Dufour family collection
Collection
Identifier: L046
Scope and Contents
The collection includes Jean Jacques (John James) Dufour’s account book of expenses and travel notes (1796–1826), and his instructions and reports for his work in America (1796–1804); maps of the Swiss colony and Vevay (1802–1836); and 1810 description of New Switzerland; John Francis Dufour’s correspondence and appointments to public office; Daniel Dufour’s account of his 1801 voyage from Switzerland to Virginia with an accompanying English translation from 1917; two manuscripts from Perret Dufour (1807–1884) on the early history of Switzerland County and the Dufour Family (1869, 1876); and other papers from Dufour family members in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio in the United States and Switzerland and France, ranging from 1762 to 1917 and undated. A number of the documents were published in Perret Dufour: The Swiss Settlement of Switzerland County (Indiana Historical Commission, 1925). Many of the items are in French.
There are also oversize papers, including an 1803 contract in French, a plat map of "first vineyard" dated November 6, 1804; an 1832 French passport, John Francis Dufour's 1810 deputy postmaster appointment certificate, an 1819 indenture, an undated divisional survey of a vineyard; an undated hand-drawn plat map, and an undated poem titled, "Toasts and Sentiments" (OBD043).
There are also oversize papers, including an 1803 contract in French, a plat map of "first vineyard" dated November 6, 1804; an 1832 French passport, John Francis Dufour's 1810 deputy postmaster appointment certificate, an 1819 indenture, an undated divisional survey of a vineyard; an undated hand-drawn plat map, and an undated poem titled, "Toasts and Sentiments" (OBD043).
Dates
- 1762-1917, undated
Creator
- Dufour family (Family)
Language of Materials
Materials in French and Engllish.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
The Dufour family, from Canton de Vaud, Switzerland, settled in Kentucky and Switzerland County, Indiana. The principal members of the family were Jean Jacques (John James) Dufour (1763–1827), who established a colony and vineyard near Lexington, Kentucky (1798), sponsored a second colony and vineyard in Switzerland County (1802), and wrote The American Vine Dresser’s Guide (1826); and his brother, John Francis Dufour (1783–1850) who settle in Kentucky (1801) and Vevay, Switzerland County clerk and recorder (1814), probate judge (1839), and member of the Indiana House of Representatives (1828–1829).
Extent
0.4 Cubic Feet (1 manuscript box, 1 extra-large oversize folder)
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject and chronologically.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as donations on 1917/07/20; and from Bettie Dufour Smith on 1930/03/14; 1935/11/25.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing and finding aid completed by Brent Abercrombie during April 2010. EAD finding aid revised 2021/09/14; 2021/12/02 by Lauren Patton; 2022/11/17 by Brittany Kropf.
- Account books
- Certificates
- Correspondence
- Description and travel
- Emigration and immigration
- Family history
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Indiana
- Immigrants
- Immigrants -- United States
- Indiana -- Politics and government
- Judges -- Indiana
- Local history -- Indiana
- Maps
- Paper money
- Passports
- Pioneers
- Pioneers -- Indiana
- Politicians
- Politicians -- Indiana
- Postmasters -- Indiana
- Promissory notes
- Swiss Americans
- Switzerland County (Ind.)
- Vevay (Ind.)
- Vineyards
- Viticulture
- Wine and wine making
Creator
- Dufour family (Family)
- Title
- Dufour family collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
