Processed by
Kathryn M. Wilmot
September 2005
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
1 half size manuscript box, 1 bound volume, 1 oversized folder |
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COLLECTION |
ca. 1829–1930 (bulk 1850–1880) |
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PROVENANCE: |
Robert F. Lawson, Brattleboro, Vermont, January 2000. |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
None |
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RELATED |
None |
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ACCESSION |
2000.0319 |
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NOTES: |
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John Huddleston was born on 10 December 1807 in North Carolina, son of Jonathan Huddleston (b. 1778) and Phebe Gardner (b. 1780). Jonathan and Phebe’s other children included: Sarah, b. 1800; David, b. 1801; William, b. 1804; Lydia, b. 1806; Anna, b. 1810; Jesse, b. 1812; Eli, b. 1814; Stephen, b. 1816; Nathan, b. 1818; Mary, b. 1821; Lucinda, b. 1823; Solomon, b. 1826. In 1816, Jonathan and Phebe purchased a farm and relocated their family to Liberty, Union County, Indiana. Jonathan worked the farm with the assistance of his sons, in addition to establishing a nursery business in Liberty.
In Union County in 1830, Jonathan’s son John Huddleston married Susannah Moyer (or Myer), b. 1812. Children of this marriage included: Levy (Levi), b. 1832; Henry, b. 1833; Isaac, b. 1835; Mary Ann, b. ca. 1835; Anna Mariah, b. 1837; Amos, b. 1839; Jonathan, b. 1842; Phoebe, b. 1844; Daniel, b. 1846; Sarah, b. 1847; Lydia, b. 1849; Alpheus, b. 1851. Both John and Susannah were born into Quaker families, but it is unclear whether they were practicing Quakers throughout their lifetimes. A document within the collection indicates John was disowned from the Society of Friends on 28 November 1829 for “manifesting a disunity with the proceedings of friends & neglecting the attendance” of meetings. Later documents imply he became a member of the United Brethren Church in Dublin, Indiana.
John began purchasing farm land in 1837 along the National Road in Cambridge City, Wayne County, Indiana. Upon this land John and Susannah built a three-story federal style home, which they later turned into an inn for travelers on the National Road from 1850–1875. After John’s death in 1877 and Susannah’s death in 1892, the farm passed to their son Henry Huddleston. Both John and Susannah are buried in East Cemetery, Dublin, Indiana.
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana purchased John and Susannah Huddleston’s house in 1966. The Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum, located on U.S. 40, is now open to the public.
Sources:
Information in collection
Guthrie, Wayne. “History Hidden in Walls of Old Houses.” Indianapolis News, May 30, 1977.
History of Wayne County, Indiana. Volume 2, p. 569. Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co., 1884. Reference Room Collection, F532.W5 H5 1884.
Kalleen III, James L. “Inn Perspective.” Indianapolis at Home, November 1979.
“Roots Web.” Website search for “Huddleston, John.” Available from http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=coffinfamily&id=I38809. Cited 6 September 2005.
Much of the material in this collection relates to John Huddleston’s religious writings and convictions, including numerous poems, songs, and sermons on the themes of Christian duty, freedom and politics, the evils of tobacco and alcohol, benevolence, thanksgiving, and gratitude. A series of letters and documents written by John details an ongoing argument between John and Caleb W. Witt regarding the installation of an organ in their church in Dublin (likely the United Brethren Church). The accusations contained within these letters indicate a strained relationship between Huddleston and Witt.
The Huddleston family correspondence includes one letter from John and Susannah Huddleston to their children assigning farm chores. This letter also contains a recipe for patent honey and a poem about their daughter Mariah. Other Huddleston family correspondence includes letters to John from his brothers William and David and a letter from John’s son Levi. William’s letters discuss differing beliefs about religion and salvation—William embracing Spiritualism rather than Sectarianism—and his contentment with his second wife, Eliza. Levi’s letter describes the crops, soil, steamboats, timber, and land prices of the town of Newport, Arkansas. Two letters in the collection are from John’s grandson Walter Huddleston written from Fort Sheridan while serving with the 29th Infantry, Company H. These letters, which Walter wrote to his father Henry in 1901, include a description of regimental activities, Walter’s hospital stay, and the death of a fellow soldier from typhoid fever.
Huddleston family documents in the collection consist of promissory notes, deeds, inventories, and tax receipts for various family members such as Levi, Henry, Susannah, John, and Jonathan, as well as family reunion announcements. There is a bound photocopy of Solomon Huddleston’s daybook for the period 1859–1893 containing a record of Solomon’s rental properties and renters’ names, payments received expenses, and personal supplies. A transcript of names appearing in the daybook is included.
The general correspondence folder includes two letters written by unidentified Huddleston family members serving in the Civil War in Nashville and Little Rock. Topics mentioned include weather, fishing, crops, theft, company duties, and overdue wages. Other letters written by or to Isaac Mayer (Moyer), Albert Barnard, “Dutch,” Rollin Hull, and Doogan (Dugan) discuss holidays, the United Brethren, and social activities.
The Huddleston family genealogical information covers Jonathan Huddleston’s descendants, Henry Huddleston’s descendants, and a history of the Johnson family (related to the Huddlestons via the marriage of Jonathan’s daughter Sarah to Pleasant Johnson). In addition, there is a 1930 copy of a ca. 1887 poem written by David Huddleston to his wife Elizabeth on their 60th wedding anniversary.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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John Huddleston religious writings, 1851–1860; n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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John Huddleston religious writings, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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Dublin church correspondence, 1870–1872; n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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Huddleston family correspondence, 1829–1901; n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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Huddleston family documents, 1838–1877 |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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Huddleston family documents, 1879–1910; n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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Huddleston family tax receipts, 1843–1888 |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
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General correspondence, 1859–1874 |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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Huddleston family genealogy, ca. 1930 |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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Transcript of names from Huddleston daybook |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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Solomon Huddleston daybook for 1859–1893 |
BV 3527 |
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John Huddleston Warranty Deed, 1869 |
OM 0424 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M0854).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.