Collections List
General Harry K. Rutherford Coll.
The collection consists of family & military photos, yearbook of West Point (1907) & twenty-year book of West Point (1927); West Point by John Crane & James F. Kieley, as well as flags, medals and his sword.
George & James Redington papers
This collection consists of personal and business correspondence, business papers and legal documents of George and James Redington. Also included are account books, records of the lumber business, notes (purchase and expenditures), orders (to pay bills), church papers/records of the First Presbyterian Church of Waddington, post office correspondence, prints of rafts and boats, and materials on the Sons of Temperance (minutes of meetings, constitution and black book). St. Lawrence University purchased this collection in 1958 from a Canadian book dealer.
George Malby Collection
The collection consists of speeches and printed matter relating to the building of the Panama Canal, a book "Panama" by Ashley Carter, material relating to the proposed Nicaragua Canal, and numerous newspaper obituaries about Malby. St. Lawrence University received the collection from Mrs. Ada Armstrong of Ogdensburg, New York in June of 1971. Malby was Mrs. Armstrong's husband Howard's great uncle.
George O. Newbury Letters
The collection consists of letters written by George Newbury to the Pike family while he was serving with the 9th Regiment - Maine Volunteers during the Civil War.
George S. Parsons Correspondence
This collection contains 43 letters (original and two transcript copies). The letters date from Sept. 14,1862 to Feb. 23, 1923 and describe camp life, hospital life, medical care, travel, and small battles during the Civil War. The majority of these letters are written by George S. Parsons to his parents or friends. Along with the letters, this collection contains ephemera for the Union Guidon from May 14, 1864, postcards, and receipts from the Johnstown Cheese Factory dating from Apr. 29, 1908 to Nov. 25, 1908.
Gertrude Richardson Papers
The collection consists of the diaries of Gertrude Richardson from 1909-1942 (missing are 1910, 1927, 1933 and 1935) and the diaries of Shirley Claus 1932-1940 and 1949. Also included are a few photographs and a short biography of the Richardson family.
Giffin Family Collection
The materials in the collection contain genealogical information on the Giffin family consisting of photos, diaries, correspondence, clippings, and publications (paper and microfilm) assembled by Florence Giffin Martin Johnson and Mary Giffin Strange. Includes material on Preston King, Doane family and Pemberton Johnson.
Grasse River Water Power Assessment, 1871
The Grasse River is a 115 mile tributary of the St. Lawrence, and is located entirely in St. Lawrence County. The South Branch begins near Long Tom Mountain in the Town of Colton, and the river runs through Russell, Canton and Madrid on its way to meet the St. Lawrence River downstream of Massena. The historic spelling of the river’s name includes an “e,” while contemporary spellings favor Grass River. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century the river was a vital economic link for both logging and agriculture. Approximately 85 miles of the river can be navigated by canoe.
Graves Family Correspondence
George K. and Fayette D. Graves, brothers from Rensselaer Falls NY, were the sons of James and Catherine Graves. George, born in 1842, served as a private in company G of the 142nd infantry division NYS volunteers. He was wounded in 1864, yet he continued to serve until the war was over in 1865. He died in 1916.
Fayette, born in 1844, was a private in company A of the 106th infantry division NYS volunteers. He was wounded on May 15, 1864. He also served until the end of the war. Although the brothers were in separate division units, both spent much of their time during the war in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. This collection consists of 76 letters. The letters describe camp life, hospitals, and battles.
Gunnison Memorial Chapel Collection
The Gunnison Memorial Chapel digital exhibit consists of a selection of images from St. Lawrence University Archives' extensive collection of historical photographs.
H.B. Taylor Autograph Collection
This collection contains signatures, letter and images of several notable Americans of the 19th and early 20th century. Many of the items are marked “presented by H. B. Taylor”, although we have no information on who Mr. Taylor was. The collection also includes a document signed by Louis XVI, king of France.
H.J. Phelps Collection
This collection consists of photographs, photo albums and diaries belonging to a Mrs. H.J. Phelps from Newton Center, MA. The diary entries chronicle the every day happenings in Mrs. Phelps' life. The majority of the photos are both dated and described. One of the photograph albums consists entirely of formal portrait photos while the other album is of candid and landscape shots. An undated, but quite old, copy of the King James Bible is also part of the collection.
Hallen Family Letters
The collection contains about 50 letters and other correspondence, mostly concerning news involving family and friends and other every day subjects. Some of the letters are in original envelopes, but some are lacking envelopes. At least three of the letters to Maggie Hallen are from other young ladies in St. Lawrence County looking hoping to work for her dressmaking business. Other correspondence includes invoices from merchants for sewing supplies, etc. Also included are tax collection receipts from the St. Lawrence County Treasurers office, as well as bank deposit receipts.
