Samuel Fisher collection
1961-25-0
Scope and Contents
Research files and other materials related to Samuel Fisher's 1946 book, Litchfield Law School, 1774-1833: Biographical Catalogue, containing information about its students. There are also papers related to other aspects of Litchfield's history. Starting in the 1930s, Fisher undertook a project to assemble data on every student who attended the Litchfield Law School from 1774-1833. He conducted research and corresponded with colleges and universities, state libraries, historical societies, and other institutions across the country. He also employed genealogists to track down information. The results of his investigations were published in a book by the Yale Law School Library in conjunction with Yale University Press in 1946. The Litchfield Law School research records fill 4 document boxes and are filed in the following categories: Litchfield Law student research by states; individual student files; lists of students by college attended, occupation, and other criteria; copies of correspondence written by students; general correspondence; photographs of students; information about lectures and notebooks; and books and pamphlets relating to the Law School. There is much information not included in the 1946 book. An additional document box contains other materials that relates to Fisher's interest in Litchfield history. Among the topics covered: files related to Selleck Osborn and the Litchfield Witness, Uriah Tracy, and Elijah Hubbard; documentation on restoration of Phelps Tavern in the 1930s; and photographs and scripts relating to the Litchfield Players. A half size document box contains papers Fisher collected during his research on the Litchfield Law School. The bulk of these documents pertain to the career of Samuel Andrew Law, a graduate of the Law School and were at one time removed from the collection and titled "Samuel Andrew Law Collection." Notebooks on Litchfield history, Thomas Collier, digests from Litchfield newspapers, i.e. The Monitor, The Witness, and American Mercury, etc. are housed in 3A Box 20. Photographs of Mrs. Richard Draper, aunt of Thomas & Margaret Collier; and Margaret Draper Collier (Mrs.James Hamilton of England), sister of Thomas Collier.
Dates
- created: 1929-1961
- Other: Date acquired: 07/05/1963
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Extent
5.00 boxes
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement Note
Fisher's collection of primary sources is arranged alphabetically by creator.
Source of Acquisition
Robert F. Fisher, Margaret S. Babbitt
Method of Acquisition
Gift
Accruals and Additions
Most of the collection was given on May 31, 1961. A smaller gift was made on Oct. 31, 1961. in 2014, gift of Martha Babbitt (2014-52-0)
Existence and Location of Originals
multi-part note content
Other Descriptive Information
This collection was processed with support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) and the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).
Subject
- Litchfield Law School (Organization)
- Litchfield Players (Litchfield, Conn.) (Organization)
- Osborn, Selleck, 1783-1826 (Person)
- Tracy, Uriah, 1755-1807 (Person)
- Hubbard, Elijah, 1777-1846 (Person)
- Phelps Tavern (Litchfield, Conn.) (Organization)
- Law, Samuel Andrew, 1771-1845 (Person)
- Title
- Samuel Fisher collection
- Author
- Leith Johnson
- Date
- 12/12/2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Litchfield Historical Society Repository
7 South Street
P.O. Box 385
Litchfield CT 06759
860-567-4501
860-567-3565 (Fax)
archivist@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org