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Charles Emory Smith, born 18 February 1842, in Mansfield, CT, was the son of Emory Boutelle and Arvilla Topliff (Royce) Smith. The family relocated to Albany, NY, when Charles was seven and he attended public schools and the Albany Academy, from which he graduated at sixteen. He graduated from Union College in 1861 and went on to become a journalist, diplomat and postmaster-general. He died in Philadelphia, PA, on 19 January 1908.

The collection consists of materials that primarily document the lives and concerns of educated middle class young women of the mid-nineteenth century.

Born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1890 the daughter of Seymour and Harriet Jackson Going, Chase Going Woodhouse studied at McGill University, the University of Berlin and the University of Chicago. She was employed by Smith College, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of North Carolina, Connecticut College before her election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1945. For much of the remainder of her career she served as the Director's of the Auerbach Women's Service Bureau (1945-1981). Chase Going Woodhouse died in 1984 after a lifetime of dedicated public service.

In 1838, six Cheney brothers established the Mount Nebo Silk Company in Manchester, CT. The company adopted the family name in 1843. Aided by booming national markets, a protective tariff, and innovative production methods, the company grew into the nation's largest and most profitable silk mill by the late 1880s. The company pioneered the wastesilk spinning method and the Grant's reel. The company reached its peak in 1923, after which it quickly declined due to industry wide overproduction and competition from new synthetic fibers such as rayon. Although it revived slightly during World War II, the family sold the company to J. P. Stevens and Company in 1955. J. P. Stevens quickly liquidated the equipment and the remainder was sold to Gerli Incorporated of New York. In 1978, the mills and surrounding neighborhood were declared a National Historical Landmark District. The mill was permanently closed in 1984. Most of the mill buildings were sold to developers who converted them into luxury apartments and offices.

Poet, editor and translator, Cid Corman was born in 1924 in Boston, Massachusetts. Owner of the Origin Press, he was the editor and publisher of Origin magazine.

The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, papers, articles, reviews, notes, publications, background materials, photographs, photocopies, photostats, negatives, and order forms related to Clare Talbot's writings, as well as her business activities.

The Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, Inc. (CAAO) is a professional organization that is affiliated with the International Association of Assessing Officers. CAAO is comprised of nearly 500 regular and subscribing members. Regular membership is open to all State of Connecticut public officials who are engaged in the administration of property assessments, including assessors, employees of assessors' offices and board of assessment appeals members. Subscribing membership is open to individuals or companies interested in property assessment or a related field. The mission of CAAO is to improve the standards of assessment practices within the State of Connecticut. To that end, the organization publishes a bi-monthly newsletter (the Assessoreporter) and the Handbook for Connecticut Assessors. CAAO is also closely involved in the Annual School for Assessors and Boards of Assessment Appeals, at which all the courses that are prerequisites for assessor certification are offered. If there is sufficient demand for a particular course, it can be offered at another time of the year. Additionally, CAAO's Education Committee sponsors various educational symposiums and workshops for assessors who are already certified.

The Connecticut Citizen Action Group was the first state-based consumer interest group. Created in 1971 by Ralph Nader and directed by Toby Moffett, CCAG was designed to represent, inform, unite, and empower the citizens of Connecticut in their roles as consumers, workers, tax payers, and voters. Taking on such issues as illegal business practices, utility rate increases, environmental pollution, and consumer fraud, the newly formed group was inundated with citizen requests for information and counsel. Among its major activities and accomplishments are: the General Assembly Project, an in-depth analysis of the behavior of state legislators; the Health Project, which compiled a wide range of state health care information; organizing efforts to enact the Bottle Bill, which required deposits on many types of beverage containers; enforcing environmental standards and enacting consumer protection legislation; and watchdog oversight and legal action concerning utility companies and development projects.

The early history of the Connecticut Employees Union Independent is largely the story of one man, Salvatore Perruccio, a prominent labor leader in the state of Connecticut for almost forty years. The Connecticut Employees Union Independent was formed on 26 April 1967, when Perruccio and 325 state employees working at the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown decided to break away from AFSCME and begin their own union. The split with AFSCME was not friendly, and the Federation attacked the new union with a variety of tactics ranging from court injunctions, subterfuge, and even violence. The Independent managed to survive, and by 1981 it boasted a membership of over 8,000 state employees, most of whom were maintenance workers.

In February 1891, a group of sixteen peach growers under the leadership of the Secretary of Agriculture, Theodore S. Gold, met in the State Capitol to talk about the formation of a fruit society. In December of that same year, forty growers met and elected John Smith of New Britain as president. Since its founding, the Connecticut Pomological Society has been involved in development of pest management and disease control for Connecticut's orchards.