Comstock family papers
Collection
Identifier: L236
Scope and Contents
This collection includes correspondence, legal and business papers, genealogy papers, photographs, a photograph album, greeting cards, notebooks, a journal, poetry, published materials, ephemera, and a leather wallet from the Comstock, Beers, and Hartwell families in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Missouri, ranging from 1846 to 1962 and undated, regarding family life, education, careers, and business concerns.
Dates
- 1846-1962, undated
Creator
- Beers, Forrest William, 1863-1940 (Person)
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
John Comstock was born February 21, 1802 in Rhode Island to John and Hope (Fisk) Comstock. He had five siblings; Ann, Mercy, Thomas, William, and Ichabod (1810-1898). Comstock married Salena Newhouse (1802–1878) on January 1, 1826 in Ohio, where he had taught for a few years. They moved to Indiana in 1836. He and his brother-in-law, John Newhouse, founded Liberty Mills in Wabash County, Indiana. Comstock served as a judge, commissioner, and state legislator. He loaned money to the state of Indiana during the U.S. Civil War. The Comstocks had several children: Anna, Thomas, William, Henry, Jane "Jennie," and John, Jr. John Comstock died September 20, 1879 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Library Mills, Indiana.
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Ichabod Comstock was born December 18, 1810 to John and Hope (Fisk) Comstock. He married Mercy Birdseye (1812–1898) and they had one son, Charles (1846–1930). They moved to Wabash County, Indiana in 1857 and Comstock engaged in banking and real estate. He died April 15, 1898 and was buried in Green City Cemetery, Green City, Missouri.
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Reverend William Comstock was born on November 2, 1832 to John (1802–1879) and Salena (Newhouse) Comstock (1802–1878) in Liberty Mills, Indiana . He married Elizabeth B. Place (1834–1916) on November 16, 1875 in Wabash County, Indiana and they had several children: Flora Luella (1859–1861), Charles Bentley (1861–1949), Francis Sherman (1864–1906), Martha Wilma (1867–1944), Mary Emma (1870-1946), and Cora Lena (1872–1873). He died December 11, 1875 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Library Mills, Indiana.
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Mary Emma Comstock was born January 18, 1870 to William and Elizabeth (Place) Comstock. She married Forrest William Beers (1863–1940) on July 5, 1899 in Wabash County, Indiana and they had three children: Lowell, Miriam, and Winifred (1904-1967). She died January 1, 1946 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Her husband, Forrest W. Beers, was born January 1, 1863 in Momence, Illinois. He and his brother Elden lived with their Morrison grandparents in their mid-teens. Beers graduated from Northwestern University in 1889 with an A.B., was a graduate student at Yale University, and received his Ph.D. from Ruskin University in 1904. He became the superintendent of printing at Park College in Parkville, Missouri in 1918 and was appointed professor of speech in 1925, holding both position until he retired from teaching in 1934. Beers retired from the printing position in 1938. He died on March 4, 1940 in Parkville and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
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Winifred Leigh Beers was born October 10, 1904 to Forrest W. and Mary Emma "Mamie" (Comstock) Beers. She married John Hartwell (1906-1977) on June 14, 1928, with whom she had a daughter, Sally M. (1929-). The couple separated in 1941 and divorced in 1942 upon Winifred Hartwell's allegations of abuse and infidelity. Winifred Hartwell died on March 21, 1967 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Liberty Mills, Indiana.
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Sally Hartwell was born on April 10, 1929 to John and Winifred (Beers) Hartwell. She married Dwight LeRoy Morris on May 24, 1946 in North Manchester, Indiana. They had a daughter, Barbara Gwen, on September 20, 1951.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "John Comstock." North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "John Hartwell." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "John Hartwell." U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. Accessed November 7, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary Comstock." 1870 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary E. Comstock." 1880 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary E. Beers." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary Comstock." Indiana, Marriage Index, 1800-1941. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Winifred L. Beers." Horton Family Tree. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://person.ancestrylibrary.com/tree/14578940/person/29580458758.
Findagrave.com. "Forrest W. Beers." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.findagrave.com.
Findagrave.com. "Ichabod Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69875125/ichabod-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "John Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31241038/john-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "Mary Emma Comstock Beers." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31240491/mary-emma-beers.
Findagrave.com. "Rev. William Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42172721/william-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "Winifred L. Hartwell." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31259388/winifred-l-hartwell.
