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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Coventry and Providence, R.I. Papers, 1843-1944 Size: 1.5 linear feet Catalog number: MSS 1021 Processed by: Rick Stattler, November 1999 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Historical note:
Asahel Matteson (1811-1890), son of Reuben and Esther (Burleson) Matteson, was born in West Greenwich, R.I. at the family farm now known as Stepping Stone Ranch. He operated general stores in Escoheag, West Greenwich from 1836-1839; Rice City, Coventry from 1839-1842; Providence with his brother Archibald from 1843-1845; and Centreville, Warwick with Jacob Lewis from 1845-1848. After 1848, he resided in the village of Anthony in the town of Coventry, where he had a distinguished career as a banker, merchant and state senator. He married Julia M. Johnson (1811-1890) in 1837, and they had three children: Charles Matteson (1840-1925); Amy A. Matteson (1842-1905); and Ella J. Matteson (1852-1946). Neither Amy nor Ella married or had any children.
Asahel's son Charles Matteson attended Brown University and Harvard Law School, and had a distinguished law career in Providence that culminated in his term as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1891 to 1900. He married Rosabelle "Belle" Himes (1852-1920). She was born in Cranston, R.I. on January 8, 1852, the daughter of Paul and Sarah H. (Covel) Himes. Charles and Belle had three sons: Archibald C. Matteson (1873-1939), George A. Matteson (b.1875) and Paul Matteson (b.1884).
Charles' son Archibald C. Matteson also attended Brown University and Harvard Law School, and after working for prominent Providence lawyer William G. Roelker, he established himself as a prominent Providence maritime lawyer. He also served as a lieutenant in the Spanish-American War, and as a colonel in the Rhode Island National Guard. He married Alys McCreery of South Carolina in 1899, and had five children, including Elizabeth (Matteson) Farnsworth.
Bibliography:
Rhode Island Cemetery Database
Cole, J.R. History of Washington and Kent Counties (New York: W.W. Preston, 1889), 230-231 1220. Biographies and engravings of Job Kenyon and Charles Matteson, respectively.
Providence directory, 1844
Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island (Chicago: J.H. Beers, 1908), 1:319-321.
Scope and content:
This collection relates mostly to Asahel Matteson; his two daughters Amy and Ella Matteson; his daughter-in-law Belle (Himes) Matteson, and his grandson Archibald C. Matteson. Among the most noteworthy portions are Belle's diaries spanning 1890 to 1918, with a complete transcription; Asahel's tavern ledger book from 1843 giving accounts for lodging and care of horses; Ella J. Matteson's travel diaries in Europe and the American West from 1905 to 1913; and Archibald C. Matteson's diary of a trip to England, possibly sponsored by the R.I. Bar Association.
The collection also contains important Civil War letters, mostly from Dr. Job Kenyon of Anthony (1821-1889), who served as Assistant Surgeon of the 3rd Regiment, R.I. Heavy Artillery. Kenyon's first wife Phebe Hoxie (1830-1855) had been dead for several years, and he wrote Amy A. Matteson frequently from the regiment's headquarters at Hilton Head, South Carolina from September 1862 to January 1863. He also wrote a single letter to her father Asahel, and one to her adopted brother George W. Arnold.
George W. Arnold (1840-1862) was the son of Burrell Arnold (1798-1848) and Mary A. (Waterman) Arnold (1821-1844). His father died in the Mexican-American War. According to family tradition, George was adopted by the Mattesons after the deaths of his parents. He graduated from Yale University in 1860, and also served in the Civil War, in Company I of the 12th R.I. Infantry. One of his war letters to Amy dated 10/28/1862 can also be found in the collection; he died of fever just over a month later.
Elizabeth Francis Grinnell (1852-1906) was another friend of the family's whose papers appear in this collection. She was a childhood friend of Belle (Himes) Matteson who never married and lived with the Matteson family for most of her adult life. She was a seamstress by trade. This collection includes her diary from her 1904 trip to Europe with the Mattesons.
