Parker/Fleming Family Papers

The letters span the time period of 1835-1909, with the bulk of the collection lying between 1863-1879. The letters are written in various New England towns and sent mainly back to Burlington, VT. The first portion of the collection contains letters to Charles and Elizabeth Parker from family members (including Catherine Fleming Worcester and Archibald Fleming), and moves to letters from Charles and Elizabeth to their children. The last portion of the collection deals mainly with letters to Mary Hephzibah Parker and Laura Birge Parker, from their brother Charles Edmond Parker and from cousins Robert H. Fleming and Julia Fleming.

As Charles Carrol Parker travelled to different churches in various parts of New England, he often wrote back to the family about the interesting people he met and the experiences he had. Charles Edmund Parker served in the Union Army as a chaplain during the Civil War, and his letters from Virginia (1864) often talk of daily routines and army life. Mary's letters to her brother Eddy describe classes she is taking in a school in Waterbury, Vermont, as well as activities at home and religion. With the exception of those topics mentioned, the letters speak of family matters, the weather, health, and activities of family and friends.

Also included in the collection are diaries of Mary and Catherine Parker, photographs of family members, and a large collection of daguerreotypes. The library also owns the papers of Catherine Wolcott, granddaughter of Archibald Fleming.

The first folder in the files contains family/genealogical information.