Manuscripts
The entire collection spans 240 years of American history and includes seven generations of the Howell and Taylor families starting with Ebenezer Howell, who was born at sea en route to Delaware from Wales in 1725, and ending with William Henry Taylor born in Pomona, California in 1912. The collection covers land ownership in the New Jersey colony, the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War, the Civil War and Jefferson Davis, the removal of the Pawnees to their new reservation in Indian Territory, farming in early 20th century southern California, the Gila River Relocation Center, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and refugees in post-World War II Europe, and life in late 20th century southern California. More detailed scope and content notes are below: Manuscripts The inclusive dates for the 13 manuscripts are c.1776-1949. They include a note by A. N. Burgess regarding lumber prices; a journal, memorandum, and notebook by Joseph Burr Howell; four diaries of Phoebe Sutton Howell (1897-1901); the Constitution, By-laws, and Meeting Minutes of the Mount Laurel Lyceum; a report to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration by William Henry Taylor (1945); a notebook regarding Engle family genealogy; and an obituary for George F. Howell, 1878-1949. There is also a list of evidence in a possible court-martial against James Matthews (c.1776), written to Major Richard Howell by an unknown author. The manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by author. Correspondence There are 1,077 pieces of correspondence in the collection with the inclusive dates of 1776-1985. The majority of the correspondence is written by members of the Howell and Taylor families. The subjects range from the Revolutionary War to post-World War II Europe and California in the late 20th century. The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by author and addressee. A detailed description of the correspondence, by family member (the number in parentheses, following each name, is the number of letters by that individual): Howell, Richard, 1754-1802 (4)
Subject in Letter (1776, Sep. 26) to his twin brother Lewis Howell, 1754-1778, and a letter by Lewis Howell (1776, June 26) to his father, Ebenezer Howell, discuss the Howell brothers' experience in the Revolutionary War.
Howell, Joseph Burr, 1794-1874 (26)
Subject in Letters (1853-1871) regarding family-owned fisheries, land, business, etc., in New Jersey.
Howell, William Burr, 1796-1863 (26)
Subject in Letters (1832-1861) to brother Joseph B. Howell regarding his move to New Orleans, and his family's participation in the Mexican War and the Civil War, and his son-in-law Jefferson Davis.
Gläser, Beulah Howell (4)
Subject in Letters (1837-1862) from Germany and New York. Twenty-four letters by her son, Franklin Gläser, containing family news, and comments on European opinion of Civil War.
Agnew, Sarah Howell (18)
Subject in Letters from Sarah Howell Agnew (1835-1867) discuss the Civil War, Jefferson Davis, slaves, and cholera breakout in Pittsburgh. Also 4 letters (1839-1866) by her daughter Mary Agnew Allen, mention war conditions in Batesville, Arkansas, and escaped slaves.
Davis, Varina, 1826-1906 (2)
Subject in Letters (1850-1858) to her uncle Joseph B. Howell. Also 2 letters (1853-1858) by Jefferson Davis to Joseph B. Howell. Added note: Letters by Jefferson Davis Howell (Varina's brother) mention Jefferson Davis.
Howell, George F., 1844-1909 (146)
Subject in Letters (1837-1905) to his parents and his wife, Phoebe Sutton Howell. Letters discuss his work with the Pawnee in Nebraska and Oklahoma. There are many other letters that talk about the reservation and a scandal involving payroll records; the authors of those letters are William D. Bishop, William Burgess, Stacy Matlack and Charles H. Searing. Also 78 letters (1870-1898) by Phoebe Sutton Howell, chiefly regarding family news.
Taylor, Mary Howell (11)
Subject in Letters (1883-1926) to family from Pasadena and San Dimas. Also 24 letters by her husband, Levi Shoemaker Taylor. These letters mainly contain family news, but also provide a look at life in early 20th century southern California.
Taylor, William Henry (157)
Subject in Letters (1921-1946) to different family members; largest group of letters are written to his wife, Jean Engle Taylor, while he was in Arizona and Europe (1942- 1946). He was working at the Gila River Relocation Center and in Europe with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNNRA); he was stationed in Egypt, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Austria and France. William spent a lot of time in Belgrade, Serbia, and several of his letters describe the conditions of the city. There are also 31 letters (1938-1965) by Jean Engle Taylor to her mother and friends regarding her life in Pasadena, her work in the Pasadena Playhouse, and art school.
Ephemera There are 680 pieces of ephemera with the inclusive dates of 1750-1990. The ephemera includes albums, certificates, court documents, diplomas, empty envelopes, financial records, genealogy notes regarding the Howell, Taylor and Engle families, land deeds, land surveys and maps, leases, marriage records, pamphlets, wills, tracts, notes, and newspaper clippings. There are over 300 photographs, which include daguerreotypes, cyanotypes, photograph albums, and portraits of individual family members and friends, as well as group and candid shots. Also included are fifteen stereographs of Pawnee Indians by William Henry Jackson [c.1868-1871] and two issues of The Indian Herald (1876). There is also ephemera related to the Howell family-owned Gloucester Fishery and the Engle family-owned Engleside resort, both of which were in New Jersey. Some notable items contained in the Miscellaneous Ephemera folders are: two tracts regarding the "slavery question" [c.1860]; a map of New York [c.1861]; pamphlet "Irving's Rip Van Winkle" with an insert regarding Edwin Booth and Booth's Theater (1870); published version of the will of George Washington (1876); pamphlet entitled "Major Richard Howell of New Jersey: A Centennial Sketch" (1876); map of Pasadena [c.1902]; dissertation by Levi Shoemaker Taylor entitled "An Electrical Method for the Combustion of Organic Compounds" (1905); and a map of Oklahoma Territory [before 1907]. The oversize ephemera contains photographs, diplomas, and marriage records; the ephemera also includes several monographs that belonged to the families.
