Skip to main content

Samuel Fisher collection

1961-25-0

 Collection
Identifier: 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

Related Materials

multi-part note content

Related Publications

Fisher, Samuel H. Litchfield Law School, 1774-1833: Biographical Catalogue (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1946).

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).

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

Contact:
7 South Street
P.O. Box 385
Litchfield CT 06759
860-567-4501
860-567-3565 (Fax)