Title: Appleton-Aiken family papers Creator: Appleton family and Aiken family Inclusive dates: 1812-1900 Extent: 1.5 linear feet Abstract:
The Appleton-Aiken papers contain letters and miscellaneous documents relating to the family of John Aiken and his wife Mary Appleton of Lowell, Mass. The collection contains correspondence about textile mills at Lowell, collegiate education, and the development of the towns of Lowell and Andover, Mass., and Brunswick, Me.
Language: The material is in English Repository: William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan
909 S. University Ave. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1190 Phone: 734-764-2347 Web Site: www.clements.umich.edu
An important theologian and President of Bowdoin College, Rev. Jesse Appleton often came into close contact with the nation's educational, financial, and political elites. The most remarkable feature of his life, however, may have been the knack that his family displayed for marrying well. His eldest daughter, Jane, became the wife of Franklin Pierce, and another daughter, Frances, married the theologian and Bowdoin professor, Alpheus Spring Packard. Three of Appleton's sisters-in-law were similarly well connected: Ellis Means married an important minister, Rev. Teppan; Mary Means became the wife of Senator Jeremiah Mason, a supporter of Daniel Webster; and Nancy Means married the exceedingly wealthy merchant and philanthropist, Amos Lawrence.
In 1832, Rev. Appleton's youngest daugher, Mary (d. 1883), followed in the family tradition by marrying John Aiken, an attorney from Lowell, Mass., an agent for the Tremont Mills, and a significant figure in the textile industry. The couple had five children -- Jane, John F., Sarah, Alfred, and Mary -- adding to the two children, William and Charles Augustus, that John had through a previous marriage to Harriet Adams. This marriage brought about the merger of two of the most powerful families in the region, further extending an already far flung network of family, educational, and political relationships. The family worked through this kinship network to further their interests. All of the Aiken children received good educations, with Charles and William attending Dartmouth, rather than Bowdoin.
Following the death of John Aiken, Mary moved from Lowell to live with her daughter Jennie, who had married Professor Francis H. Snow of the University of Kansas.
The Appleton-Aiken papers contain over 500 letters and miscellaneous documents relating to the family of John Aiken and his wife Mary Appleton of Lowell, Mass. The collection contains correspondence documenting family life among the upper classes in Massachusetts in the early industrial age, and contains useful information on the textile mills at Lowell, collegiate education, and the development of the towns of Lowell and Andover, Mass., and Brunswick, Me.
The correspondence centers on the interests of a large and powerful family. Mary and John Aiken's children were all well-educated and wrote erudite letters. Many of the Appletons and Aikens were professionally involved in education, and several series of letters include valuable information on college life and curricula at mid-century. Charles and William Aiken attended Dartmouth in the 1840s and 1850s, and their letters are filled with an undergraduate's opinions on coursework, professors, and education. There are also several examples of secondary school writing assignments from John and Mary Aiken's children and grandchildren.
In a different vein, the letters of Alpheus Spring Packard written while he was professor of natural history at Bowdoin College, offer a unique perspective on the development of that institution, and particularly of its science curriculum. There are many other letters relating to Bowdoin College, since the entire Appleton family seems to have retained a strong interest in the college for years after the death of Jesse Appleton, its former President. For example, Mary Aiken's mother, Elizabeth, writes particularly interesting letters about the progress of the college after the death of her husband, in 1819. Also worthy of note are several letters written by Jennie Snow, whose husband was on faculty at the University of Kansas during the 1870s.
The Aikens were heavily involved in capitalizing textile mills throughout northern New England. A few items provide particularly information on the mills at Lowell, including an October, 1836, letter in which Mary describes a walk-out and strike at the mill, and a letter from her brother, Robert Appleton, describing a shipment of cotton arriving at the mill in 1835 from London. Robert also inspected Governor Bagdry's new cotton factory at Gilmanton, N.H. In 1871, Mary and John's daughter Mary describes a book, Lillie Phelps' The Silent Partner, designed to improve the condition of the mill "operatives." Two other items are of some interest for the study of mill life, one a letter from J. Whitney regarding the acts of sabotage against the mill performed by Edward Webb, an employee (1834 May 1) and the other a letter in which a woman suggests women learn sewing, a skill badly deteriorating under industrialization.
