Collections : [Connecticut Museum of Culture and History]

The collection was received in 1948, in no particular order or arrangement. The papers have now been arranged by recipient or correspondent chronologically.

The dealer who had this collection organized the letters according to the name of the recipient. They have since been reorganized by author, where possible, and arranged alphabetically by first name.

The collection primarily consists of minutes of meetings from 1908 to 1992, with a gap between 1956 and 1959. The first years are recorded in volumes with pre-printed pages produced by the national grange. After 1959 the volumes are standard record books purchased from office supply stores. During the years when Virginia Smith was secretary, 1968-1988, the minutes are interspersed with newspaper clippings and publications related to the topics discussed at each meeting. Care should be taken when opening these volumes and turning the pages. A standard meeting consisted of reports from various committees, reading incoming correspondence, conducting old and new business, and enjoying the “Literary Program”. Members also planned social events and community projects, such as the town sign displayed along Route 7.

The collection consists almost entirely of correspondence among the members of the Whitman, Goodman and Sedgwick families concerning family and neighborhood news. There are a few other documents, namely some rewards of merit for good school work, several compositions and poems, and a memorandum book kept by one of the Samuel Whitmans.

The Boardman collection consists of William Francis Joseph's diaries, memoranda and account notebooks, a song collection, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous papers and clippings. Six of the diaries were kept by Mr. Boardman's mother, Mary Francis Boardman. In spite of his economic prosperity and high standing in the community, the diaries reveal Mr. Boardman's melancholy turn of mind and his preoccupation with his wife's constant illnesses. Throughout his entries, Mr. Boardman details the various afflictions in his lungs, kidneys, heart, and bowels, as well as attacks of boils and carbuncles. Both he and his wife, Jane, suffered from insomnia and nervousness. He often reflects on man's mortality and the approaching loss of his parents and contemporaries. He repeatedly mentions his depression in terms of "feeling blue" or "used up." This state of mind is in contrast to his appreciation of the beloved family circle, his lovely home, and his many civic interests and engaged comments on current events in America and abroad. His diaries also contain commentary, facts, and statistics on Hartford businesses and the economic environment of the state.

The collection came with no discernable organization. The diaries were arranged first, chronologically. William Thomas’ incoming correspondence was arranged with family letters first, followed by general correspondence. If there was incoming correspondence to the family, it was filed after the letters to their father. Since Thomas was a minister, his church-related papers follow the correspondence. Military and financial records complete the collection.