1811-2007
Guide to the Collection
The Foster family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least
one business day in advance. Contact the Library at
library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request
materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before
requesting cartons by barcode.
|
|
| Creator: | Foster family |
| Title: | Foster family papers |
| Dates: | 1811-2007 |
| Physical Description: | 2 record
cartons |
| Call Number: | OFFSITE STORAGE |
| Repository: | Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
library@masshist.org |
|
Abstract:
|
|
This collection consists of the business and
personal papers of Boston merchants Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster and
Charles Orin Foster, U.S. Navy surgeon Charles Henry Wheelwright, and other
Foster and Wheelwright family members.
|
|
Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster (1859-1955) was born in Brookline, Mass.,
the second son of Charles Orin Foster and Caroline Blanchard (Candler) Foster.
The family lived briefly in Cuba, but returned to Brookline. As a child,
Charles attended the Chauncy Hall School. He graduated from Harvard in 1881 and
immediately entered into business with his father at the Boston Sugar Refinery,
rising to become superintendent. He also served as director and treasurer of
the piano company Chickering & Sons. Foster was a sportsman at college and
a lifelong sailing and polo enthusiast. He married Mabel Hill in 1885 in
Brookline, Mass.
Charles Orin Foster, the father of Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster, was
president of the Oriental Powder Mills and the Boston Sugar Refinery
Company.
Charles Henry Wheelwright (1813-1862) was the uncle of Caroline Blanchard
(Candler) Foster. As a boy, he attended the Round Hill School in Northampton,
Mass. He received an M.D. from Harvard University in 1837 and became a surgeon
for the U.S. Navy.
The Foster family papers consist of the business and personal papers of
members of the Foster family and the related Wheelwright family, primarily
Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster, Charles Orin Foster, and Charles Henry
Wheelwright. The bulk of the business papers detail the family's activities
related to the sugar trade in Cuba.
The collection contains personal correspondence, speeches, business records,
and other papers of Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster, including papers of the
piano company Chickering & Sons; business papers and correspondence of his
father Charles Orin Foster of the Boston Sugar Refining Company and other
companies; and correspondence of Charles Henry Wheelwright, a surgeon with the
U.S. Navy.
The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections
related to the Foster family papers:
Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster diaries. OFFSITE STORAGE. Finding aid
available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0101.
Hilda Chase Foster papers. OFFSITE STORAGE. Finding aid available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0032.
Charles Henry Wheelwright letters. Ms. N-299.
Gift of Charles H. W. Foster, March 2004, with minor additions, 2010.
The Foster family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least
one business day in advance. Contact the Library at
library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request
materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before
requesting cartons by barcode.
The collection is organized into the following series:
| | | |
| I. Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster papers, 1867-2007 |
| | A. Loose papers, 1867-2007 |
| | B. Volumes, 1878-1919 |
| II. Charles Orin Foster papers, 1858-1889 |
| | A. Business papers, 1860-1889 |
| | B. Letterbooks, 1858-1882 |
| III. Charles Henry Wheelwright papers, 1811-1862 |
| IV. Miscellaneous family papers, 1925-2005 |
| | | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | I. Charles Henry Wheelwright Foster papers,
1867-2007 |
| | | | A. Loose papers,
1867-2007 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 1-7 | | | Personal correspondence,
1867-1915 Personal correspondence consists primarily of letters to Foster from his
father Charles Orin Foster, his mother Caroline Blanchard (Candler) Foster, and
his sisters May and Susie, as well as a few from other family members and
friends. The bulk of the letters relate to family matters. Included are letters
to Foster and his siblings from their parents in Havana, Cuba, 1867-1872; a
long letter from his father to Foster in Cuba discussing the sugar trade and
political matters, 10 Jan. 1883; two printed invitations to receptions at the
White House, one from William McKinley in 1899 and one from Theodore Roosevelt
in 1908; and three letters from Foster to his mother, written while on his
honeymoon in 1885.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 8-10 | | | Speeches,
1890 and undated Included are speeches made by Foster to the Thursday Club in Brookline, the
Merchants Club, and the Marblehead Historical Society on topics such as atomic
theory, investments, industrial trusts, and yachting.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 11-12 | | | Chauncy Hall School papers,
1870-1875 Included are weekly grade reports and compositions written by Foster while
attending Chauncy Hall School.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 13 | | | Chickering & Son papers,
1890-1902 Papers consist primarily of financial records, but also include a printed
exhibition catalog, an agreement between Foster and George H. Chickering, plans
for a building extension, an article about the company printed in
Music Trades, and a personal letter from
Chickering to Foster.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 14 | | | Will and related documents [photocopies],
1955-1964 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 15-17 | | | Printed matter,
1892-1953 Printed matter includes Foster's appointment as justice of the peace and
newspaper clippings about William L. Candler, yachting, and other subjects.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 18-24 | | | Miscellaneous papers,
1908-2007 Included are stamps, calling cards, a manuscript poem, sheet music, and
other miscellaneous items.
|
| | | | B. Volumes,
1878-1919 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 25 | | | Expenses,
1878 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 26 | | | Boston Sugar Refining Company records,
1881-1884 Included are accounts, by-laws, notices of meetings, and stockholder votes,
as well as records related to the sugar refinement process.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 27 | | | Account ledger,
1882-1887 Included are accounts for the Boston Sugar Refining Company, investments,
and personal and household accounts.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 28 | | | Real estate records,
1888 |
| | | | | Office letterbooks,
1893-1899 Included are copies of outgoing letters on various business and financial
matters. Each letterbook contains an index to correspondents at the front of
the volume.
