Stafford Family Papers, Doc 347 (and Doc , XMSC , Ms Size D)

Transcription

1 Stafford Family Papers, Doc 347 (and Doc , XMSC , Ms Size D) Introduction The document the personal, business, and social activities of a politically significant family of South Wallingford, Vermont. The collection (Ms.Acc.No. 94.6) was donated to the library by Stephen I. Dietz, who acquired them at auction in It occupies four document storage boxes (4 linear feet), and includes twenty-one oversize volumes. Scope and Content The Stafford family papers are made up of the papers Dwight B. Stafford and his sons, Guy L. Stafford and Ralph E. Stafford of South Wallingford, Vermont. Included are account books of the Stafford Brothers farm, ca , documenting milk and maple syrup production, and personal accounts. There are also diaries of Dwight Stafford, ; Guy Stafford, , Ralph Stafford, , and of Ralph s wife, Mabel A. Rice Stafford, Dwight Stafford s grandfather, Palmer Stafford, is represented in the collection, , as is his uncle Palmer Stafford, Records of the Union Driving Park Society, , the Maple Valley Grange, , the Masons, , the Order of the Eastern Star, , and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 1895 and 1925, are included because of the involvement of family members in these various organizations. The Union Driving Park Society sponsored the annual South Wallingford Fair which included, among other things, horse races. There are papers in this collection of Ann Brown, ; Ida Brown, 1884; and Abbie, Marcella E. and Mrs. Louisa Mason of Cavendish, Vermont, ca The direct connection of these people to the Dwight Stafford family is unclear. Biographical Sketches Dwight B. Stafford was born January 11, 1860, the son of Boardman Foster and Frances Bruce Stafford. Born in South Wallingford, Vt., on the family farm, he lived there and operated the farm until his death on December 9, In 1885 he married Esther Cobb and together they had three sons, Miles ( ), Guy Lyman ( ), and Ralph E. ( ). Active in local and state politics, Dwight represented Wallingford in the state legislature in , and was elected state senator in 1936 but died before the term began. He also served as school director from 1892 to 1894, and was a selectman and overseer of the poor for many years. Stafford was active in the Maple Valley Grange, the Chipman Lodge of the Masons, and the Waverly Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.

2 Page 2 Guy Lyman Stafford was born in Wallingford, Vt., in 1890, the son of Dwight and Esther Stafford. He operated Stafford Brothers farm with brother Ralph. In 1930 he married Ruth Bell Mathewson ( ). Like his father, Guy Stafford was active in the Maple Valley Grange, the Chipman Lodge of the Masons, and the Waverly Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. He also was master of the Killington Pomona Grange, overseer and executive committee member of the Vermont State Grange, and a member of the Farm Bureau and Vermont Maple Sugar Maker s Association. In he served in the Vermont House of Representatives, and was senator from Rutland County in He was a member of the South Wallingford Congregational Church where he was a deacon. He died December 11, Ralph Edwin Stafford, the youngest son of Dwight and Esther Stafford, was born in South Wallingford on March 2, He was a farmer, in business with his brother, Guy, and was also an insurance agent. In 1942 he married Mabel Rice. He was active in politics and served as a member of the House in , , and was a state senator, He also was a selectman and overseer of the poor in Wallingford, Along with politics, Ralph Stafford was involved in community and business organizations including the Masons, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Grange, the Farm Bureau, Cairo Temple Shrine, Vermont Maple Sugar Association, and the Republican Town Committee. He died November 1, Organization The papers are divided into six series: I. Personal records; II. Financial and business records; III. Social organizations; IV. Scrapbooks; V. Photographs; VI Miscellaneous. Series one is subdivided into personal papers and diaries and arranged chronologically by person. Series two is divided by account books and business papers. Because many of the account books are unidentified but most likely are accounts of the Stafford family farm, they have all been interfiled chronologically. The business papers are arranged by person. Series three is arranged by organization. Series four, five, and six are arranged by record type. Related Items Several items from the collection have been transferred to the VHS museum collection (acc. no ). They include Ralph E. Stafford legislative license plates, a maple syrup bottle with the Stafford Brothers label on it, a box of silver Grange icons, and a Masonic string tie. An inventory is in Doc 347, Folder 0.

3 Inventory Doc 347 Page 3 Series I. Personal Records Personal Papers Doc 347:1 Stafford, Palmer papers, Stafford, Dwight B. and Esther, papers, Stafford, Guy, papers, Stafford, Guy and Ruth, papers, n.d. 5, Stafford, Ralph E., papers, Stafford, Ralph E. and Mabel, papers, Stafford family papers (Lizzie Stafford, Boardman Stafford, Robert Stafford). Includes bumper stickers for Robert Stafford s political campaign ca Brown, Ann papers, Rice, Walter papers, ca Includes piece of silk from wedding dress of Louisa C. Rice, who married Jerome Wells, Mason family papers, ca , Diaries 13 Stafford, Palmer, diary/notebook, Stafford, Dwight B., diaries, 1881, 1893, , 1895, 1897, , 1899, 1900, , 1902, 1903, 1904, Stafford, Guy L., diaries, 1915, 1917, 1917, , 1919, 1920, 1921, , 1923, 1924, Stafford, Ralph E., diaries, 1918, 1922, ,1926, 1931, 1932, Rice, Mabel A., diary, , and autograph album, Brown, Ida M., diary, 1884 Series II. Financial and Business Records Account books Doc 347:25 n.d. XMSC , Palmer Stafford 44.2 ca , Benjamin Stafford, Doc 347:26 ca , unidentified personal, work and milk accounts , Pearl Cheese Factory , Pearl Cheese Factory , hay, cow account 1893 milk account Doc 347: , account with D. B. Stafford, administrator of estate of Esther Coles 1895, hen account

