JOSIAH B. CHANEY AND FAMILY:
An Inventory of Their Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Chaney, Josiah Blodget, 1828-1908, creator. | |
| Title: | Josiah B. Chaney and family papers, | |
| Dates: | 1792-1917. | |
| Abstract: | Papers of a St. Paul printer and Minnesota Historical Society librarian and his family. | |
| Quantity: | 4.5 cubic feet (9 boxes, including 108 volumes). | |
| Location: | P1331: See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Josiah Blodget Chaney was born on October 16, 1828, in Falmouth, Maine, the son of Josiah and Elizabeth Gowen Chaney. Beginning as a printer's apprentice in 1841, Chaney worked as a printer and pressman throughout New England, Wisconsin, and Illinois until 1858. In that year he moved to Minnesota, first to St. Anthony, and finally to St. Paul in 1864. He was employed by the Falls Evening News and Minnesota Republican (1858-1861); served with the Second Company, Minnesota Sharpshooters (1861-1862); was pressman for the State Atlas office (1862-1864) and the St. Paul Pioneer and Dispatch (1865-1871); member of the printing firm of Ramaley, Chaney & Company, St. Paul (1872-1874); pressman for The Globe (1878-1887); member of the St. Paul Board of Education (1872-1875); and Minnesota Historical Society assistant librarian in charge of the newspaper department and museum (1887-1908). Chaney was also a member of the Minnesota Historical Society (1857-1908); St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences (1873-1883); First Universalist Society of St. Paul (1869-1887); St. Anthony and Minneapolis Typographical Union (1860); Masons (1852-1908); Acker Post, Grand Army of the Republic (1870-1908); and Ancient Order of United Workmen (1880s-1890s).
He married Melissa Ann Moore on April 9, 1854. They had two daughters, Aprilla B. and Delia Elizabeth. Chaney died on June 11, 1908 in St. Paul.
Biographical information was taken from the collection and from Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, Vol. XII (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1908), pp. 774-779.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Correspondence (1845-1917) details daily family events, illnesses, genealogy, and Chaney's employments and organizational memberships; it includes letters of his grandmother, Abigail Chaney (1845-1869), Civil War letters from Chaney to his wife Melissa (1862), and letters of his daughter Delia (1908-1917). There are organizational records and papers of numerous civic and religious groups of which Chaney was a member, including the Grand Army of the Republic's Acker Post, St. Anthony and Minneapolis Typographical Union, St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences, Second Company Minnesota Sharpshooters, Minnesota Historical Society, Unity Church of St. Paul, First Universalist Church of St. Anthony, and the Universalist State Convention of Minnesota.
Also contains family business, legal, and financial records (1792-1914); Chaney's diaries (1845-1908); travel notebooks (1880, 1883, 1901-1904); genealogical materials (1635-1898); St. Paul historical notes (1872-1904); and Chaney's writings, including his History of Chesterville, Maine (1893-1906).
Also present is a diary (1888-1889) of Frances Cahoon of Carthage, Dakota Territory, detailing her daughter Angie's first year.
All materials described in the Detailed Description of the Collection Section refer to Josiah B. Cheney unless specifically attributed to another person.
ARRANGEMENT
These documents are organized into the following sections:
| Correspondence and Related Materials | ||
| Legal, Business, and Financial Documents | ||
| Civic and Religious Organizational Records | ||
| Addresses and Speeches | ||
| Volumes |
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Josiah B. Chaney and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 1803A
Processing Information:
Processed by: Cheryl Thies, September 1981
Catalog ID number: 990017153450104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
CORRESPONDENCE AND RELATED MATERIALS
The bulk of the correspondence covers Chaney's life during his years in Minnesota. Written mainly between Chaney and various close friends and relatives, the letters deal largely with family, friendships, genealogy, work, and his numerous organizational memberships. Beginning in the 1890s, Chaney carried on a long-running correspondence with his brother-in-law Thomas Merryman dealing with the family's genealogy and the history of their boyhood home, Chesterville, Maine. Also contained in this section are letters between Chaney's grandmother, Abigail Chaney, and her children (1845-1869), Civil War letters from Chaney to his wife Melissa (1862), and letters of his daughter Delia (1908-1917).
