Howard Crosby Rice Papers
Scope and Content Note
The collection includes correspondence and papers on several topics, such as the Brattleboro Reformer and the Vermont Printing Co., the Central Vermont Railway, his legislative years and political concerns, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Vermont Hospital Survey, New Hampshire-Vermont Hospitalization Services, New England Kurn Hattin Homes, and the Irish Terrier Club of America. Photographs of Mr. Rice's 1897 European tour and two albums of one or more Maine fishing trips are also found in the collection. The collection covers the years 1897 to 1967 with strongest holdings for the period 1936-1965. Among the better known correspondents represented in the collection are George Aiken, Ernest W. Gibson, Proctor H. Page, Charles A. and Fletcher Plumley, Mortimer R. Proctor, and Calvin Coolidge.
The collection has been kept as nearly as possible in the arrangement that it was received in by the University. A few minor changes have been made, basically limited to the application of a chronological order within folders wherever possible. The collection consists of 7 cartons.
Collection Addition 1981
The Rice Family Papers were donated to the library on 1981. They contain one linear foot of correspondence, clippings, school papers, photographs, family genealogy and memorabilia for the years 1829-1962. More particularly, the collection includes extensive genealogical research on the Bugbee, Crosby and Rice families; school papers of Amy Pearl Rice, Amy Stetson Rice, and Alicia Willis; letters between Howard C. Rice, Sr. and Jr., especially relating to Jr.'s trip to Europe in 1925, and correspondence of Marion Rice, Amy (Jones) Rice (Mrs. Howard Rice, Sr.), and Colonel Wales Cheney. There are in addition, a number of autograph albums and an assortment of photographs of the Rice, Stetson and Jones families.
The Collection also contains materials relating to the Brattleboro Woman's Association, and there is a group of newspaper clippings from the "Brattleboro Reformer" relating to the Rice family, Brattleboro activities and the 25th anniversary of the "Reformer."
List of Persons in the Collection
Howard Crosby Rice, Sr. (1879-194?) Wife- Amy (Jones) Rice (c.1880-1962) Son- Howard Crosby Rice, Jr. (b.1904) Daughters- Eleanor and Marion (b. 1900)
Charles R. Crosby- Howard Rice Sr.'s uncle
Colonel Wales Cheney (c 1800-1865)
W.P. Jones (c 1800-1865) wife- Marion Stetson Jones (18--) daughter- Amy (Jones) Rice (c 1800-1962)
The names given below were apparently family members but their relationship to Howard C. Rice has not been determined.
Bugbee Family - undated Cheney Family - Nettie and Martha (18-- ?) Jones Family - Amy Stetson and Amy P., Diana (18-- ?) Rice Family - Fannie Crosby, Miss Marion (1800- ?) Willis Alicia - undated Yarmouth Family - undated
Dates
- Majority of material found within Bulk, 1936-1965
- Bulk, 1936-1965 1897-1967
Creator
- Aiken, George D. (George David), 1892-1984 (Person)
- Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933 (Person)
- Crane, Ephraim F. (Person)
- Gibson, Ernest W. Jr. 1901-1969 (Person)
- Page, Proctor H. (Person)
- Plumley, Charles Albert, 1875-1964 (Person)
- Plumley, Fletcher D. P. (Person)
- Proctor, Mortimer Robinson, 1889-1968 (Person)
- Rice, Howard Crosby, 1878-1965 (Person)
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Born in Worcester, Mass., H.C. Rice moved with his parents to Brattleboro, Vt., where he was to live all but a few months of his life. Rather than attend college, Howard sailed to Europe in 1897. Upon returning to Vermont he became copy boy for the Vermont Phoenix in 1898 and went through several newspaper jobs as well as working on the federal census of 1900. Around 1905 he bought an interest in Vermont Printing Co., which owned the Windham County Reformer (later to become the Brattleboro Reformer). This interest soon became a partnership with Ephraim E. Crane. While Crane ran the Vt. Printing Co., Rice tended the Reformer, having been editor for eight years already. He was to remain directly involved with the paper through his late years.
Mr. Rice served six consecutive terms in the Vermont General Assembly, 1933-1944, as either town representative for Brattleboro or Windham County senator. As he describes this period in his autobiographical sketch (carton 1, folder 1): "From start to finish my political philosophy was simple. I made it my point to get as many people as possible under obligation to me and to get under obligation to as few as possible..." He made many valuable political and social ties during this period.
Mr. Rice was chairman of Brattleboro's War Chest organization during both world wars and was president of the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for many years. As president of its board of trustees and a member of its executive committee, Mr. Rice maintained an interest in the New England Kurn Hattin Home, and institution which served to provide a home and high school education for over 100 boys and girls.
Besides being an avid fisherman, Mr. Rice raised numerous pets, Irish Terriers being the most prominent. He was a member of the Irish Terrier Club of America, serving as president and secretary.
An autobiographical sketch is provided by Mr. Rice himself in the collection and can be found in folder one of the first carton of the collection.
Extent
7.0 Linear feet (7 cartons)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Rice was a journalist who served time as a member of the Vermont state legislature and as president of the hospital in Brattleboro, Vermont. Collection includes correspondents and other papers relating to the Brattleboro Reformer and Vermont Printing Company, Brattleboro, Vermont, Central Vermont Railway, Rice’s legislative service and political concerns, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and New England Kurn Hattin Homes, both of which he served as president, Vermont Hospital Survey, New Hampshire-Vermont hospitaliztion services, Irish Terrier Club of America, and other topics; and photos of Maine Fishing trips and 1897 European tour.
Physical Location
Library Research Annex; contact uvmsc@uvm.edu for access.
Separated Materials
Kehlhepp, Evelyn "Diary of Mickey", 1939
Jowett, F.M. "The Irish Terrier" 4th edition undated
Vermont Senate Journal, 1933
Vermont House Journal, 1933
Vermont Legislative Directory, 1937
Vermont Legislative Directory, 1939
Photograph of Vermont Legislature, 1937-38
"A Political Manual for the State of Vermont," 1858
"The State Plan for the Construction of Hospitals and Health Centers in Vermont," 1858
"The New England Kurn Hattin Homes" - bulletin (?), v.38, no.3, March 1933
"Kurn Hattin Bulletin" 1947-1967 (incomplete)
All these items have been integrated into the library collection
- Brattleboro (Vt.)--Businessmen
- Brattleboro (Vt.)--Civic leaders
- Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
- Brattleboro Reformer.
- Central Vermont Railway.
- Correspondence
- Group homes for children
- Hospitals--Vermont--Brattleboro
- Irish Terrier Club of America.
- Kurn Hattin Homes (Westminster and Saxtons River, Vt.).
- Newspapers--Vermont--Brattleboro
- Photographs--Europe
- Photographs--Maine
- Politicians--Vermont
- Politics, Practical--Vermont
- Publishers and publishing--Vermont--Brattleboro
- Railroads--Vermont
- Vermont Printing Company.
- Vermont. Hospital Survey and Construction Commission.
- Title
- Guide to the Howard Crosby Rice Papers
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University of Vermont Libraries, Special Collections Repository
Silver Special Collections Library
48 University Place, Room B201
Burlington Vermont 05405 U.S.A. US
(802) 656-2138
(802) 656-4038 (Fax)
uvmsc@uvm.edu
