New York State Library
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Stoddard Family
Papers, 1820-1963; bulk, 1860-1910

SC17361

Quantity: 4 Boxes (1.00 cubic foot)
Access: Open to research
Acquisition: Gift of Jeanne (Mrs. Gerald R.) DeWitt, April 1980 with periodic accretions thereafter until March 1999; details found in accession file which is available upon request
Processed By: Elizabeth Hoag, Student Intern, College of St. Rose, July 1991, revised October 1993; June 2013

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Biographical Note:

Asa Stoddard (1814-1906) was born near Williamson, Wayne County, New York, the son of Asa Williams Stoddard (1790-1868) and Lucretia Harding Stoddard (1793-1814). He was married three times, first to Mary Ann Russell (1817-1846) with whom he had one daughter, Lucy Lucretia Stoddard (1838-1853). He was married next to Ann Elizabeth Anthony (1826-1849), with whom he had no children.  He and his third wife, Laura Jane Sanford(1825-1910), had two sons: William Sanford Stoddard (1853-1898) and Lucien Harding Stoddard (1855-1939). Asa Stoddard was primarily a fruit farmer, but he also worked as a cooper and school teacher during his early years. He wrote a number of poems that were later published. Asa Stoddard lived near Williamson until 1863, when he moved to Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.  Lucien Stoddard eventually assumed operation of and inherited the title to the family farm in Michigan. He married, about 1882, Lavinia A. Pease (1857-1944), and they had five children: Ellsworth F. (1884-1968), Minnie B. [Rickard] (1885-?), Grace A. [Mason] (1886-1971), William A. (1889-1971), and Jane (Jennie) P. [Hagle] (1892-1986).

Scope and Content Note:

The Stoddard Family Papers consist chiefly of the correspondence of Asa Harding Stoddard, his third wife, Laura Jane (Sanford), and their son, Lucien, and his wife, Lavinia (Pease). Most of the letters addressed to Asa H. Stoddard came from friends and relatives in Wayne County, New York, after Asa and his family had moved to Michigan in 1863. These letters generally concern agricultural interests as well as personal and family matters. Some of the more interesting letters Asa received were from his friend, John Adams, of Williamson, who wrote about his fascination with spiritualism and attending camp meetings held near Casadaga Lake, New York. Other letters of special interest were written by Jacob Ubrassen, a former farm hand, who wrote about his experiences of military service in Company D of the 160th New York Regiment of Infantry during the Civil War.

The correspondence of Lucien and his wife, Lavinia (Pease) Stoddard, consists chiefly of letters they received from relatives living in western New York. Lucien's relatives lived in the vicinity of Williamson and Marion, in Wayne County, New York, whereas Lavinia's relatives lived in the vicinity of Alexander, Genesee County, New York, and Scottsville, Monroe County, New York.  The correspondence of Asa Stoddard and his wife is arranged chronologically with special folders for principal correspondents from the Russell, Sanford, and Stoddard families. The Russell relationship was established through Asa's first wife, Mary Ann Russell, who passed away in 1846. He married Laura Jane Sanford in 1852. Letters from John Adams and Jacob Ubrassen are also in separate folders. Lucien and Lavinia Stoddard's correspondence is similarly arranged. Most of the special folders relate to Lavinia's relatives who resided in Alexander, Genesee County, New York, or in the vicinity of Scottsville and West Henrietta, Monroe County, New York.

Other papers include genealogical notes collected by Jane Stoddard Hagle; land titles and other legal papers of the Stoddard and allied families; school papers and writings of Asa Stoddard; and photographs related mostly to the Pease family. Altogether, the Stoddard family papers provide a good perspective on rural and small town life in upstate New York in the latter half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

Box and Folder List:


