John P. Clement (1893-1968) Papers ca. 1820-1968 (bulk 1930-1968) Doc 152-Doc 158 Ms Size A, B, C, D Introduction The John P. Clement Papers are the letters, research notes, genealogical papers, and photographs accumulated by Clement as historian, political activist, and president and director of the Vermont Historical Society. They were acquired from Sarah Clement Pease in 1971 and arranged by Edward A. Hoyt. The collection is housed in 7 boxes and occupies 7 linear feet of shelf space. This finding guide was written in 1996 as part of project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Biographical Note John P. Clement was born in Rutland, Vermont, on August 24, 1893. His parents were Henry W. and Agnes O Neall Clement, and he had a sister Sarah and brother Hugh. The Clements were a prominent family in Rutland with early lies to the marble industry, railroads, and banking. John s great grandfather Charles Clement has started Clement and Sons marble quarry with sons Wallace (John s grandfather) and Percival. To further business interests he became part owner of the Rutland Railroad and when Clement and Sons was sold to the Rutland Marble Company, Charles and Wallace started the Clement National Bank. Percival was active in politics and became governor in 1919. John P. Clement attended Rutland schools and then Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, graduating in 1911. He then went to Yale where he received his B.A. degree in 1915. His subsequent Yale law studies were interrupted by World War I; he enlisted in 1917 and was mustered out in 1919. He served as a captain in the American Expeditionary Force in France and stayed on in France after the war to study law and art at the University of Paris. Upon returning to the United States he became a partner in the Dunster House Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, until ca. 1930. In the early 1930s he spearheaded the Vermont movement to repeal prohibition and after its repeal became one of the first state liquor inspectors. From the late 1920s until his death Clement was involved in the preservation and interpretation of history from his personal family history, to local, state and national history. He became a central figure in the Vermont Historical Society serving as editor of the Proceedings, 1930-1932, acting director, 1936, and president of the trustees 1959-1965. From February 1936 to January 1938 he was director of the Vermont Historical Records Survey sponsored by the Works Project Administration, and from 1947 to 1949 he was on the board of the Vermont Commission for Historic Sites. On a national level he was an organizer and founding member of the American Association of State and Local History and the Society of American Archivists.
John P. Clement Papers 2 Over the years Clement worked at the Rutland Herald as columnist, copy editor, and headline writer. In 1965, to commemorate the centennial of the Civil War, he began writing a column entitled, One Hundred Years Ago this Week in Rutland, which continued for several years. John P. Clement died in December 1968. Scope and Content Note The John P. Clement Papers are a collection of files reflecting Clement s varied interests and endeavors. They include his research notes for various publications and historical projects; correspondence with colleagues in his capacity as historian, leader of the Vermont Association Against Prohibition and director and president of the Vermont Historical Society; photographs, and family papers and genealogy. John Clement was active in many organizations during his life and many of them are represented in the collection. In addition to the Vermont Association Against Prohibition, 1920-1933, and the Vermont Historical Society, 1928-1963, there are papers of the Rutland American Legion, 1929-1933; the Historic Sites Commission, 1937-1968; Historical Records Survey, 1936-1964 (bulk 1938-1941); Public Records Commission, 1936-1959; and the Committee for the Conservation of Cultural Resources, 1941-1943. As a native of Rutland, he was also active in local affairs and there are several folders of papers concerning Rutland s history, and planning and zoning. John Clement seems to have had a brief romantic relationship with Elin Lilja Anderson, as documented by her letters to him in 1936 (Doc 152:13b). Anderson at that time was assistant secretary to the Vermont Commission on Country Life. The following year the Harvard University Press published her book, We Americans: A Study of Cleavage in an American City, an influential and award-winning book based on her sociological work for the Commission on ethnic groups in Burlington. Significant topics of study which are represented here include Ethan Allen, the Battle of Hubbardton, Mount Independence, Castleton, Vermont s history, Vermont painter James Hope, and the Vermont state seal. Family papers that are in this collection include a scrapbook kept by John Clement s grandmother, Sarah Clement, with a history of the Clement and Fish families, newspaper clippings of birth, wedding, and deaths, and some poetry and religious writing. There is also a letterbook, 1888-1891, kept by John s grandfather Wallace Clement, with business letters primarily to Stanton Day. In with several folders of genealogical notes are miscellaneous letters of earlier generations of the family, and family photographs. There are several journals, ca. 1889-1943, of Mary Corcoran who worked for the Clement family in Rutland for 56 years, and there are some letters of Wheelock Veazey, 1879-1882, a Civil War veteran and Rutland lawyer.
