University of Vermont Libraries' Center for Digital Initiatives

The correspondence included in this collection was collected by Ruth Allen Colton Fletcher, Henrietta Smith Fletcher, and Katherine Fletcher. Ruth was born in 1810 or 1811 to Lydia and Lemuel Colton of Sharon, VT. She married Andrew Fletcher in 1839, and lived in Waterville, Belvidere, and then Johnson, VT until her death, circa 1903. Her oldest surviving child was Andrew Craig Fletcher, who married Henrietta Smith in 1869. Henrietta was born in 1845 to Catherine and George Smith of Burke, NY. Katherine Fletcher was born in 1870 to Henrietta and Andrew Craig Fletcher of Jeffersonville, VT. She attended Johnson State Normal School from 1885-1887, graduating in January 1888.

The correspondence describes the experiences of several family members who moved west to New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and California. The correspondents recount in great detail the work of creating and managing their farms in these new states or territories, and many letters give meticulous lists of the prices of land, grains, stock, and groceries. The families in this correspondence endure a great deal of sickness and deaths and these as well as some accounts of their medical treatments are described in the letters. There are a few letters from Enos Fletcher and Charles Hogan that are from the Civil War, and several letters refer to the War and its effects on their communities. There is an account of the "St. Albans Raid" by Ruth's son Andrew Craig Fletcher, who was working in St. Albans at the time. Katherine Fletcher's correspondence with her family and classmates document her life and studies at Vermont's teacher training institution twenty years into its history as such.

Below is a list of most of the correspondents and their basic biographical information if known. Some of the dates are those found in Katherine Fletcher's geneaological research and some have been inferred from the correspondence. The list is alphabetized by first name.

Addie Melvin (friend of Katherine)

Addie Quimby (friend of Della Fletcher Oakes)

Almira T. (friend of Ruth)

Andrew Craig Fletcher (son of Ruth) (b. 1842; d. 1917; m. Harriet Smith 1869; ch. Katherine, Carrie, Rhett, Ray, Bess)

Andrew Fletcher (husband of Ruth) (b. 1812; d. circa 1892; m. Ruth Colton, 1839)

Angie Day (friend of Katherine)

Arvilla Coats Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Moses S. Colton, 1824)

Ashley Dixon (uncle or friend of Andrew Craig Fletcher)

Bertha Daggett (friend of Katherine)

Betsey Verona Colton Jagua (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla) (b. 1828; d. 1872; m. Seth Jagua; ch. Sarah Eveline)

Carlos Colton (nephew [older] of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (m. Hannah)

Carlos Colton (nephew [younger] of Ruth; son of Lemuel and Matilda Colton) (died young)

Carrie Blodgett (friend of Katherine)

Carrie Carroll (friend of Katherine)

Carrie Fletcher (sister of Katherine)

Carrie Maude (friend of Katherine)

Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla Colton) (b. 1826; d. 1852; m. William Potter, 1843?, and Hiram Holdridge 1850?; ch. Cyril and another son)

Catherine Emily Alvord Smith (also spelled with a "K") (mother of Henrietta) (b. 1820; d. 1885; m. George Smith, 1840; ch. Edward, George Bent, Henrietta)

Clara Gris (friend of Carrie Fletcher)

Clark Pratt (m. Susan Colton, 1831; d. 1839?)

Cora Davis (friend of Katherine)

Curtis Colton (nephew of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (d. 1859?)

