Arranged and described by Brenda Howitson Steeves

Collection title: Benton L. Hatch Collection
Collection number: MS 230
Dates of collection: 1696-1960
Size of collection: 7 boxes
Provenance: Received from the estate of Benton Hatch, 1991
Restrictions on access and use: Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval

Biography

Benton Leroy Hatch was born on January 11, 1913, in Kittery, Maine, the son of Edgar and Bertha Rounds Hatch. He entered college in Massachusetts in 1932, transferring to Yale after one year, and graduating in 1935 with a concentration in classics. After his graduation, he worked in the Sterling Library at Yale until 1943. From 1943 to 1948, he first worked for the Maine Forest Service and later for the Maine Seaboard Paper Company. In 1948, he began work as a cataloger at the library at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He moved to the library at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1954, first to a position in acquisitions and finally as Associate Librarian for Special Collections, retiring in 1981.

Benton Hatch was a member of numerous library organizations as well as of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the New England Historic Genealogical Society and other history-related organizations; he was also a fellow of the American Geographical Society and the Royal Geographical Society. He was the author of “A Check List of Publications of Thomas Bird Mosher of Portland, Maine, 1891-1923,” published in 1966 by the University of Massachusetts Press, as well as the editor of several items published by the Appalachian Mountain Club. He was also a collector of materials in many formats on Maine and New England history and had an extensive personal library of such materials.

After Mr. Hatch’s retirement in 1981, he moved to Eliot, Maine, where he died on January 8, 1988. At his bequest, his manuscripts, books, pamphlets, photographs and maps having to do with any aspect of the state of Maine were given to the University of Maine and have been added to the Special Collections Department.

Scope and Content Note

The collection is arranged in two series: Series I. Papers of Benton Hatch and Series II. Material collected by Benton Hatch. Series II is divided into six sub-series:
1. Papers of Samuel Foxcroft; 2. Papers of Joseph E. Foxcroft; 3. Records of the town of Fryeburg, Maine; 4. Papers of Fannie Hardy Eckstorm; 5. Photographs from the library of Lucius L. Hubbard; and 6. Miscellaneous items from the Hatch collection.

Series I contains a small amount of Benton Hatch’s correspondence, 1943-1954, as well as notes, galleys and copies of items written by Hatch primarily appearing in the journal Appalachia, a publication of the Appalachian Mountain Club. It also contains a box of index cards with notes for his bibliography on the work of Thomas Bird Mosher and an inventory of items owned by Hatch himself.

Series II contains items acquired by Hatch for his personal collection of historical materials primarily about Maine but also including materials about Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Sub-series 1: Papers of Rev. Samuel Foxcroft contains letters written to Foxcroft from 1786 to 1807, as well as a few letters from Foxcroft to others written from 1795 to 1804. Foxcroft, a graduate of Harvard, came to New Gloucester, Maine, as a minister in 1764, built a home there and in 1770 married the daughter of William Ellery of New Gloucester. Their son Joseph E. Foxcroft was born in New Gloucester on March 10, 1773.

Sub-series 2: Papers of Joseph E. Foxcroft contains letters written to Foxcroft between 1807 and 1833. Foxcroft, a merchant, sheriff, state senator, and postmaster, was the original owner of land that became the town of Foxcroft, Maine. He died on September 1, 1852.

Sub-series 3: Records of the town of Fryeburg, Maine, contains town records from 1763 to 1822, including deeds, votes of the proprietors, information concerning land sales, warrants and minutes of town meetings, and financial and tax records.

Sub-series 4: Papers of Fannie Hardy Eckstorm includes a diary written by her in 1891, a notebook with entries for 1902-1923, and photographs taken by Mrs. Eckstorm in 1891 and 1892 as well as of her as a student in 1884 and 1888. Also included are the Stanley dry plate negatives used by Mrs. Eckstorm to produce some of the photographs in this sub-series. The sub-series also contains photographs of Maine localities from Mrs. Eckstorm’s library as well as books given to her or written by her with annotations or manuscript corrections. Other books written by her have been removed from this collection and added to the rare book collection in Special Collections.

Sub-series 5: Photographs from the library of Lucius L. Hubbard, contains stereopticon views and photographs owned by Hubbard of various places in Maine.

