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WILLIAM A. DOUBLEDAY [?] : 1879 & 1883 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARIES FROM PROMINENT LOCAL FAMILY DETAILING GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN NEW YORK

32mo - over 4" - 5" tall. On offer are the original 1879 and 1883 manuscript diaries historically relevant to the history of Cooperstown New York. While there is no indication of authorship specified in the books there are enclosed a number of ephemeral pieces that suggest the owner was "William A. Doubleday". There is also an 1870 promissory note with the names Sally Doubleday, Elizabeth Doubleday and Abner Doubleday. Casual research affirms the family's connection to Cooperstown and we suggest but cannot confirm that the Abner Doubleday mentioned herein is the noted inventor of baseball. [Further research notes near the listing's end explain.] Historians and collectors of the region and era will no doubt have enough info to confirm. In the 1879 diary there are entries until May then blank. The 1883 diary has sporadic ledger type entries. Entries include historical mentions of local events and William mentions on numerous occasions the trial and hanging of Myron A. Buel who murdered 14 year old Catherine A. Richards. We learn in 1883 diary three members of his family die one being his sister. Here are snippets: 1879 "Does not storm. Snow deep. Sheriff sale at Walter Van Horner. Did not sell. Lenike brought Julia and Harry from park Central. Carries her home….Went to town. Commenced snowing. Buel trial commenced today. Swearing in Jurors. Snows all night……Snowing this morning. Snow deep. Got to town to hear Buel trial. Went to the bank on R.R. business. Fix for selling bonds…..Warmer. Does not storm. Go to town to hear Buel trial. Frank goes with me. Go after Calista, she does not come….Go to town. Cold but more pleasant. Buel trial progresses. Paid to Tyler $5.00 cash by check on first National. Calista comes up with me. Hear of the death of Mrs. Lathrop….Very cold. Go to town to sign town bonds. Finished them up. Went in the Hall a few minutes. Dr. Bassett was being sworn. Got a Utica Herald. Read the Buel trial…..Cold and blustery. Went to town to hear judges charge on Buel case. Frank sick. Gone to bed. Uncle Russell called in evening. Says jury brought Buel in guilty…….Pleasant but cold. Frank not able to go out. Got to town to mill. Went in to settle with W. E. Corey. Went over to Uncle Russell's in evening. Frank some better. Buel to be hung 18th of April……" 1883 "Find Alice growing weaker. Paid I. E. Sylvester insurance fees $10.75. Paid for Journal to S. M. Shaw, $2.00 to January 20th, 1884.….Sick with bowel complaint. Come home to go to bed. Hurbert carries Frank back to school. Cold and blustering….Alice died this morning at 7 o'clock. Hurbert comes after me and Frank goes home. I go back after Louisa. Go to undertakers to get casket…..Go to town. Louisa stays all night. Sally comes on the stage….Go to town. Attend the funeral. Go to get permit to enter the vault. Hand it to undertaker. P. Young stays all night…..Am not feeling much better. Do my chores. Erney Russell brings telegram from Kalamazoo that my sister was dieing. Wants I should come. Russell and Bates here in evening…..Herbert stays and does chores. Goes after Mrs. Grover and to town. Get a telegram from Mich. My sister is dead and her body sent to R. Springs…..D. Bates goes to Bedford (?) after her remains. I go to town to make arrangements for funeral…..Pleasant weather but gloomy to me. Louisa poorly. Funeral quite large. Corpse looks natural. Herbert carries Thommy and Calista home. Received a friendly letter from E. Phiney……Pleasant but cold. Got to town in afternoon. Send a postal to Martha Small to come down on the stage. Frank helps Marshall move……Alice was buried today. Did not see the corpse. All went to the cemetery. Louisa stays down, not able to come home. Frank and I come. Martha goes to J. Warren's….." All before May. There are many names are mentioned, some in this one are; Newkirk, Lathrop, Dr. Barrett, Sam R. Fay, Chapin, Dr. Blodgett, E. Hubel, Dr. Wadsworth, Grover, Pennington, Potter, E. W. Warren and more. Each of the diaries measures about 3" x 6". They are in poor condition but pages look good. Research notes: Whether the Abner Doubleday, as mentioned in the diary, may have been the famous Civil War General, Abner Doubleday, who is believed to have invented baseball in the Cooperstown area we are not positive but this one online source provides this: "This is the hardest fact to explain, is that the inventor of baseball was Abner Doubleday. There is some genealogical evidence that a second Abner Doubleday, a cousin of the famous general, lived in Cooperstown at the time in question. The namesake, Abner Demas Doubleday, was born in Otsego County on March 9th, 1829 and lived in Cooperstown area until moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, following the Civil War. Additionally, according to Grave's own words (Graves was a man who brought this investigation to light) in his second letter to the commission, a second Doubleday cousin, John, also lived in Cooperstown and was a ballplayer. Perhaps it was one of these alternate Doubleday's who diagrammed a new game that day in Cooperstown, and over time Graves confused him with his better-known cousin." As stated before, the handwritten note is from 'an' Abner D. Doubleday from Kalamazoo dated April 1st, 1870 while the diaries assuredly belonged to William Doubleday because most of the receipts in the back have that name.. Book Condition: Good. Binding: Leatherette

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