Collections

These papers deal largely with Silas Gilbert Patterson and his family, but materials on other families are also included. His family resided in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut, but the papers are from other areas of Connecticut as well. The papers consist primarily of personal and business letters, family genealogies, and advertisements from local businesses. Other families and persons with papers in the collection include John L. Andrews family, Bonney family, Lewish Marsh, Morse family, Rouse family, Gilbert family, Elnathan Patterson, and Seth Pierce.

Papers, 1781-1842, of Vicente Sebastian Pintado (1774-1829), alcalde, commandant, and surveyor general of Spanish West Florida from 1799-1817. The bulk of the materials relates to land surveys, land purchases, and deed covering the period 1800-1817. Correspondence includes copies of his outgoing letters as well as letters from Carlos de Grand-Pre, Captain Francisco Rivas, Ira C. Kneeland, Christoval de Armas, Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, Carlos Trudeau, Christopher Bolling, Vincent Folch, Manuel Lopez, Antonio Cruzat, and Juan Morales. Includes information on the Nicolls raid in the Apalachicola River area and the Kemper brothers' raids in Louisiana in 1804-1805.

The Ramiro Casanas Collection provides a look into the Casanas Family's longtime passion for collecting. The collection's primary focus is on pieces that document Cuban history during the nineteenth and twentieth century. It features Cuban artwork, handwritten poetry, cigar boxes, periodicals, and sports paraphernalia. Also included are artifacts from around the world, such as international banknotes, political ephemera, maps, and photographs.

The document by U. S. Congress, House of Representatives, 27th Congress 2d. Session, Rep. No. 83, Heirs of John Brown, Deceased, dated February 9, 1842 is an example of the procedures followed by the United States Congress in confirming Spanish land grants in former West Florida.

Photocopies of research materials concerning Conecuh County, Alabama, 1814-1877, including letters (1844-1860) of James Jones about life in Conecuh, the 1860 Presidential election, cotton business, and activities in Pensacola. Other materials cover the Battle of Horseshoe Bend and Fort Jackson (1814), Fort Pickens (1861), a biography of Dr. George Columbus Reynolds, and a history of the Perote area, Pike County, Alabama.

Correspondence, papers, records, journals, cashbooks (or account books), scrapbooks, newspaper articles, passport, currency, manuscripts, books, songs, pictures, stamps, clippings and legal papers. This collection contains a wide variety of materials. The correspondence, papers, records, bookkeeping journals and cash books of Julius Diamond reflect the economic conditions of the time and are good examples of how merchandising business was conducted. The scrapbook, assembled by John W. Trench, contains manuscripts, Civil War letters and clippings, describing events such as the battles of Gettysburg, Bull Run and Vicksburg. There is an original holograph passport issued by Consul General at Marseilles, France, to a native of Italy, taken during the war. Newspaper clippings discuss the price of gold, burial ceremonies, and the sale of enslaved persons. Also included are recipes, poems, songs and jokes written during and about the Civil War, as well as other historical documents not preserved elsewhere.

This collection contains banking records from various businesses and banks dating back to the early 19th century. Included are bank receipts, record books, cash and receipt books, and financial ledgers. Such records are from the Gradner Maine General Store, Edwin Robinson, and the York County Water County.

The Sanibel Island Collection consists of photographs that highlight the geographical, environmental, social, and civic aspects of Sanibel Island. There are also letters, telegrams, and newspaper articles that highlight the social and community life on Sanibel Island. All materials in this collection are prior to the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022.