Provenance:
These papers were all gathered together by Elizabeth (Matteson) Farnsworth (b.1900), who served as executrix of the estates of her great-aunt Ella Matteson and her mother Alys (McCreery) Matteson. She then passed the papers of Job Kenyon, Asahel, Amy, Archibald and Ella Matteson on to her daughter Alys (Farnsworth) MacLeod, who donated them to the R.I.H.S.L. in 1998. The Belle Matteson and Elizabeth Grinnell diaries were held jointly by five family members: Alys MacLeod, William B. Farnsworth, Jane M. Love, Ellen M. Knox and Dr. Sarah M. Mitchell. This portion of the papers was donated in 1999.
Processing note:
A carte-de-visite proof photograph of Charles Matteson was found enclosed with his letter dated 5/6/1861 to his sister Amy, and was transferred to the Graphics Division. The 1877-1878 edition of Civil Government in Rhode Island: Joint Rules and Orders... issued to Asahel Matteson was transferred to the Printed Collection. Several photographs were donated along with the 1999 accession, and these were placed in the Graphics Division.
Inventory:
Box 1, folder 1. Diary, 1904
Box 1, folder 2. Diary, 1904 (typed transcription)
Job Kenyon
Box 1, folder 3. Miscellaneous:
Letters to Asahel Matteson 9/27/1862; and George Arnold, 9/28/1862
Job Kenyon's copy of New South newspaper dated 9/20/1862
Bill from Job Kenyon to Asahel Matteson, 6/21/1885
Amy A. Matteson
Box 1, folder 4. Miscellaneous letters received, 1861-1864, from:
1861/5/6 Charles Matteson (brother), 5/6/1861 re mustering of troops in Providence
1862/9/3 Charles, re starting Harvard Law School
1862/9/11 Charles
1862/9/28 Charles
1862/10/19 Charles
1862/10/28 Sgt. George W. Arnold of 12th R.I., re journey to Virginia
1862/11/16 Mary L. Sisson (friend) of Quidnick, writing from Providence
1862/12/19 Eliza __, of Lockport N.Y., re riding in upper train berth in hoopskirt
1863/1/28 Eliza __, re return of Dr. Kenyon
1863/5/4 Mary G. Gillette, re life at Music Vale Seminary
1864/2/4 Charles in Providence, re efforts to teach an escaped slave: "Please send in my old Thompson's Practical School Arithmetic...I wish it for an 'intelligent contraband' who has placed himself under my tuition."
All letters addressed to her in Quidnick, R.I. except 5/7/1861, addressed to the Music Vale Seminary, Salem, Conn.
Box 1, folder 5. Letters from Job Kenyon, 9/1862: 9/15, 16, 19, 26
Box 1, folder 6. Letters from Job Kenyon, 10/1862: 10/1, 7, 12, 14, 19, 24, 28, 29
Box 1, folder 7. Letters from Job Kenyon, 11/1862: 11/13, 20, 29, 30
Box 1, folder 8. Letters from Job Kenyon, 12/1862: 12/11, 13, [22]; 1/1/1863
Box 1, folder 9. Typed transcriptions of Job Kenyon letters, by Alys MacLeod, 1998
Archibald C. Matteson
Box 1, folder 10. Travel diary, 7/11/1924 - 9/2/1924. England and France.
Box 1, folder 11. Letters to father, mother and brother from Harvard and England, 1895
Box 1, folder 12. Genealogical correspondence re Matteson family, 1929-1937
Box 1, folder 13. Miscellaneous:
Letter from aunt Ella in France, 9/29/1908
Biographical data sheet submitted to History of Rhode Island, 1929
Photos and clipping re 1887 journey on ship Kennard, 1933
Asahel Matteson
Box 1, folder 14. Ledger, 1843-1844 for tavern kept at 123 High Street, Providence
High Street ran along what are now Weybosset and Westminster Streets.