John P. Clement Papers 3 Organization The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic. Related Collections The Vermont Historical Society has a collection of papers of the Clement family (Doc 187) composed primarily of letters of the ancestors of John Clement. The collection was maintained by John Clement and includes papers of both his mother and father s families. The last section of that collection has extensive correspondence of John s. Vermont Historical Society papers can be found in the Dorman Kent Diaries (Doc 235), and the Phil Howes Diaries (MSA-132-134). The James P. Taylor Papers (Doc T1-13) have information on some of the same topics represented in this collection. Additional papers of Wheelock Veazey can be found in the Clement Family Papers mentioned above and in Wheelock Veazey Papers (Doc 99-100). Inventory Doc 152:1 Allen, Ethan, correspondence on, 1929-1967 2, reviews, critiques, misc. 3, Ms Size D, proclamation of Gov. Charles Smith naming first week of 1937 Ethan Allen Week (2 copies) Doc 152:4, records of his land deeds by town (partial), A-B 5,, C-P 6,, O-Z 7 American Legendary (Rutland, 1830), Not by Edgar Allan Poe: an Account of a Negative Discovery, by John Clement 8 American Legion, Rutland Post, membership records, 1930-1931 9, 10, correspondence, misc. (largely department bulletins), 1929-1933. 11, 12, 13a, 13b Anderson, Elin L., 1936 14 Archaeological societies and related matters, 1939-1945 15, 1946-1948 16 Austin, Warren, correspondence, 1930-1949 17 Billboards, Vermont Association Against, correspondence, publicity materials, 1937-1947 18 19 Biographical notes [Vermonters], Harrington, Theophilus; Herrick, Samuel; Ormsbee, Gov. Ebenezer J.; Peters, Samuel; Redding, David; Tyler, Royall; Warner, Seth; Williams, Samuel
John P. Clement Papers 4 20 Castleton (Vt.), illustrations (Medical College, its officers and town s historic buildings), photographs, misc. 21 22 23 Clement, John P., obituary notices, photographs, etc. 24, personal papers, diplomas, grades, etc. Ms Size D, certificate of gratitude from state of Vermont for military service, 1920 Ms Size C, Yale diploma, 1915; certificate of studies at University of Paris Doc 152:25, personal papers, diplomas, grades, etc. Ms Size C, grammar school diploma, Rutland, 1907 Doc 152:26 Clement, Frederick P., Harvard notes on Charles Eliot Norton s Fine Arts course, 1888, (includes sketch of Norton, p. 74) 27 Clement, Gov. Percival W., journal kept by Julia Holland of trip taken with Percival Clement and others; misc. 28 Clement, Wallace C., business letterbook, 1888-1891, includes many letters to Stanton Day 29 Clement clock (VHS Museum), material on, 1944-1958 30 Clement and related families, genealogy, family letters, 1878-ca. 1913 31, scrapbook with clippings about family kept by Sarah Clement, O Neall family genealogy 32, genealogy 33,, includes photographs 34, includes marriage certificate, 1866, and divorce of Josephine and Jefferson O Neall, January 1876 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Doc 153:1 Congdon, Herbert Wheaton, letters, 1941, re: covered bridges 2 Congregational ministers, essay on publications by 3 Constitutional Conventions, Vermont, articles by JPC 4 Copper mining, Vermont, articles by Collamer M. Abbott 5 Corcoran, Mary (Clement family servant of 56 years); diaries and accounts, ca. 1889-1892, 1903-1910 6,, 1911-1918, 1919-1925 7,, 1926-1931, 1936-1939 8,, 1939-1943 9 County conventions (Vermont 1780), letters on, 1953 10 Dale, Porter H., votes and bills in U.S. Senate, 1927-1932 11 Edmunds, George F., letters to Wheelock G. Veazey, 1877 and 1882 12 Episcopal Church (Vermont), diocesan arms and banner 13 Fisher, Dorothy Canfield, letters, 1932-1953 14 Frankfurter, Felix, letters (1934-1942) 15 Frost, Robert, medal and book on, 1963-1964
John P. Clement Papers 5 16 Greeley, Horace, letter, [22 December 1859?] 17 Hard, Walter and Margaret, letters, 1939-1940 18 Historic Sites Commission, Vermont, correspondence, 1937-1948 (bulk, 1947-1948) 19, 1949-1958 20, 1959-1968 21, wording for markers; lists of sites; etc. 22 Historical Records Survey, Vermont (and federal), 1936, 1938 January-February 10 23, 1938 February 11-April 19 24, April 19-May 25, June-1939 26, 1940 January-April 27, May-July 28, August-December 29, 1941 January-July 30, August-1964 31, Articles and statements on its work, instructions to workers, misc. 32, 33, 34, 35 Hope, James, Vermont painter, correspondence and research on 36 Hubbardton, Battle of, sources for 37, 38, 39, 40, Doc 154:1,, photocopies and transcripts 2, articles, notes on sources, critique of Dupuy s monograph, etc. 3, 4, 5 Hubbardton, Battle of, correspondence on (including discussions at length) 6, 7, Ms Size C, topographical map of Bomoseen, Vermont, 1946, annotated Doc 154:8, correspondence 9 Hubbardton, Battlefield, Correspondence (including some material on battle itself), 1936-1937 10,, 1937-1947 11,, 1948-1960, includes photographs 12, maps, misc.
John P. Clement Papers 6 Ms Size A, State of Vermont, Department of Conservation and Development, Hubbardton Battlefield, Topographic Survey, 1936 Ms Size D, aerial photographs, and maps Doc 154:13 Immigration, case of, 1953-1954 14 Johnson, Otto J., correspondence, 1955-1964 re: Proctoriana collection 15 Jones, Matt B., correspondence, 1936-1939 16 Land grants in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts 17 Law, JPC examination and acceptance to Vermont Bar, 1938-1938, notes on cases 18 Law notebook (1860), unknown student, possibly at Harvard Law School 19 Legislative reapportionment, Vermont, articles and correspondence on (1952-1965) 20 21 22 23 Lewis, Sinclair and Dorothy Thompson, correspondence (Nobel medal, etc.), 1931-1952 24 Liquor Laws, Vermont, enactment and administration of; also education in use of alcohol 25, 26, 27, historical notes on, ca. 1798-1921 28 Log cabin (Hyde), Grand Isle, condition, restoration, photographs, 1946-1949 29 MacLeish, Archibald, correspondence, 1936-1940 30 Marble Workers strike, 1935-1936, pamphlet and letter 31 Mexico, Villa et al (1914-1915), two letters 32 Montpelier (U.S. Cruiser), history and photographs 33 Mount Independence, correspondence, reports, misc. 34, 35 Mount Independence--Hubbardton military road 36, 37 Nye, Mary Greene, plaque honoring her for work on State Papers, 1956 Doc 155:1 Paintings, sketches, drawings, etc. 2 3 4 Peacham History (Bogart), correspondence on, 1941-1943 5, 1943-1949 6 Philippine Insurrection, 1899 letter to Margaret Clement from Bob Gilson 7 Photographs, sketches, drawings, etc.
