Manuscript Collections

The manuscript collection at the Hudson Library & Historical Society consists of more than 100 unique collections documenting the history of Hudson, Ohio, from its founding in 1799 to today. A full list of the collections, which includes links to some of the online inventories, is available below.

Some of the highlights of the manuscript collection include:

• One of the nation’s largest collections of materials about famed abolitionist John Brown and the Brown family.
• Papers of the founding families of Hudson, including David Hudson and the Hudson family.
• Papers of prominent Hudson families and citizens.
• Records of local organizations such as the Hudson Garden Club and the League of Women Voters.
• Records of local churches, including the First Congregational Church of Hudson.
• Businesses and corporation records, including Terex and the Flood company.
• Extensive photograph collection of the Hudson area and surrounding regions.
• Historic house reports – research reports of many historic homes in the area documenting the architectural features and ownership history.

Most of the collections have finding aids (inventories) of collection contents to aid in retrieval. The Hudson Library & Historical Society is in the process of placing our finding aids online, which will be accessible through the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository or through a link from the collection in the library’s catalog. The full list (see below) of the manuscript collections also provides a link to the collections with an online finding aid.

Manuscript Collections by Title

A

American Legion, Lee Bishop Post No. 464 records

Finding aid available online

B

Collection on Caroline Baldwin Babcock	Finding aid available online
Bandstand papers
Donald Barlow papers
Janet Barlow papers	Finding aid available online
William M. Beebe, Jr papers
Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial, Hudson
Bishop Family Papers
Brewster family papers
Brown Family Association reunion records
Charles Brocton Brown collection
Jeremiah Root Brown and Clark family papers
Oliver O. Brown collection
Brown Family Association reunion records
Harrison Bubb collection on the Western Reserve Academy controversy	Finding aid available online
Anne Hopkins Burnham collection	Finding aid available online

C

James Caccamo (The Story of Hudson, Ohio)
Jerome Taylor collection on canals
Alice Munson Case receipt book	Finding aid available online
Lora Case manuscript for Hudson of Long Ago
Case-Barlow Farm bicentennial papers	Finding aid available online
Hudson cemeteries papers
Christ Church, Episcopal (Hudson, Ohio) papers
Alonzo Church family papers
Civil Defense Committee papers
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad Company (Akron Branch) logs	Finding aid available online
Cleveland and Twinsburgh Plank Road (Hudson Branch) stock share book	Finding aid available online
Curtis family papers	Finding aid available online
Spencer Dudley Corlett diaries	Finding aid available online

D

Harry H. Darrow diaries	Finding aid available online
Daughters of the American Revolution, David Hudson Chapter records
Kathleen Cooper Dautel papers	Finding aid available online
Henry Noble Day letters and covers
Discussion Club (Hudson, Ohio) papers	Finding aid available online
Luella Crawford Dodds papers	Finding aid available online
Gertrude W. Donahey papers	Finding aid available online
Doncaster Funeral Home papers	Finding aid available online

E

The Eight and Forty, Summit County Salon No. 165 (Hudson, Ohio) records	Finding aid available online
Election campaign collection
C.F. Elliman appointment books and logs	Finding aid available online
Virginia Ellis papers	Finding aid available online
Ellsworth & Buss daybook	Finding aid available online
Ellsworth family papers
Ellsworth, Forbush, and Boyd families papers	Finding aid available online
James Ellsworth collection
William A. Ellsworth papers	Finding aid available online
The Establishment Club (Hudson, Ohio) records	Finding aid available online
Benjamin Excell papers

F

Farrar family papers
First Congregational Church (Hudson, Ohio) records	Finding aid available online
Flood Company records	Finding aid available online
Friends of YDC records	Finding aid available online

G

Guy Garman papers	Finding aid available online
George W. Gaylord letters	Finding aid available online
Clarence S. Gee collection on John Brown
George H. and Alice A. Gott papers	Finding aid available online
Green plan collection
Beriah Green papers
Greeting card collection	Finding aid available online

