THURSTON (GEORGE N.) FAMILY PAPERS
(Mss. 1124)
Inventory
Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections
Special Collections, Hill Memorial Library
Louisiana State University Libraries
Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University
Reformatted 2003
Revised 2011
CONTENTS OF INVENTORY
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SUMMARY
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Size. |
64 items and 3 volumes |
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Geographic locations. |
New Orleans, La.; St. Mary Parish, Jefferson Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, La. |
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Inclusive dates. |
1843-1907 |
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Bulk dates. |
N/A |
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Language. |
English |
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Summary. |
Letters and papers of the Thurston family, primarily of George N. Thurston. |
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Restrictions on access. |
If microfilm is available, photocopies must be made from microfilm. |
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Related collections. |
N/A |
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Copyright. |
Copyright of the original materials is retained by descendants of the creators in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
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Citation. |
George N. Thurston Papers, Mss. 1124, Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge, La. |
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Stack location(s). |
C:45; J:12 |
BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE
Captain George N. Thurston of New Orleans, Louisiana, was a Mississippi River steamboat captain and president of the New Orleans Ice Company. Thurston was also a sugar planter at Baskerville Plantation in St. Mary Parish. He and his wife, Mary, had a son, Webster, and a daughter, Georgia.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Personal and business letters, primarily to Thurston, from various family members discuss Thurston's activities on various steamboats, transport of ice on the Mississippi River, purchase and advertisement of ice, life of people in the Attakapas region of Louisiana, and family news. Some letters address the purchase and sale of land in Jefferson and East Baton Rouge parishes. A notable correspondent is William Makepeace Thayer, an old friend of Thurston in Franklin, Massachusetts. Volumes include a diary (1858-1859, 1864), kept by Mrs. Mary Thurston, containing personal entries and household account information; a memorandum book (1857-1863), probably kept by G. T. Bollinger (unknown relationship to Thurston), listing supplies, addresses, prescriptions, and money owed; and a time book (1870-1873, 1890) for Baskerville Plantation listing labor information and used in 1890 as a menu and recipe scrapbook. Miscellaneous items consist of a description of land in St. Charles Parish, a biblical quotation and commentary, a school composition, personal and business cards, and a list of stockholders of the New Orleans Ice Company.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
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Date |
Contents |
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1843 |
Certificate of William S. Potts, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, Missouri, that Mrs. Mary [Thurston] was a member in good standing in the church. |
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November 2, 1845 |
Letter from George N. Thurston, New Orleans, to his wife in St. Louis, Missouri mentioning being a mate on the Anawan [See N. Phillip Norman, “The Red River of the South,” Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XXV (1942), 416] and waiting for a rise in the water for a trip up the Ouachita River and asking her to come to New Orleans. |
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1852-1864 |
Letters (5) to George N. Thurston, New Orleans, from his sister Eliza M. Robertson, New York City, discussing Commander Thurston running a new steamer Magnolia from New Orleans to Fort Smith, Ark., giving family news, telling of intention to visit him, asking for news from the Attakapas Country and mentioning the terrible war. |
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1855 |
Letters (2) to Thurston from his brother-in-law, Edison D. Hammond, employed as a bookkeeper by Charles Gould, at the time a stock broker. He tells of the effect of Gould’s change of business to railroading interests (he was president of the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad), Gould’s offer to have Hammond cultivate lands in Illinois, and his desire to come south; and from his sister Louise M. Hammond giving news of family and friends. |
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August 4, 1855 |
Letter from S. J. Campbell to her sister telling of teaching school in St. Mary Parish and that Thurston was no longer running the Mary Bess. |
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1857, 1861 |
Letters (2) to Mrs. Thurston from Puss Hartman, Pattersonville, St. Mary Parish mentioning the war and giving news of friends. She also speaks of moving to Texas or to Berwick Bay [See letter concerning her living at Berwick Bay in the Charles James Johnson Papers, Mss. 1152]. |
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January 1859 |
Letter to Mrs. Thurston from a doctor at the Southern Medical House explaining failure to see her on an office visit. |
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July 1859 |
Notice to G. N. Thurston of expiration of an insurance policy with the Liverpool and London Fire and Life Insurance Company. |
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1865-1867 |
Letters (2) to Mrs. Thurston from her husband in New Orleans and while on a business trip to LaSalle, Ill., discussing shipments of ice sold to the Ice Association at 5 cents a pound, a fire in the neighborhood, and other family news. |
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1866 |
Receipt for horse sold to G. N. Thurston by Stephen Sheldon. |
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Contents |
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1867 |