Box Folder Contents
    Correspondence, 1820-1963
1 1 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard, 1832-1859 (4 items)
1 2 Letters to Laura Jane Sanford (Mrs. Asa H. Stoddard), 1840-1859 (11 items)
1 3 Letters to Asa H. and Laura Jane Stoddard, 1860-1869 (12 items)
1 4 Letters to Asa H. and Laura Jane Stoddard, 1870-1879 (4 items)
1 5 Letters to Asa H. and Laura Jane Stoddard, 1880-1889 (4 items)
1 6 Letters to Asa H. and Laura Jane Stoddard, 1890-1896 (9 items)
1 7 Letters to Asa and Laura Jane (Sanford) Stoddard from William R. Sanford, 1847-1860 (7 items)
1 8 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Orlando Sanford, 1863-1879 (11 items)
1 9 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Orlando Sanford, 1880-1884 (7 items)
1 10 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Orlando Sanford, 1885-1889 (13 items)
1 11 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Orlando Sanford, 1890-1898 (10 items)
1 12 Letters to William Rufus Sanford, [1820?]-1837 (4 items)
1 13 Letters to Orlando H. Sanford, 1863-1868 (3 items)
1 14 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Russell family, 1872-1906 (13 items)
1 15 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Jennie Russell, 1884-1887 (10 items)
1 16 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Jennie Russell, 1888-1889 (8 items)
1 17 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Jennie Russell, 1890-1894 (10 items)
1 18 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Jessie Russell, 1891-1896 (4 items)
1 19 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Whitney D. Russell, 1886-1889 (13 items)
1 20 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Whitney D. Russell, 1890-1901 (13 items)
1 21 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from George and Carrie (Russell) Atkinson,
1800-1889 (6 items)
1 22 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Lucien D. Carey, 1857-1867 (4 items)
1 23 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Mary Cogswell Crane, 1864-1869 (4 items)
1 24 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from Mary Stoddard Murdoff, 1877-1879 (4 items)
1 25 Letters to Lucy Stoddard, ca. 1850-1852 (4 items)
2 1 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from John Adams, 1877-1885 (12 items)
2 2 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from John Adams, 1886-1887 (9 items)
2 3 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from John Adams, 1888-1889 (7 items)
2 4 Letters to Asa H. Stoddard from John Adams, 1890-1892 (9 items)
2 5 Letters to Asa Stoddard from Jacob Ubrassen, 1862-1863 (5 items + 4 covers);
  1. Elmira, June 18, [1862]
  2. Camp Wayne, October 16, 1862
  3. [Steamer] Transport Station, December 1, 1862
  4. Camp Carrollton, January 1, 1863
  5. Camp Stephens, February 7, 1863
  6. Transcriptions of original items (7 p.)
2 6 Letters to Lucien H. and Lavinia (Pease) Stoddard, 1864-1899 (9 items)
2 7 Letters to Lucien H. and Lavinia (Pease) Stoddard, 1900-1910 (8 items)
2 8 Letters to Lucien H. and Lavinia (Pease) Stoddard, 1911-1929 (7 items)
2 9 Letters to Lucien Stoddard from Orlando Sanford, 1878-1888 (6 items)
2 10 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Sarah Hanford, 1899-1912 (8 items)
2 11 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Ruth Hanford, 1921-1925 (3 items)
2 12 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Olive Seward Deane, 1900-1907 (3 items)
2 13 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Ora Seward, 1888-1895 (7 items)
2 14 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Ora Seward, 1896-1899 (8 items)
2 15 Letters to Lavinia P. Stoddard from Ora Seward, 1900-1912 (6 items)
2 16 Letters to Sarah (Mrs. William) Pease, 1891-1918 (10 items)
2 17 Letters to Jane Stoddard Hagle, 1940-1963 (27 items)
    Ancillary records and papers
3 1 Genealogical notes and news clippings relating to Stoddard and allied families (ca. 25 items)
3 2 Legal and financial papers of Asa H. Stoddard, ca. 1830-1855 (10 items)
3 3 Legal and financial papers of Sanford family, ca. 1850-1860 (10 items)
3 4 Records of the justice of the peace for Town of Marion, Wayne County, New York, ca. 1825-1829, and 1839-1840 (26 items)
3 5 Letters and receipts of John H. Rhea, ca. 1840-1842 (25 items)
3 6 Writings and school papers of Stoddard family, ca. 1840-1860 (15 items)
3 7 Newspapers: The Commercial Press, Pultneyville, New York (5 items)
  1. Vol .5, No. 6, June 1865
  2. Vol. 5, no. 12, December 1865 (cropped)
  3. Vol. 6, No. 5, May 1866
  4. Vol. 6, No. 12, December 1866
  5. Vol. 7, no. 8 August 1867
3 8 News clippings, ca. 1850-1957 (ca. 25 items)
3 9 Miscellaneous (21 items)
  1. Printed Circular – Geneva Hygienic Institute
  2. Form letter: Attention milk Producers! – Western New York Milk Producers Association of Western New York, April 13, 1908
  3. Invitation to social ball, J.M. Cutler, West Henrietta, N.Y., August 24, 1840
  4. Receipt for newspaper subscription purchased by Orlando Sanford on behalf of Asa H. Stoddard, Marion, N.Y., February 1, 1888
  5. Telegram, January 30, 1897
  6. Calling cards with envelope (2 items)
  7. Accounts and receipts, ca. 1838-1848  (11 items)
  8. Scraps (3 items)
3 10 "Jake" by Jane S. Hagle, March 19, 1940 (biographical essay on the life of Jacob Urbanson)
3 11 Correspondence of Jane S. Hagle with Carew Sheldon, 1954-1955 (16 items)
    Photographs:
4 1 Case containing portrait of Jacob Ubrassen (1 item)
4 2 Carte de visites (5 items):
  1. Frank Atwater (C.M. Tuttle, Lyons, N.Y.)
  2. [Frank Atwater?] (Baird & Jessup, Middletown, N.Y.)
  3. Judson Hicks (Vail & Elton, Palmyra, N.Y.)
  4. May Stoddard (Husted & Norton's, Marion, N.Y.)
  5. [Unidentified man] (G.W. Parch, New York)
4 3 Photographs (2 items, black-and-white, 12 x 17 cm., mounted on board 18 x 23 cm.)
  1. Charles Seward residence, Alexandria, Genesee County, New York
  2. Charles Seward family
4 4 Photographs (12 items; black-and-white, 12 x 17 cm.)
  1. Views of Abraham Pease home, Batavia, Genesee County, New York, 1906; view showing the front of the house (2 items)
  2. Pease family home, Batavia, N.Y, ca. 1906; view showing the side of house and windmill
  3. View of forest (unidentified)
  4. View of picnic ground (unidentified)
  5. View of path through the woods (unidentified)
  6. View of bridge over a stream (unidentified)
  7. View of a lake (unidentified)
  8. [Charles Seward house, Alexander, Genesee County, N.Y.]
  9. [Library building?]
  10. [School building?]
  11. "August 1806, taken on trip to Niagara Falls and Batavia, N.Y."; view of bathing area with railway bridge in the background
  12. Niagara Gorge, August 1906
  13. [Niagara Falls]
Last Updated: February 1, 2022