William Willder Wheildon Papers, 1838-1889
Mr. Wheildon looking from Nashawtuc toward Elm Street
Vault A45, Wheildon, Unit 1
EXTENT : 2.75 linear feet.
ORGANIZATION: Three series: I. Manuscripts, [1875]-1889; II . Scrapbooks, 1838-1889; III. Printed pamphlets, 1849-1876.
BIOGRAPHY: William Willder Wheildon was a printer, publisher, editor, journalist, lecturer, and a writer on historical and literary topics. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1805 and died in Concord , Massachusetts in 1892. He founded the Bunker Hill Aurora in Charlestown in 1827 and continued to publish it until 1870. He purchased a home in Concord in 1846, and maintained a winter residence at Charlestown until 1856, when he made Concord his permanent home. He was a Freemason, member of Concord 's Corinthian Lodge, and Corresponding Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. He was also a member of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Historical Association, Concord Antiquarian Society, Social Circle in Concord, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Wheildon was treasurer of the Peterborough and Shirley Railroad and president of the Boston and Chelsea Railroad. He was the author of numerous historical pieces, particularly on aspects of the American Revolution. He was an advocate of free bridges during the 1820s and 1830s. He contributed to the sections on the Concord Grape, Masonic societies, and Walden Pond in George B. Bartlett's Concord Guide Book .
SCOPE AND CONTENT: Papers, 1838-1889, consist of manuscripts ([1875]-1889), scrapbooks (1838-1889), and printed pamphlets (1849-1876). Manuscripts include [1875] “New History of the Battle of Bunker Hill” (printed in the Boston Daily Herald , also separately by Lee and Shepard of Boston) and piece relating to Battle of Concord and North Bridge. Scrapbooks include: Wheildon's “Editorial Correspondence,” clipped from Bunker Hill Aurora and other papers; his Boston Sunday Herald column “Curiosities of the Market,” dealing with availability, condition, and price of produce, meat, and other food items; “Miscellaneous Papers: Editorials in the Boston Herald ”; “Historical Sketches” from various newspapers; and topical scrapbooks of clippings (pieces by Wheildon and others) on a variety of subjects—“Social Life in Concord,” “Massachusetts Railroads,” “Concord Fight,” “The Great West,” “Rise and Progress of the Revolution, and Battle of Bunker Hill,” “The Revolutionary War in Massachusetts,” “Popular Mention of the Christmas [and other] Holidays . . . ,” “Defence of Mrs. General Gage from the Charge of Having Divulged the Secrets of her Husband . . . ,” [Concord School of Philosophy], “Massachusetts Centennial,” “Settlement of Concord . . . Ipswich . . . Hingham,” “The ‘Blue Laws' of Connecticut and Massachusetts, 1630-1640,” “The Boston Massacre (1770); the Massacre Monument (1888),” and “Home Life a Century Ago.” Printed pamphlets reflect the range of Wheildon's writings and activities.
SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift of W.W. Wheildon and family, 1880-1892.
RESTRICTIONS ON USE: Photocopy from scrapbooks is not permitted.
AVAILABILITY ON MICROFILM: Scrapbook “Social Life in Concord ” is available on microfilm for use in Library.
NOTES & COMMENTS: Ms. piece relating to Battle of Concord and North Bridge : Transfer from Letter File 6, N2, March 1995; Majority of scrapbooks: Transfer from Concord Authors Collection, April 1997. Several items: Accession 15694, 15747, 24333-24336, 1880, 1882.
PROCESSED BY: LPW, 1997; Finding aid, C. Manoli-Skocay, September 2006.
Container List
Series I. Manuscripts, [1875]-1889.
Box 1, Folder 1:
Manuscripts: New History of the Battle of Bunker Hill , [1875]
Box 1, Folder 2:
Manuscripts: Manuscript piece (with mounted printed item) relating to Battle of Concord and North Bridge , 1889
Series II. Scrapbooks, 1838-1889.
Box 1, Folder 3:
no. 1 a. Editorial correspondence, 1838, 1851
Box 1, Folder 4:
no. 1 b. Editorial correspondence, 1842, 1872-1873
Box 1, Folder 5:
no. 1 c. Editorial correspondence, 1851, 1868-1875
Box 1, Folder 6:
no. 3. Brainotypes, or papers composed in type and never written, 1864
Box 1, Folder 7:
no. 4. Massachusetts railroads, 1867-1873
Box 1, Folder 8:
no. 6. The Great West, 1868-1873
Box 1, Folder 9:
no. 7. Rise and Progress of the Revolution, and Battle of Bunker Hill , 1875
Box 1, Folder 10:
no. 8. The Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, April 19, 1775 to March 17, 1776 , 1876-1877
Box 1, Folder 11:
no. 9. Popular mention of the Christmas holidays:
New Years and Candlemas & c., 1876-1880
Box 1, Folder 12:
no. 10 a. Curiosities of the market, 1876-1877
Box 1, Folder 13:
no. 10 b. Curiosities of the market, 1878
Box 1, Folder 14:
no. 10 c. Curiosities of the market, 1879
Box 1, Folder 15:
no. 10 d. Curiosities of the market. 1880
Box 1, Folder 16:
no. 11. Curiosities of the market, 1876-1880
Box 1, Folder 17:
no. 12. Miscellaneous papers—editorials in the Boston Herald , 1876-1881
Box 1, Folder 18:
no. 13. Defence of Mrs. Gen. Gage from the charge of having divulged the secrets of her husband . . . in reply to Samuel A. Drake, 1879
Box 1, Folder 19:
no. 15. Massachusetts Centennial, 1880 (plus one clipping, 1881)
Box 1, Folder 20:
no. 16. Historical sketches, 1880-1888
Box 1, Folder 21:
no. 18. The “Blue Laws” of Connecticut and Massachusetts (1630-1640), 1886
Box 1, Folder 22:
no. 19. The Boston Massacre (1770) and The Massacre Monument (1888), 1888
Box 1, Folder 23:
no. 20. Home life a century ago, 1889
(Oversize scrapbooks nos. 2, 5, 14 and 17, from Series II are found in Boxes 2 and 3)
Series III. Printed pamphlets, 1849-1876.
Box 1, Folder 24:
Printed pamphlets, 1849-1876
Box 2 contains oversize items (no. 2 and no. 5) from Series II: Scrapbooks
Box 2, Folder 1:
(oversize) no. 2. Social life in Concord . . . , 1847-1889 (labeled . . . 1830-1890)
Box 2, Folder 2:
(oversize) no. 5. Concord Fight—Events of April 19 th, 1775; Centennial Celebration, 1867-1885
Box 3 contains oversize items (no. 14 and no. 17) from Series II: Scrapbooks
Box 3, Folder 1:
(oversize) no. 14. [Concord School of Philosophy Scrapbooks], 1879-1887
Box 3, Folder 2:
(oversize) no. 17. Settlement of Concord , Mass. . . . Ipswich . . . Hingham , 1881-1889 (bulk 1884-1885) (1 item 1881 laid in, 1 item 1889)
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Mounted 23rd September 2006. rcwh.