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 1 | Letters to Abigail Chaney, 1845-1869. | |||||||||||
| Arranged first by child and then chronologically, this series includes letters from her children, John, Josiah, Joseph, and Susan, and several others, primarily grandchildren. The letters have been annotated by Chaney as to relationships. Mainly they detail family activities, religion, and illnesses. | |||||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials, undated, 1850-1889. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Includes Chaney's appointment as St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences (Academy) director (May 1871); his Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) (August 1877) and Academy (January 1878) life membership certificates; notes and newspaper clippings (April-May 1880) describing a trip to Winnipeg; specifications and contract for his Rondo Street, St. Paul house (July 1881); and his appointment as District Deputy Grand Master Workman, Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) (August 1884). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 1 | Civil War letters: Josiah B. Chaney to Melissa Chaney, February-October 1862. | |||||||||||
| Detailing Chaney's service with the Second Company, Minnesota Sharpshooters, the letters describe the company's training in St. Paul, trip to Washington, D.C., action in various battles, and Chaney's confinement to several military hospitals. Includes one unrelated 1864 letter. | |||||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials, 1890-1899. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Includes letters dealing with Chaney's election to the MHS executive council and assistant librarianship (1891); condolence letters following Melissa's death (1892); his Grand Lodge, AOUW membership certificate (August 1893); correspondence with the Minnehaha Mutual Life Insurance Company, Minneapolis (1896). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 2 | Correspondence and related materials, 1900-1907. | |||||||||||
| His Summit Lodge, Masons life membership certificate (1900); correspondence with Warren Upham and Jacob V. Brower concerning Minnesota archaeology (1901-1903); and an ink sketch by Chaney of the original Dayton's Bluff (St. Paul) Indian mound locations (ca. 1906). | |||||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials, 1908-1913, 1917. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Mainly correspondence between Delia and various relatives discussing family activities, illnesses, and religion. Includes Chaney's obituary (June 11, 1908) and condolence letters, and a flyer detailing the MHS and Minnesota Editorial Association's memorial meeting to honor Chaney (September 1908). | |||||||||||||
LEGAL, BUSINESS, AND FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 2 | Legal documents: John and Abigail Chaney, 1792-1850. | |||||||||||
| Contains deeds, bonds, mortgages, pension documents, contracts, bills, and receipts of Chaney's grandparents. | |||||||||||||
| Legal and business papers, 1861-1905, 1914. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Includes correspondence concerning fire and life insurance policies (1861, 1866-1867, 1896); house leases from St. Anthony (1865) and St. Paul (1871); Ramaley, Chaney & Co. articles of partnership (1872); titles, deeds, mortgages, receipts, and letters concerning Chaney's property at McKubin and Marshall Streets, St. Paul (1872-1888); St. Paul Mutual Building Association stock certificate (1879) and mortgage papers (1884, 1897); letters dealing with Chaney's loan through R. M. Newport & Son, Investment Bankers, St. Paul (1889-1893); and correspondence, annual reports, stock certificates, and dividend notices from the Washington Cooperative Mining Syndicate, Tacoma, Wash. (1901-1904). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 3 | Financial papers, 1843-1907. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Mainly personal receipts and itemized bills for such items as taxes, insurance, lodge dues, fuel, water, medicine, groceries, medical expenses, and home repair. | |||||||||||||
CIVIC AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
| St. Anthony and Minneapolis Typographical Union, No. 42. Organizational records, 1859-1861. | |||||||||||||
| Historical sketch (1881), constitution, bylaws, membership list, and minutes of this printers' union organized in 1859 and dissolved in 1861. Chaney served as secretary in 1860. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 3 | First Universalist Church of St. Anthony. Organizational records, 1859. | |||||||||||
| Includes the constitution (two copies), bylaws, creed, and membership list. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 93. | |||||||||||||
| Universalist State Convention of Minnesota. Papers, 1860-1885. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney served as standing clerk and secretary of this organization. Includes proceedings (1860), constitution, bylaws, membership list (1860), historical notes (1869-1885), clerk's report (1872), minutes (1872-1873, 1875), clippings (1883, 1885), and notes on the Convention's temperance stand (1885). | |||||||||||||
| See also Volumes 94-95. | |||||||||||||
| Unity Church of St. Paul. Records, 1866-1889, 1911, 1916. | |||||||||||||
| Contains the constitution and bylaws of the Church of the Messiah (ca. 1868) and clippings detailing the dedication of its successor, the First Universalist Church of St. Paul (October 1872) and its final reorganization as the Unity Church of St. Paul (ca. 1885). Also includes various historical notes, correspondence, Unity Club programs (1877-1884), Unity Church Door Library record book (1884), articles of incorporation (1885), and treasurer's report (1916). | |||||||||||||
