family's farm, the poor economy because of the war, the death of a little girl (Carseldana's?), Betsey Verona's brother (and Moses' son) Lyman's preaching in the Free Mission Baptist Church, and the health of Betsey Verona's and Seth's daughter Sarah Eveline.
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- Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1855 October 28
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Topics include the details of Moses' return trip from Vermont to Indiana, the family of Zebina, and the prices and conditions of their produce and stock.
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- Moses S. Colton to Andrew and Ruth Fletcher, 1856 September 20 and Betsey Verona Jagua to Ruth Fletcher
- Description
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Topics include building a small house, the dry weather in Otsego, IN, and the effects on crops and fruit trees, and the health of various family members.