Ohio Historical Manuscripts

Finding Aid

Prepared for the Web by Cara Gilgenbach, July 18, 2002; Revised April 2011; Last updated: December 2023

Inclusive Dates: 1792-1963
Extent: 5.5 cubic feet (2 document cases + 8 custom oversized boxes + 8 oversized volumes)
Physical Location: 11th floor

Scope and Content: This collection contains miscellaneous manuscripts originating in Ohio. Included are letters, legal documents, military papers, ledgers, and journals.

Arrangement: The collection is arranged chronologically, with undated items placed at the end of the collection.

Box 1
Folder -- Contents

1. [1792?]. Northwest Territory printed document. [printed and autograph document, signed] 1p. 
   Includes the signatures of Benjamin Ives Gilman (partial) and Dudley Woodbridge. A document relates to Robert Campbell and Daniel Campbell and fees to be paid to a court of common pleas as damages to Ebenezer Still. Verso of document was used in 1800 by sheriff's deputies as scratch paper. Document bears an embossed seal dated 1792.
   Physical Description: One fourth of the document (far right quarter) is missing
   Acquisition Information: Gift of Richard P. Morgan
2. 1805, 27 Nov. Skinner, Wm. [William]. Receipt, signed by Skinner as collector for the 3rd District of Ohio. [autograph document, signed] 1p.
3. 1806. Skinner, Wm. [William]. Receipt, signed by Skinner as collector for the 3rd District of Ohio. [autograph document, signed] 1p.
4. 1808, Aug. 26. Meigs, Return Jonathan, Marietta, Ohio. To Hon. Thos. Tod and Chas. W. Byrd. Letter related to the evidence given by Morris B. Belknap in the Burr Conspiracy, and to his being held as witness at Burr's trial in Richmond. [autograph letter, signed] 3p. 
5. 1810, June 18. Danich, David, Palmyra, [Ohio]. Certificate of oath of office. [autograph document, signed] 1p.
   Danich, a Justice of the Peace, attests that John Manary had taken the oath of office to a be a Justice of the Peace for Deerfield Township, Portage County.
6. 1822, 14 Sept. Saxton, John. [autograph document, signed] 1p.
   Testimony concerning an advertisement he published in his newspaper, the Ohio Repository, Canton, Ohio.
7. 1826. Kelley, Alfred, 1789-1859. Ohio Canal Documents. [autograph documents, signed] 8p.
   Includes three bid statements for sections of the Canal, signed by the bidders. Noted if bid was low, high or fair. Also bill for timber for locke and fuel.
8. 1831, 25 May. McArthur, Duncan, 1772-1840. Military Commission. [document, signed] 2p.
   Appointment of John H. James Lieutenant Colonel in the 12th Division, Ohio Militia. Statement on verso to the effect that James properly took his oath.
9. 1831-1832. Read, William W. and James L. Read. [collection of letters]
   Consists of 8 letters from Barrell & Nicholson of New York, 1 letter from Comstorck & Irving of New York, and 1 letter from Gardner & Patterson of Buffalo, New York, dated from Oct. 19, 1831 to Oct. 27, 1832, all relating to the Read's business in Ashtabula, Ohio.
   Accompanied by 21 issues of the Shipping and Commercial List, dated Oct. 26, 1831 to Nov. 7, 1832, all addressed to the Reads.
10. 1836-1855. United Brethren in Christ. Circuit Reports. [autograph notebook] 128p.
    Records the actions of Quarterly Conferences of several Ohio circuits, including Lisbon, Bethlehem, and Sandyville, held at various locations in East Central Ohio.
11. 1838-1849. [Kent, Ohio]. Town Book of Franklin, Ohio. Journal of the Town Clerk. [autograph document] 210p. [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
12. 1838-1851. [Kent, Ohio]. Merchant's ledger. [autograph document] 148p. [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
13. 1840, 14 Nov. Bill of Lading. [autograph document] 1p.
    Shipment from Ravenna, Ohio, to Spotsworth, New Jersey, on board the canal boat Daniel Webster.
14. 1847, Jan. 7. Henry B. Tuttle, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. To Albert E. Powers, Lansingburgh, New York. [autograph letter, signed] 3p.
    Writes of his life in "the West," reports that he has visited Columbus, Cincinnati, Indiana, and Kentucky. His wife just had a baby girl in December and they now have three boys and a girl. Discusses a tremendous amount of rainfall, flooding in Cleveland that washed out a bridge, and the area's dams and waterfalls. Indicates there is much commerce to be developed in this area and urges his friend to come join him in Ohio. 
15. [184?], Oct. 15. Deed to tract of land in the town of Jefferson, Ashtabula County, Ohio. [printed and autograph document, signed] 1p.
    Name of deed holder is illegible. Recorded by James Whitmore, Recorder.
16. 1857. Ashtabula, [Ohio]. Tax record, 1844-1857. [autograph document] 76p.
17. 1862, 17 Jul. Soller, William B., Nashville, Ohio. To A. B. Dod. [autograph letter, signed] 1p.
    Certifies that George N. Elliot, a private in the army, has been ill and unable to travel until the present.
18. 1864, 9 Nov. Bunting, Samuel, Receiving, Forwarding and Commission Merchant, Wellsville, Ohio. Shipping order. [printed document] 1p.
19. 1865, 15 Aug. Hudson, Ohio. Soldiers Aid Society. Account of funds, Fannie L. Trowbridge, Treas., Nov. 11, 1864-Aug. 15, 1865. [autograph document, signed] 20p.
    Also contains an account of the Aug. 24, 1861 meeting with a list of members.
20. 1865. Hudson, Ohio. Soldiers Aid Society. Account of activities of the Society from November 13, 1863 to August 11, 1865. [autograph document] 14p.
    In the same book is an account of the formation of the Summit County Historical Society and a record of early meetings, 1854-1856.
21. 1865. Kent, Ohio. Ledger of the Meat Shop of David S. and Frank Francis of Kent, Ohio. [autograph document] 172p.
22. 1866, Feb.-Apr. Kent, Ohio. Day book of the Longcoy Store, Kent, Ohio. [autograph document] 192p.
23. 1866, Sep.-Nov. Kent, Ohio. Day book of the Longcoy Store, Kent, Ohio. [autograph document] 359p. [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
24. [1866?] [Kent, Ohio]. Merchant's Ledger. [autograph document] 341p. [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
25. 1872-1933. Summit County, Ohio. Jail Register, 1872-1933. 8 vols. [UNBOXED OVERSIZED LEDGER VOLUMES]
    Jan. 1872-Sept. 1895; July 1895-Aug. 1916; Sept. 1916-Dec. 1917; Feb. 1917-June 23; Jan. 1925-Apr. 1927; Apr. 1927-June 1928; July 1928-Aug. 1930; Sept. 1930-Feb. 1933.
    Gift of Thomas A. Cox.
26. 1873. [Portage County, Ohio]. Diary kept by a resident of Portage County. [autograph diary] 93p.
    Comments on the weather, farming activities, provisions bought and traded, visitors, and other daily activities.
27. 1874, 1 Aug. Summit County, Ohio, Record of Real Property, for the year 1840, kept by Ruggles & Warner. [autograph document] 11leaves, 340p. [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
    This is perhaps a copy of the list of real property in Summit County in 1840, kept for tax purposes. Contents: 11 leaves of index; pp. 1-5, notes; pp. 6-228, list of property by township and owner; pp. 229-340, records property owned by the Perkins family, including Simon Perkins. Of note are records of property owned by John Brown and Joseph Darrow, the father of Clarence Darrow, in Hudson, p. 67, and the fact that the State of Connecticut still owned land in Stow, p. 45-47.
    Gift of Thomas A. Cox, with his notes.
28. 1874-1881. Gilbert, Joel B. [Diary]. Jan. 8, 1874-Nov. 12, 1877; Jan. 1, 1878-Aug. 19, 1881. [autograph diary] 2v. (235, 176p.) [CUSTOM OVERSIZED BOX]
    Gilbert kept this diary while a resident of Shalersvhille, Portage, Co., Ohio. Miscellaneous papers are laid in both vols.
29. 1880-1923. Stewart, T. C. and Mary E. Stewart. [Miscellaneous papers].
    The T. C. Stewart papers consist of articles of agreement by and between William Getz, administrator of estate of T. C. Stewart, 1900, [autograph letter, signed]; High School diploma of Mary E. Stewart; postcard addressed to Mrs. E. W. Talcott; Topic card of the Young People's Christian Union of the 1st Universalist Church, Ravenna, O., 1891-2; program for concert by Ravenna High School Chorus, 1901; program for the dedication of Ravenna, O., High School.
30. 1884, 9 Nov. Garfield, Lucretia R[udolph], 1832-1918, Cleveland. To Aunt Phebe. [autograph letter, signed] 4p. [written on mourning stationery].
    Notifies her of the death of an aunt; asks when she will visit. Accompanied by signed envelope to another letter.
31. [1899], 20 Aug. Thorp, Frank, Coventry, England. To _____, his cousin. [autograph letter, signed] 11p.
    Sends poems of his cousin's father, Thomas Thorp, written in Suffield, Ohio, in 1838 and 1850. Parts of the letter are ripped and missing.