The collection includes a letterbook with 25 excellent letters written by John Aiken to his family from Europe. He wrote these letters during one of his business trips to examine textile operations; along with general travel descriptions, he reported information about cloth production and marketing. Additionally, the collection contains a diary kept by John Aiken during this trip. In the volume, which covers the dates September 1, 1847-December 20, 1847, Aiken briefly recorded his current location or recent travel, the weather, and any sightseeing or social activities that occupied his day. Aiken noted visits to tourist attractions, including the Tower of London and the Tuileries Garden, and also used the volume to track several financial accounts accrued throughout the period. Detailed notes at the back of the volume also reflect his keen interest in the textile industry and the mills he visited while abroad.
On a more general level, the Appleton-Aiken Papers are an excellent resource for studying family dynamics among the upper class. The letters are filled with discussions of family members, relations between husband and wife or parent and child, and include some interesting commentary on local religious life, revivals, church meetings, and family piety.
Two photographs have been transferred to the Graphics Division for storage. Photocopies of these are included in Box 6 in the folder containing Miscellaneous items.
2. Mary Means, married Jeremiah Mason (1768-1848).
2. Nancy Means, married 1st, Mr. Ellis, and 2nd, 1821, Amos Lawrence (1786-1852)
2. Catharine Means
2. Davis Means, (d. 1834)
2. Ellis Means, married Rev. Teppan
2. Elizabeth Means (d. 1844), married 1800 Rev. Jesse Appleton (1772-1819), son of Francis and Elizabeth (Hubbard) Appleton of New Ipswich, N.H., and President of Bowdoin College.
3. Jane Means Appleton (1806-1863) married 1834 Franklin Pierce(1804-1869), 14th President of the United States.
4. Two sons, died in infancy
4. Benjamin Pierce (1842-1853) killed in train accident
3. Eliza Appleton
3. Robert Appleton (d. 1851)
3. William Appleton (d. 1830)
3. Frances Elizabeth Appleton (d. 1839), married 1827 Alpheus Spring Packard (1798-1884). He married 2nd Caroline W. (Bartelles) McLellan by whom he had one child.
4. Alpheus Spring Packard, Jr. (1839-1905), married 1867 married 1867 Elizabeth Derby Walcott
4. Frances A. Packard
4. Three other children
3. Mary Appleton (d. 1883), married 1832 John Aiken (1797-1867)
4. Jane (Jenny) Appleton Aiken, married 1868, Francis Huntington Snow (1840-1908)
4. John F. Aiken
4. Sarah Aiken
4. Alfred Aiken
4. Mary Aiken, married 1857, George Ripley
Children of John Aiken by his first wife Harriet Adams, daughter of Ebenezer Adams (1765-1841) who died before 1832:
4. William Aiken
4. Charles Augustus Aiken (1827-1892), married Sarah Elizabeth Noyes, daughter of Daniel and Eleanor Noyes of Andover, Mass.
Alternate Locations
Two photographs have been transferred to the Graphics Division.
Partial Subject Index
African-Americans
1836 March 29
1848 June 20
[1862]
1875 March 16
African-Americans--Colonization
[1862]
Aiken, Mary Means, d. 1883--Death
1883 July 8, 20
Alabama--Description and travel
1855 January 27
1856 April 21
Alcoholism
1873 September 14
American Bible Society
1833 February 14
American Colonization Society
n.d. (Aiken, Charles A.)
Amherst (Mass.)--Description
1854 June 30
Andover (Mass.)