Includes accounts for lodging, drinks and care of horses.
According to Representative Men..., in partnership with brother Archibald.
Box 1, folder 15. Miscellaneous:
Recipe for "Tanner's Vegetable Cordial", ca. 1843
Receipt, 1849
Memoranda re George Arnold, 1847-1849
Ella J. Matteson
Box 2, folder 1. Diary, 8/27/1905 - 11/5/1905 ("Records of Eastern Travel, Vol. I")
Across U.S., to Japan, China, India.
Box 2, folder 2. Diary, 11/5/1905 - 12/7/1905 ("Records of Eastern Travel, Vol. II")
Travels through India.
Box 2, folder 3. Diary, 12/7/1905 - 2/4/1906 ("Records of Eastern Travel, Vol. III")
Travels through India.
Box 2, folder 4. Diary, 3/25/1906 - 5/22/1906 ("Records of Eastern Travel, Vol. V")
Java, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Hawaii
Box 2, folder 5. Diary, 5/22/1906 - 6/21/1906 ("Records of Eastern Travel, Vol. VI")
Hawaii, San Francisco, Yellowstone Park, across U.S. to R.I.
Box 2, folder 6. Diary, 6/16/1908 - 7/22/1908 ("Two Years in Foreign Lands, Vol. I")
Steamship across Atlantic, travels in England.
Box 2, folder 7. Diary, 7/23/1908 - 9/4/1908 ("Two Years in Foreign Lands, Vol. II")
England, France.
Box 2, folder 8. Diary, 9/4/1908 - 10/6/1908 ("Two Years in Foreign Lands, Vol. III")
Travels in France.
Box 2, folder 9. Diary, 10/6/1908 - 11/1/1908 ("Two Years in Foreign Lands, Vol. IV")
Travels in Spain.
Box 2, folder 10. Diary, 6/14/1910 - 6/21/1910 (Azores to Boston)
and 2/3/1913 - 4/1/1913 (Rhode Island to Jamaica)
Box 2, folder 11. Miscellaneous:
"The Dorr War", poem dated 1937
Will, 1944
Letter from Dr. James H. Eldredge, 2/10/1890, re her father's death
Rosabelle "Belle" (Himes) Matteson
Box 2, folder 12. Diaries, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893 (no 1894)
Box 2, folder 13. Diaries, 1895, 1896, 1897
Box 2, folder 14. Diaries, 1898, 1899, 1900
Box 2, folder 15. Diaries, 1901, 1902, 1903
Box 2, folder 16. Diaries, 1904, 1905, 1906
Box 2, folder 17. Diaries, 1907, 1908, 1909
Box 2, folder 18. Diaries, 1910, 1911, 1912
Box 2, folder 19. Diaries, 1913, 1914, 1915
Box 2, folder 20. Diaries, 1916, 1917, 1918
Box 2, folder 21. Diary transcription, 1890-1903
Box 2, folder 22. Diary transcription, 1904-1910
Box 2, folder 23. Diary transcription, 1911-1918
Subjects:
China - Description and travel
Coventry, R.I. - Social life and customs
Diaries, 1890-1918
Diaries, 1904
Diaries, 1905-1913
Diaries, 1924
Dorr Rebellion
Europe - Description and travel
Grinnell, Elizabeth F. (1852-1906)
xHimes, Belle
Hotels, taverns, etc. - Rhode Island - Providence
India - Description and travel
Japan - Description and travel
Kenyon, Job (1821-1889)
Matteson, Amy A. (1842-1905)
Matteson, Archibald C. (1873-1939)
Matteson, Asahel (1811-1890)
xMatteson, Belle
Matteson, Charles (1840-1925)
Matteson, Ella J. (1852-1946)
Matteson, Rosabelle (Himes) (1852-1920)
Providence, R.I. - Business records
Tanner's Vegetable Cordial
3rd Regiment, Rhode Island Heavy Artillery
12th Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
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RIHS1822