Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History Middlebury, Vermont Manuscript Collection Inventory Calvin Hill Papers, 1835-1887 Range 3F1-3 SMRC00595 Scope Records of Hill's harness business, administration of various people's estates, and his activities holding various town and village offices. The papers include his diaries (1854-1887), account books, notebooks, and miscellaneous papers. The diaries include personal information, remarks on major events, weather, and deaths. Other books were created to tally up his day-by-day records. Background Calvin Hill was a harness-maker, originally in partnership with Volney Sherman (1834-1838), and very active in Middlebury civic affairs. He held many town offices, was treasurer for the Addison County Agricultural Society (ca.1863-1888), and administered the estates of many people. He oversaw building projects for Middlebury College and the Congregational Church. Village trustee 1844-46 and 1848, 1871-75 Town selectman 1850-1864 Auditor 1851-1852 Treasurer, School District #6 ca.1857-1865 Overseer 1868-1869 Town representative 1868-1869 East Park supervisor 1872-1875 Stock supervisor 1874 In April of 1861, Middlebury voted that Hill was "a suitable person to act as agent for the town in distributing the state bounty" to enlistees. (Smith's History of Addison County, p.301) For further information H.P.Smith's History of Addison County, Syracuse, D. Mason, 1886. Henry L. Sheldon, Scrapbook # 159, "Middlebury merchants, town officers, and professional men." Walton's Vermont Register. Related collections Middlebury Schools Middlebury (Town), Vt. Addison County Agricultural Society E.W.Lyon papers. (Lyon's last ledger, taken over by Hill as administrator of his estate, is with the Lyon papers.) Container List
Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 Volume 5 Volume 6 Volume 7 Volume 8 Forge Book, 1836-1855. Possibly this book was owned by A. Johnson. Hill's writing does not appear till about 1845. Expenses for building a forge in 1836 and forge accounts for at least three years. Names, including Demetrius and Lucius Crampton, suggest the forge may be in either East Middlebury or Leicester, maybe Salisbury. Hill's accounts are with Lorin J. Johnson and William F. Johnson, also Ira T. Eastman, Edgar Crane, and Albert Allen. These people either boarded and/or worked with Hill. Ledger accounts, 1838-1851. Mostly cordwood accounts and names of individuals with whom Hill was boarding. 1845 E.D.Barber, Administrator of J. Wainwright accounts for Jonathan Wainwright, Jr. Hill is his guardian. Also nine pages of accounts with Jonathan Wainwright, Jr. 1841-46 Accounts with Myron S. Bird, also Augustus Nichols. ca.1850 Back pages, pew rentals in both Congregational and Methodist churches to others. Diary, 1858. Both accounts and daily activities. Diary, 1859. Both accounts and daily activities. Diary, 1860. Both accounts and daily activities. 1860 "Went with Pres. Labaree in the afternoon to Peck's ledge in Cornwall."1860 "The corner stone was laid for the new college building today with appropriate ceremonies." Nathan Myrick seems to head the crew for building the foundation, but work stops with the cold weather. Diary, 1861. Jan. 15 "went out to Sampson's Ledge with Prest. Labaree with Willianson Team in forenoon."extensive daily entries on laborers and materials concerning the building of Starr Hall at Middlebury College. Information concerning soldiers and soldiers' benefits. Hill received power of attorney to pay soldiers' families. (He was appointed in 1861 to pay bounties to Middlebury soldiers who volunteered.) Survey of dwelling houses in Middlebury, no date. 144 houses on the east side of the creek; 102 houses on the west. This includes the actual survey of 71 houses on the east side of the creek, including all the present inhabitants. Population appears to be 1,669. Geo. Christie and Co. Cash Book, 1850-1871. 1850 - Christie's accounts. 1857 - J. Wheelock estate
1861-65 Liquor sales in Middlebury, purchases and payments 1871-75 Daybook for labor on town roads Volume 9 Volume 10 Volume 11 G.H.Eager Account Book, 1860-1874. Hill's account with Eager's estate and others. Index to unidentified book. Daybook, 1851-1853. Daybook of personal and saddlery accounts. Also orders on town for projects he oversaw (i.e. labor for himself and others and materials). Box 1 Miscellaneous Receipts Box 2 Personal papers 1835-1842 Calvin Hill & Volney Sherman, saddling and harness partnership. (two folders) A few receipts for 1833 and 1834 suggest that Sherman was in business on his own before Hill joined him. Sherman's name appears in some way connected with Castleton, as a good many of his papers are dated from there. A few bills just to Hill are included too. They seem to imply that Hill resided in or near Salisbury. 1840-1849 Four folders while Hill was in the saddling business but before starting to work for the town, church, and college. It appears that Hill built his Washington St. house in 1847, judging by the large lumber purchases, primarily from Russell Vallette. Also a bill from Amon Wilcox for thimbles and caps for a chimney, gutters, and 142 feet of eaves trough. There are no carpenters' or masons' bills. There are seven stock certificates for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad and the Champlain and Connecticut River Railroad Co. dated 1846-1849. 1850-1859 One folder. 1860-1869 One folder, including an 1863 bill from David Piper for $10.42 for "Repairing house" included 39 feet of wood for door frame, 52 ft. for "moldens" and some for flooring. 1870-1879 One folder including an 1871 bill from Register Printers is "To house for sale" for three weeks (probably an ad in the newspaper). After this, there are bills from the Addison House, where he apparently boarded for the rest of his life. 1880-1891 One folder. n.d.