| Second Company, Minnesota Sharpshooters. Records, 1863-1884. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney served with the Company from 1860 through 1862. Includes an undated handwritten list of the original organization and what became of each member; various notes, mainly listing wounded, dead, battles and skirmishes, re-enlistments, and commissions; an undated twelve page historical sketch; and several drafts of Chaney's "Sketch of the Second Company of Minnesota Sharpshooters." | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 83. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 3 | St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences. Records and clippings, 1870-1884. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Constitution and bylaws (undated and 1873), correspondence, financial reports, membership list (1870-1873), librarian's and museum director's reports (1870-1873), secretary's report (1875), articles of incorporation (1875), a report on the bankruptcy and subsequent sheriff's sale (1884), and clippings on meetings and lectures of this St. Paul academy organized in 1870 and disbanded due to bankruptcy in 1884. Chaney, a founding member, served as secretary (1873-1883) and museum director (1872-1873). | |||||||||||||
| See also Volumes 96-97. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 4 | Acker Post No. 21, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), St. Paul. Records, 1870-1904. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Historical sketch by Chaney (1890), with rosters (1891-1892); bylaws, clippings, applications, resignations, resolutions, circular letters, adjutant's reports, and Women's Relief Corps material; two booklets: a list of members (1887) and a post handbook (1888); receipts (1884-1905); and clippings on meetings, encampments, Memorial Day ceremonies, the GAR's 25th anniversary (1891), and a history of the post (1893). | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota Historical Society. Clippings, 1871-1881, 1889. | |||||||||||||
| Mainly reviews of meetings. Also includes several items concerning the 200th anniversary of the founding of St. Anthony Falls (1880) and the burning of the state capitol (1881). | |||||||||||||
ADDRESSES AND SPEECHES
Contains a number of "Letters to the Editor," several written by Melissa; an undated sketch of Washington Allston; biographical sketch of Reverend Herman Bisbee (1880); speeches on "Ancient Earthworks" (1881), "Liberty" (1882), "Russia" (1885), "The Care of Sick Soldiers in 1862 and 1898 - A Comparison" (1898), and "Patriotism" (1899); and a biographical sketch of Jacob V. Brower (1906).
See also Volume 81.
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 4 | undated, 1880-1906. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
VOLUMES:
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 1. Chaney, Josiah. Diary, 1847. | |||||||||||
| Diary (incomplete) kept by Chaney's father. Entries detail business and religious activities, family life, illnesses, and other daily activities. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney, Josiah B. Diaries, 1845-1908. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney's diaries contain daily descriptions of his family, business, church, and social activities and the weather. The early volumes (1845-1857) detail his travels through New England, Illinois, and Wisconsin; his various business activities in those areas; his marriage and family life; and social activities. Beginning in 1858, the diaries detail his move to Minnesota, first to St. Anthony and then to St. Paul; his movement within those cities' business, religious, and social communities; family life, particularly health problems; his genealogical studies; and his many organizational memberships. The following annotations highlight special events or subjects described in each volume. They also detail any additional notations or listings found in the volumes. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 2. Diary, 1845-1846. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries describing Chaney's tour of the White Mountains in Vt. (September 1-17, 1845) and his life in Dover, N.H. (January 1-8, 1846). The volume's final thirteen pages contain clippings (1870, 1885) and minutes (May 10, 1870) of the Acker Post. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 3. Diary, January 1 - September 26, 1846. | |||||||||||
| Includes descriptions of his trip to Nova Scotia (June). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 4. Diary, September 27, 1846 - January 24, 1847. | |||||||||||||
| Contains descriptions of his trip to Moline, Ill. (November 1846), including a detailed account of Pittsburgh. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 5. Diary, My First Trip West, January 25, 1847 - July 15, 1848; October 18, 1848 - March 28, 1849. | |||||||||||||
| Life in Moline, Ill. and Mineral Point, Wis., including a tour of Madison, Wis. (December 1848). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 6. Diary, June 9, 1849 - March 9, 1850. | |||||||||||||
| This incomplete diary contains descriptions of his life in Mineral Point, including a cholera outbreak in the summer of 1849. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 7. Diary, East Coast Trip, March 25 - May 30, 1850. | |||||||||||||
| Entries are contained on the volume's first sixteen (March 25 - May 27) and last twelve (May 23-30) pages. The last set of entries describe his trip east through Buffalo. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 8. Diary, June - November 1850. | |||||||||||||
| The incomplete diary details his movements in Maine. Includes a financial account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 9. Diary, 1851-1953. | |||||||||||||