Sub-series 6: Miscellaneous items from the Hatch collection, is arranged in alphabetical order by author and contains items acquired by Hatch during his life as a collector of manuscripts, rare books, photographs, etc. Most of the items have a connection to Maine but some also concern the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Contents of Boxes

Series I: Benton Hatch Papers

Box 1

Folder

1 Correspondence, 1943-1945
2 Correspondence with Leroy D. Cross, 1950-1954
3 Maine miscellaneous
4 Maps: Mt. Toby, Amherst-Sunderland, Mass.
5 Mountaineering
6 Newspaper clippings, 1957-1960
7 Miscellaneous manuscripts by Hatch
8 Short stories and book reviews by Hatch
9-12 Appalachia index, XI-XXV, 1905-1945
13 Galleys for index to Vols. XI-XXV
14 Appalachia index, XXVI
15 Appalachia index, XVII
16 Appalachia index, XVIII
17 Appalachia manuscripts, book reviews, etc.
18 “Down the West Branch of The Penobscot, Aug. 12-22, 1889”, by Fanny Hardy Eckstorm; edited by Benton Hatch; reprinted from Appalachia, Dec. 1949
19-21 Eckstorm journal transcripts, 1888-1892
22 “Lucius Lee Hubbard’s map of northern Maine, 1879-1929;” reprinted from Appalachia, June 1951
23 Mt. Abraham traversed
24 Notes toward the definitive bibliography of Thomas Hardy’s “Poems of the past and present”
25 “On the Appalachian Trail in western Maine,” reprinted from Appalachia, June 1938
26-27 “Preliminary checklist of Waterville, Maine, imprints through 1850,” compiled by Benton Hatch, 1952

Box 2

1-2 “Saddleback in 1839: the account of an ascent by Josiah S. Swift;” with some remarks added by Benton L. Hatch; reprinted from Appalachia, Dec. 1945
3 Thoreau’s plan of a farm by Benton Hatch
4-6 “Up the Magalloway River in 1861 by Marshall M. Tidd;” edited by Benton L. Hatch and L. Felix Ranlett, reprinted from Appalachia, Dec. 1957
7 Index cards: Thomas B. Mosher bibliography; inventory of items owned by Hatch (located physically in Box 3)

Series II: Material collected by Benton Hatch

Sub-series 1: Papers of Rev. Samuel Foxcroft: Letters to Foxcroft

8 Blood, William, Dunstable, April 7, 1795; April 11, 1797, to Rev. Samuel Foxcroft. Regarding suit over the Thomas Foxcroft title to lands in Dunstable
Briggs, D., Gray, May 6, 1797; June 6, 1797, to Rev. Samuel Foxcroft
Burley, Andrew, Waterborough, Dec. 30, 1795; April 15, 1796. Regarding Foxcroft’s land in Coxhall (Lyman)
Chandler, Peleg, undated
Craft, Moses, Jay, Nov. 21, 1796. Regarding Foxcroft’s lots in Jay and the taxes thereon
Ellery, Abigell, Sept. 1773; addressed to “Der childeren”
Ellery, Benjamin and Sally, Gloucester, Aug. 24, 1798; Aug. 26, 1801
Foxcroft, Abigail, Boston, Mar. 9, 1791; Sept. 6, 1802
Foxcroft, Joseph Ellery, Boston, 1799-1807 (7 letters)
Gordon, William, Amherst, N.H., Aug. 30, 1797; Sept. 10, 1801. Regarding subsequent title to Foxcroft land in Dunstable
Phillips, Samuel, Concord, Andover, Boston, 1792-1798 (5 letters)

9 Rogers, David Denison, Boston, 1795-1804 (13 letters). Regarding business and matters pertaining to settlement of various Foxcroft estates

10 Rogers, Martha, Exeter, to Miss Foxcroft, Boston, Nov. 21, 1797
Rogers, Patty, Exeter, June 4, 1786; Oct. 27, 1803
Sampson, Procter, Farmington (Sandy River), Reedfield, Marshfield, 1798-1801 (6 letters)
Southworth, John, Yarmouth, Jan. 26, 1804; May 1, 1804
Simonds, Nathan, Dunstable, Aug. 24, 1801; Oct. 1, 1802
Symmes, William, Portland, Aug. 20, 1796. Mentions Indian treaty signing
Whittemore, Samuel, Gloucester, 1798-1803 (4 letters)
Williams, Joshua and Silas, Feb. 5, 1798

Sub-series 1: Papers of Samuel Foxcroft: Letters from Foxcroft

11 Gill, Moses, April 13, 1795. Regarding Foxcroft land titles in Dunstable
Mellen, Prentiss, Dec. 21, 1797. Regarding Dearing and Robinson notes
Sampson, Luther, Feb. 25, 1804. Regarding taxes on land