1850 October 7
1854 October 31; November 7
Andover Theological Seminary--Students
1847 November 12
Angina pectoris
1841 April 3
Appleton, Elizabeth, d. 1844--Death
1844 November 15, 23
Appleton, Jesse, 1772-1819
1819 November 1, 30; December 3
1835 July 7; September 12
1836 February 9
1848 November 8
Appleton, Jesse, 1772-1819--Death
1819 November 30; December 3
Appleton, William, d. 1830--Death
1830 October 30, 31
Badger, William, 1799-1852
1835 January 30
Banks and banking
1841 May 17
Baseball
1878 June 25
Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887
1858 January 21
1873 September 14
Blancmange
1836 March 1
Bowdoin College
1822 March 11, March
1824 July 11
1825 October 7
1833 July 5, 24
1836 February 27, March 1, 14
1839 January 19, May 1
1841 January 6
1842 April 16; August 30; November 13
1845 October 30
Bowdoin College--Students
1842 April 16, 22
Boys--Conduct of life
1843 October 19, 29
Brunswick (Me.)--Description
1826 March 18
1832 December 10
1834 August
1836 September 2
1840 November 26
1846 July 2
Brunswick (Me.)--Economic conditions
1837 August 10
Buckingham, Joseph T., 1779-1861
1833 January 22
Buckingham, William Alfred, 1804-1875
1874 January 4; November 26
1875 November 21
Cameron, Simon, 1799-1889
1861 May 29
Camping
1868
Cancer
1864 April 11
Channing, William Ellery, 1780-1842
1814 April 27
1815 July 3
Cheese--Prices
1834 August 15
Chicago (Ill.)--Politics and government
1869 February 19
Chichester (N.H.)--Description
1878 November 22
Child care
1863 August
1866 August 31
n.d. (Snow, Jennie A.)
Childbirth
1834 July 14
1839 June 28
1840 May 14
Children
1832 July 11
Children--Death
n.d. (Martin, Penelope)
Children--Education
1841 April 3
Children--Recreation
1835 September 3
Children--Religious life
1832 July 11
1865 February
Chimneys--Prices
1834 July 20
Chinese
1845 June 27
Chloroform
1848 December 29
Christianity
1821 March 24
1828 April 17
1820 September 10
1835 March
1852 March 29
1854 June 24
Christmas
1855 January 27
Church membership
1847 November 29
Churches--Maine
1820 August 8
Cilley, Jonathon, 1802-1837
1838 March 6
Clay, Henry, 1777-1852
1838 March 6
Clothing and dress
1854 March 16
Coit, Susanna, ca.1803-1858
n.d. (M., J.O.)
College students
1854 May 29
College students--Conduct of life
1845 April 21
Colorado--Gold discoveries
1859 February 17
Communion
1854 December 11
Conduct of life
1821 March 24
1849 April 2
Congregational Churches--New Hampshire
1828 September 20
1857 November 10
1878 September 12
Conversion
1844 November 15
Cook, Flavius Josephus, 1838-1901
1877 January 14
Cookery, American
1836 March 1
1849 March 12
Cox, Samuel Hanson, 1793-1880
1873 September 14
Dartmouth College
1832 September 27, December 5
1843 February 18
1845 July 13
1855 January 21
Dartmouth College--Students
1842 August 25; October 24, 25
1845 February 17; March 24
1856 August 6
1858 April 4
Dearborn, Henry A. S., 1751-1829
1814 February 26
Democratic Party--New England
1832 October 26
1844 November 15
Dentistry
1847 November 23
1848 December 29
1854 April 3
DeWolf, James, 1764-1837
1826 March 18
Divorce
1860 February 19
Domestics
1834 September 11
1835 September 12
1837 December
1845 October 30
1875 March 16
Dueling
1838 March 6
Emancipation Proclamation
1862 October 8
1864 September 9
Entertaining--Connecticut
1858 February 11
Entomology
1876 August 25
Episcopal Church--Maine
1845 October 30
Episcopal Church--New Hampshire
1822 September 25
Episcopal Church--Vermont
n.d. (Lord, Harriet A.)