Harlan R. Horton Survey Map Collection
This collection consists of about 150 maps of neighborhoods, projects, developments and individual properties Mr. Horton surveyed primarily in the 1920s – 1960s. Locations of the surveys include the town and village of Massena, and the towns and villages of Nicholville, Fort Covington, Norfolk, Winthrop, Brasher, Helena, Lawrence, Hogansburg, Brushton, Bombay, Madrid, Malone and Waddington, including surveys of lands for power transmission lines developed in early to mid-20th century.. Also included in the collection are a number of drawings related to individual study Mr. Horton made, apparently through correspondence courses and a few farm and residential building and architectural drawings.
Helen “Tommie” Whalen World War II Scrapbook Collection
Helen E. Whalen was the registrar at St. Lawrence from 1930-1968. During the years of the Second World War, she served as “Communications Officer” between the college and those in the greater Laurentian community serving in the Second World War. In this capacity, she wrote and published “Tommie’s Newsletter,” which was a periodic sharing of the location, status, and general news of those serving abroad. During the war, she kept photographs and other objects sent to her on display in her office. After the war, she compiled her correspondence into a scrapbook.
Henry D. Payne Memoir
This collection consists of an unpublished memoir written by Dr. Henry Payne shortly before his death describing various situations and experiences in the Civil War, entitled "The Trail of One of the Damned Yanks". Also included with the bound manuscript is a small photograph from a post card of a man on horseback, and a map of Bermuda Hundred, one of the battles Dr. Payne took part in.
Henry Hunn Thompson Papers
The collection consists of correspondence, photographs of Thompson, documents, and newspaper clippings concerning Henry Thompson. Also included are a United States flag that was flown over the U.S. Treasury Building upon the death of Lincoln, a diary which includes Thompson's eye-witness account of the shooting of Lincoln, and a piece of lace from the curtain where Lincoln laid in state.
Hepburn Family papers
This collection consists of photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings and articles about A. Barton Hepburn and Emily Eaton Hepburn. Included are obituaries for A. Barton Hepburn, Hawley S. Hepburn, Mrs. J. E. Lindsay (sister to Emily Hepburn), and George W. Hepburn. Also included are several lectures made by A. B. Hepburn at various Universities and a 1960 thesis paper by Ottilie H. Rollins on the Hepburn Libraries of the St. Lawrence Valley. A number of bound formal resolutions passed by several organizations at the time of A.B. Hepburn's death are also included.
Hernández Family Papers
This collection, which is yet to be fully cataloged, consists of over 400 letters and documents, mostly in Spanish, detailing the financial, social and personal affairs of the Hernández family of Cuba and New York. Chiefly covers the period from the 1830's to first decade of the 1900's.
Hezekiah B. Hall and Corintha Hall Papers
This collection contains two diaries, an expense book and an account book kept by Hezekiah B. Hall and three diaries and an expense book kept by Corintha Hall. H.B Hall’s diaries contain entries running consecutively from April 1881 through November 1894, while Corintha Hall’s diaries contain daily entries between February 1897 and March 1904. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hall’s expense books contain detailed daily household income and expenses; Mr. Hall’s January 1887 to June 1893 and Corintha Hall’s, 1899-1910. Mr. Hall’s account book (titled “Journal A”), includes dates between 1847 and 1889 and contains detailed account records. Two of Corintha Hall’s diaries also contain ledger account activity records for the lands H.B. Hall was agent for.
Hiram Herrings Journal
Diary/journal kept by Hiram Herring in Rodman, Jefferson County, N.Y. from 1843-1860.
Howard Burt Collection
Howard Burt was a prosperous farmer, who lived in Hannawa Falls, N.Y. He was tried and convicted of murdering his father-in-law Asa Briggs in 1897, in an attempt to murder his wife Rhoda. The collection consists of materials relating to the murder and subsequent trial in Hannawa Falls, N.Y. that formed the basis for Irving Bacheller's book The House of Three Ganders. Included are newspaper clippings, transcripts of the trial and appeal, bullets, affidavits and photographs.
Illuminated Manuscript Collection
A collection consisting of 6 vellum leaves and 3 folded vellum sheets of 14th and 15th century illuminated manuscripts. Includes portrait of Saint Lawrence.
Incunabulum Leaf Collection
A collection consisting of 75 incunabula leaves, chiefly Gothic type, originally bought together by the Leamington Book Shop, Washington, D.C. and acquired by the University in 1953. Includes 3 additional leaves acquired by the library. Includes bibliographical references.
Irving Bacheller Collection
The collection consists of business and personal letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and manuscripts of published and unpublished works by Bacheller. It also contains material on some of the people about whom Bacheller wrote, such as Philo Scott and Jane Gentry.
J. M. Payson Story of a North Country Town Manuscripts
This collection consists of typed and some hand-written manuscript materials of a column Payson wrote for the St. Lawrence Plaindealer called The Story of a North Country Town that were printed from 1930 to 1932. Also included are three other short manuscripts Our North Country Civilization: Where it Came From, Canton Then, Canton Now and the Canton that is to Be, and Some Memories of Canton’s Old Places, Old Houses and Once Familiar Faces.