| Entries are scattered. Many deal with his travels, including to the mountains in northern New England (1851), from Dover, N.H. to Moline (1851), and to Mineral Point (1853). The January 1, 1852 entry describes the founding of Bliss & Chaney, a printing firm. Includes an expense account for the trip from Dover to Moline, September 17 - October 19, 1851. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 10. Diary, 1852-1855. | |||||||||||
| Entries are scattered. Continues descriptions of his travels, from Mineral Point to Galena, Ill. and return (1852), to Maine (1853), to Mineral Point (1853), to Maine (1854-1855), and to Moline (1855). Several 1854 entries describe his wedding (April 9), their wedding tour to Moline (April), and the dissolution of Bliss & Chaney (September 30). | |||||||||||||
| Includes several trip expense accounts, Galena to Mineral Point (November 1852), the wedding tour (April 1854), and trip to Maine (November 1854 - February 1855); an inventory of his father's estate; and notes on the First Editorial Convention of Wisconsin (January 1853). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 11. Diary, 1855. | |||||||||||||
| Family life and printing work in Dover. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 12. Diary, 1856. | |||||||||||||
| Same as Volume 11. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 13. Diary, 1857. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney's life in Ill., assisting relatives in farm work near Moline (April-September) and as a printer on the Aledo Record, Aledo (October-December). Includes a small inset volume detailing the trip from Dover to Ill. (April 20-21) and a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 14. Diary, 1858. | |||||||||||||
| Descriptions of life in Aledo, the trip from Aledo to St. Anthony (May 18-22), life in St. Anthony, and Chaney's job as St. Anthony News and Republican newsroom foreman. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 15. Diary, 1859. | |||||||||||
| Includes entries detailing the organization of the St. Anthony and Minneapolis Typographical Union (August 17) and Chaney's leaving the News and Republican (September 24). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 16. Diary, January 1860 - January 7, 1861. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries describing Chaney's joining the First Universalist Church of St. Anthony (January 1), his employment by The Atlas, The Express, and the State Printing Office, the birth of Aprilla (April 2), and his joining the St. Anthony Zouaves (August 23). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 17. Diary, January 7, 1861 - January 1, 1862. | |||||||||||||
| Includes entries on his employment by the St. Paul Press (November), Delia's birth (October 23), and his mustering into the Second Co. of Minnesota Sharpshooters (December 16). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 18. Diary, May 12, June 4 - December 30, 1864. | |||||||||||||
| Contains descriptions of Chaney's employment by David Ramaley in St. Paul, the accidental burning death of Aprilla (July 13), and the family's move to St. Paul (November). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a time work account with Ramaley (May 1864 - January 1865) and a monthly cash account (June-December). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 19. Diary, 1865. | |||||||||||||
| Several entries detail Civil War news. Includes a monthly cash account and time work account with Ramaley (January-December). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 20. Diary, 1866 - February 9, 1867. | |||||||||||
| Details the state Universalist convention in St. Paul (June) and Chaney's GAR initiation (August 8). Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 21. Diary, February 10, 1867 - January 18, 1868. | |||||||||||||
| Includes his MHS membership initiation (September 9), and a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 22. Diary, 1868. | |||||||||||||
| The incomplete diary includes entries on the organization of the Church of the Messiah (January 31), the first printing of the St. Paul Daily Dispatch (February 29), and Chaney's election to the MHS executive council (December 14). Includes a monthly cash account (January-November). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 23. Diary, January - May 1873. | |||||||||||||
| Entries are scattered. Contains information on the St. Paul Board of Education and St. Paul Academy and the filing of GAR Acker Post No, 21 articles of incorporation (February 20). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account (Feb-March, May-June). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 24. Diary, 1878. | |||||||||||||
| Many entries cover meetings of the St. Paul Academy, First Universalist Society, MHS, AOUW, and the St. Paul Mutual Building Association (similar entries continue through Volume 35), and his employment at The Globe. | |||||||||||||
| Includes an incomplete monthly cash account, a listing of articles on deposit with the Academy, notes on the original organization of MHS, officers of the Universalist state convention (1877-1878, 1878-1879), and a cash account to Melissa. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 25. Diary, 1879. | |||||||||||
| Entries mainly deal with his employment, particularly the operation of the presses, and his various memberships. | |||||||||||||
| Includes an incomplete monthly cash account, listings of Universalist state convention committees (1878-1879, 1879-1880), and a monthly cash account to Melissa. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 26. Diary, 1880. | |||||||||||||
| Includes an incomplete monthly cash account; monthly cash account to Melissa; expense account for trip to Winnipeg (April 26 - May 3); and listings of Academy officers and directors (1879-1880) and Universalist State Convention officers (1880-1881). | |||||||||||||