John P. Clement Papers 7 8 9 10 Politics and public affairs, correspondence, articles, speeches, etc., 1931-1954 11, 1962 12 Powell, Thomas Reed, correspondence, 1931-1954 13 Power, Vermont and St. Lawrence 14 15 16 17 18 Prohibition, Repeal of --Association Against Prohibition Amendment, correspondence, 1930-1931, A-E 19,, F-Q 20,, R-Z 21, memos (from correspondence file) 22, recommendations for directors, 1930 23, office files, A-B, 1931-1933 24,, Contributors-Directors 25,, Curran, Henry H. 26,, C 27,, Dale, Porter H. 28,, Dillon, R.J. 29,, D 30,, Executive committee 31,, E-F 32,, Gibson, E.W. 33,, G 34,, H 35,, I-L Doc 156:1,, Members, statements to 2,, M 3,, news releases 4,, N 5,, Organization committee 6,, O 7,, Petty cash 8,, P 9,, Research committee 10,, R 11,, Shouse, Jouett 12,, S 13,, Tompkins, Col. Frank 14,, T 15,, Vote on Perry bill and 1920
John P. Clement Papers 8 16,, V 17,, W 18, 1932-1933, misc. papers including history of repeal movement in Vermont 19, 20, 21, membership records 22 Public Records Commission, Vermont, correspondence, reports, etc., 1936-1953, 1959 23 24 25 Roosevelt, Franklin D., signed letter dated 5 August 1936; misc. 26 Roosevelt, James, land transactions, Middlesex, Vermont, 1797-1837 27 Rutland, Vt., photographs, history notes 28, planning and zoning (include WPA project; and misc. items 29, 30, Ms Size B, zoning map of West Hartford, Connecticut, 1930 Doc 156:31, Ms Size B,, plan of building lots between Grove and Pearl Streets, Rutland, Vermont, 1950 Doc 156:32, souvenir booklets, maps and miscellaneous historical items 33, 34, Ms Size B,, Map of Rutland, Vermont, 1927, annotated; Manning map of Rutland, 1941 Doc 156:35 Rutland Railroad, history of (comments on); clippings; time table (1931) 36 Santayana, George, letter of (copy), 1925 37 Seal, Vermont, articles on, impressions of, correspondence Ms Size C, photocopy of map with seal, 1789 Doc 156:38 Ms Size C, proclamation of Gov. Aiken commissioning state seal, 1937 (2 c.) Doc 156:39 40 Ms Size D proclamation of Gov. Mead declaring Thanksgiving, 1910 Ms Size C,, 1911 Doc 156:41, impression of seal on document signed by Gov. Galusha, ca. 1820 42, photo of great seal 43 Sherburne, Vermont, letters on history of; Episcopal Church at 44 State Office Building, Vermont; and related matters, 1938-1949
John P. Clement Papers 9 Ms Size C, profile from central heating plant to State House, n.d.; profile of buildings by State House, n.d. Doc 156:45 State papers of Vermont, correspondence, 1938-1955 46, 1958-1963 Doc 157:1 Taft, William Howard, notes (partial) on Yale law seminar given by (1915) 2 Ticonderoga Expedition (May, 1775), schematic maps of 3 Ticonderoga, Fort and Museum, correspondence, photographs, booklets 4 Town (and Village) names, Vermont, misc. items 5 Towns (Vermont), items on, Clarendon (meeting house); Durham (Lydius grants); Goshen (misc. items); Marlboro (history of, 1871; and fire, 1931); Mendon (highway through and watershed map); Proctor (library and Proctor memorial); Whitingham (Cumberland question); towns, role and origins (general) 6 Veazey, Wheelock G., letters to and miscellaneous letters, 1879-1882; letter about his papers, 1941 7 Vermont Historical Society, on publications, 1928-1930 8,, 1931 9,, 1932-1933 10,, 1934-1937 11, general 1938, January-June 12,, July-Dec. 13, 1939, January-May 14,, June-August 15,, September-December 16, 1940 January-March 17,, April-July 18,, August-December 19, 1941 January-March 20,, April-May 21,, June-Dec. 22, 1942 January-April 23,, May-July 24,, August-December 25, 1943 January-June 26,, June-December 27, 1944 January-June 28,, July-1945 29, 1946 January-July 30,, Aug.-December 31, 1947 January-June 32,, July-December 33, 1948 January-February