One folder of correspondence, organizations, insurance, deeds, court papers, which includes: Correspondence with a brother (D. Hill) from Starksboro where it seems the remainder of Calvin's family lived. Also two notes from S.B. Rockwell. 1838 - Middlebury Anti-Slavery Library - Hill is treasurer. Receipts for payments for books. 1852 Member of Grand Lodge. Congregational Society papers, 1854,1863 Loose papers corresponding to the two building projects Hill oversaw include in 1854: Itemized bill from James M. Lamb $925.63 Bill from George Smith $298.84 Two bills from Lyman P. White & Co. lumber $120.25 Two bill from Samuel Brooks, paint and labor $153.40 1863 - some bills for parsonage repairs, includes cash paid out by C. Hill Box 3 Administrator's Accounts Guardian records for: Jonathan Wainwright Jr. Sarah B. Crehoe Richard Cotrill Joseph Warner Estate papers, 1861-1866 Morton Family estate papers Michael H. Welch estate papers Administrator over probate accounts for: Reuben L. Fuller Ebenezer W. Lyon Mary Jane Morrison Solomon Parker William, Eliza, George R., and Edward H. Morton Jonathan Wheelock Benjamin Barnaby Lucy Merritt Harmon A. Sheldon Harvey F. Leavitt Selectman for Town of Middlebury, 1850-1865, 3 folders Includes day to day accounts of the town, such as burying ground, bridge and road repairs, house rents, jail bills, town farm bills,, insurance (1851) for "Town room" Town barns, Poor house, 1850 highway petitions (mostly East Middlebury), David S. Church sheriff's bond, R.L. Fuller's Town Treasurer's bonds (1852-56) etc. Included are a few bills about 1875. Hill appears to have been working for the town, but not keeping records and paying bills as before. Town Liquor Agent, 1861-64 Mostly receipts for liquor purchases and freighting
Agent for soldiers' pay to families Agent for Town of Middlebury, Middlebury College, National Bank of Middlebury Box 4 Diaries, 1855-1887. (1858-1860 are Volumes 3-5, not boxed.) Two years are contained in one book, 1873-1874. Two volumes per year, 1858-60. A sampling of diary information is given below. 1855 Mostly records with town and church. Good information on craftsmen who were paid on the church remodelling project. A few rents included. 1856 Accounts for building the engine house - Morton and Dewey bill for $650.00. His accounts with town are as a supervisor. He often did the teaming work, but always seemed to be on the job to oversee its progress. 1862 State's agent for soldiers' pay to families in Middlebury. 1865 Daily accounts of the rebuilding of Starr Hall, including payments to James Madison Lamb for himself and a crew and George Smith per son. 1867 Mention of purchases for materials used at the bank. 1871 Work on park fences and town walks. Box 5 Daybooks, accounts, notebooks, 1849-1882. Box 5 Vol.1 1849-58 Accounts due C. Hill Box 5 Vol.2 Accounts: 1849 with W.S. Johnson; 1849 with Town of Middlebury; 1855 "list of property on town farm;" no date, appraisal of the estate of Mrs. Fitch; 1871 appraisal of the estate of Napoleon Brousso; ca. 1871, appraisal of the estate of Mr. Lamb. Box 5 Vol.3 1849-53 Accounts. 1849 accounts with Betsy Robbins. Box 5 Vol.4 1850-52 Accounts. Daybook, 1850-1851. Accounts with Town of Middlebury, 1851-1852. Box 5 Vol.5 1852-54 Daybook, mostly accounts with Town and R. Wainwright estate. Box 5 Vol.6 1853-66
Accounts due. Box 5 Vol.7 1854 Personal accounts due, weather, Congregational Church remodelling records and town records. Box 5 Vol.8 1855 Daybook for town work Box 5 Vol.9 1855 Bridget Grace's Book. Begins as milliner's accounts. Taken over by Hill for town 1859-1861, recording cash paid out for liquor. Solomon Parker paid the liquor purchase bills. Box 5 Vol.10 1855-65 Catherine Tinney's work book. 1855 - making vests and pants. 1857-65 Hill's account with School District # 6. Box 5 Vol.11 1857 Account with Chapman and Barbour, E.W. Lyon's estate. Box 5 Vol.12 1858 Daybook for town work. Box 5 Vol.13 1864 Daybook and partial grand list. Box 5 Vol.14 1860-62 Hugh Meekin's Book, account with Hill. Box 5 Vol.15 1863-65 Overseer. 1863, repairs to Congregational parsonage; 1865 rebuilding Starr Hall. At the parsonage, most of the joinery was by Horace Dean; window shutters and front door from A.P. Tupper. Hill billed the Congregational Church $75.00 for his own part. Complete record of Starr Hall. James M. Lamb $100.00 weekly. Geo. Smith (and per son) $50.00 weekly. Box 5 Vol.16 1867-78 Small booklet, various uses. First, 1867-68 Hill's accounts as administrator of Solomon Parker's estate. Second, 1876 "Cash for fair ground and county fair." Third, 1878 premium list. Fourth 1878 daybook miscellaneous. Box 5 Vol.17, 18, 19 1873-1882 Three bank books, Middlebury National Bank. Box 5 Vol.20
no date complete inventory of materials on hand relating to Hill's harness business. Box 6 Letters