Stetson Family Papers

The collection has been re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes. Documents have been surface cleaned as needed and metal fasteners removed. Photographs have been housed in polypropylene sleeves and remain with the relevant documents.

Series I: Business Records

Sub-series 1: Blanchard Slate Mining Co.; Boston Blanchard Co.

The Blanchard Slate Mining Co. was organized in 1880 on 1300 acres of property in the town of Blanchard, Maine, with capital of $250,000. A.C. Hamlin was president, H.E. Hamlin, secretary, and Isaiah K. Stetson, treasurer. Charles Hamlin later served as president and many of the records in this sub-series are from his tenure.

The Boston-Blanchard Slate Co. was organized in March 1902 with Charles Hamlin, Edwin T. Hamlin, and Addison Hamlin as directors; Charles Hamlin served as president and treasurer. The company letterhead lists it as quarriers and manufacturers of roofing and milled slate products in North Blanchard, Maine.

Neither Blanchard Slate nor Boston-Blanchard is listed in the Bangor city directory after 1912.

Records in this sub-series include incoming correspondence, 1880-1911; deeds, leases and permits, 1900-1908; and a large section of files labeled B.S. 1- 29 and B.B.S. 2-15. These files are the administrative files of both companies and contain such things as reports on property, inventories, insurance policies, cancelled checks, stockholder information, etc.

Sub-series 2: Crystal Dam Co.

Incorporated Jan. 29, 1878 with Charles Bryant, Isaiah Stetson, George Stetson, and Eugene M. Hersey as incorporators, the company was authorized "to construct a dam or dams, and make other improvements, and to purchase any dams and improvements now existing upon Houston Brook and Crystal Stream in the county of Aroostook, for the purpose of facilitating the driving of logs and other lumber ..." (Chapter 4, Maine Acts and Resolves of 1878).

This sub-series contains records of the Board of Directors, 1878-1882, and stockholder information, 1882.

Sub-series 3: Stetson and Co.

This company was formed in 1850 by brothers George and Isaiah Stetson; it continued the work of the earlier firm of Emery, Stetson and Co. in the wholesale and importing business, as well as manufacturing and shipping lumber. The firm also invested in timberlands and real estate.

Records include incoming correspondence, 1889-1893; outgoing correspondence, 1891-1893; and a record of company assets and liabilities, 1878-1891.

Sub-series 4: Union Ice Co.

The articles of association for this company, dated Feb. 18, 1886, list the company's purpose as "... to carry on the business of cutting, storing and selling ice at Orrington ... Maine; and also the business of manufacturing lumber at the same place." The incorporators were Edward Stetson, Harlan P. Sargent, Sam'l Sterns, D.A. Sargent, and I.K. Stetson. Edward Stetson served as clerk and treasurer.

Records include minutes of directors' meetings, 1886-1912; outgoing correspondence, 1886-1893; financial journals and ledgers, 1898-1913; and weekly time books, 1886-1892.

Sub-series 5: E. and I.K. Stetson

Established in 1880 as a partnership between brothers Edward and Isaiah K. Stetson, the firm operated a shipyard and lumber yard in Brewer and served as proprietors of the Bangor and Brewer Marine Railways. The brothers were also wholesale and retail dealers in southern pine lumber and wholesale dealers in Penobscot River ice.

One of the largest sub-series in the collection, the records begin with two journals and a ledger of the Bangor and Brewer Marine Railway Co., 1879-1881. This is followed by a large group of incoming correspondence, 1882-1915. The user should note that major sections of this correspondence, as well as the section of permits and leases which follows, were re-foldered at an earlier time. All folders were labeled E. and I.K. Stetson in this earlier project but correspondence of the Aroostook Construction Co. and Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, as well as many letters to Edward Stetson, are included here.

The remainder of this sub-series contains records of the forestry, ice, and shipping businesses of the firm. Financial, sales, and production records are included.

Sub-series 6: Penobscot Ice Co.

The articles of agreement signed Dec. 27, 1894 by William Engel, Charles E. Field, John R. Mason, and Walter E. Palmer list the business of the company as "manufacturing, trading, cutting, harvesting, storing, selling and shipping ice." By 1898, Isaiah K. Stetson had become a director of the company, serving as secretary and treasurer.

This sub-series contains articles of agreement and minutes of the Board of Directors, 1894-1898.

Sub-series 7: Aroostook Construction Co.

This company was the contractor of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. Isaiah Stetson was company treasurer in the 1890's and later president from 1919-1925. F.W. Cram was general manager, and other names associated with the company were Hiram H. Fogg, Frank Clark, and P.A. Hubbard.

Records include lists of stockholders and proxies at stockholders' meetings, 1912-1925; incoming correspondence, 1892-1894; outgoing correspondence, 1892-1913; and financial information from the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, 1895 and 1897.

Sub-series 8: Fish River Railroad Co.

F.W. Cram was president and Edward Stetson treasurer of this company.

Records consist of one ledger of outgoing correspondence, 1901-1904, of the treasurer concerning financing and building this railroad.

Sub-series 9: First National Bank of Bangor

George Stetson was president of the bank from 1863 until his death in 1891. Edward Stetson was elected vice-president in 1887, becoming president when his father died. Isaiah K. Stetson was a director and also served as president; his son Irving was a vice president.