John P. Clement Papers 10 34,, March-June 35,, July-September 36,, October-December 37, 1949 January-March 38,, April-December 39, 1950 January-August 40,, September-December 41, 1951-1952 42, 1953 43, 1954-1956 44, 1957-1958 45, 1959 January-August 46,, September-November 47,, December Doc 158:1, 1960 January-March 2,, April-June 3,, July 4,, August-December 5, 1961 January-July 6,, August-December 7, 1962 January-August 8,, September-December 9, 1963 January-February 10,, March-December 11 Vermont, status of, 1777-1791, letters and cards on, 1967 12 War of 1812, Vermont Claims, correspondence with Mary G Nye in re: her work on 13 Warner, Seth, only known picture of (in drawing of Valcour scene and ships) 14 Washington, George, engraving commemorating his death (correspondence on plate now in VHS Museum) Ms Size B Doc 158:15, copy of engraving Williamson, Chilton, ms. of Vermont in Quandary with JPC s criticism thereof 16 17 World War I, maps newspapers, misc. (including war letter from Canadian) Ms Size A, maps Ms Size B, newspapers (mostly French) Ms Size D, broadside (French) Doc 158:18, aftermath 19, Ms Size C,, broadside showing action of 301st First Field Artillery (cartoon)
John P. Clement Papers 11 Doc 158:20 World War II, Conservation of Cultural Resources, Committee for, 1941-1942 21, 1942 22, 1942-1943 Ms Size C, broadside Conserve Paper but Save Historical Records... Doc 158:23 Yale, class notes on Art, 1915 24 25 Yorktown Sesquicentennial Commission 26 General miscellaneous: Aeronautics Association, 1934-1935; Bassett, T. D. S., Urban Penetration of Rural Vermont ; Beebe, Lucius, Cambridge friend; Blasphemy, Cases of; Cemeteries, Vermont; Charleston, N.H., place of fort at, 1746; Dow, Julia C. R., poem; Dow manuscripts, correspondence on; Fantasies, a child s and an adult; Goddard clocks 27 : Green Mountain Flying Club accounts, 1940-1942 28 : Journalists, Vermont, early; Lake Champlain maps and charts; LaMoille River; Local history, study of guides to; Martin, Fred C., 2 letters; Mason portrait; Navy, Secretary of, letter from, 3 August 1882; N.Y.- Vermont land controversy; Officials and convention delegates, early Vermont; Oyster suppers, early Vermont; Peach, Arthur W., controversy with Wilgus and his plan; Peach, Arthur W., Green Mountain Series ; Place names and board of geographic names; Powers, N. M., bridge builder; Printing--example of JPC s art of 29 : Publications, Vermont, proposed; Rutland-Town records; Salisbury, Connecticut, letter on history of; Supreme Court, Vermont, [early records in Rutland County court house?]; Thompson, Charles Minor, letters of; Ticklenaked Pond, Ryegate, Vermont; Vermont, formation of; Vermont, history of, [for the schools; author unknown]; Vermont, state agencies (mostly historicals); Vermont, state geologist and cabinet (1962); Vermont, state library; Vermonters in Montana Eileen O Brien 1996; revised February 2015 clementj.doc
John P. Clement Papers 12 Oversize (These items not included in Brigham calendar and index) Scrapbook-many family items (albums). XMSR26 Scrapbook-repeal of prohibition (the whopper). XMSR26 Windsor County Court Docket, Judge Wheelock G. Veazey, 1880 [In back (reversed) lists of names, supposedly of those favorable to repeal of prohibition]. XMSR26 Picture, Covered bridge. F-Br Pictures (3), showing Henry W. Clement, father of JPC. F-PO-G?; F-Sc-Exeter Paintings (2), artist unknown but possibly JPC Allen, Ethan, Map in ink (2 boards) showing events in life of. Vermont Case 116 N.B. These oversize items are not included the standard boxes of John P. Clement Papers but are located elsewhere. For their location, see Process File, John P. Clement Papers 1928 Elected member of VHS 1930-1932 Editor of Proceedings of VHS and Publications Jan 1936 elected VHS director Feb 1936-Jan 1938 head of Historical Records Survey of Vermont, WPA June 1944-Spring 1946 Acting director, VHS Dec 1, 1945 Life member VHS 1947-1949 member, Vt. Board of Historic Sites 1959-1965 president VHS trustees, Vt. State Library