Donald and Barbara Gorrell Family Papers (Kunkle and Cocanower Families)

The Donald and Barbara Gorrell Family Papers are divided into two categories: the Kunkle Family Papers and the Cocanower Family Papers. Both collections are somewhat sketchy and deal largely with the business dealings of the two families.

The Kunkle Family Papers (1848-1922) present a limited view of the very successful business dealings of the Kunkle Family in Williams County, Ohio through property tax receipts, business tax receipts, and stock certificates. The personal correspondence (1881-1882, 1904) is even more narrow, but does provide a short narrative of the westward move of the John H. Kunkle family to Kansas in the early 1880s and an interesting description of an 1881 company meeting. Also, of particular interest is the reprinted 1500 word narrative of Lavina Bargasier Kunkle, sister-in-law of Henry S. Kunkle, in which she recounts her travels to Williams County, Ohio from Pennsylvania and gives a brief genealogy (no date is given).

The Conanower Family Papers are narrower yet in overall scope, but provide a detailed account of the business transactions of Sylvester Cocanower, a carpenter in Williams County for approximately 40 years, through eighteen of his personal journals (1892-1931).

Parts of the Cocanower Family Papers are the school souvenir books of Dora (Divine) Cocanower and Mary Elsie (Cocanower) Kunkle. Also, contained within the Donald and Barbara Gorrell Family Papers are several well preserved photos, which unfortunately have neither names nor dates with which to identify them.