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Ichabod Comstock was born December 18, 1810 to John and Hope (Fisk) Comstock. He married Mercy Birdseye (1812–1898) and they had one son, Charles (1846–1930). They moved to Wabash County, Indiana in 1857 and Comstock engaged in banking and real estate. He died April 15, 1898 and was buried in Green City Cemetery, Green City, Missouri.
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Reverend William Comstock was born on November 2, 1832 to John (1802–1879) and Salena (Newhouse) Comstock (1802–1878) in Liberty Mills, Indiana . He married Elizabeth B. Place (1834–1916) on November 16, 1875 in Wabash County, Indiana and they had several children: Flora Luella (1859–1861), Charles Bentley (1861–1949), Francis Sherman (1864–1906), Martha Wilma (1867–1944), Mary Emma (1870-1946), and Cora Lena (1872–1873). He died December 11, 1875 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Library Mills, Indiana.
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Mary Emma Comstock was born January 18, 1870 to William and Elizabeth (Place) Comstock. She married Forrest William Beers (1863–1940) on July 5, 1899 in Wabash County, Indiana and they had three children: Lowell, Miriam, and Winifred (1904-1967). She died January 1, 1946 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Her husband, Forrest W. Beers, was born January 1, 1863 in Momence, Illinois. He and his brother Elden lived with their Morrison grandparents in their mid-teens. Beers graduated from Northwestern University in 1889 with an A.B., was a graduate student at Yale University, and received his Ph.D. from Ruskin University in 1904. He became the superintendent of printing at Park College in Parkville, Missouri in 1918 and was appointed professor of speech in 1925, holding both position until he retired from teaching in 1934. Beers retired from the printing position in 1938. He died on March 4, 1940 in Parkville and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
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Winifred Leigh Beers was born October 10, 1904 to Forrest W. and Mary Emma "Mamie" (Comstock) Beers. She married John Hartwell (1906-1977) on June 14, 1928, with whom she had a daughter, Sally M. (1929-). The couple separated in 1941 and divorced in 1942 upon Winifred Hartwell's allegations of abuse and infidelity. Winifred Hartwell died on March 21, 1967 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Liberty Mills, Indiana.
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Sally Hartwell was born on April 10, 1929 to John and Winifred (Beers) Hartwell. She married Dwight LeRoy Morris on May 24, 1946 in North Manchester, Indiana. They had a daughter, Barbara Gwen, on September 20, 1951.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "John Comstock." North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "John Hartwell." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "John Hartwell." U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. Accessed November 7, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary Comstock." 1870 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary E. Comstock." 1880 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary E. Beers." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary Comstock." Indiana, Marriage Index, 1800-1941. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Winifred L. Beers." Horton Family Tree. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://person.ancestrylibrary.com/tree/14578940/person/29580458758.
Findagrave.com. "Forrest W. Beers." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.findagrave.com.
Findagrave.com. "Ichabod Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69875125/ichabod-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "John Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31241038/john-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "Mary Emma Comstock Beers." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31240491/mary-emma-beers.
Findagrave.com. "Rev. William Comstock." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42172721/william-comstock.
Findagrave.com. "Winifred L. Hartwell." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31259388/winifred-l-hartwell.
Extent
1.2 Cubic Feet (3 manuscript boxes, 1 custom box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject and chronologically.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2016/05/23 by Edythe Huffman. EAD finding aid created 2016/05/23 by Edythe Huffman. Collection reprocessing completed 2024/11/12 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2022/07/25;2024/11/12 by Brittany Kropf.
- Account books
- Beers family
- Birthdays
- Business
- Comstock family
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Easter
- Family history
- Genealogy
- Greeting cards
- Hartwell family
- Holidays
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Mother's Day
- Photograph albums
- Photographs
- Poetry
- Postcards
- Receipts (Acknowledgements)
- Universities and colleges
- Valentine's Day
- Wabash County (Ind.)
Creator
- Beers, Forrest William, 1863-1940 (Person)
- Beers, Mary Emma Comstock, 1870-1946 (Person)
- Comstock, William, 1832-1875 (Person)
- Morris, Sally Hartwell, 1929- (Person)
- Hartwell, Winifred Leigh Beers, 1904-1967 (Person)
- Morris, Barbara Gwen, 1951- (Person)
- Comstock family (Family)
- Title
- Comstock family papers
- Status
- Completed
- 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
