1.   Historical note

2.   Scope and content

3.   Provenance

4.   Processing note

5.   Inventory

6.   Subjects


    List of finding aids

    R.I.H.S. Library page

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 Cady Family Papers

 Family of Providence, R.I.

 Papers, 1838-1974. Bulk, 1885-1974.

 Size: 5 linear feet

 Catalog number: MSS 326

 Processed by: Rick Stattler, January 2000


©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

 


Historical note:


            Shubael Hutchins Cady (1806-1883) was born in Killingly, Connecticut, the son of David and Roxanna (Hutchins) Cady. He settled in Providence, R.I., and married Sarah Bowen Hamlin (1812-1905). He was a sea captain and West Indies merchant, and was also a founder and president of the Squantum Club. He had four children: William B. Cady (1836-1839), John Hamlin Cady (1838-1914), Charles David Cady (1840-1873) and Walter Hutchins Cady (1845-1873). The family settled in a house at 127 Power Street, where they remained for several generations.

            John Hamlin Cady was born in Providence, and married Mary Tabitha Eddy (1847-1922) of Somerset, Mass. His business was supplying provisions and warehouse storage to merchant vessels. He also owned shares in several merchant vessels, and served as treasurer of the Providence Dry Dock and Marine Railway Company. John and Mary had three children: Walter Guyton Cady (1874-1974), William Hamlin Cady (1877-1969) and John Hutchins Cady (1881-1967).

            Walter Guyton Cady was born in Providence, graduated from Brown University in 1895, and spent from 1897 to 1900 studying in Germany. In 1902, he began a long career as professor of physics at Wesleyan University. He retired to Pasadena, California in 1951, and then returned to Providence in 1963. He married Kathrin Olive Miller (1883-1909), and they had one son: Willoughby Miller Cady (1907-1953), also a physicist.

            Walter's brother, William Hamlin Cady, graduated from Brown in 1898, and worked as a dye chemist. From 1898 to 1922, he was employed by the United States Finishing Company, working mainly from its two plants in Providence: the Silver Spring Dyeing and Bleaching Company and the Queen dyeing Company. From 1922 to 1931, he worked for the Pacific Mills Print Works and the Slater Company in Massachusetts. He returned to U.S. Finishing in 1931, working mainly from their Norwich, Conn. plant from 1938 to 1948. He returned to Providence in 1948 to do consulting work for U.S. Finishing, and remained there after his retirement in 1952.

He was a founder of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.

            The third brother, John Hutchins Cady (known in the family as "Jack"), graduated from Brown in 1902 and became a renowned historical preservationist and architectural historian in Providence. His Civic and Architectural Development of Providence (1957) is still regarded as a classic.


Bibliography:

Cady, Walter Guyton. "Saving Ancestors" (unpublished typescript, Providence, 1963).

Rhode Island Cemetery Database


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Scope and content:


            This collection includes approximately one linear foot of papers each from John Hamlin Cady and his three sons. Each of the four men left extensive diaries. During retirement, the three sons all lived together at 127 Power Street until a very advanced age. The diaries also make frequent mention of John Hamlin Cady's Eddy and Bowers in-laws in Providence and Somerset, Mass.

            John Hamlin Cady's papers include account books from two of the ships he owned, and also accounts from three estates that he administered. The legal papers regarding the schooner Earl T. Mason, which collided with another vessel at sea in 1910, may be of particular interest. Cady's two early diaries, written as a youth in Providence in 1856 and 1857, provide excellent detailed documentation of the 1856 presidential race and the formation of the Republican Party in Rhode Island. His adult diaries are much less informative, but do document his mercantile activities and family life.

            John Hutchins Cady is probably the family member most remembered in Rhode island today. However, his papers are less complete than those of his brothers. There is a large gap in his diaries from 1909 to 1952, covering most of his professional life. The earliest diaries do help document the beginning of his architectural career. His papers also include some musical pieces he composed in college, his reminiscences of the American Institute of Architects, and a detailed history of all work done at 127 Power Street over the years.

            Walter G. Cady's papers, other than a few letters, consist entirely of his diaries. The diaries cover an amazing eighty years in his life, continuing through to his death on the eve of his hundredth birthday. The bulk of the diaries cover his career at Wesleyan University and his subsequent twelve years of retirement in California. However, the earliest and latest diaries document a combined 16 years in Rhode Island, and all of the diaries make frequent note of his family in Providence.

            William H. Cady's papers include an almost continuous run of diaries written from the age of ten through ninety-two. As with his brothers, there is very little introspection, but there is excellent documentation of his work as a prominent chemist for two major Rhode Island dye houses, as well as other plants in Massachusetts and Connecticut. His papers also include many professional awards and citations he received, and histories of the Rhode Island branch of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.


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Provenance:


            Almost all of these papers apparently passed through the estate of Walter G. Cady, who upon his death in 1974 was the last of the three Cady brothers. That year, Nino Scotti (who was responsible for auctioning off the estate) donated papers relating to the three brothers. In 1975, Walter's daughter-in-law Helen (Hammond) Cady donated some of the brothers' school papers and accounts relating to two family estates. The bulk of the collection, including all of the diaries to date and most of the shipping records, was donated in 2000 by Nicholas M. Cady, the grandson of Walter G. Cady. The 1855 diary was purchased in 2001 from Joseph Matthew Lynch, whose late father had found it in an old shop he owned.