Letters (4) and telegram to Captain G. N. Thurston from F. M. Harney concerning the ice business and giving news of family and friends, and yellow fever in the city. |
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1867 |
Letters (2) to Thurston from Charles A. Thieniman concerning a misunderstanding with a man whose children Thieniman had been tutoring. |
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January 29, 1867 |
Letters to John A. Bishop from Tillie expressing regret over declining an invitation. |
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1868-1869 |
Letters to Thurston, from D. Pochelu, secretary of the Louisiana Ice Works, advertising ice, and from J. C. Clark, Boutte Station, St. Charles Parish, concerning sale of a railroad and mules and carts of wood for its operation |
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January 1869 |
Report card of D. Webster Thurston, student of Magnolia Boys’ School, New Orleans. |
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December 3, 1869 |
Letter to Thurston from his brother-in-law E. D. Hammond, New York, giving family news and telling of intention to buy a plantation and move south. |
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December 20, 1869 |
Letter to Thurston from J. T. Pecot, Jefferson Parish, concerning purchase of property eight miles above Carrollton. |
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January 1, 1870 |
Letter to Thurston from J. W. Dougherty, Baton Rouge, concerning the sale of the Sauvé tract of land. |
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1870-1871 |
Letters (2) to Mr. and Mrs. Thurston from son, Webster, at Baskerville, telling of the illness of his sister and from New Orleans giving family news. |
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April 9, 1871 |
Letter of Thurston at Cloverdale in St. Mary Parish, to his wife, giving family news. |
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1871 |
Letter to Thurston from William Makepeace Thayer, an old friend in Franklin, Massachusetts, giving news of his family. |
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[1878] |
Letter from Clay Knobloch, Lafourche Parish, to Georgia, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. N. Thurston giving instructions for the treatment of yellow fever by the Cherot method. |
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January 1890 |
Letter to Georgia from Lillie giving news of friends in Patterson. |
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April 1907 |
Letters (2) to Mrs. Thurston from E. M. W. regretting inability to visit her and mentioning that his property be removed from 1068 Moss Street, New Orleans. |
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undated |
Letter of G. N. Thurston, New Orleans, to his brother asking about credit references for people in Attakapas. |
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undated |
Note on Centreville, St. Mary Parish, and the flood with comments on the Lottery Company’s generosity and the aid of Captain Grivot and the steamer Alarm. |
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undated |
Letters from G. N. Thurston, St. Louis, Missouri, to his wife, mentioning sending the money by Mr. Mires, the mate of the Cora; from F. H. Todd transmitting receipt to Mr. Sanders; from S. J. Campbell discussing teaching school at Attakapas and having only five scholars |
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undated |
Letters to Thurston from his sister Eliza news that John Robertson was living, a manufacturer at or near Natchez, Mississippi; to Miss S. J. Campbell, Pattersonville, St. Mary Parish, from E. M. Robertson concerning friendship and acquaintances |
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undated |
Description of land in St. Charles Parish by township, section, and range; biblical quotation and commentary; composition of D. W. Thurston for school; personal and business cards; list of stockholders of the New Orleans Ice Company and number of shares held |
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Bound Volumes |
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1858, 1859, 1864 |
Volume 1, Diary of Mrs. Mary Thurston during 1858 concerned particularly with dreams, happenings at home, visit to Pattersonville, trouble with hiring a servant during yellow fever outbreak in city, and visits to a spirit doctor. Volume also contains household accounts. |
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1857-1863 |
Volume 2, Memorandum book probably of G. T. Bollinger gives list of supplies, addresses, prescriptions for various illnesses, amount of money owed, and in some instances amount owed in Confederate dollars. |
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1870-1873, 1890 |
Volume 3, Time book for Baskerville Plantation listing laborers, days worked, total number of days, wages per day, amount paid and due, total amount and notation of payment received. In 1890, time book was used as a menu and recipe scrapbook. |
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INDEX TERMS
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Baskerville Plantation (La.)
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Bollinger, G. T.
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Diaries.
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Ice industry--Louisiana.
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New Orleans Ice Company.
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Steamboats--Louisiana.
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Thayer, William Makepeace, 1820-1898.
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Thurston, George N.
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Thurston, Mary. |
CONTAINER LIST
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Stack
Location |
Box |
Folder(s) |
Contents (with dates) |
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C:45 |
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1-3 |
Correspondence and other papers, 1843-1907, undated |
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4 |
Volume 1, Diary (1858-1859, 1864) Volume 2, Memo Book (1857-1863) |
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J:12 |
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Volume 3, Time Book (1870-1873, 1890) |