| See also Vols. 64-69. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 27. Diary, 1881 - January 1, 1882. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries concerning the state capitol fire (March 1) and loss of Academy and MHS items; construction of the new capitol (May-December); his trip to the Universalist state convention in Austin (June 16-20), and the building of their Rondo Street, St. Paul house (July-August). | |||||||||||||
| Includes an incomplete monthly cash account, cash account to Melissa (January-July), work time account for H. P. Hall (June-July), homestead account (June-July), and listing of Academy officers (1880-1881). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 28. Diary, 1882 - March 31, 1883. | |||||||||||||
| The volume's early entries were copied by Delia from Chaney's loose notes. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account (March-December). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 29. Diary, April - December 1883. | |||||||||||
| Contains entries describing the Universalist State Convention in Rochester (June 13-18); an Editorial Association excursion to Devil's Lake, Dak. Terr., and Winnipeg (July 19-23); and the celebration of the Northern Pacific Railroad completion (September 3). | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 70. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account (March - December), life insurance notes, and lists of 1883-1884 Universalist state convention and St. Paul Academy officers. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 30. Diary, 1884 - January 5, 1885. | |||||||||||||
| Details the dissolution of the St. Paul Academy (January 12) and the consolidation of AOUW Lodges; Noble No. 2 and Franklin No. 3 (September 26). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and listing of Noble-Franklin Lodge officers (1884). | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 103. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 31. Diary, 1885. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries describing The Globe's new pressroom (January) and Chaney's change of employment to the H. R. W. Hall pressroom (July 13). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, life insurance notes, and Chaney's masonic and military records. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 32. Diary, 1886. | |||||||||||||
| Many entries deal with Chaney's employment for several firms, including Hall, E. S. Barney & Co., and D. Ramaley & Son. Also describes the St. Paul Winter Carnival (February), grand jury duty (May), Universalist state convention in Rochester (June 16-21), and the Minnesota Industrial Exposition (September 28). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, life insurance notes, and the Universalist Sunday School convention (1879-1886) and state convention (1885-1886) officers. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 5 | Volume 33. Diary, 1887 - February 29, 1888. | |||||||||||
| Many entries deal with Chaney's genealogical research, his appointment as MHS assistant librarian (May 9), and the Universalist state convention in Anoka (June 8-9). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, letter register (June 1887 - October 1888), and various historical notes. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 34. Diary, 1888. | |||||||||||||
| Many more entries on genealogical research. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and repeats the entries from Volume 33 for January 1 through February 29, 1888. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 35. Diary, 1889. | |||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and information on his MHS membership. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 36. Diary, 1890. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, life insurance notes, and historical notes about the St. Paul Mutual Building Association, No. 1. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 37. Diary, 1891. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account (January-November). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 38. Diary, 1892. | |||||||||||
| Many entries deal with Melissa's August 28 death and his histories of the Acker Post and Chesterville, Maine. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, listing of the Acker Post commanders through 1892, historical notes on the AOUW, and memoranda on life insurance and liabilities. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 39. Diary, 1893. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries describing the celebration of the Great Northern Railway completion (June 7-9), the retirement of J. Fletcher Williams as MHS librarian (September 11), and his replacement by William R. Marshall (October 10). Regular organizational entries now deal mainly with Acker Post and MHS. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 40. Diary, 1894 - January 15, 1895. | |||||||||||||
| Begins many entries of territorial pioneers' and fellow GAR members' deaths and funerals. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and loan and insurance notes. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 41. Diary, 1895. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries dealing with the death of J. Fletcher Williams (April 29), Chaney's election as an honorary member of The Old Settlers' Association of Minnesota (June 1), and Warren Upham's election as MHS librarian (September 9). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. Repeats entries from Volume 40 for January 1 through 15. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 42. Diary, 1896. | |||||||||||
