William Batchelder Correspondence, 1851-1910 (bulk 1863-1886)About 900 letters, many with envelopes; 10 pieces of printed ephemera. The Batchelder correspondence consists primarily of business and personal letters directed to William Batchelder, an oar manufacturer in Lancaster, Coos County, New Hampshire. Batchelder was born in Effingham, New Hampshire in 1826 or 1827, the eldest son of the farmer Stephen Batchelder (1791-1870) and Betsey Hutching. The family's involvement with the crafting of oars dates to at least the 1850s; in the 1860 federal census both Stephen and William Batchelder are identified as "Master Oarmakers". After the Civil War W. & J. Batchelder (subsequently William Batchelder & Co.) grew into an important supplier for oar retailers in Boston, Portland, Gloucester, and elsewhere. By the later 1870s Batchelder was receiving orders from firms in Chicago and San Francisco. Individual orders range from a few oars to more than 500. Many of his wholesale customers were boat builders, including at least one—Oliver & Tullis of Philadelphia—who specialized in racing shells. The Batchelder collection includes around 730 incoming business letters, ranging in date from 1863 to 1886. Common types include orders, inquiries, freight and shipping arrangements, late payment excuses, and occasional complaints regarding quality. Some of these letters include Batchelder's endorsements, often in shorthand. Taken together, the letters shed light on most aspects of Batchelder's business, from raw material procurement and product promotion to sales, shipping, credit extension, and payment. Also in the collection are around 220 personal letters, mostly directed to William and mostly dating from the 1860s, 70s, and 80s. These are typically from his parents, his many siblings, and his children. Some have a direct bearing on the business, especially those written in the 1860s by his brother (and partner) John (b. 1829). MSN MN 5010-1 to MSN/MN 5010-112.