Started the day at Milne Library on the SUNY (State Univeristy of New York) in Geneseo. I had made arrangments with their research librarian, Liz, to look at certain items from the "Wadsworth Family Collection." In order to do so, she had emailed me two sets of information about how the collection was organized and what it contained. I was to look through the information and request what I wanted, and they would have the items pulled from their secure location and ready for my inspection.
At first I wondered if it would be worth all the effort...IT WAS!! It was so cool, first she handed me about 7 file folders each contained about 8 original letters written by Col. James Wadsworth during the War of 1812. It was so exciting to find Captain Levi Dunn mentioned in several of the letters. An example is the picture above. I have made color photo copies of the various letters that talk about Levi.
Not to long ago, I had ordered and received the service records of the Levi Dunn and William Dunn who I thought most likely to be our family. But for me, these letters confirm with even more certainty that they are.
My perceptions of the Wadsworth family has changed during this trip. Another of the items I had requested pulled was a bound volume of letters. Once again I was handling the original documents written in the early 1800's. It was fascinating to read. I wish I could have stayed and read the whole volume.
I was able to read through their bound volumns of original newspapers from 1797-1825. Lots more flipping through the originals rather than reading on microfilm.
Anyway, in the end it was such a treat to handle all these original records. The staff was very helpful and kind. I'd do it again!
Finished up there about noon, and headed over to the Livingston County Historian's office. They were just moving back into their regular building this morning. I was able to drop off some histories I had brought with me and spend a few minutes visiting with historian, Amie Alden. She is very helpful. I quickly checking the Dunn newspaper index, and the Dunn family file. I copied a letter from a women trying to make the Dunn/Acker connection which I will follow up on. My about half the information was from me. I reconfirmed with her my suspisions....no earlier cemetery survey, no church records from Groveland, no other War of 1812 records, etc. It would be fun to visit there again when they are really open for business, but I feel pretty confident that there are no major surprises there for us.
About 2 PM, made it to the Surrogate Court office. Their operation is slick. They have digitized their records. The big index books are out. You look up the packet #. They had you a CD with that packet #. The digitized packet contains all the bits and peices of the packet. You can print for $.25 a sheet. So in about 45 minutes I was able to send $30 worth of probate packets to the printer and was out of there.
We spend the final hours of the day driving around Groveland, more on that in the next blog.
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