Sub-series 2: Papers of Joseph E. Foxcroft: Letters to Foxcroft

12 Allen, Elisha, Sanford, July 31, 1822
Ames, Benjamin, Bath, April 8, 1822
Anderson, John, Washington, Jan. 7, 1829; Feb. 27, 1829 (2 letters)
Balch, Horace G., Machias, Mar. 27, 1822; Feb. 23, 1829; Mar. 19, 1829 (3 letters)
Chandler, John, Washington, 1821-1829 (7 letters)
Chandler, Joseph, Augusta, Mar. 10, 1821
Clark, Royal, Bangor, Dec. 5, 1822
Dunlap, R.T., Brunswick, May 16, 1822
Dunlap, Robert P., Brunswick, Mar. 17, 1823; Apr. 9, 1823 (2 letters)
Dunn, Josiah, Portland, Feb. 10, 1829

13 Emerson, Andrew, Portland, Jan. 15, 1829; Jan. 17, 1829 (2 letters)
Emerson, William, Bangor, Mar. 3, 1829
Fessenden, Samuel, Portland, Feb. 12, 1829
Green, Peter N., Bath, July 31, 1822
Greene, Benjamin, South Berwick, Sept. 2, 1821; Feb. 17, 1822, May 1, 1822 (3 letters)
Hamlin, Cyrus, Paris, Mar. 29, 1822
Harris, Mark, Portland, May 20, 1821
Hinkley, Noah, Brunswick, 1831-1832 (4 letters)
Holmes, John, Washington, Jan. 29, 1822
Houlton, Joseph, Houlton Plantation, Oct. 18, 1822
Hunnewell, Richard, Portland, June 27, 1821, with letter from Foxcroft, July 2, 1821
Irish, James, Gorham and Portland, Feb.-Sept. 1821 (6 letters)

14 Jarvis, Leonard, Surry, Apr. 5, 1822
Kellogg, Elijah, Perry, June 12, 1821
King, William, Bath, July 24, 1822
Mace, Benjamin H., Portland, Feb. 25, 1831; Mar. 7, 1831 (2 letters)
McLellan, C.H.P., Portland, Mar.-July 1831 (5 letters)
Merrill, John, Portland, Apr. 7, 1821; reply from Foxcroft, Apr. 13, 1821
Mitchell, Nathaniel, Portland, Aug. 6, 1832
Parvis, Martin, Marshfield, Feb. 7, 1829
Patten, Amos, Bangor, Jan. 1829 (2 letters); reply from Foxcroft, Feb. 5, 1829
Preble, William P., Portland, July 9, 1821; Mar. 30, 1829 (2 letters)
Ripley, James W., Washington, Jan. 1, 1829
Robinson, Jesse, Hallowell Crossroads, 1822-1833 (8 letters)

15 Seaver, Josiah W., South Berwick, 1821-1833 (19 letters)
Smith, Charles, Gloucester, Apr. 10, 1807
Stone, Alfred J., Brunswick, June 12, 1831
Todd, Thomas, Nov., 1828
Towle, J.?, Brownfield, Nov. 15, 1822
Ware, Asher, Portland, 1821-1833 (5 letters)
Whitney, William, Oxford, Apr. 25, 1831

16 Miscellaneous items belonging to Joseph Foxcroft

Sub-series 3: Records of town of Fryeburg, Maine

17 Joseph Frye’s deed, 1763
18 Copy of Proprietors petition to Benjamin Lynde, Feb. 1766
19 Votes of Proprietors of Fryeburg, 1766-1767
20 Town ledger, 1763-1771(?)
21-24 Information re land sales, etc., 1763-1822
25-40 Warrants, minutes of town meetings, etc., 1774-1798
41-48 Financial and tax records, 1762-1797

Sub-series 4: Papers of Fannie Hardy Eckstorm (FHE)

49 Diary, 1891; also entries from 1900-1927
50 Notebook, 1902-1923
50a Twenty-two prints from photographs taken 1890-1891, many captioned by FHE (includes photos of Jock Darling, 1891, and Big Sabattis Mitchell, 1890)
51 Prints from photographs taken 1891-1892 and captioned by FHE
52 Eckstorm photographs taken June 1891 on West Branch, Penobscot River and Sept. 1892 on Passadumkeag River, Sebago Lake waters and vicinity (prints and
copies); located physically in Box 4
53 Stanley dry plate negatives of photographs in Folder 52; located physically in Box 5
54 FHE photographs used in “Down the West Branch of the Penobscot”
55 Photographs of FHE: while at Abbot Academy, 1884; at time of graduation from college, June 1888; undated (taken at Hardy Studio, Springfield, Mass.)

