Goodwin, Nathaniel and Various Members of the Brown Family

[Fruit Growing][Farming][Education] Mid-nineteenth Century Correspondence Between Honorable Nathaniel Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut and the Extended Brown Family of Henderson, Jefferson County, New York 1849-1855

[Fruit Growing][Farming][Education] Mid-nineteenth Century Correspondence Between Honorable Nathaniel Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut and the Extended Brown Family of Henderson, Jefferson County, New York 1849-1855

Archives consists of 58 autograph letters signed. Each letter ranges from 1 to 6 pages. Collection written on all types of paper stock and sizes but generally range from about 6 x 8 to 8 x 10 inches. Overall, the collection is more legible than usual for this period, even though written by 5 or 6 different hands. No envelopes; no stamped or stampless letters. Very Good Condition.

Collection of letters from 1849 to 1855 written to the Honorable Nathaniel Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut from his nephews, nieces and brother-in-law--all members of the Brown family of Henderson, Jefferson County New York.

Great archive through letters of the lives of an extended up-state New York family of farmers and fruit growers, plus a sibling in college. The collection provides us with six years of struggle, hardship and success of rural Americans in the mid-nineteenth century.

Nathaniel Goodwin (1782-1855) was a surveyor, city and county treasurer, and probate judge for the Hartford region. He was a student of history and genealogy and authored three books on genealogy of Connecticut and Massachusetts settlers. He clearly was also a benefactor to his nephews and nieces, supporting their education and various farming endeavors.

The extended Brown families from Jefferson County New York consisted of at least four siblings (Thomas, Arthur, Sarah and James) plus we have several letters from their father, Amasa Brown. We can infer from the letters that the Browns were not well-off. One additional letter is from Sarah Brown's daughter C[atherine] L. Brown-Dwight.

Both Thomas Brown and James Brown were farmers and beneficiaries of land purchased by Nathaniel Goodwin for their use. Many of the letters provide detailed information of crop harvests, yields, and prices. There are also numerous mentions of their various types of livestock. Thomas Brown mentions that he has invested in a local rail spur due to arrive in Henderson in 20 days with construction proceeding 1/2 mile per day. Henderson is in up-state New York, near Lake Ontario.

Like farmers of today, crop prices and weather dominate conversation. Through these letters we have a solid understanding of crop prices for upstate New York in the early 1850's. Thomas Brown writes in October 1852, "I have been in a hurry about threshing and drawing off my wheat and I wished to do it before I wrote, as I thought you would be pleased to know how it turned out. The season take it together has been a very lean one for farmers generally. From a third to one half the hay crop with me and the rest of the farmers has generally failed, the pastures also in the same proportion. Corn has fell short from a quarter to a third. It will be expensive with me and others to winter stock this winter, as so much grain will have to be fed. I have 10 acres of corn this season. From 50 to 75 bushels is my usual crop, but I have as good corn as any of my neighbors and I think it will not go 40 per acre. My wheat crop of 10 acres went 28 bushels per acre. I sold to Watertown 211 bushels - 1l lbs at $1.08 per bushel. Two acres of potatoes $35.00 per acre sold."

In addition, we learn the exact mix of fruit and ornamental trees planted by James Brown from a January 1853 letter. "I set out two or three years ago, 50 apple trees, and this last fall I got the balance of the old orchard in what I call first rate order for filling out the whole lot. I done so. I bought 75 young trees that seemed very healthy and quite large natural fruit, which I intend to graft in a year or two. 22 I bought of a Rochester nurseryman in order to get specimens of their fruit, the Newtown Pippin, Baldwin, Roxbury Russet, &c. I also bought 10 pear trees, 2 quince trees, 2 cherry trees, 2 apricot trees. Some others I set of my own raising, making over 100 apple trees. I set out 7 elms from 2 to 4 inches through. They were as good as I could procure, but hardly as good as I would have liked. I also set out maple trees, a few. I would like your advice as to whether it would be best to fill out the new orchard or not."

Rochester was the fruit tree capital of the United States in the 19th century with numerous nurseries setting up shop, employing a large force of traveling salesmen to sell trees. These nurseries produced beautiful chromolithographic salesmen's books to market their goods. Henderson, New York is about 145 miles east of Rochester.

