Collections : [Connecticut Museum of Culture and History]

This collection primarily consists of genealogical charts, loose notes on the Ely, Yale, Brewster and Beach families, notebooks on the Beach family, loose notes from published works and vital records, newspaper articles, and Beach’s correspondence his research. He complemented his notes with hand-drawn maps of New Haven and heraldry research including tracings and cut-out templates of symbols that were part of heraldic shields. Beach also collected original documents, including a commission signed by Jonathan Trumbull, 1806, deeds, bills and receipts, legal documents, and letters, dating from 1767-1878.

The collection has been roughly divided into four series. The bulk of this collection contains the papers of Joshua Smith including property deeds and maps, receipts, some correspondence, summonses, and writs of attachment (most signed by Smith and one written for Smith). Other papers include those of Frederick Smith, Sarah Smith, and Anna Smith. Frederick's papers include an early account book of his and notes on Astronomy in Lebanon, property deeds, and legal papers and notes regarding the estate of Peleg Williams which it appears Frederick was executor of. The collection ends with the papers of Sarah and Anna Smith, including verses written by Sarah, notes on the Otis family, an acrostic for Sally Smith, and correspondence from John W. Paine.

The Koopman Family Collection contains a wide range of diverse materials associated with G. Fox & Co. and the Fox, Auerbach, and Koopman families. From correspondence, travel journals, newspaper clippings and scrapbooks to account books, bank statements, expense reports and legal documents, the family papers help to illuminate the private lives of these public figures. Of particular note in this half of the collection is Series 2, which contains those materials created by or about Beatrice Fox Auerbach. Her travel journals, correspondence, guest books, and even her academic notebooks, create a more complete and intimate portrait of this retail dynamo. One of the highlights of this part of the collection is the correspondence between Beatrice Fox Auerbach and Eleanor Roosevelt. When this part of the collection was donated, photocopies of Roosevelt’s letters to Beatrice Fox Auerbach had already been made. The donors also procured photocopies of Beatrice Fox Auerbach’s letters to Eleanor Roosevelt that are not part of this collection. Those letters not at the Connecticut Historical Society are most likely housed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, which has at least three folders of correspondence from Beatrice Fox Auerbach to Eleanor Roosevelt. The two sets of photocopies (those copied from originals in this collection and those from the Roosevelt Library) have been interspersed chronologically to provide context to the correspondence. The original letters from Eleanor Roosevelt in this collection have been separated from the photocopies and are restricted for preservation reasons. If the originals are necessary for your research, please speak with the Research Center Staff about how to obtain permission to use them.

The collection was possibly a purchase. The papers were not organized in any particular order when received. The papers were rearranged by correspondence relating to Lebbeus Toocker, then by his business of ship building/fishing, then by receipt date. All of the documents are organized by date. Lebbeus Toocker was a fisherman and ship builder from Saybrook, CT, who spent his winters in Darien and Savannah, GA. During his time in Georgia he corresponded with his wife Azubah. Both recounted the daily news, focusing mostly on deaths and marriages. Azubah lived in the same town as many of the families of the men who were working with Lebbeus, and she recounted what she had heard from them regarding the fishing expedition. Lebbeus’ brother, Orson, made similar observations of Saybrook’s events. Both Orson and Azubah made mention several times of the religious revival that was going on in Westbrook, CT and Hartford, CT from 1838 to 1841. Many people were converting from Methodist to Baptist, which was of concern to them. Orson and Azubah reported large numbers being converted. Lebbeus received a letter from William Fuller in 1850, regarding an invitation that Fuller had extended regarding moving to California to fish. Fuller had spoken with someone who had been familiar with fishing in California and the vast wealth associated with it. Fuller cited that one man made $7,000 in 18 months and that the opportunity was the greatest chance to make money. There are several orders for boats, giving the dimensions and specifications written to Lebbeus. Several requests were also written for fish and other goods to be delivered by boat. The papers also include documents from several sloops, including: Mary Parks (registered 1840-1843), LH Champlaine, Lilly (registered 1854-1863) and Frances Decker. There are documents listing the crew members. Several receipts and other assorted documents were for the following crew members: Alfred Hubbard, Rufus Fordham Jr., William Wood and David Mack. The majority of the papers are receipts for goods that Lebbeus Toocker had bought during the years 1825 to 1850. Some of the assorted documents are a receipt to cure love by William Bayard and three receipts for Dwight Kilbourn dated to 1866-1867.