Photographs from the library of FHE

56 Stereopticon views, Mount Desert Island (Allen, photographer, Boston)
57 Three stereopticon views of Skowhegan area (State of Maine views photographed and published by John Bachelder, West Andover, N.H.)
58 Two stereopticon views, Mount Desert Island (photographer: B. Bradley, Bar Harbor, Me.)
59 Three stereopticon views: From narrows, looking west; down near Reed’s camp; Reed’s camp (F.W. Hardy, photographer, Bangor, Me.); one unidentified stereopticon view
60 Six stereopticon views, Mount Desert scenery (photos by Heywood, published by Frank Rowell, Boston)
61 Photograph of Wilbur Webster, Maine woodsman (photographer: Lewis, Kineo, Maine)
62 Five stereopticon views of Aroostook and Tobique Rivers (E.O. Powers, photographer)
63 Stereopticon view, Ripogenus Lake (Scenery in northern Maine, photographed by A.L. Hinds, Benton, Maine
64 Two photographs: cutting ice on Penobscot (photographer: Weston, Bangor, Me.)
65 Snapshots of Passadumkeag River trip, ca. 1931 (photographed by Paul Eckstorm)

Box 3

Index cards: Thomas B. Mosher bibliography; inventory of items owned by Hatch

Box 4

Eckstorm photographs taken June 1891 on West Branch, Penobscot River and Sept. 1892 on Passadumkeag River, Sebago Lake waters and vicinity (prints and copies)

Box 5

Stanley dry plate negatives of photographs in Folder 52

Box 6

Books belonging to FHE

1 Daggett, Windsor. A down-east Yankee from the district of Maine (Gift to FHE from author)
2 Eckstorm, Fannie H. Indian place-names, 1941 (author’s annotated page proofs)
3 Eckstorm, Fannie H. Old John Neptune and other Maine Indian shamans, 1945 (with FHE annotations)
4 Eckstorm, Fannie H. Penobscot man, 1904 (with author’s changes and corrections)
5 Maine Board of Agriculture. Sixth annual report (FHE’s copy)
6 Maine Naturalist, Sept. 1929
7 New England Quarterly, Sept. 1934 (with article by FHE)
8 New England Quarterly, March 1936 (with article by FHE)
9 New England Quarterly, Sept. 1936 (with article by FHE)
10 New England Quarterly, June 1939 (with article by FHE)
11 Northern Monthly, May 1864
12 Old-Time New England, Oct. 1939 (contains article about Jeremiah Pearson
Hardy)
13-16 Ring, Elizabeth. A reference list of manuscripts relating to the history of Maine, Part 1-3 (FHE’s copy)

Box 7

1 Wood, Richard G. A history of lumbering in Maine, 1820-1861 (FHE’s copy)
2 Correspondence, notes, etc. found in FHE’s books

Sub-series 5: Photographs from the library of Lucius L. Hubbard

3 Ten stereopticon views, Moose Head Lake and Mount Kineo (D.C. Dinsmore, Dover, Me.)
4 Hinds, A.L. Coast scenery of Maine series: Casco Bay no. 8 (stereopticon view photographed by A.L. Hinds, Benton, Maine)
5 Hinds, A.L. Scenery in northern Maine, Katahdin series (7 stereopticon views photographed by A.L. Hinds, Benton, Maine)
6 Hinds, A.L. Scenery in northern Maine, Moosehead Lake (4 stereopticon views photographed by A.L. Hinds, Benton, Maine)
7 Hinds, A.L. Scenery in northern Maine, Penobscot River (7 stereopticon views photographed by A.L. Hinds, Benton, Maine)
8 Powers, F.F. Gems of Maine scenery: Scenery on the upper Kennebec and unidentified view (Sebec Lake?) (2 stereopticon views published for F.F. Powers)
9 Vose, S.S. Kennebec Valley views (2 stereopticon views photographed and published by S.S. Vose, Skowhegan, Maine)
10 Vose & Paul. Scenery above Bingham; the Forks Hotel (3 stereopticon views published by Vose & Paul, Skowhegan, Maine)
11 Photographs: Three Sisters and two unidentified views