This sub-series contains four letter books of outgoing correspondence, 1912-1919, of Isaiah Stetson in his various capacities at the bank, as well as a stock ledger, 1915, and other miscellaneous documents.

Sub-series 10: Stetson and Alpaugh

In 1910, Irving G. Stetson, Leslie Hastings, and Walter G. Alpaugh entered into a partnership for the purpose of cutting spruce logs in Maine. Stetson and Alpaugh were to have complete charge of the business with Hastings acting as a silent partner. Letterhead for the firm lists its office at 180 Exchange St., Bangor, doing business as foresters and surveyors; exploring, valuations, surveying, topographic maps, supervision of logging operations, working plans, thinnings, forest planting, tree surgery, spraying, etc. are all listed as activities of the company. The company also acted as state agents for Evinrude Motor Co. of Milwaukee, manufacturers of detachable rowboat and canoe motors.

Records include incoming correspondence, 1910-1912, with a set of letters, 1912, concerning business with the Evinrude Motor Co. Financial information, invoices for goods shipped to lumber camps, supplies used, freight bills, scale bills, and time books give a view of activities in the Maine woods in the early decades of the 20th century.

Sub-series 11: I.G. Stetson and Co.

Around August 1912, Stetson and Alpaugh changed to its name to I.G. Stetson and Co.; its letterhead lists lumbermen, timber estimating, woods surveying and maps as its activities. Records include incoming correspondence and receipts, 1912-1913; outgoing correspondence, 1914-1919; financial information, freight and shipping bills, checks and worker hiring agreements. Included in this sub-series are journals, ledgers and cashbooks from Stetson and Turner, Stetson and Turner Co. and Waldo Lumber Co., which were successor companies to I.G. Stetson and Co.

Sub-series 12: I.K. and I.G. Stetson

This company served as agents and managed timberlands.

Records include outgoing correspondence, 1914-1920 and a cashbook, 1920-1946.

Sub-series 13: Martinon Lumber Co.

The company had its main office at 180 Exchange St., Bangor, with a Canadian office in St. John, New Brunswick. Isaiah K. Stetson served as president, Frank C. Hinckley as vice president, Irving G. Stetson as treasurer and Waldo P. Lowell as general manager. Lumbering operations were carried on at various places in New Brunswick, including Musquash and Rocky Gulch, as well as in Grand River, Quebec. The company dealt in spruce, pine and hemlock lumber.

This sub-series is one of the largest in the collection. There are extensive correspondence files, including correspondence of Waldo P. Lowell, 1915-1918; business and personal correspondence of Frank C. Hinckley, 1916-1918; and outgoing correspondence of I.G. Stetson, 1915-1918. The Lowell correspondence has been left as it was originally arranged: sometimes alphabetically by correspondent and at other times in straight chronological order. Financial records include journals and ledgers, invoices, and bills paid to various jobbers. There are also lumber records, scalers' reports, orders, time books and payroll records. A few records of the Grand Lake Lumber Co. are also included in this sub-series.

Sub-series 14: Crogan Sales Co.

Irving G. Stetson was treasurer of this company, which manufactured steel tapes and metal plating and did machine work.

Records include a journal, ledger, cashbook and sales ledger, 1925-1930.

Sub-series 15: Miscellaneous

Includes outgoing correspondence, 1889-1906, of the Bodwell Water Power Co., of which Edward Stetson was a director; journals, ledgers, and cashbooks of the Bangor Cast Stone Products Co.; and unidentified scale cards and permits, 1911-1913.

Series II: Personal Papers

Sub-series 1: Papers of George Stetson

Included in this series are invoices and other information, 1846-1849, for building George Stetson's house in Bangor; various deeds and mortgages he held; legal papers, 1870's-1880's; and a sizeable amount of information about his estate.

Sub-series 2: Papers of Isaiah K. Stetson

Included here is a group of personal bills, 1893-1912, of Stetson and his family for groceries, household items, medical and dental expenses, travel, etc. Also included are various papers from business affairs conducted outside the auspices of one of his companies, especially Bangor Bridge Co. records, 1887-1890; and records of E.A. Buck and Co., 1907-1908. Stetson's civic activities are reflected in records of the Maine State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now the University of Maine), the Niben Club, the New Unity Club, and the Unitarian Memorial Association, in all of which he was active. A personal scrapbook, 1891-1918, provides information about Stetson's political activities.

Sub-series 3: Papers of Edward Stetson

This sub-series particularly reflects Edward Stetson's activities as attorney for various family members. It includes incoming correspondence, 1892-1894; outgoing correspondence, 1893-1913; a section on Edward's activities as guardian for his nephew Eugene; and a large amount of material relating to his cousin Lily G. Stetson. As her attorney, Edward paid her personal bills and handled her financial affairs, especially after her marriage and subsequent move to Germany. Records in this section of the sub-series date from 1895-1913.

Sub-series 4: Papers of Irving G. Stetson

Papers in this sub-series include class notes, 1908-1910, from the Yale Forest School; incoming correspondence, 1909-1914; and a small group of papers of Ivory W. Coombs and the Strickland family.

Sub-series 5: Miscellaneous

This sub-series contains correspondence and financial information of the Maine Missionary Society, 1888-1908; information about the real estate holdings and the estate of John B. Foster, 1907-1913; a subscription book for the Maine Anti-Tuberculosis Association and unidentified bank and memo books.