Box 2
Folder -- Contents

1. [1905]. [Harding, Warren G.], 1865-1923. "Ohio Patriotism." [autograph document] 14p.
   A speech delivered by Warren G. Harding to the Ohio Society of New York in 1905. Accompanied by a typewritten transcript of the speech. Both manuscript and transcript are bound together in red quarter morocco. The manuscript was presented to the Kent State University Libraries as its 500,000th volume by C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr. and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The occasion was marked by an exhibition entitled "American Literature."
2. 1919-1921. Thompson Family, Kent, Ohio. [Commonplace book].
   Contains clippings, addresses, birthdays, etc.
3. 1938, 17 Dec. Davey, Martin L. [Martin Luther], 1884-1946, Columbus. To Friend [I. S. Myers], Akron. [typed letter, signed] 1p.
   Sends farewell message and Christmas greetings.
4. 1938. Lake Erie-Ohio River Canal Project. [typed and autograph documents] 30p.
   Notes and correspondence addressed to Dr. Edna E. Eisin relating to the project.
5. [1940?] Green, Frank A. [Stow, Ohio, Data book]. [typed document; carbon copy] [200]p. [incomplete].
   Biographical and historical data of Stow, Ohio, as copied from the record book of Frank A. Green, Sexton of Stow Cemetery from Nov. 1, 1924.
6. 1952-1953. Ohio Sesquicentennial Commission. Portage County Committee.
   Correspondence, noted, and printed material relating to activities of the Portage County Sesquicentennial Committee, collected by H. F. Raup. Includes letter from Gov. Frank J. Lausche.
7. 1960-1963. Ohioana Library Association. Summit County.
   Lists of Summit County authors and notes about them.
8. Undated. Iddings, H. [Property map]. [autograph document] 2p.
   Map showing Iddings property in Boston Township, bordering on Northampton, Richfield and Bath Townships. Furnace Run and the Ohio Canal are shown.
9. Undated. Skinner, Wm. [William]. Receipt, signed by Skinner as collector for the 3rd District of Ohio. [autograph document, signed] 1p.