The two older Brown brothers, in 1854, were hired by Nathaniel Goodwin to graft apple trees in a Goodwin/Brown orchard. In total the two brothers grafted 46 trees, using 1700 scions. James Brown writes to his uncle in April 1854, "we intended to put enough scions in each tree as to form a good top, the number of scions varying from 30 to 65 or 70 according to the size of the tree...the grafts were very nice and fresh, and we endeavored to take the utmost pains."

Thomas Brown notes in May 1854, "I set four trees of Pippins 10 of the Russet 15 of the Baldwin 12 of the Greening & 5 of the Swar in total 46."

Arthur Brown was a student at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The majority of his letters are either requesting funds from Nathaniel Goodwin or thanking Goodwin for sending money. Several notes refer to Goodwin's pledge to support Arthur's education. Uncle Nat apparently was keen to quiz Arthur on his studies as noted in this April 1853 letter. "You ask me what I consider to be the motive power of Mr. Ericsson's engine. If I rightly understand it, it is simply heated air, which is employed instead of steam. This air has to be raised to the temperature of 480 [degrees] of heat to equal the pressure of one atmosphere, or 15 pounds to the square inch. After being employed to raise the piston, it passes through a fine wire gauze, which takes away 200 [degrees] of heat, & thus allows the piston to descend. I have never seen a drawing of the Engine, so as to understand completely its parts."

Arthur must have been a good student as he was appointed speaker of his graduating class in June 1854. However, to save money, Arthur apparently left Williams College before the graduation ceremony. He would go on to teach at the Academy School at Fort Covington New York and later serve as a judge appointed to the Jefferson County Court by Governor DeWitt Clinton.

The letters from Amasa Brown are largely devoted to the purchase of a tract of land financed by Nathaniel Goodwin. One letter includes a manuscript map detailing outbuildings and locations of orchards etc. A January 1st, 1853 letter from Amasa describes 90 acres for sale, "The one that stands the highest in my estimation, according to the price, is a lot of ninety acres, all cleared up, except about an acre, surrounded with a good cedar stake and cat ferns on three sides of it, and the other side lying on the broad Lake Ontario, where the cattle can go and drink at their leisure on the beautiful gravel shore, and in hot weather in fly time, are often seen standing in the water up to their backs, and when the dew is on, will go and fill themselves with the richest grass in the world. The owner of the land told me that on account of the severity of the last winter, that his cattle came out rather thin of flesh last spring, but this fall there was no fatter cattle in the county. He sold his two-year-old steers for thirty dollars a head and was able to keep 30 head in the pasture, notwithstanding the drought, and let a poor man go and cut about a ton of surplus grass in the pasture." Twenty days later, Nathaniel Goodwin replies, "To your letter of January 1, 1853, relative to the purchase of a ninety acre pasture lot on the Point, at 12.50 per acre, or less, I have given more consideration, - and, upon the whole, have decided, that I will buy the lot, should you be of opinion, that it is worth the money, and that the interest of your boys, as farmers, will be promoted by the purchase; - and that the lot can readily be converted into cash again, should occasion be found to dispose of it."

Sarah Brown's letters are newsy affairs about her family, but she also speaks of their land. "Forest and fruit trees have put on their most beautiful verdure, and we are hoping for warm weather soon." A second letter details the wedding of her daughter Catherine to Mr. Dwight, who is planning on attending Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. "He is very industrious and prudent, what he has is by his own industry...."

The sole letter from Catherine Brown (signed C.L. Brown-Dwight) is dated April 28th,1855. "Considering your feeble state of health and probable poor appetite, my husband and myself thought some maple molasses might be acceptable to you." Later in the letter she notes, "Please allow me at this time to make a grateful acknowledgement for the present of money sent me last autumn." This gift was likely a wedding present. "My husband is preparing his ground for crops. He writes with me in sending much love to our respected uncle." Nathaniel Goodwin would pass away 31 days later.

A fine collection of letters detailing 6 years of an extended family's life as they grow fruit, ranch, farm and in upstate New York, from the mundane to the hard labor.

Full transcripts of nine letters included. Item #1554

Price: $1,450.00