| Describes GAR National Encampment in St. Paul (August 31 - September 4). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and expense account for National Encampment decorations (August). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 43. Diary, 1897. | |||||||||||||
| Many entries deal with the stay of his niece, Nellie E. Chaney, at the Chaney home (remains until 1900). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and account of cash advanced to Nellie (October-December). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 44. Diary, 1898. | |||||||||||||
| Contains many entries on the Spanish-American War (April-August) and his service as a delegate to the Republican county convention (June). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account, a cash account to Nellie (January-May), and life insurance and liabilities notes. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 45. Diary, 1899. | |||||||||||||
| Entries from trip to GAR National Encampment in Philadelphia (September 1-21). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 46. Diary, 1900. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries detailing Nellie's marriage (February 7), Chaney's initiation as Summit Lodge No. 163 Masons life member (March 8), and his trips to GAR Cannon Valley Encampment in Le Sueur (June 20-22) and the National GAR Encampment in Chicago (August 26-31). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 47. Diary, 1901. | |||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 71. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 48. Diary, 1902 - January 6, 1903. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries on Chaney's St. Paul Association of the Survivors of the "Old First Minnesota" membership. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and his Masonic record. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 49. Diary, 1903. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and repeats January 1-6 entries from Volume 48. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 71. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 50. Diary, 1904. | |||||||||||||
| Contains entries on the construction of the new state capitol (December). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 71. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 51. Diary, 1905. | |||||||||||||
| Many entries deal with the MHS move into the new capitol (May-July) and Chaney's purchase of a new home on Argyle Street (September). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and memoranda on the "Cramped Newspaper Quarters in the 'New Capitol'." | |||||||||||||
| Volume 52. Diary, 1906. | |||||||||||||
| Contains details of the move of the MHS curios and archaeological items into the new capitol (March 20) and the GAR National Encampment in Minneapolis (August 13-15). | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account and extra expense account for the new house (June-September). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 53. Diary, 1907. | |||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 54. Diary, 1908. | |||||||||||||
| Entries for January-May 20 are written by Chaney. Following his stroke (May 20) and death (June 11) Delia continues the entries, detailing his illness and death, including the MHS and Minnesota Editorial Association Memorial Meeting (September 14), and her daily domestic life. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 55. Chaney, Delia E. Diary, 1909. | |||||||||||||
| Entries detail her daily life, including some on the settlement of Chaney's estate. | |||||||||||||
| Includes a monthly cash account. | |||||||||||||
| Account Books: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 56. Account book, 1847-1851. | |||||||||||||
| Accounts of Chaney's work done for various individuals, and a list of his board payments (December 19, 1850 - September 15, 1851). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 57. Account book, 1866. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney's office accounts with the St. Paul Pioneer and Dispatch. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 58. Account book, 1870-1874. | |||||||||||||
| Includes accounts for dramatic entertainment, Universalist state conventions, First Universalist Society (1872-1874), Universalist church pew rentals (1872-1873), and various St. Paul Board of Education accounts, particularly the Expenses and Property Commission's school house inspection reports (1872-1874). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 6 | Volume 59. Account book, 1874-1877. | |||||||||||
| Includes personal cash accounts (1876-1877) and cash spent for the Academy (1874-1877). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 60-61. Account and memorandum books, 1875-1877. | |||||||||||||
| Includes cash accounts, life insurance policy numbers, workmen's time accounts (1875-1876), expense account for a Dalles of St. Croix trip (August 9-10, 1876), and notes on MHS committees (1877) and St. Paul Academy lectures (1876-1877). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 62. Checkbook memorandum, 1889. | |||||||||||||
| Entries list to whom written, amount, and reason for payment. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 63. Memoranda book, 1890. | |||||||||||||
| Contains notes on Acker Post activities and members and the assessments for widening Rondo Street. | |||||||||||||
| Trip Notebooks: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 64-65. Northern Pacific trip. Books 1 and 2, May 5-13, 1880. | |||||||||||||
| Entries detail Chaney's journey from St. Paul to Bismarck and Duluth and back. Includes good descriptions of each small town he visited. Book 2 also includes three pages of notes on a trip to the Universalist state convention in Albert Lea (June). | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 26. | |||||||||||||