Europe--Description and travel
Letterbook: 1847 September 18-1848 March 18
Everett, Edward, 1794-1865
1814 April 27
1845 November 21
Extortion
1819 October 9
Faith
1842 April 16
Father and child
1879 October 17
Federalist Party--New England
1812 August 31
Fire fighters--Maine
1834 August
Fires--Maine--Brunswick
1822 March 11, March
1824 July 11
1825 October 7
1836 March 1, 14
Fires--Massachusetts--Boston
1872 November 11
Florida--Description and travel
1857 November 7
Foot, Solomon, 1802-1866
1861 May 29
Foreign Missionary Society
1836 September 2
Fourth of July celebrations
1824 July 11
Fremont Mills
1834 April 4
French-Canadians
1841 January 6
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
1854 May 29
Future life
1847 November 29
Germans
1857 December 10
Gilmanton (N.H.)
1835 January 30
God
1848 December 29
Graham, Sylvester, 1794-1851
1834 September 11
Grasshoppers
1875 May 30
Great Britain--Description and travel
1898 October 21, before November 6, November
Harrison, William Henry, 1773-1841
1841 May 17
Hartford (Conn.)--Social life and customs
1858 February 11
Homeopathy
n.d. (Lord, Harriet A.)
Hull, William, 1753-1825
1814 February 26
Husband and wife
1865 February
1879 October 17
1898 November 25
n.d. (Lord, Harriet A.)
Hydrotherapy
1846 May 13
1877 July 1
Hymns
1817 September 2
Immigrants
1847 November 12
1857 November 10
Industrialization
1870 April 5
Infants--Conduct of life
1833 May 14
Irish--Massachusetts--Lowell
1834 March 2
Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845
1836 June 13
Jewish slaves
n.d. (Aiken, Charles A.)
Kansas--Description and travel
1875 May 30
Lawyers--New York (City)
1864 February 8
Lebanon--Description and travel
1856 August 1
Libel
1830 February 24
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
1861 February 16
Lind, Jenny, 1820-1887
1850 October 5
London (Eng.)--Description
1898 October 21, before November 6
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882
1835 January 30
1872 July 14
Lord, Nathan, 1792-1870
1832 September 27, December 5
Lowell (Mass.)
1833 December 22
1834 March 2, May 1
1835 November 4
1836 October 4
1850 January 2
Lowell (Mass.)--Religious life
1835 November
Lowell Moral Lyceum
1835 November 4
Lyceums--Massachusetts--Lowell
1835 November 4
Lyon, Mary, 1797-1849
n.d. (anon.)
Maine Historical Society
1862 December 29
Maine--History--19th century
1816 September 19
Maine--Politics and government--1815-1861
1833 July 5
Maine--Religious life
1839 June 28
Maple sugar
1849 April 2
Marriage
1826 February 20
1832 November 16
1854 October 23
Mason, Jeremiah, 1768-1848
1816 December 17
1819 February 15
Means, Robert, d. 1842--Death
1842 September 27
Medicine
1847 March 8
Mental illness
1847 November 23
Mexico--Description and travel
1847 January 11
Military bands
1821 August
Miller, William, 1782-1849
1842 August 30; November 13
Millerite movement
1842 August 30; November 13
Milwaukee (Wis.)--Description
1855 December 15
1857 March 27
1858 March 15
Milwaukee (Wis.)--Social life and customs
1855 December 15
Miscarriage
1836 March 1
Missionaries
1833 February 7, May 14
1836 September 2
Montpelier (Vt.)--Description
1848 June 20
Montpelier (Vt.)--Religious life
1858 February 7; March 28
Mothers and sons
1845 April 21
Mount Vernon (Va. : Estate)
1836 June 13
1878 April 16
Murder--Massachusetts
1830 February 24
Naples (Italy)--Description and travel
1854 April 30
New Hampshire--Politics and government--1815-1861
1836 March 29
Nullification
1832 December 10
1833 January 22
Packard, Frances Elizabeth Appleton, d. 1839--Death