J. Moreau Brown Bicentennial Records Collection
The papers consist of meeting agendas, notes and correspondence concerning Mr. Brown’s duties on both Bicentennial committees. Also included are publications, booklets, pamphlets, historic literature and other materials documenting the planning and execution of Bicentennial events and activities, as well as some ephemeral material such as buttons, lanyards, medallions, catalogs and other objects.
James Ricalton Lantern Slide Collection
This collection consists primarily of glass plate slides taken by Ricalton during his travels around the world from 1891-1915. Also included are 22 typescripts to accompany the slides as well as photographic prints in narrow dimensions. Also included is a slide projector.
Jefferson County Collection
This collection contains high school yearbooks, almanacs, programs and flyers from various functions in the county and information on Watertown including a photo book. Also included are deed, newspapers, and several articles on Sackets Harbor, James LeRay de Chaumont and Watertown.
John De Pol Collection of Wood Engravings
The John DePol Collection consists of 1.66 linear feet of Christmas cards, menus, announcements, prints, illustrated books and other engraved materials done by John DePol between the years of 1947 and 1993 along with some biographical material about DePol and some correspondence between him and Dr. Frank Piskor. The collection came to St. Lawrence University through separate gifts from John DePol, Frank Piskor and Saxon Industries.
John Reckard Diaries
The majority of this collection is made up of the diaries of John Reckard. The earliest diary is dated December 6, 1864; about sixteen months after he joined the army, and they stop December 31, 1912. The diaries cover a span of forty-eight years but about fifteen years worth of diaries are missing. The diary of 1869 is not in its original form but is instead in transcript form.
John Van Vechten Papers
This collection consists primarily of letters written from 1832 - 1877. It contains 15 folders of letters, receipts, and land agreements. The 15th folder in this collection contains postcards, and envelopes from 1900 - 1921 that do not have the corresponding letters with them. The three main locations that the letters were written from were: Chateaugay, NY, Albany, and New York City.
Jonathan Wallace papers
The collection consists of Wallace's sermon's (most of which are referenced to biblical verses) and long poems. Also included is a framed portrait of Rev. Wallace.
Joseph Doboze Papers
This collection consists of correspondence, photographs, clippings, maps and personal documents of Joseph Doboze mostly relating to his service in the Second World War. Most of the correspondence is addressed to Joseph's sister Julia Doboze of Massena, NY. There are also letters from Doboze to his girl-friend, Frances Kodzis of Niagara Falls, NY; his parents in Norfolk, NY; various friends of the family; friends made in Belgium and Germany (their letters are in French and German and are only from 1946-48).
Joshua Britton Papers
The collection consists of Universalist pamphlets and clippings as well as letters to Britton from the 1840's and the 1850's.
Kammavaca Collection
An example of a Buddhist religious text from Burma, Southeast Asia. This collection consists of a total of 12 leaves of Burmese Kammavaca manuscript on gilt palm leaves or lacquered cloth. 10 of the manuscript pages have a cover of lacquered boards, representing a complete text used in a Buddhist ordination ritual.
Knapp Family Correspondence
Collection consists of 93 letters, 51 envelopes, 4 photographs, 3 postcards. Many letters are from Orlando Knapp to his sister Charlotte, and also some are from him to his parents. There are some from Thomas Edmonds, and Mary Olmsted to Charlotte.
L.W. Coons Photograph Collection
This collection consists of two series of photo prints. Series 1 are photographs of various rural views in the North Country taken by Leroy Wilson Coons (SLU Div. ’95). Series 2 are photographs of the St. Lawrence University campus around the time of Rev. Coons years at SLU. Also included in Series 2 are photos of High Falls, near Canton, a pulp mill at High Falls, the mill after an explosion and several portrait photos, including I.M. Atwood, President of the Theological School when Coons was a student.
Lee Family Papers
The Lee Family papers consist mainly of personal correspondence roughly spanning the years 1840 to 1957. The majority of the letters are from the 1870’s through the 1910’s and are mainly correspondence between family members. A few of the letters are personal or business correspondence between the Lees and people outside the family, including letters having to do with both men’s duties at St. Lawrence. Also contained in the collection are numerous photographs, sermons prepared by both J.S. and J.C. Lee, and other ephemera.
Lewis County Collection
This collection consists of a 1833-1868 land ledger, a fair souvenir program (1935), and a 1949-1950 flyer on the highway department.
Our Manuscript collection is comprised of 221 distinct collections, comprising nearly 1800 linear feet of material. Each of these collections is described in brief on records in the SLU Libraries’ online catalog. Additionally, our manuscript collections have detailed finding aids, which are available on this page and through our catalogs If you find you have questions about the collections after you have read the catalog entries or finding aids, please contact us.
Paul Doty, Interim Librarian for Special Collections & University Archives Voice: (315) 229-5483 e-mail: pdoty@stlawu.edu