| Sioux City trip, May 14-18, 1880. | |||||||||||||
| Entries describe his trip from St. Paul to Sioux City, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb., and back to St. Paul. Book 3 includes a trip expense account. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 26. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 66. Book 3. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 7 | Volume 67. Book 4. | |||||||||||
| Volume 68-69. Chicago trip. Books 5 and 6, May 22-28, 1880. | |||||||||||||
| Describes his round trip between St. Paul and Chicago. Book 5 includes a trip expense account. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 26. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota Press Association Excursion: St. Paul to Winnipeg, July 18-24, 1883. | |||||||||||||
| Detailed description of a trip made by Chaney, Melissa, and Delia. Entries cover as far as Devil's Lake, Dakota Teritory. | |||||||||||||
| See also Volume 29. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 71. Trips to Little Falls and Itasca State Park, 1901, 1903, 1904. | |||||||||||||
| Details three trips by Chaney and J. V. Brower to Little Falls and Itasca on archaeological work for MHS (October 6-13, 1901; November 6-8, 1901; September 21-28, 1903), and one vacation trip by Chaney and Delia to Itasca (September 14-22, 1904). Includes expense accounts for the 1903 and 1904 Itasca trips. | |||||||||||||
| Genealogical Materials: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 72. Cheney family genealogical notes, undated. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 73. Chaney-Blodgett genealogy. Notes, 1635-1800s. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 74. Cheney-Chaney genealogy. Copies of records, 1635-1888. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 75. Chaney family genealogical materials. Book No. 1, 1867-1892. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 76. Chaney family genealogical materials. Book No. 2, 1872-1898. | |||||||||||||
| Vols. 75 and 76 consist of correspondence, notes, and official records, divided by family groups. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 7 | Writings of J. B. Chaney: | |||||||||||
| Volumes 77-78. History of Chesterville, Maine, St. Paul, 1893. | |||||||||||||
| Series of letters (or chapters) written to his brother-in-law, Thomas Merryman, of Moline, Ill. Contains numerous photographs, including one of Chaney; an appendix of biographical sketches; and an index. Both Chaney and Merryman spent their childhoods in Chesterville. Volume 77 is a bound, handwritten manuscript (258 pp.); Volume 78 is a bound, typed manuscript (196 pp.). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 79. A Condensed History of the Prolonged Agitation of the Question of the Separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts Proper, and her Admission, as a State, into the Union by Congress, 1784-1820, 1894. | |||||||||||||
| Bound, handwritten manuscript (128 pp.). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 8 | Volume 80. Historical Value of Newspapers, 1896. | |||||||||||
| Handwritten paper (16 pp.) describing the MHS newspaper collection. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 81. Copies of speeches, 1896-1897, 1915. | |||||||||||||
| Four handwritten speeches, three given by Chaney before the Unity Guild and Liberal Union of Minnesota Women, and one by Delia to the Women's Alliance, Unity Church. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 82. Centennial Chronological Paragraph History of the City of St. Paul, Minn., 1876. | |||||||||||||
| 66-page volume compiled by J. H. Hanson. Contains a 76-page handwritten addenda by Chaney, continuing it through 1906. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 8 | Minnesota Sharpshooters and GAR materials: | |||||||||||
| Volume 83. Second Co., Minnesota Sharpshooters. Muster-in roll and final record, 1862-1889. | |||||||||||||
| Handwritten record of names; rank; when, where, and by whom enrolled; single or married; residence; and remarks on promotions, discharges, and deaths. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 84. Names of deceased Union soldiers buried in St. Paul cemeteries, circa 1889-1898. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 85. Names of deceased Union soldiers buried in Oakland Cemetery, St. Paul, circa 1889. | |||||||||||||
| Volumes 86-87. Alphabetical directory: Old soldiers of the Civil War in Minnesota, undated. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 88. War memoranda and statistics, revised edition, 1901. | |||||||||||||
| Used by Chaney for talks in schools. Contains information on the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Mexican and Civil Wars. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 89. Roster of dead: Memorial Day, 1891. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 90. Roster of dead: Memorial Day, 1902-1904. | |||||||||||||
| Vols. 89-90 list graves to be decorated in St. Paul, giving name, death date, rank, company, organization, and cemetery. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 91. Casualties in First Minnesota Volunteers, 1905. | |||||||||||||
| Listed both by company and aggregate. Compiled by Chaney from official records. | |||||||||||||
| Universalist Church materials. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 92. Universalist Society of St. Paul. Historical sketch, 1865-1867. | |||||||||||||
| Includes list of incorporators. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 8 | Volume 93. First Universalist Church of St. Anthony. Sunday School record book, 1866-1870. | |||||||||||
