ma123 Samuel G. Goodrich Collection, 1812-1972 (bulk 1820-1860) Finding aid prepared by Christine Fernsebner Eslao, Daria D'Arienzo, Peter Nelson. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Amherst, MA
© 2003

Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarang Gopalakrishnan. 2003-12-03 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 ma123 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Samuel G. Goodrich Collection, 1812-1972 (bulk 1820-1860) 2003 Mar Christine Fernsebner Eslao, Intern, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science 2003 Mar Christine Fernsebner Eslao, Intern, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science Daria D'Arienzo, Head of Archives and Special CollectionsPeter A. Nelson, Assistant Archivist Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2003 Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Goodrich, Samuel G. Samuel G. Goodrich Collection 1812-1972 1820-1860 1 archives box, 1 oversize flat box (1 linear ft.) Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Children's writer. Collection consists chiefly of correspondence but also passports, contracts, tickets, official proclamations, and other documents relating to Goodrich's life and literary work. English. Biographical Note

Samuel Griswold Goodrich (1793-1860) wrote a popular and widely imitated series of educational works for children under the pen name of Peter Parley. His intent was to provide an alternative to the British biases of 19th-century schoolroom texts and the questionable morals of nursery rhymes. He also created two children's magazines, Merry's Museum and Parley's Magazine, as well as an annual gift book, The Token. Goodrich served in the Massachusetts legislature in 1837 and held the post of U.S. consul at Paris from 1851 to 1853.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

This collection of 97 items, most collected by Mr. Harmon Boyd (AC 1917), consists chiefly of correspondence but also passports, contracts, tickets, official proclamations, and other documents relating to Samuel Goodrich's life and literary work, chiefly dating from 1820 to 1860 with some undated material. Most of the correspondence is addressed to Goodrich; correspondence to other individuals usually concerns Goodrich or his literary works or characters. The collection also includes several letters written by or to Goodrich's daughter, Emily Goodrich Smith, concerning her father's works; and one letter dated 1860to Goodrich's wife. Three items comprise 20th century material relating to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd's ownership of the collection.

 Arrangement of the Collection

The papers are arranged alphabetically by name of creator, with unidentified material placed at the end. Nine oversize items have been placed in a second box.

Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

There is no restriction on access to the Goodrich Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the Goodrich Collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in Samuel G. Goodrich Collection [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library

 History of the Collection

Amherst College received the papers from Mrs. Harmon S. Boyd (AC 1917) in 1980. Mr. Boyd, a Goodrich collector, assembled the collection. It was processed in 2003.

2003 Mar Christine Fernsebner Eslao, Intern, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science 2003 Mar Christine Fernsebner Eslao, Intern, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science Daria D'Arienzo, Head of Archives and Special CollectionsPeter A. Nelson, Assistant Archivist Search Terms Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold), 1793-1860. American literature--19th century--Biography--Sources. Children's literature, American--Biography--Sources. Boyd, Harmon, 1896- collector. Amherst College. Class of 1917. Boyd. Additional Information Related Material

The Archives and Special Collections holdings include more than 600 volumes by Samuel G. Goodrich, including many of his "Peter Parley" works in both British and U.S. editions, many piracies and imitations, and in addition many books published by Goodrich in both Hartford and Boston. Most titles are searchable in the Library's online catalog.