H

Emma Hagenbaugh diaries
Rev. William Hanford papers
Jessie A. Harper papers	Finding aid available online
Hastings Society of Hudson records	Finding aid available online
Hayes and Hermann families papers
Historic houses and architecture
Hudson, Ohio, Township and Village records
Hudson, Ohio, Village Council minutes
Hudson Bandstand Committee scrapbooks	Finding aid available online
Hudson Club records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Concert Series Association records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Cornet Band records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Encores records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Explorers Soccer Team records	Finding aid available online
Hudson family papers
Hudson Farms Homeowners Association
Hudson Fire Department records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Garage Company account book	Finding aid available online
Hudson Garden Club papers
Hudson Genealogical Study Group papers
Hudson Handicrafters papers
Hudson Home Day Association minutes and register	Finding aid available online
Hudson Jolly Club minutes	Finding aid available online
Hudson League for Service scrapbooks
Hudson Library & Historical Society records	Finding aid available online
Friends of the Hudson Library & Historical Society records
Hudson Newcomers Club records
Hudson Parent-Teacher Association records
Hudson Park Board records
Hudson pioneers collection
Hudson Players records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Preschool Parents records
Hudson (Ohio). Police Department photographs	Finding aid available online
Hudson Schools programs collection
Hudson Schools collection
Hudson Senior Citizens records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Water Department records	Finding aid available online
Hudson Yacht Club records
David Hudson papers
Humphrey family papers

I

Grace Goulder Izant papers

J

Jenkins family papers	Finding aid available online
Alice Johnson "Musical Chairs on Main Street, Hudson, Ohio," collection	Finding aid available online
Dorothy "Flit" Jones papers	Finding aid available online

K

Helen Kitzmiller scrapbook on Wester Souburg	Finding aid available online
Kiwanis Club of Hudson papers

L

Ladies Aid Society for Relief of Sick and Wounded Soldiers papers
Ladies Cemetery Association records	Finding Aid Available Online
Minnie L. MacDowell collection on Angelo Lavelli	Finding Aid Available Online
League of Women Voters records

M

Tom Manthey papers	Finding aid available online
Markillie family papers
Mayor's Court (Hudson, Ohio) dockets	Finding aid available online
Newton McCracken letters	Finding aid available online
Shelby McMillion letters	Finding aid available online
Merger collection
Metcalf family papers	Finding aid available online
Ralph Willis Miner papers	Finding aid available online
William Moos photographs	Finding aid available online
Nellie Morrell papers	Finding aid available online

O

Oviatt family papers For the Samuel Oviatt (1741-1818) branch, see the Dorothy Elizabeth Walker and Oviatt family papers For the Heman Oviatt (1821-1895) branch, see the Heman Oviatt, Jr. (1821-1895) family papers
Heman Oviatt, Jr. (1821-1895) family papers	Finding aid available online

Q

Questers Club records

R

Read family papers
Mrs. Matthew C. (Orissa) Read herbarium
Richard Realf papers
Joan Drew Richings collection
Rideout family papers	Finding aid available online
Roach family papers
Elizabeth Royon collection

S

S. Straight & Co. records	Finding aid available online
Sabin family papers
Saywell family and business collection
Robert A. Seeley photograph collection	Finding aid available online
Simon family papers
Starr family papers
State Road Farm Women's Club

T

Tallmadge, Ohio papers
Terex collection	Finding aid available online
Thompson family papers	Finding aid available online
Trowbridge family papers

V

Veterans History Project collection	Finding aid available online
Viers family papers
Oswald Garrison Villard Ohio interviews

W

Dorothy Elizabeth Walker and Oviatt family papers	Finding aid available online
Watson-Crisp papers
Western Reserve Christian Church records	Finding aid available online
Western Reserve College papers
Western Reserve College catalogues
John B. Whedon account book	Finding aid available online
Frank White journal
Wilder family correspondence	Finding aid available online
Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Hudson, Ohio records	Finding aid available online
Woman's Club (Hudson, Ohio) papers
Clayton Eugene Woodworth papers	Finding aid available online
Hudson, Ohio, World War II papers
Elizur Wright publications	Finding aid available online