New York State Library
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Thomas Armstrong
Papers, 1818-1869; bulk: 1818-1845

SC23207

Quantity: 1 box (0.50 cubic ft.)
Access: Open to research
Acquisition: Gift: Eleanor Buchanan, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, January 2011; see provenance note for details
Processed by: Manuscripts & Special Collections, February 2011

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Biographical Note:

Thomas Armstrong [Jr.] was born November 13, 1785, the son of Thomas Armstrong [Sr.] who had emigrated from Ireland in 1775. The family initially settled near Stillwater, Saratoga, County, New York, but sometime after the American Revolution they were among the pioneer settlers of Wolcott, Wayne County, New York. The younger Thomas Armstrong became prominent in local government and politics. He served as supervisor of the Town of Butler on a number of occasions and as a representative in the New York State Assembly (1819-1820) and New York State Senate (1830-1837). He was also sheriff of Seneca County (1821-1822) and of Wayne County (1823-1825). Wayne County was formed in 1823 when a number of towns were separated from Seneca and Ontario counties.

Thomas Armstrong did marry and had a number of children. The family homestead was situated on Armstrong Hill, which became a part of the Town of Butler when the town was formed from Wolcott in 1826. He died, January 2, 1867.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Thomas Armstrong (1785-1867) consist chiefly of correspondence related to his career in government and politics, particularly while serving as sheriff of Seneca County and, later, of Wayne County. These letters concern the execution of judgments rendered by the court and matters relative to land and real property. There are a few letters related to his service in the state legislature which concern mostly administrative matters. Correspondence from later years concerns Armstrong's business and real estate interests. A number of these letters were from Gerrit Smith, a noted philanthropist and social reformer from Peterboro, New York.

The collection also includes a letter of Gerrit Smith to Carlyle & McPherson, dated June 4, 1869, regarding a slave family whose freedom was purchased by Smith in 1839 and subsequently was settled in the vicinity of Peterboro, New York.

Provenance Note:

The Armstrong correspondence was part of the family genealogy collection assembled by Lawrence A. Johnson, prior to being donated to the New York State Library. The Gerrit Smith letter of 1869 was part Lawrence A. Johnson's "Political Americana" collection. Lawrence A. Johnson was the father of Eleanor Buchanan, the donor of the collection.

Inventory of documents:

The letters listed in the inventory were letters received by Thomas Armstrong unless otherwise noted.

Box and Folder List:

