Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Fish Family | |
| Title: | Fish Family Letters | |
| Dates: | 1849-1894 | |
| Abstract: | Chiefly letters written to Simeon G. Fish (son of shipbuilder Nathan G. Fish, owner of Maxon, Fish & Co.), containing descriptions of social life and daily activities in Mystic during the mid-19th century. Other persons represented include members of the Miner and Randall families. | |
| Quantity: | ca. 150 items | |
| Identification: | Coll. 178 | |
The Fish family lived in Mystic, Connecticut. Simeon Fish was one of seven children born to Nathan G. and Emeline (Miner) Fish. They formed a close-knit family group together with their Miner, Randall, and Fish aunts, and uncles, and cousins. Simeon's father, Nathan G. Fish, was a respected shipowner and co-founder of the Maxon, Fish & Co. Shipyard (See also Coll. 43 and Coll. 166)
The first letter in this collection, although undated, was obviously written by Simeon's aunt, Phebe Denison Miner, announcing the birth of his younger brother on January 10, 1939. Following this is correspondence from Simeon's brothers and sisters while he was aboard the ship B.F. HOXIE (1857), and also during the time he was with the 26th Connecticut Regiment in the Civil War. They give gossipy tidbits about the ships being built in Mystic, the prominent citizens of the town, the friends of the Fish children, the parties that were held, and the ways people entertained themselves during the 1850s and 1860s. There are several letters from brother John Fish in Wisconsin, telling of his life in a small lumber town and his homesickness for his family. Included also are two letters from Robert H. Clift that graphically describe the fighting at Belmont, Mississippi (Nov. 1861) and Murphysboro, Illinois (Jan. 1862).
The Fish Family Letters contain approximately 125 signed letters arranged in chronological order by day, month, and year. Whenever possible, envelopes have been retained with the appropriate correspondence. All items are considered to be in good to excellent condition.
Index Terms |
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| Persons: | ||
| Clift, Robert H.-- Correspondence | ||
| Fish family | ||
| Fish, Nathan G. (Nathan G.), 1804-1870--Family | ||
| Fish, Simeon G., 1837-1906 --Correspondence | ||
| Miner family | ||
| Miner, Phebe Denison--Correspondence | ||
| Minor family | ||
| Randall family | ||
| Corporate Entities: | ||
| B.F. Hoxie (Ship) | ||
| Maxson, Fish & Co. | ||
| United States. Army. Connecticut Infantry Regiment, 26th (1862-1863) | ||
| Places: | ||
| Belmont (Miss.)--History | ||
| Murphysboro (Ill.)--History | ||
| Mystic (Conn.)--Social life and customs | ||
| United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 | ||
| United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns | ||
| United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives | ||
| Wisconsin--Description and travel | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Lumbering--Wisconsin | ||
| Merchant mariners | ||
| Shipbuilding--Connecticut--Mystic | ||
| Ships | ||
| Soldiers--United States | ||
| Document Types: | ||
| Family papers--Connecticut--Mystic | ||
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Correspondence; 1849-1894 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence; 1849 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Correspondence; 1850-1856 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Correspondence; 1857-1858 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Correspondence; 1859 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Correspondence; 1860-1861 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Correspondence; 1862 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Correspondence; 1863-1865 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Correspondence; 1874 | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Correspondence; 1880-1894 | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Unidentified correspondence; undated | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Envelopes; undated | ||||||||||||