            The January 1968 edition of Rhode Island History alludes to the recent acquisition of unspecified John Hutchins Cady Papers, but these may have ended up in the Graphics Division. Also, John Hutchins Cady's history of the American Institute of Architects was donated by Margaret B. Geddes in 1969.


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Processing note:


            Donated along with other Cady Papers in 1974 was a minute book of Company F, First Regiment, Second Battalion, Rhode Island Militia, April 1863 to May 1864. It was placed with the Civil War Records Collection upon its arrival, but also includes scores for card games apparently played by Cady family circa 1875.

            These papers were originally processed by Nat Shipton in 1975. They were reprocessed in 2000 upon the arrival of the additional material.


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Inventory:


Subgroup 1: John Hamlin Cady Papers


Diaries:

Box 1, folder 1. 1855, 1856, 1857

Box 1, folder 2. 1858, August 9 - August 19 (4 pages)

Box 1, folder 3. 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888

Box 1, folder 4. 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892

Box 1, folder 5. 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896

Box 1, folder 6. 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900

Box 1, folder 7. 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904

Box 1, folder 8. 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908

Box 1, folder 9. 1909, 1910, 1911

Box 1, folder 10. 1912, 1913, 1914

Box 1, folder 11. Diary notes and extracts, 1856-1857, 1885-1914


Shipping records:

Box 1, folder 12. Schooner A.T. Stowell - Ledger, 1892-1907

Box 1, folder 13. Schooner Earl P. Mason - Ledger, 1882-1899

Box 1, folder 14. Schooner Earl P. Mason - Ledger, 1899-1910

Box 1, folder 15. Schooner Earl P. Mason - Deeds, 1881-1883

Box 1, folder 16. Schooner Earl P. Mason - Correspondence and papers, 1907-1910

Box 1, folder 17. Schooner Earl P. Mason - Correspondence and papers, 1911-1912

Box 1, folder 18. Various schooners - Ledger, 1877-1904


Estate records:

Box 1, folder 19. Sarah B. (Hamlin) Cady estate - Account book, 1883-1909

Box 1, folder 20. George W. Hall estate - Account book,1906-1914

Box 1, folder 21. George W. Hall estate - Correspondence and documents, 1879-1914

Box 1, folder 22. Shubael Hutchins estate - Account books, 1880-1903, 1884-1899, 1900-1908

Box 1, folder 23. Shubael Hutchins estate - Estate papers, 1883-1908

Box 1, folder 24. Shubael Hutchins estate - Bills paid, 1898-1899

Box 1, folder 25. Shubael Hutchins estate - Accounts, 1867-1908

Box 1, folder 26. Shubael Hutchins estate - Correspondence, 1899; pew deed, 1838

Box 1, folder 27. Shubael Hutchins estate - Deeds, 1846-1869


Miscellaneous:

Box 2, folder 1. Cash books, 1907-1912; 1913-1914; 1912-1914

Box 2, folder 2. Cash journal, 1903-1907

Box 2, folder 3. Cash journal, 1907-1913

Box 2, folder 4. Church treasurer's account book, 1875-1880. Church unidentified; possibly in Somerset, Mass.; possibly kept by person other than Cady.

Box 2, folder 5. Correspondence, 1896-1914

Box 2, folder 6. "Lectures on Chemistry Delivered by Prof. Chace". George Ide Chace was a professor of chemistry at Brown University, 1834-1867. Volume signed "J.H. Cady" but John Hamlin Cady never attended college.

Box 2, folder 7. Ledger, 1890-1914



Subgroup 2: John Hutchins Cady Papers


Diaries:

Box 2, folder 8. 1897, 1898, 1899

Box 2, folder 9. 1899-1903, 1904-1908

Box 2, folder 10. 1953, 1954

Box 2, folder 11. 1955, 1956

Box 2, folder 12. 1957, 1958

Box 2, folder 13. 1959, 1960

Box 2, folder 14. 1961, 1962

Box 2, folder 15. 1963, 1964

Box 2, folder 16. 1965, 1966

Box 2, folder 17. 1967


Appointment books:

Box 3, folder 1. 1902, 1902-1903

Box 3, folder 2. 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912

Box 3, folder 3. 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917

Box 3, folder 4. 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922

Box 3, folder 5. 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927

Box 3, folder 6. 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932

Box 3, folder 7. 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937

Box 3, folder 8. 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942

Box 3, folder 9. 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947

Box 3, folder 10. 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952

Box 3, folder 11. 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958 (no 1955)

Box 3, folder 12. 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962

Box 3, folder 13. 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966


Miscellaneous:

Box 3, folder 14. "The College Medley" (original musical composition), 1902 and other music

Box 3, folder 15. "Some Reminiscences of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Institute for Architects", March 28, 1951. Typescript, 16 pages.

