Rush and Haller Nutt papers, 1805-1933, bulk 1817-1862

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Summary

Abstract:
Papers belonging to American physicians, scientists, and planters, Dr. Rush Nutt and his son Dr. Haller Nutt.
Extent:
10.3 Linear Feet (9 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Rush and Haller Nutt papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

Personal, professional, and business correspondence and papers of Dr. Rush Nutt and Dr. Haller Nutt. Included are materials dealing with cotton cultivation and trade, plantation management, enslaved people, medicine, the construction of the Longwood House, the Civil War, religious life, and scientific interests.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Rush Nutt, planter, physician, enslaver, and scientist of Jefferson County, Mississippi. A native of Virginia, he studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Benjamin Rush. (He changed his first name from Rushworth to Rush in honor of his teacher.) In 1805, he moved West, settling on a large plantation, Laurel Hill, near Rodney, Mississippi. He taught and practiced medicine and was one of the founders of the Agricultural and Mechanical College in Alcorn, Mississippi. Dr. Nutt was particularly interested in scientific principles and methods of agriculture. He was known for the development of a new brand of cottonseed. He was married to Eliza Ker, daughter of Judge David Ker. His son, Dr. Haller Nutt (1816-1865), was also a planter, physician, enslaver, and scientist. Having received his medical degree at the University of Louisville, joined his father in the management of the plantations. Together with his father, he also worked in the improvement of the cotton gin, use of various fertilizers, and selection of cottonseed. He inherited his father's plantations in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, and Laurel Hill, and later purchased several other plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1840, he married Julia Augusta Williams of Ashburn in Natchez, Mississippi. He served as justice of the peace and the president of the Police Jury in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. In 1860, he began the construction of his mansion Longwood in Natchez, an octagonal building designed by the Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan. Also in 1860, Dr. Haller Nutt's listed property included over 800 enslaved people. A Union sympathizer, Dr. Nutt suffered losses during the American Civil War. After his death, his widow filed a lawsuit against the Federal government to recover some of the damages.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from James E. Smalldon, 1964 and 1971.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff. In 2022, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Rush and Haller Nutt papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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