Sub-series 6: Miscellaneous items from Hatch collection

12 Adams, Charles S. Autobiography, Vol. 1, Westford, 1857
13 Alden, Hiram O. Correspondence to, 1832-1840. Includes letter from Hannibal Hamlin, Nov. 18, 1836
14 Book of travels, 1908-1926 [in Maine, Iowa, Washington, D.C.]
15 Bowdoin College commencement programs, 1823, 1837
16 Brinley, Francis. Document from W. Shirley, Sept. 1, 1746
17 Burlington, Mass. Deed, Stephen Simonds to Levi Lock, Nov. 1829
18 Burlington, Mass. Deed for sale of pew in new meetinghouse, 1847
19 Cabinet-maker’s guide or rules and instructions. Concord: Printed by J.B. Moore, 1827
20 Carter, Mary M. Sketch of the life of Mrs. Mary M. Carter, with extracts from her journals & letters
21 Connecticut: Military orders issued by Gov. Gurdon Saltonstall, August 1708
22 Connecticut: Discharge of John Skolfield, Brunswick, Maine, from Newgate Prison, 1810
23 Cutts family papers, 1805, 1806, 1824, 1856
24 Dearborn, Henry. Documents concerning sale of eastern lands, 1792, 1828, 1842
25 Diary [of a journey from New York to Bangor, Old Town and Washington County made to investigate all aspects of lumber production and trade, Sept.-Oct. 1837]
26 Fessenden, William. Letters to, 1849, 1853
27 Field book, 1813: appraisals of land, Bowdoin College
28 Freeman, Samuel. Broadside, 1802, concerning turnpike from Portsmouth to Augusta; letter from Freeman, May 7, 1816
29 Gage, Edward. Correspondence from U.S. and European cities, 1836, 1860, 1873
30 Mr. Gerrish. Pamphlet written by Gerrish, 1696
31 Goodenow, Rufus K. Letters, 1850
32 Holeb Township: Descriptive notebook, ca. 1890-1891 [photostatic copy from University of Michigan General Library)
33 Journal and adventures of the four moose-hunters or the bean eaters of Soundnahunk: a sketch of life and adventure at Camp Harvard, 1863
34 Journal, 1858 [of a trip to England]
35 King, Horatio. Letter, Sept. 13, 1861
36 Maine: Houghton, George F. Commission from Gov. John Hubbard, 1850
37 Maine legislative petitions, etc., 1830s
38 Map: Maine [1816?]
39 Mass.: Miscellaneous documents, 1783, 1788, 1818, 1826
40 Mass.: Example of paper with Mass. state seal
41 Memorandum book, 1868, by unidentified compiler; contains stories and family expense log
42 Merrill, Samuel. Correspondence, photographs, 1920s, 1930s
43 Miscellaneous letters
43a Muster roll of the company in her majesties service under the command of Roben Coffin, Captain, viz. of troup, 1708 ... signed by J. Dudley, May 13, 1709 [oversized item]
44 New Hampshire: Legal documents, deeds, 1783, 1812, 1823
45 Parker, Stephen. Letter, 1776, to captains of privateers Liberty and Diligence
46 Pepperrell, W. Letter to John Moon, Kittery, Feb. 13, 1734
47 Plan of Moxie Gore division, 1912
48 Photograph: Chocorua Peak, 1855 [photograph of a drawing]
49 Photograph: Church, Frederick Edwin. Photograph of “Mount Katahdin, Maine, 1878”
50 Photograph: Dean, Wm. P., photographer, Katahdin Iron Works, Me. Stereopticon view: [Winter scene, lumber camp?]
51 Photographs: Fishing trip; guide Syke Hodgkins and brother
52 Photograph: Hallowell, George H. Photograph of painting “Wissataquoik River Drive,” Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
53 Photograph: Kurt Hine in Tuckerman Ravine, April 1937
54 Photograph: Mills’ views, Camden, Me. [stereopticon view]
55 Photograph: Mount Katahdin (late 1930s)
56 Photographs: Pease, N.W., No. Conway, N.H. Stereopticon views: American scenery: 5 views in White Mountains, N.H.
57 Postcards: Maine scenes: Mount Katahdin, Ripogenus Dam, Greenville, etc.
58 Shipping: miscellaneous documents
59 Welles, Gideon. Invitation, 1862, to celebration of 255th anniversary of founding of Fort Popham
60 Wentworth, Benning, to Col. Joshua Wingate, Portsmouth, May 17, 1744, military orders for defense against the French
61 Winthrop, William, Cambridge, Mass. Letters, 1794-1818
62 Woodberry, James. Letter, July 1826, to Pres. John Quincy Adams re unexplained events at Fortress Monroe, Virginia