Subject: Oliver Farnsworth, Windsor, Vermont
Sources: Various, Cited
Subject: Personal Letters of Oliver Farnsworth
Source: Galena, Illinois - Main Street Fine Books
FARNSWORTH, Oliver (1755-1859). Early, influential American printer.
Letter: 4pp - Newport, RI
dated: 1858 December 25.
Addressed to Hillman B. Barnes. Very good. Mild age toning.
Accompanied by a 4½" X 2" slip signed in full.
Fascinating, lengthy letter in which Farnsworth, at age 84, reviews his
achievements.
In part:
"...I was not a Hero of the Revolution. When Gen. Jackson called for an
increase of his army at New Orleans, I volunteered my services in a Company
of Horse in Vermont, and held myself ready to march at an hour's notice. But
the call was not made until the News of Peace arrived."
"My Father was in the Battle of Bennington, when I was only 2 years old in
1777.... I was a practical Printer during my early life. In 1797, I
commenced the publication of a Weekly Journal , called the Rhode Island
Republican which was continued 7 or 8 years.
I then removed to Windsor, Vermont, where I printed a weekly paper for many
years.
Previous to leaving Rhode Island, I published the first (book) Life of
Washington, the next year after his Death that was ever issued from the
Press -- entitled:
" Memory of Washington "
The following excerpt contains a valuable firsthand account of printing in
early Cincinnati and of the publishing of Farnsworth's now-rare "Cincinnati
Directory," the first directory of that city:
" I removed from Vermont to Cincinnati, in 1818, where I carried on Book
Printing & Bookbinding for nearly a quarter of a Century. The fire finally
consumed my office and its contents, valued at some eight or nine thousand
Dollars, with no insurance."
"The first book I published in that city, was a Directory, that contained
about 200 pages, and a splendid Map of the City. The population at that
period was but a little over Nine thousand."
" Not a single number had been placed on any Building in any of the Streets.
By permission of the Mayor and Council, I put up nearly 1000 Numbers on the
several Buildings on the principal Streets -- which enabled me to take the
names, residents and business of the inhabitants then in the City."
"I can therefore say, with truth, that I placed the first Numbers on the
buildings; published the first Directory; printed the first Spelling Book,
(Noah Webster's) on Stereotype Plates; printed also, the first Pictorial
Primer, and the first Almanac that was ever published West of the
Alleghanies."
Altogether a remarkable piece of Americana offering valuable information on
both Ohio and Rhode Island.
<A
HREF="http://www.wcinet.com/msfbooks/autogrph.cfm?c=Americana"&...
Street Fine Books - Galena Il</A>
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Oliver Farnsworth Line of Descent Farnsworth Memorial
Source: Farnsworth Memorial
p.362
Oliver Farnsworth & his wife, Elizabeth Wheeler
* see also: p.612 of Hist. of Charlestown NH
Oliver Farnsworth b. Dec 8, 1742 son of Stephen Farnsworth
(founder of Fort 4, Charlestown, NH)
and his wife, Eunice Hastings of Watertown, MA.
Oliver Farnsworth m. July 5, 1768 Elizabeth Wheeler b. June 24, 1750 dau.
of Moses Wheeler and his wife Elizabeth (Holden) Wheeler of Groton, MA
& Fort 4.
They lived in Charlestown, NH, 5 years before moving to Woodstock, VT, where
they purchased a 420 acre farm in District Nine. He held several public
offices and the D.A.R. listed him for civil service and patriotic service. He
was a
printer and probably the 1st of the family to learn the art. He was taken
sick about
Nov 1, 1785 and died then or shortly after at Woodstock, VT.
p.364
Oliver Farnsworth and his wife, Elizabeth Wheeler had issue at Charlestown,
NH
and at Woodstock VT:
1.
Havilah Farnsworth b. May 11, 1769 d. Feb 8, 1834 at Euclid, Ohio He m.
Abigail Huntington b. 1767 d. 1805 prob. at Euclid. She was the dau of
John Huntington and his wife Mehitable (Steel) Huntington of Tolland CT.
He was first in the printing business at Newport RI with his brother, Oliver
Farnsworth, Jr.,but later became a doctor and removed to Euclid Twp. Cuyahoga
Co., Ohio. He was the 1st doctor in that township. His visits to his patients
were on horseback and often 15 or 20 miles.
2.
Abijah Farnsworth b. Mar 12, 1770 m. Betsey Peck
3.
Biel (or Abiel) Farnsworth b. Dec 25, 1772 m. at Woodstock, VT Elizabeth.
He went west prob with his uncle, Warren Cottle and was at St. Charles Co.
MO in 1830.
4.
Oliver Farnsworth Jr. b. Dec 10, 1775 and d. 1859 at Newport RI m. Nancy
(or Anne) Mumford. He and his brother, Havilah, having learned their
father's trade, on June 14, 1797 commenced the publication of a newspaper at
Suffield, CT called "The Impartial Herald". They continued it for a year
when they sold out and removed to Newport, RI where they opened a printing
office
and the schedules of the General Assembly of that state for the year 1798
bear
the imprint of "H. & O. Farnsworth". In 1799 Oliver Farnsworth Jr. commenced
the publication of the "Rhode Island Republican" and continued it two years.
He also published a life of Washington under the title "A Memory of
Washington, His life and character and the National Testimonies of Respect."
It was a first attempt at a collection of the most important of
Washington's papers.
After leaving Newport, RI he went to Cinncinnati, Ohio then the "far west" on
the verge of the wilderness. There he opened the first printing office and
published the first newspaper in that region of the country. In his old age
he
returned to Newport, RI.
5.
Elizabeth Farnsworth
6.
Phebe Farnsworth.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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