Box 3, folder 16. "House Record, 127 Power St." (typescript, 1965)

Box 3, folder 17. School reports, 1891-1902

Oversized storage. "The Junior March" (original musical composition), 1902



Subgroup 3: Walter G. Cady Papers


Diaries:

Box 3, folder 18. 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898 (Providence; to Germany 8/1897)

Box 3, folder 19. 1899, 1900, 1901-1905 (to Providence, 4/1900; to Middletown, 9/1902)

Box 3, folder 20. 1901, 1902, 1903

Box 3, folder 21. 1906, 1907, 1908

Box 3, folder 22. 1909, 1910, 1911

Box 3, folder 23. 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915

Box 3, folder 24. 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919

Box 3, folder 25. 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923

Box 3, folder 26. 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927

Box 4, folder 1. 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931

Box 4, folder 2. 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935

Box 4, folder 3. 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939

Box 4, folder 4. 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944 (no 1942)

Box 4, folder 5. 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948

Box 4, folder 6. 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 (to Pasadena, 1/1951)

Box 4, folder 7. 1953, 1954, 1956

Box 4, folder 8. 1955, 1957

Box 4, folder 9. 1958, 1959

Box 4, folder 10. 1960, 1961

Box 4, folder 11. 1962, 1963 (to Providence, 5/1963)

Box 4, folder 12. 1964

Box 4, folder 13. 1965, 1966

Box 4, folder 14. 1967, 1968

Box 4, folder 15. 1969, 1970

Box 4, folder 16. 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974


Miscellaneous:

Box 4, folder 17. Correspondence, 1922

Box 4, folder 18. Death of John Hutchins Cady, 1967-1969

Box 4, folder 19. Death of William H. Cady, 1969-1970

Box 4, folder 20. "The Hurricane of Wednesday, September 21, 1938 in Middletown" (Connecticut), 3 pages.



Subgroup 4: William H. Cady Papers


Miscellaneous:

Box 4, folder 21. Biographical notes

Box 4, folder 22. Bowling team scores, 1895 and undated

Box 4, folder 23. Brown University Glee, Banjo and Mandolin Club - Lawsuit, 1898

Box 4, folder 24. Certificates and commendations, 1944-1961

Box 4, folder 25. Christmas card list and book, 1930-1968

Box 4, folder 26. Herbert L. Dorrance lawsuit, 1927-1933

Box 4, folder 27. Histories of R.I. Section of A.A.T.C.C.

Box 4, folder 28. Sarah Graham Tomkins loan, 1926

Box 4, folder 29. School reports, 1885-1898

Box 4, folder 30. Work contracts, 1899-1915


Diaries:

Box 5, folder 1. 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891

Box 5, folder 2. 1892, 1893, 1894

Box 5, folder 3. 1895, 1896, 1897

Box 5, folder 4. 1/1/1898 - 5/23/1899; 5/24/1899 - 12/31/1900; 1901-1905

Box 5, folder 5. 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909

Box 5, folder 6. 1910, 1911, 1912

Box 5, folder 7. 1913, 1914, 1915

Box 5, folder 8. 1916, 1917, 1920 (no 1918 or 1919)

Box 5, folder 9. 1921, 1922, 1923 (to Massachusetts, 9/1922)

Box 5, folder 10. 1924-1928, 1929-1933 (to Providence, 10/1931)

Box 5, folder 11. 1934-1942 (to Norwich, Conn., 1938)

Box 5, folder 12. 1943-1948, 1949-1952 (returns to Providence ca. 1946)

Box 5, folder 13. 1953-1957, 1958-1962

Box 5, folder 14. 1963-1967, 1968-1969


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Subjects:


A.T. Stowell (schooner)

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists

American Institute of Architects, Rhode Island Chapter

Architecture

Bowers family

Brown University

Cady, John Hamlin (1838-1914)

Cady, John Hutchins (1881-1967)

Cady, Sarah (Hamlin) (1812-1905)

Cady, Walter G. (1874-1974)

Cady, William H. (1877-1969)

California - Description and travel

Chace, George I. (1808-1885)

Connecticut - Description and travel

Diaries, 1856-1858

Diaries, 1885-1914

Diaries, 1888-1969

Diaries, 1895-1974

Diaries, 1897-1908

Diaries, 1953-1967

Dorrance, Herbert L. (1883-ca.1952)

Earl P. Mason (schooner)

Eddy family

Estates (law) - Rhode Island - Providence - Accounting

Germany - Description and travel

Hall, George W.

Hurricane of 1938

Hutchins, Shubael (d.1867)

Hutchins, Shubael (d.1899)

Marine accidents

Massachusetts - Description and travel

Merchants - Rhode Island - Providence

Music - Rhode Island - Providence

Physicists - Connecticut

Providence Dry Dock and Marine Railway Company (Providence, R.I.)

Providence, R.I. - Social life and customs

Queen Dyeing Company (Providence, R.I.)

Republican Party - Rhode Island - Providence

Silver Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Company (Providence, R.I.)

Textile industry and fabrics

United States - Politics and government - 1853-1857

United States Finishing Company

Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)


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RIHS1822