Goshen Local History Resources: Manuscript Collection

Our Manusript Collection contains approximately eleven thousand documents representing eight prinicipal groups.

Coleman Papers - These are papers of an old Orange County Family, some of whose members were attorneys. They are notable for a series of hand-written boks containing transcriptions of genealogical data.

Ogden Hoffman Papers -Ogden Hoffman (1793 - 1856) was a scuccessful attorney who practiced in Goshen and in New York City. He was very active in politics and held many national, state, and local offices. The more significant documents concern his dealings with Commodore Matthew C. Perry.

Miscellaneous Papers - These are documents from a variety of source, but not in sufficient number to be grouped under a separate title. Included in the documents are interesting CIvil War letters.

Ambrose S. Murray Papers - Ambrose S. Murray (1807 - 1885) was an office holder and banker. For forty years he was the President of The Bank of Orange County, estabilshed at Goshen in 1813. There are many items of a political nature and of interest are the letters to him from his family.

Samuel S. Seward Papers - Samuel S. Seward (1768 - 1849) is a good example of a very versatile man. He as a physician, judge, office holder, local financier and philanthropist. His papers include letters from his famous son, William Henry, Lincoln's secretary of state, and from otehr members of his family.

Smith Family Papers (1744 - 1910) - These papers, some dating before the Revolution and of the many branches of the family, furnish details of teh every day life of the middle class people.

Wickham Papers - William Wickham (1732 - 1814) and his son, George D. Wickham (1772 - 1845) were among the most important persons in Orange County for an eighty-year period. William, a very prominent attorney in New York City and later in Goshen, adn George D., a banker in Goshen, displayed, among other qualities, aggressiveness and speculative finesse in various fields. Most notable among the papers are the very numerous ones dealing with the "Drowned Lands" and the Wawayanda Patent.

James W. Wilkin Papers - James W. WIlkin (1762 - 1845), was a prominent attorney in Goshen. He hald many important public offices. His interest in military pension rights is shown among the papers.

Henry G. Wisner Papers - Henry G. Wisner (1777 - 1842), a grandson of Henry Wisner of Continental Congress fame, was an attorney in Goshen whose legal papers include nearly every aspect of civil actions while the personal ones detail his daily life. The bills for goods and services protray good living by the affluent.

Taken from A Guide to the Manuscript Collection of the Goshen Library and Historical Society compiled by Henry Pomares.