4 Page /1899, expense account with Pearl Cheese Factory 1898/1903, personal accounts (unidentified) , expense account for Union Cheese Factory 1901, expense account for Union Cheese Factory , account with G. W. Kelley 1908, mostly blank but in illustrated trade catalog of David Mark and Sons Horse -Shoe Clothes , 1928, farm accounts 1915, Ralph Stafford accounts in catalog of M. E. Wheeler & Co. Branch, Rutland, Vermont 1918, Harry Ellis vinegar and butter account 1918, egg account 1919, B. W. Aldrich 1919, grain account 1919, egg account , egg account, Esther P. Stafford , bank book, Guy L. and Ralph E. Stafford , cow service record , record of sales of cow with J. B.[?] , cow record , record of service of the A. P. Bigelow bull 1935, personal accounts 1935, personal accounts , Guy Stafford personal accounts , [Ralph Stafford?], personal accounts 1938, , Herbert Stone account 1941, farm account , personal accounts , Stafford Bros. farm account , Stafford Bros. farm account , Stafford Bros. farm account Doc 348: , Stafford Bros. farm account 1946, personal accounts , Guy Stafford accounts , Stafford Bros. farm account , Stafford Bros. farm account 1947, Stafford Bros. farm account , farms accounts s, personal accounts , Stafford Bros. farm account , Stafford Bros. farm account Doc 348:6 1953, Stafford Bros. farm account , Stafford Bros. farm account 1955, Stafford Bros. farm account , personal accounts , farm accounts

5 Page , farm accounts 1958, farm accounts , farm accounts 1962, Guy Stafford farm accounts 1962, Stafford Bros. farm accounts , farm accounts 1963, farm accounts , farm accounts 1964, farm accounts , farm accounts 1965, farm accounts , farm accounts 1967, farm accounts 1967, farm accounts 1968, farm accounts 1968, farm accounts , [Ralph Stafford?] insurance sales records 1968, farm accounts , insurance accounts , farm accounts 1972, hay accounts 1974, hay accounts Business Papers 17 Stafford, Dwight B. business papers, , ca , Stafford, Guy L. business papers, MS Size D, receipt for skunk fur, 1919 Doc 348:21 Stafford Bros. business records, MS Size D, The Type and Production Book: featuring the pictures of the lading show ring winners of the breed from the earliest days down to the present time (Sandy Creek, New York: The Corse Press, 1926) Prescott, M. S and Wm. A. Prescott, Holstein-Friesan Foundations (Syracuse, N.Y.: Holstein-Friesan World, Inc., 1923) Doc 348:22, sap production records,

6 Page 6 Series III. Social Organizations Grange Doc 348:23 Vermont State Grange, Killington Pomona Grange, Maple Valley Grange, Maple Valley Grange, Maple Valley Grange, Danby Grange, Grange, 1929 Masons Doc 349:1 Masons, Masons, Order of the Eastern Star 3 Order of the Eastern Star, Independent Order of Odd Fellows 4 IOOF, 1895, 1925 Union Driving Park Society 5 Union Driving Park Society, business papers and correspondence, , stockholders, stock certificate samples 7 South Wallingford Fair, ca , tickets, membership cards 8 South Wallingford Fair, , premium lists 9 Union Driving Park Society, account book, , record book, , (contains constitution and bylaws, minutes of meetings, lists of stockholders, etc.) 11, receipt book, July-Oct., prize money paid to bettors on various races 12, account book , mostly pertaining to South Wallingford Fair, including ticket sales, gate receipts, race results, etc. 13, account book, , record book, , judges record book for South Wallingford Fair , hosted by UDPS 16, Checkbook, XMSC 44.3, Members book, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 1910 XMSC 44.12,, , combination judge and members book, 1913

7 Page ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 1931 Doc 349:17 National Trotting Association, National Trotting Association, Miscellaneous organizations 19 Wallingford organization records, Town of Wallingford records, ca Series IV. Scrapbooks Doc 350:1 Scrapbook-unidentified 2 Scrapbook-unidentified 3 Scrapbook-Ann Nichols 4 Scrapbook-[Ann Nichols?] Series V. Photographs 5 Photo album 6 Photos 7 Photos 8 Photos 9 Photos 10 Photos MS Size D Photo of the Vermont Legislature, ca Series VI. Miscellaneous Doc 350:11 Newspapers: Rutland Herald Globe, v. 89, no. 30, July 26, 1883; Manchester Daily Union Supplement, V. 11, no. 184, November 1, 1873; Our Country Home, v. 5, no. 1, April Also clippings from unidentified papers 12 Personal and business cards 13 Greeting cards 14 Advertisements 15 Autograph album of Willie Vasseur 16 Lesson plan of George and Ruth Mathewson, Danby, Vermont 17 Nichols family papers 18 Miscellaneous Kelly Nolin Eileen O Brien January 1995