|
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 1 | | | | No. 1,
4 Jan. 1893-14 Dec. 1896 |
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 2 | | | | No. 2,
18 Dec. 1896-1 July 1899 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 29 | | | Family library suggestion book,
ca. 1919 |
|
|
| | | II. Charles Orin Foster papers,
1858-1889 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 30-33 | | A. Business papers,
1860-1889
This subseries contains incoming and outgoing correspondence; contracts and
agreements; and accounts, receipts, and other financial papers related to the
Boston Sugar Refining Company; the Oriental Powder Mills; Foster, Candler &
Co.; and Charles O. Foster & Co. Correspondence includes letters from John
E. Claussen in Havana, Cuba, about the sugar trade and the insurrection there,
1869-1870, and correspondence with William Schmidt in Trinidad and New York,
1869-1889.
|
| | | | B. Letterbooks,
1858-1882
Included are copies of outgoing letters from Foster in Cuba and Boston,
primarily related to business matters. Among the most frequent correspondents
are Adot, Spaulding & Co.; Jose M. Alfaya; Edward L. Alfonso; Baring Bros.
& Co.; Burgess & Ellis; John E. Claussen; Albert A. Cobb; E. E. Eaton;
Henry W. Graeve; William E. Paddon; P. Parraviani; Parsons & Petit; Henry
W. Poor; William F. Safford; William Schmidt; and Col. E. Wade. Some of the
letters relate to personal and political matters.
|
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 3 | | | 25 May 1858-22 Sep. 1868 |
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 4 | | | 6 Feb. 1865-19 Aug. 1875 |
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 5 | | | 27 Aug. 1875-21 Mar. 1879 |
| Carton 2 | SH 17B8 T | Folder 6 | | | 19 May 1879-28 June 1882 |
|
|
| | | III. Charles Henry Wheelwright papers,
1811-1862 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 34-35 | | Personal correspondence,
1823-1862 Included are letters from Wheelwright at the Round Hill School in
Northampton, Mass., to his father Lot Wheelwright, his mother Susannah (Wilson)
Wheelwright, his brother William W. Wheelwright, and his sister Susan
Wheelwright Candler, 1823-1824; and letters to his sister Susan Candler from
Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and other places, 1833-1862. Letters
written on his travels describe sights seen, his health, family matters, and
his life as a navy surgeon. Also included is a biographical sketch of
Wheelwright and a letter from Dr. C. H. Burbank about Wheelwright's death.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 36 | | Harvard essays,
1832-1833 |
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 37-38 | | Bills and accounts,
1811-1837 Also included are a few bills for Susan Wheelwright and William
Wheelwright.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 39 | | Memorandum book,
1850-1860 This volume primarily contains financial notations.
|
|
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17B7 S | Folder 40-42 | IV. Miscellaneous family papers,
1925-2005
This series contains a photocopy of the will of Mabel H. Foster, 1925; a
speech by Theodore Sizer entitled "A Walpolean at War," 1945; and two DVDs of
Foster family films, ca. 2005.
|
Foster family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in
ABIGAIL,
the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers
desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should
search the catalog using these headings.
| | |
| Persons: |
| | Claussen, John E. |
| | Foster, Caroline Blanchard Candler. |
| | Foster, Charles Henry Wheelwright,
1859-1955. |
| | Foster, Charles Orin. |
| | Schmidt, William. |
| | Wheelwright, Charles Henry,
1813-1862. |
| | |
| Organizations: |
| | Boston Sugar Refining Company. |
| | Chauncy-Hall School. |
| | Chickering & Sons (Boston,
Mass.). |
| | Round Hill School (Northampton,
Mass.). |
| | United States. Navy--Surgeons. |
| | |
| Subjects: |
| | Account books--1850-1860. |
| | Account books--1878. |
| | Account books--1881-1884. |
| | Account books--1882-1887. |
| | Account books--1888. |
| | Boston (Mass.)--Commerce--Cuba. |
| | Cuba--Commerce--Massachusetts--Boston. |
| | Cuba--Description and travel. |
| | Cuba--History--Insurrection,
1868-1878. |
| | Cuba--Politics and
government--1810-1899. |
| | Family history--1800-1849. |
| | Family history--1850-1899. |
| | Family history--1900-1949. |
| | Merchants--Cuba. |
| | Merchants--Massachusetts--Boston. |
| | Sugar--Manufacture and refining. |
| | Sugar trade--Cuba. |
| | Sugar trade--Massachusetts--Boston. |
| | Voyages and travels. |
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Foster family
photographs (Photo. Coll. 500.130). Subjects include: the Chickering & Sons
building; the U.S.S. Constitution at Marblehead,
Mass.; and Foster's Wharf, the location of the Boston Harbor Hotel.
The following printed items have been removed from the collection:
The American System of Practical Book-Keeping,
by James Bennett (New York: Collins & Hannay, 1831), and a pamphlet about
Marblehead's naval history.
The following printed items have been removed from the collection and
cataloged separately: tickets to the World's Peace Jubilee and International
Music Festival, 1872; the Beverly Yacht Club constitution and by-laws, 1884;
and a book by George Gale Foster entitled Sketches of My
Life, 1953.
|
Search all Collection Guides