Collections : [East Lyme Historical Society]

Gathered and arranged by Olive Tubbs Chendali, who was East Lyme historian and granddaughter of the Chadwicks, this collection provides interesting detail regarding both the life of a merchant sea captain and farm life in Connecticut in the nineteenth century. Of the 483 letters included, the majority (260) are from Charles, written while away on his voyages to Mary at their farm in Lyme, Connecticut, while 111 are from Mary to Charles, addressed to New York or London with the ship's name and/or in care of the ship owner's company, and 15 are from Amelia Chadwick to her father. An additional 95 letters were written either to or from Charles, Mary, and Amelia, or from other people. The collection also includes business papers and store receipts. The letters in the notebooks are copies and the originals are restricted for viewing.

The collection consists of items that Olive Tubbs Chendali collected over her lifetime to document East Lyme history. Notebook 1 provides an index to notebooks 2-9, which contain items such as newspaper clippings, photos, advertisements, and genealogical information, as well as information on houses, buildings, landmarks, and the timeline of East Lyme history. Documentation of individuals includes obituaries and marriage announcements. There are also handwritten notes on local history provided by Chendali. Notebook 10 contains lesson plans for courses that Olive Tubbs Chendali gave on East Lyme, Connecticut history.

The collection contains documentation on the following topics:

The collection contains miscellaneous documents relating to the history and life of the Nehantic Indians. There are lists of the family names as well as maps of where they lived. Included are research into camp sites and artifacts found in this area.

Photographs in this collection document local schools, churches, businesses, organizations, events, people, and areas of town. Sites documented include the Thomas Lee House, Morton House Hotel, Niantic East Lyme Train Station, Niantic River Bridge, Saunders Point, Pine Grove, Crescent Beach, and Golden Spur. Modes of transportation are documented as well as ice storms and the 1938 Hurricane.

The clippings in this collection document events and people in the East Lyme area, including obituaries. Also documented are schools, businesses, institutions, and politics. They date from 1910 to 1995.