1 1 Adams, John Quincy. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1823 Nov 1 1 2 Allston, Washington. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich] 1837 Feb 7 1 3 American Institute. MS.Doc., honoring Samuel Goodrich 1846 Oct 14 1 4 Appleton, [?]. AN, inviting Samuel Goodrich to dinner to meet Thomas H. Benton 1856 Nov 21 1 5 Bancroft, George. ANS, [to Samuel Goodrich?] 1858 Apr 2 1 6 Bartlett, [?]. Printed invitation to wedding of Frances Amelia Bartlett and Don Esteban Santa Cruz de Obiedo [n.y.] Oct 13 1 7 Beecher, Catherine Esther. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich, about using his work as a text at her school 1828 Mar 7 1 8 Bell, John. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1849 Apr 15 1 9 Benjamin, Park. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich?] 18[33?] Jan 14 1 10 Benjamin, Park. ANS (fragment), [to Samuel Goodrich?] n.d. 1 11 Bennett, James G. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1853 Oct 23 1 12 Blanqui, [?]. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich] 1852 Jun 26 1 13 Blessington, William. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1842 Sep 30 2 1 Bonaparte, Louis Napoleon. Printed Document, Signed. Also signed by Pierre Jules Baroche (Foreign Minister) 1851 Mar 12 1 14 Brainard, John Gardner Calkins. ADS, regarding Goodrich's publication of his poems 1825 Mar 14 1 15 Bryant, William Cullen. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1830 Apr 10 1 16 Burritt, Elihu. ALS, to Emily Goodrich Smith 1878 Mar 15 1 17 Cary, Alice. ALS, to Prof. Harper [1857?] Dec 12 1 18 Cass, Lewis. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1850 Sept 11 1 19 Cass, Lewis. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1853 Feb 8 1 20 Chase, Salmon Portland. ALS, to General King 1831 Sept 6 1 21 Cheever, B.H. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1851 Sep 28 1 22 Clay, Henry. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 185[0?] Sep 26 1 23 Clinton, DeWitt. ANS, to John Jacob Astor 1823 Nov 12 1 24 Cody, W.F. ("Buffalo Bill"). Two cut signatures n.d. 1 25 Corwin, Thomas. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Aug 20 1 26 Cropper, Isa [pseudonym]. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich; an admiring letter from a young reader n.d. 1 27 Dix, John Adams. ALS, to Eleanor Goodrich Smith 1874 Feb 13 1 28 Dix, John Ross. ALS, fragment (last portion) 1857 Jan 26 1 29 Dix, John Ross. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1857 Mar 25 1 30 Doane, George Washington. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich, regarding a misprint in The Token n.d. 1 31 Draper, Lyman. Printed D.S., making Samuel Goodrich an honorary member of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin 1854 Mar 7 1 32 Fillmore, Millard. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1850 Aug 31 1 33 [Fillmore, Millard.] AN, [to Samuel Goodrich] [1851] Feb 16 1 34 [Fillmore, Millard.] AN, [to Samuel Goodrich] [1851] Feb 24 2 2 Fillmore, Millard, and Daniel Webster. Printed document signed, on vellum, appointing Samuel Goodrich Consul at Paris. 1851 Mar 12 2 3 Franqueville, Pedro. Last will and testament, in Spanish. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. With emendations 1816-1846 1 35 Fremont, Jessie Benton. ALS, to Emily Goodrich. Cut from scrapbook; prescription from Pharmacy of the British Legation pasted to opposite side n.d. 1 36 Goodrich, Chauncey. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1813 Jun 14 1 37 Goodrich, Chauncey. ADS, appointing Samuel Goodrich his aide-de-camp 1815 Apr 17 1 38 Goodrich, Samuel G. AL (signature torn off), to Maryanne W. Goodrich 1812 Dec 9 2 4 Goodrich, Samuel G. ALS, to Rev. Samuel Goodrich 1813 Jun 8 2 5 Goodrich, Samuel G. Passport. Signed by Richard Rush. Numerous visas, stamps, and seals 1824 Dec 16 1 38a Goodrich, Samuel G. ALS, London, probably to his secretary, with instructions for delivery of books 1842 Sep 22 2 6 Goodrich, Samuel G. Diplomatic passport, for a trip to Rome carrying despatches. Numerous visas and stamps 1854 Oct. 26 1 39 Goodrich, Samuel G. ANS 1858 Mar 31 1 40 Goodrich, Samuel G. ANS (fragment), to Mr. Webb n.d. 1 41 Goodrich, Samuel G. ANS, poem about "Peter Parley" n.d. 1 41a Goodrich, Samuel G. ALS to A. L. Dennis, Esq., introducing his son-in-law, Mr. Eldridge [n.y.] Apr, 6 1 42 Gould. H.F. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1837 Feb 2 1 43 Greely, Horace. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1855 May 15 1 44 [Gr_____, J.P.?] ANS [1856?] Oct. 1 45 Hall, Samuel Carter. