This collection is made up of letters, documents, and a logbook relating to Captain Israel Snow of Thomaston and Rockland, Maine, and shipping and other nautical subjects in the early and mid-19th century.
The Correspondence Series consists of 10 letters Israel Snow received from professional acquaintances between October 2, 1829, and November 21, 1849, mostly regarding vessels, captains, and shipments of goods along the Atlantic seaboard and to New Orleans. He corresponded with men in Norfolk, New York, and Philadelphia, and received news from his home in Thomaston, Maine. Though most writers focused on cargo, consignments, ship arrivals, and finances, others commented on personal issues; for example, Israel Thorndike briefly mentioned his attempt to establish a school (December 12, 1836). The remaining items are a letter from Israel L. Snow to his father about business in Mobile, Alabama, written on a printed "Merchants' and Planters' Price-Current" (October 12, 1850), and a letter from Snow to his wife Lucy, concerning his safe arrival in Hull, England, and his plans to return home (August 27, 1840). One letter written by M. Sumner to R. B. Fuller from Rockland, Maine, on June 24, 1869, relates to a shipment aboard the Schooner Wanderer. Its relation to the Snow family is currently unknown beyond the Rockland connection.
The Documents Series consists of 19 documents, with three relating directly to Israel Snow, listed below.
- A copy of a deed between Daniel Weed and John Jameson pertaining to land in Thomaston, Maine (original dated March 9, 1804; copy dated September 12, 1844). The copy was mailed to Israel Snow.
- A receipt for Israel Snow's payment of income tax to the United States Internal Revenue, dated August 1, 1865.
- A receipt from the United States Treasury for Israel L. Snow's payment for U.S. bonds, dated October 11, 1865.
The remainder of the documents relate more generally to ships and the shipping industry of Rockland, Maine, and the surrounding area. International trade was being conducted with England, Brazil, and Peru. The connection of these items to the Snow family is currently unknown. Several items relate to the Schooner Wanderer. Items include an 1848 warranty deed for a shipyard lot, a borrower's bond relating to the Bark Rambler, an 1869 agreement between ship masters for salvage, as well as surveys and notarized documents of the condition of vessels or their damage, appraisals of ship value, bills and receipts, and insurance and legal documents. One document for the Rockland Insurance Company, dated March 28, 1867, relates to a schooner being under fire during the Civil War, leading to its abandonment. The Logbook Series consists of one volume, "Abstract Log of Barque Jenny Pitts," covering voyages between 1853 and 1857, many captained by Israel Snow. Voyages include those from Cardiff to San Francisco; San Francisco to Hong Kong; Hong Kong to Shanghai; Shanghai to London; London to Cuba; and possibly one other to Bordeaux.
Israel Snow was born in Maine on March 31, 1801. He worked as a ship captain on board vessels such as the schooner Maria (1829), the brig Snow (1835-1836), the brig Lucy Ann (1842), the barque Star (1848), and the barque Jenny Pitts (1854). He lived in Thomaston, Maine, and later moved to Rockland, Maine. In 1850, he and his wife Lucy (née Woodbury, 1804-1898) lived in Rockland with seven children: Lavina, Israel L., Lucy A., Susan E., Eliza T., Lydia T., and Charles W. He died on January 18, 1875, and is buried in Rockland, Maine. His son Israel L. Snow also went to sea.