Box Folder Description
1 0 Guide to collection; historical and genealogical information from published and online sources.
1 1 Letters to Thomas Armstrong, n.d.
  1. C. Loring, Wolcott, N.Y.
  2. August 29, [?] Troy, N.Y. [cover sheet]
  3. October 23, [?], Whitesboro, N.Y. [cover sheet]
1 2 Correspondence, 1818
  1. August 5, 1818, A. [McNab?], Port Glasgow, [N.Y.]
  2. September 11, 1818, G.L. Nicholas, [n.p.]
1 3 Correspondence, 1819-1820
  1. January 4, 1819, David B. Wheeler, Wolcott, N.Y. 
  2. March 15 1819, Aaron Clark, clerk of assembly, Albany, N.Y.
  3. July 10, 1819, John Mix, Albany, N.Y.
  4. October 7, 1819, Elisha & Alice [Bekins?] Shemokin Twp., Pa. [sic]
  5. December 20, 1819 (printed circular), William Brittin, Agent, Auburn, N.Y.
  6. January 28, 1820, [John Tayler?], Lieutenant Governor, invitation to attend dinner, Albany, N.Y. (printed invitation)
  7. March 20, 1820, Ethan Allen, Wolcott, N.Y.
1 4 Correspondence, 1821
  1. April 18, 1821, P. Robinson, Chenango, N.Y.
  2. May 5, 1821, Blecker & Sedgwick [on margin], Albany, N.Y.
  3. June 29, 1821, Elias H. Ely, New York, N.Y.
  4. July 9, 1821, Van Vechten & Baldwin, attorneys, Jonathan Thomas, Albany, N.Y.
  5. July 11, 1821, Jackson & Case, Goshen, Orange County, N.Y.
  6. July 12, 1821, W. Esleck, attorney, Albany, N.Y.
  7. July 13, 1821, Porter & Bennett, Skaneateles, N.Y.
  8. July 14, 1821, Henry V, Fonda, Schenectady, N.Y.
  9. July 27, 1821, Walter Case, New Burgh [sic], N.Y.
  10. July 29, William Brown, Auburn, N.Y.
  11. August 16, 1821, E. Burnham & J.A. Sheff, Aurora, N.Y.
  12. September 8, 1821, Henry & McGovern, Albany, N.Y.
  13. September 10, 1821, John Grant, Oswego, N.Y.
  14. September 18, 1821, John P. Dickinson, Troy, N.Y.
  15. September 25, 1821, W. Esleck, attorney, Albany, N.Y.
  16. September 28, John Porter, Auburn, N.Y.
  17. September 29, James Porter, Skaneateles, N.Y.
  18. October 2, Hubbard & Howes, Hamilton, N.Y.
  19. October 3, J. Wilson, Canandaigua, N.Y.
  20. October 15, 1821, John H. Beach, Auburn, N.Y.
  21. November 3, 1821, John H. Beach, Auburn, N.Y.
  22. December 5, 1821, Olin [Wivell?]
  23. December 6, 1821, William Brown, Auburn, N.Y.
  24. December 10, 1821, J. Wilson, Canandaigua, N.Y.
1 5 Correspondence, 1822
  1. January 3, 1822, J.C. Spencer, [n.p.]
  2. January 4, Daniel Lord, New York, N.Y.
  3. January 8, 1822, Hulbert & Spencer, attorneys, Auburn, N.Y.
  4. January 10, [1822], King & Randall, [New York, N.Y.]
  5. February 2, 1822, Jesse Clark, Albany, N.Y.
  6. February 9, 1822, Daniel Lord, New York, N.Y.
  7. March 13, 1822, James Porter, [n.p.]
  8. April 15, 1822, H.T. Schermerhorn, Geneva, N.Y.
  9. May 13, 1822, Willard Crafts, Bridgewater, [N.Y.]
  10. June 3, 1822, Henry Thorn, Fort Ann, N.Y.
  11. June 7, [1822] King & Randall, [New York, N.Y.]
  12. July 2, 1822, Edward M. Coe, [n.p.]
  13. July 16, 1822, J.J. Ostrander, Albany, N.Y.
  14. July 20, 1822, James Russ, Geneva, N.Y.
  15. July 20, 1822, John Porter, Auburn, N.Y.
  16. July 27, 1822, William Slosson, New York, N.Y.
  17. August 30, 1822, J.C. Spencer, [Canandaigua, N.Y.]
  18. September 3, 1822, Walter Wood, Montville, N.Y.
  19. September 3, 1822, Haines & Wells, New York, N.Y.
  20. September 24, 1822, William Thompson, [n.p.]
  21. November 6, 1822, B. Whiting, [Geneva, N.Y.]
  22. November 12, 1822, Seaman & Wills, New York, N.Y.
  23. November 12, 1822, John Porter, Auburn, N.Y.