| Contains attendance records (1870), minutes (1866, 1868, 1870), and expense account (1870). | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| P1331 | 9 | Volumes 94-95. State Convention of Universalists in Minnesota. Minutes, 1874-1879, 1883-1884. | |||||||||||
| Kept by Chaney as standing clerk. | |||||||||||||
| St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences. Records: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 96. Organizational records and minutes, 1870-1877. | |||||||||||||
| Includes the constitution, bylaws, membership list, minutes (April 14, 1870 - September 18, 1876), life members, and directors (1873-1877). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 97. Minutes, October 18, 1876 - November 23, 1883. | |||||||||||||
| Historical Memoranda: St. Paul: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 98. Early bridges, etc., 1870s-1880s. | |||||||||||||
| Notes of early events, structures, and landscape changes in St. Paul. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 99. Memoranda on opening and repairing of streets, 1878-1889. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 100. Street improvement history, 1884-1888. | |||||||||||||
| Includes many clippings. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 101. Early bridges and changes of the land and water surface of the City of St. Paul, December 12, 1904. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 102. St. Paul Mutual Building Association. Loan account book, 1875-1876. | |||||||||||||
| Includes also Chaney's house rent account (April-September 1875) and personal cash account (April 1875-July 1876). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 103. Origin of the Ancient Order of United Workmen -- Its Introduction in Minnesota and the Consolidation of Noble and Franklin Lodges, April 7, 1904. | |||||||||||||
| Includes printed version in the April 14, 1904 AOUW Guide. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 104. Accounts and memorandum: Type, 1855-1856. | |||||||||||||
| Account of different type styles used in various printing jobs. Also includes Chaney's laundry expenses (February-June 1856). | |||||||||||||
| Volume 105. Cahoon, Frances Evelyn Prince (Mrs. George Clinton). Diary, 1888-1889. | |||||||||||||
| Diary kept by a friend of Delia's. Describes first year of life of her daughter, Angie, born August 2, 1888 in Carthage, Dakota Territory Includes comments on her husband's death and the [189?] Brainerd railroad strike. | |||||||||||||
| Chaney's diaries mention Mrs. Cahoon in 1892 as a Brainerd, Minn. school teacher, teaching in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 1895, and moving to Trenton, Mo. in 1903. | |||||||||||||
| Death Assessment Cards: | |||||||||||||
| Volume 106. Minnesota Masonic Relief Association, 1881-1895. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 107. Ancient Order of United Workmen, 1883-1897. | |||||||||||||
| Volume 108. Minnehaha Mutual Life Association, 1895-1897. | |||||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Archaeology -- Minnesota.
- Buildings -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Memorial Day.
- Streets -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Universalist churches -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Persons:
- Acker, William H. (William Henry), 1833-1862.
- Allston, Washington, 1779-1843.
- Bisbee, Herman, 1833-1879.
- Blodgett family.
- Brower, J. V. (Jacob Vradenberg), 1844-1905.
- Cahoon, Frances Evelyn, 1862-.
- Chaney, Delia E. (Delia Elizabeth), 1861-1918.
- Chaney, John, 1793-1883.
- Chaney, Josiah, 1796-1853.
- Chaney, Josiah Blodget, 1828-1908 -- Homes and haunts.
- Chaney family.
- Gould, Susan Chaney, 1802-1880.
- Merryman, Thomas, 1817-.
- Upham, Warren, 1850-1934.
- Organizations:
- Ancient Order of United Workmen. Jurisdiction of Minnesota. Grand Lodge.
- First Universalist Church (Saint Anthony, Hennepin County, Minn. : 1855-1872).
- First Universalist Society (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Freemasons. Summit Lodge No. 163 (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Grand Army of the Republic. Acker Post No. 21 (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Minnehaha Mutual Life Insurance Company (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Minnesota Historical Society.
- Minnesota Masonic Relief Association.
- National Typographical Union (U.S.). Local No. 42 (Saint Anthony and Minneapolis, Minn.).
- R.M. Newport & Son (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Ramaley, Chaney & Co. (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Saint Paul Public Schools. Board of Education.
- Schubert Club (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- St. Paul Academy of Natural Sciences.
- St. Paul Mutual Building Association. No. 1.
- United States. Army. Minnesota Sharpshooters Company, 2nd (1862-1865).
- Unity Church (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Places:
- Canada -- Description and travel.
- Chesterville (Me.) -- History.
- Dakota Territory -- Description and travel.
- Illinois -- Description and travel.
- Iowa -- Description and travel.
- Itasca State Park (Minn.).
- Little Falls (Minn.) -- Description and travel.
- Maine -- History.
- Minnesota -- Description and travel.
- Minnesota -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.
- New England -- Description and travel.
- Saint Anthony (Hennepin County, Minn. : 1855-1872) -- Description and travel.
- Saint Paul (Minn.) -- History.
- Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Religion.
- Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Social life and customs.
- Document Types:
- Diaries.
- Genealogies.
- Occupations:
- Librarians--Minnesota--Saint Paul.
- Printers--Minnesota.
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