This collection was preserved and made accessible online through the NYG&B's Digitize New York initiative.
The Mathewson Papers is a manuscript collection documenting the lives, relationships, and activities of members of the Mathewson family, particularly Philip Mathewson and Jeremiah A. Mathewson, and their broader community. Spanning from 1763 onward, the collection references several locations in New York State, including Pulaski and Richland in Oswego County, as well as Canaan in Columbia County and Hamilton in Madison County. Additional references appear to places outside New York, including Vermont and Rhode Island. The materials also reflect family connections to the Shaker community in New Lebanon, New York.
The collection includes a variety of paper materials, such as correspondence, notes, and other documents created or maintained by members of the Mathewson family. These materials provide context for understanding family networks, movement within and beyond New York State, and patterns of life in the northeastern United States, including participation in or proximity to Shaker communities.
The Mathewson Papers were digitized in partnership with the Pulaski Historical Society.
Use the waypoint links to navigate to each volume to browse. Volumes correspond to original binders of scanned materials.
Pulaski House Tavern Register and Early Family Papers, 1763–1940
Includes the bound Pulaski House tavern register (1841–1848) followed by loose receipts, invoices, correspondence, price lists, and a household recipe. Materials span 1763–1940, with the majority dating to the nineteenth century.
Early Family, Legal, and Shaker-Related Documents, 1763–1837
Loose papers including bills, receipts, a deed of gift, estate settlement documents, correspondence, American Revolution–era materials, and a contract between Angel Mathewson and the Shakers. Primarily late eighteenth century, with some later items.
Mathewson Family Bible Records, 1769–1863
Pages from a family Bible documenting births, marriages, and deaths of Angel Mathewson and family members.
Deeds, Accounts, and Shaker Writings, 1818–1830
Loose deeds, correspondence, loan agreements, a small notebook with genealogical information, excerpts from Shaker-related publications (including one by Ann Mathewson), tavern expense accounts, and a 1829 narrative account of Uriah Cross’s American Revolutionary service.
Family Correspondence and Legal Papers, 1830–1840
Loose family letters, recipes, receipts, deeds, court papers relating to debts, bills, and liquor licenses.
Business, Family, and Civil War–Era Papers, 1811–1875
A bound expense book (mid-nineteenth century) along with loose bills, agreements, receipts, family and business correspondence, insurance policies, and a Civil War–era letter from Angell Mathewson. Majority of materials date from 1840–1860.
Estate, Business, and Wemple Family Materials, 1864–1890
Includes notice of mortgage sale from the Mathewson estate, business and family correspondence, receipts, insurance policies, the 1865 will of Myndert D. Wemple, a published funeral sermon for Lt. David Deuane Wemple, U.S. Navy, and a photograph.
Late Family Correspondence and Jeremiah A. Mathewson Notebooks, 1890–1941
Family letters, family history notes, newspaper clippings (including the 1913 death of Colonel Angell Mathewson), greeting cards, postcards, and notebooks belonging to J. A. Mathewson containing journal-style entries and civic lists.
Mathewson Gazette Newsletters and Financial Records, 1866–1980s
Includes Mathewson Gazette family newsletters from the 1980s and an indexed deposit book dating 1866–1868.