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich [1842] Sep 30 1 46 Hall, [?] Maria (Mrs. Samuel Carter). ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1842 Sep 30 1 47 Hamlin, Hannibal. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1853 Sep 2 1 48 Hosack, David. ALS, commending Samuel Goodrich to Sir James Edward Smith, President of the Linnaean Society, London 1823 Nov 15 1 49 Howitt, Mary. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich] 1847 Jan 2 1 50 Hugo, Victor. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich, inviting him to visit 1853 Apr 29 1 51 Irving, Washington. ANS, fragment, apparently sent to Samuel Goodrich, quoting from the Sketch Book n.d. 1 52 King, Daniel P. ALS, to Caleb Cushing 1841 Feb 13 1 53 Lankton, Chloe. ALS, to Eleanor Goodrich Smith. [With ANS, [1877?] Aug 6, and clipping] 1877 Jul 31 1 54 Laurence, Abbott. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Jun 18 1 55 Lee, Richard Henry. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Sep 17 1 56 Lee, Richard Henry. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Sep 23 1 57 Library of Congress. Copyright Office. ALS, to Emily Goodrich Smith; request from A.R. Spofford, Librarian of Congress, for four Peter Parley books 1878 Feb 25 1 58 Longfellow, H.W. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1856 Nov 24 1 59 Manufacturers Trust Company. Reproduced signatures of four assistant secretaries [1950] Nov 1 1 60 McGill, [William A.] and Schwing, [S.] ALS, to Samuel Goodrich, requesting to "take a photograph likeness of 'Peter Parley'" 1859 Nov 28 2 7 Montez, Lola (Marie de Lansfeld). ADS, contract with Legrand Smith for publicity services, witnessed by Samuel Goodrich 1851 Aug 8 1 61 Morse, Samuel F.B. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1850 Jan 25 1 62 Morse, Samuel F.B. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1855 Dec 12 1 63 Munson, Samuel [B?]. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich (on a proof of an engraving by Munson) 1828 Feb 24 1 64 Mussey, Barrows. TLS, to Mr. and Mrs. Harmon Boyd, asking permission to see the Samuel G. Goodrich Collection. With printed advertisement for Swissair Far East featuring an excerpt from Peter Parley's Geography for Children 1972 May 18 1 65 Mussey, Barrows. TLS, to Harmon S. Boyd 1972 Jul 17 1 66 Ollendorff, H.G. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich] 1854 May 31 2 8 Pitkin, Timothy. ALS, to Richard Rush 1823 Nov 10 1 67 President of the United States of America. MS.L.S. (copy), from Americans resident in Paris to the President of the U.S., requesting the retention of Samuel Goodrich as Consul 1853 Jan 1 68 Rothschild Freres. AL, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Jan 16 1 69 Scott, Winfield. ALS, to Messrs. Niven, Fullerton, and Monel 1850 Jul 8 1 70 Sigourney, Lydia H. ALS [to Samuel Goodrich] 1856 Nov 23 1 71 Sigourney, Lydia H. AL (initialed), to Mrs. Samuel Goodrich 1860 May 31 1 72 [Smith, Eleanor Goodrich.] Printed railway ticket. The first ticket purchased at Southbury for the first passenger train on the New York & NE Railroad. With a descriptive clipping 1881 1 73 Smith, Emily [Goodrich] Printed ticket for passage and board on the steamer Frances 1876 May 29 1 74 Smith, Emily Goodrich. ALS, to Helen Shove, mother of Harmon Boyd 1895 May 25 1 75 Sparks, Jared. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1833 Jan 22 1 76 Stroh, W. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1850 Sep [19?] 1 77 Taylor, Bayard. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1852 Sep 15 1 78 Toqueville, A. de. ANS, [to Samuel Goodrich?] 1853 Apr 30 1 79 Warden, Francis. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1854 Sep 15 2 2 Webster Daniel, and Millard Fillmore. Printed document signed, on vellum, appointing Samuel Goodrich Consul at Paris. 1851 Mar 12 2 9 Webster, Daniel. Passport of Samuel Goodrich as Consul for Paris 1851 Mar 15 1 80 Webster, Daniel. ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1851 Mar 15 1 81 Willis, N.P. ALS, [to Samuel Goodrich] 1827 Jun 7 1 82 Woodruff, C.T. [and 6 others.] ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1858 Jun 22 1 83 Wolcott, Oliver. ADS. 1823 Sep 30 1 84 Wolcott, Oliver. ADS. 1825 Aug 27 1 85 Wyckoff, Mary C. [for the Executive Committee of the Alumnae of the Albany Female Seminary.] ALS, to Samuel Goodrich 1850 May 29 1 86 Yale College. Junior Class. Broadside: "Order of exercises at the presentation of the wooden spoon… May 23, 1851." Relation to Samuel Goodrich is unclear. 1851 May 23 1 87 [Unidentified.] ALS fragment (last portion), to Mr. Baudric 1832 Aug 13