  24. November 15, 1822, Hudson & Schemerhorn, Geneva, N.Y.
  25. November 22, 1822, J.C. Spencer, Canandaigua, N.Y.
  26. November 24, [William] Edwards, Sodus, N.Y.
  27. December 5, 1822, T. Sill, Whitesboro, N.Y.
  28. December 12, 1822, John E. Lovett, Albany, N.Y.
  29. December 13, 1822, John L. Tallmadge, Lyons, N.Y.
  30. December 20, 1822, J. A. Dexter, Albany, N.Y.
  31. December 31, 1822, Thomas Armstrong, Wolcott, N.Y., to Walter Wood, Montville, Sempronius, Cayuga County, N.Y, w/ reply February 18, 1823
1 6 Correspondence, 1823
  1. January 21, 1823, C.K. Gardner, New York, N.Y.
  2. January 24, 1823, E. Miller, Auburn, N.Y.
  3. April 2, 1823, Seaman & Wills, New York, N.Y.
  4. May 14, 1823, John H. Beach, Auburn, N.Y.
  5. July 9, 1823, John Hazard, Albany, N.Y.
  6. July 14, 1823, B. Whiting, Geneva, N.Y.
  7. August 4, 1823, [Othniel?] Williams, Clinton, N.Y.
  8. September 23, 1823, Philo Gridley, Waterville, Oneida Co., N.Y.
  9. October 20, 1823, John D. Dickinson, Troy, N.Y.
  10. November 27, 1823, Bernard Bickmill, Morrisville, N.Y.
1 7 Correspondence, 1824
  1. March, 1, 1824, H. Dwight, Geneva, N.Y.
  2. April 5, 1824, J.C. Spencer, [Canandaigua, N.Y.]
  3. April 19, 1824, J. Porter, Auburn, N.Y.
  4. April 30, 1824, J.C. Spencer, Canandaigua, N.Y.
  5. [August 13 1824], J. & Z. Platt, [Utica, N.Y.]
  6. August 20, 1824, Theodore Spencer per J.W. McAllister, Auburn, N.Y.
  7. September 17, 1824, Thomas Armstrong, Wolcott, Wayne County, N.Y., to William Wells, attorney at law, Wolcott, Wayne County, N.Y.
  8. October 10, 1824, Alonzo H. Maynard, Herkimer, N.Y.
  9. October 23, [1824?], Nehemiah H. Earle & Bruce Clark, [n.p.]
  10. November 24, 1824, H.G. Jewett, Skaneateles, N.Y.
  11. November 24, 1824, E. Burnham, Aurora, N.Y.
  12. December 28, 1824, Thomas Armstrong, Wolcott, N.Y., to Alonzo H. Maynard, Herkimer, N.Y.
1 8 Correspondence, 1825-1826
  1. February 28, 1825, Sylvester Clarke, Galen, [N.Y.]
  2. February 22, 1825, [James] B. Hunt, Attorney for [Alonzo] H. Maynard, Herkimer, N.Y.
  3. March 2, 1825, Eleazer Root, Canaan, N.Y.
  4. June 24, 1825, E. Root, Canaan, N.Y.
  5. August 3, 1825, William Brown, Auburn, N.Y.
  6. February 6, 1826, Whiting & Butler, Geneva, N.Y.
  7. February 23, 1826, William King, Romulus, N.Y.
  8. April 1, 1826, George [Hozner?], Avon, N.Y.
1 9 Correspondence, 1837-1845
  1. October 5, 1837, Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  2. October 30, 1837, Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  3. July 28, 1838, [Nehemiah] Huntington for Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  4. November 16, 1838, H. Spencer, Palmyra, N.Y.
  5. May 17, 1839, Beardsley & Bulkley, Auburn, N.Y.
  6. June 5, 1839, [Gerrit] Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  7. May 4, 1840, Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  8. July 20, 1840, N.W. Tompkins, Wolcott, N.Y.
  9. January 3, 1842, J.W. Cuyler, Palmyra, N.Y.
  10. July 14, 1843, B. Whiting, Geneva, N.Y.
  11. September 8, 1843, [Gerrit] Smith, Peterboro, N.Y.
  12. September 23, 1844, F. Chapman, Clyde, N.Y.
  13. September 17, 1845, A.G. Graham, Port Byron, N.Y.
1 10 Letter: Gerrit Smith, Peterboro, N.Y. to Carlyle & McPherson, June 4, 1869 (This letter was not related to Thomas Armstrong, but is included here as it was part of the original collection of documents assembled by Lawrence A Johnson)
Last Updated: March 3, 2022