Cyrus Cornelius Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1833)

Daniel Willey (brother-in-law of Ruth) (m. Lydia Colton [sister], 1849)

Della (Adella) Fletcher Oakes (daughter of Ruth) (b. 1857; m. ? Oakes)

Edward C. Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1843; d. 1933; m. Marilla S. Derby, 1869; ch. Carl Carlsmith, Mattie, Grace [died young], George [died young], Mabel [died young], Winifred)

Elias Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth)

Ella Fletcher [s.n.] (daughter of Ruth)

Ellen Colton Church (niece of Ruth; daughter of Zebina Colton) (m. John Church)

Enos Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth)

Florence [s.n.] (friend of Carrie Fletcher)

George and Mary Sprague (friends of Ruth from Craftsbury)

George Bent Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1841; m. Lucy A. Brown, 1879; ch. Edward, Gladys)

Gertie Harrington (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Harriet Fletcher Perham (friend of Ruth; sister of Andrew)

Harriet Hodgkin (acquaintance of Ruth)

Harry C Fallangton (friend of Katherine)

Henrietta Lurena Smith Fletcher (b. 1845; d. 1916; m. Andrew Craig Fletcher, 1869; ch. Katherine, Allison Craig [died young], Carrie, Edward George [died young], Rhett, Ray, Bessie)

Hiram Holdridge (2nd husband of Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge, m.1850?, d. 1854?)

Ida Barton (teacher in Jeffersonville 1886-1887)

Ira Clark (nephew of Ruth by marriage) (m. Mary Powers)

Isa Hazen Thorp (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Jane Fletcher (sister-in-law of Ruth)

Jennie Perry (also known as "Joe") (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Joe [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Julie Galushia (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Katie Smith (daughter of George B. and Lucy Smith?)

Lemuel Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1800?) (m. Matilda) (ch. Lemuel and Carlos)

Lemuel Colton, Jr. (nephew of Ruth, son of Lemuel Colton) (m. Lue)

Levi Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1835)

Lizzie Harvey Hobart (grandniece of Ruth; daughter of Mary Pratt Harvey)

Lois Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Zebina Colton)

Lucy [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Lucy Brown Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. George B. Smith)

Lucy L[eland?] (friend of Katherine)

Lue Colton (niece of Ruth; wife? of Lemuel Colton, Jr.)

Lulu F. R. (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Lydia Colton (mother of Ruth) (b. 1767; d. 1852; m. Lemuel Colton, 1796)

Lydia Colton Willey (sister of Ruth) (b. 1804; d. before 1885; m. Daniel Willey, 1849)

Lyman Colton (nephew of Ruth; brother of Betsy Verona and Carseldana) (b. 1830?; d. 1884; m. Nancy, 1859?)

Mamie Flagg (friend of Katherine)

Maria Fletcher Horner (sister-in-law of Ruth)

Marilla Derby Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. Edward C. Smith)

Mary A. Johnson (friend of Ruth)

Mary Powers Clark (niece of Ruth)

Mary Pratt Harvey (niece of Ruth; daughter of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1831; m. Caleb Harvey; ch. Lizzie and Clark) (Not to be confused with Caleb's sister, Mary Harvey)

Matilda Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (d. 1883; m. Lemuel Colton)

Moses S. Colton (also known as Shepard) (brother of Ruth) (b. 1799; d. 1868; m. Arvilla Coats, 1825; ch. Carseldana, Betsey Verona, and Lyman)

Myrtie Grean (friend of Katherine)

Nate [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Nida George (friend of Katherine)

Ruth Colton Fletcher (b. 1810/11, d. circa 1903; m. Andrew Fletcher 1839; ch. Infant, d. 1841; Andrew Craig; Frederick Cornelius; Emma Alvora, died young; Ella Aldora; Allison Evelyn, "Allie," a boy, died circa age 15; Ruth Adella, "Della")

S.H. Alvord (sister of Catherine Smith?)

Sally Dwinnell (aunt? of Ruth)

Sarah Nolan (sister-in-law of Catherine Smith)

Susan Colton Pratt (sister of Ruth) (b. 1806 or 1807; d. 1839; m. Clark Pratt 1831; ch. Mary, Cornelius, Levi)

Tom Guild (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Willis Hubbard (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Will Newcomb (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine)

Zebina Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1802; d. 1856; m. Lois Buck, 1831; ch. Zebina, Curtis, Carlos, Ellen)