Extent:

1/2 Box

Scope and content:

Series I consists of handwritten correspondence between members of the Bishop, Conde, and Warriner families from 1940 – 1912, with the majority of the letters composed in the period between 1846 and 1854. Most of the letters are addressed to Celestia Bishop Deuel, although correspondence addressed to other family members and/or composed by non-family members are also present. Subject matter generally concerns everyday life in the mid-19th century, with a strong focus on health and farm related issues. Reference to events such as the California Gold Rush and the Civil War can be found in a few letters (1849 and 1863-1864, respectively).

A small portion of the letters, (1848-1854) either discuss or are written in a form of shorthand described by the writers as “fonography.” The shorthand resembles Pitman Shorthand, which was introduced by Isaac Pitman in the mid-1850’s (Pitman, 1915).

Arrangement:

This series is arranged alphabetically by sender and then recipient followed by a chronological arrangement. If the surname of a sender/recipient changed due to marriage, her letters continue to be arranged by her maiden name. Correspondents in this group include Celestia Deuel (nee Bishop), Louisa Castle (nee Bishop), Mary Crumb (nee Bishop), and Elizabeth Jane Heath (nee Ross). Use of the stationary either by the same or a second sender to correspond with a second person is indicated by parenthesis below the information pertaining to the primary letter.

Contents

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