Bouton Family
Papers, 1854-1913; bulk, 1899-1913

SC23288

View catalog record

Biographical Note:

Hiram Meeker Bouton (1834-1928), teacher and farmer, lived in Prattsville, Greene County, New York, most of his life.  He was married to Adelaide P. Ball (1844-1906) in 1868, and they had four children: Jennie (1871-1952), Eugene Hiram (1873-1938), Eunice Cornelia (1873-1942), and Susan Adelaide (1881-1918).

Eunice C. Bouton was married on May 15, 1899, to Samuel R. Spriggs (1871-1952), a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church. Soon after their marriage they departed for Point Barrow, Alaska, where he served at the Presbyterian mission from 1899 to 1908. Eunice assisted in the ministry as a teacher in the mission school.

During the time of Spriggs's tenure at the mission, located at the juncture of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, whaling vessels were still journeying north, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service vessels patrolled the coast, the Iñupiaq Eskimos of Point Barrow lived a subsistence lifestyle, and reindeer had only recently been introduced.

It appears they went on furlough from September 1902 to July 1903, spending much of the time with family in Prattsville. On March 5, 1903, Eunice gave birth to their only child, Harold. Their second stint in Alaska appears to have ended in late August 1907. Thereafter, Samuel Spriggs and family settled in Bethel, Sullivan County, New York, where he took up a pastorate.  By 1920, the family was living in Ocean, Monmouth County, New Jersey, and Samuel's occupation in the 1920 census was listed as "farmer." Eunice Bouton Spriggs passed away April 1, 1942; Samuel Spriggs died in Clearwater, Florida, July 20, 1950.

Scope and Content Note:

The Bouton family papers consist chiefly of correspondence related to the experiences of Eunice Bouton Spriggs and her husband, Samuel Spriggs, while they were engaged in missionary work among the Inuit people near Point Barrow, Alaska, from 1899 to 1907. The letters were addressed primarily to her mother, Adalaide Bouton, and her sisters, Jennie and Susan. It also appears that many of the letters were copies of letters written by Eunice, as indicated by the multiple dates and the pagination. The letters detail Eunice and Samuel's daily life and their work with the Inuit people in Point Barrow. Of particular interest are the earliest letters which provide an in-depth account of the couple's journey across the country by land and water to Point Barrow, and the letters detailing Eunice's experiences of teaching Inuit children in the mission school. Complementing the letters is a pair of diaries kept by Eunice from May 10, 1899, to December 31, 1902, which also detail her activities and experiences in mission work in Alaska. Of particular note is a section that provides statistical details of the number of Inuit children she taught. There is also a diary kept by Eunice from 1909 to 1913 that records the life of the Spriggses after they returned to New York.

The papers also include a series of letters Adelaide Bouton sent from Prattsville to her daughter in Alaska from January to September 1905, providing news about the family and the community. Enclosed with the letter of August 18, 1905, is a rough sketch of the floor plan of the Boutom family home. In addition to letters and diaries, the papers include an attendance record book for the school districts in Prattsville, New York, that was kept by Hiram M. Bouton from 1854 to 1861. A roster of names is given for each school term with marks and a tally of days of attendance. Tipped in the book are copies of teaching certificates issued to Hiram M. Bouton; articles of agreement; and miscellaneous writings and papers.

Additional Collections and Resources:

Photographic documentation of the Alaska mission work of Samuel and Eunice Spriggs is available at the Alaska State Library Historical Collections Section in Juneau.  The bulk of the collection relates to whaling and other activities associated with the hunt, such as preparation for the hunt, butchering, and celebration following the hunt. There is also a series of views showing the building of an umiaq [umiak], and another on dwellings and caches. Also included are views of the mission and the school, and numerous photographs of Inuit families.  An online finding aid to the Spriggs Photograph Collection is available for further information.

Box and Folder List: