Hood, Pargellis, and Carter families papers

The Bertha M. Carter papers are subdivided into three categories: the papers of the Hood Family, the papers of the Pargellis Family, and the Carter Family papers. Included with the collection are manuscript and public records documenting the activities of these three families.

The Hood Family papers present a sketchy portrait of two generations of one family. The correspondence (1836-1867) largely pertains to the European trip of George Hood and farm business. Of interest are the travel journals; one maintained by Henry Hood in 1832 and he searched for an area in which to settle, and the others maintained by George Hood as he traveled throughout Europe, Egypt, and parts of Africa. Also of interest are diaries (1882-1904) maintained probably by John Hood, which document daily weather conditions. Also included in the papers are legal documents such as land records and citizenship papers, and account books and ledger sheets document the farming interests.

The Pargellis Family papers are much more extensive, especially the correspondence, which dates from 1827-1938. The correspondence is arranged by the name of the person receiving the letters and then by the name of the correspondent. This correspondence generally details family events and the farm business in Wood County. Of interest is correspondence to Andrew Sr. and his wife, Elizabeth, documenting their preparation for their trip to the United States and their settling in Wood County. Correspondence to Alexander (Co. K, 49th O.V.I.) and Robert (Co. C, 21st O.V.I.) documents their military service during the Civil War. Later correspondence to Alexander and Margaret describes their business dealings in Florida, where they owned grapefruit and orange groves. A few diary entries also document Andrew Sr.'s trip to the United States and the Civil War experience of Co. H, First Ohio Militia of Middleton Township. Legal documents include citizenship papers, land records, and Civil War pension and discharge papers. The account books document the stationer business of Andrew Sr. while in Scotland and also the farm business in Hull Prairie. The section of Pargellis papers also includes public records and manuscript items which document the Pargellis and Hood family members' participation in the development of Middleton Township, Hull Prairie, and Wood County, Ohio. Middleton Township school records and account books date from 1842-1885. The records of the Hood Presbyterian Church, 1860-1907, reflect the interest and monetary assistance of Henry Hood, Sr. Various agricultural and educational organizations are reflective of the interests of both the Hood and Pargellis families and include the McKinley Club, the Garfield Club, Temperance Unions, the Lyceum, and the Grange. Printed material, newsclippings, and photographs complete the Pargellis Family papers.

The Carter Family papers form the final component of the collection. Representing two generations of the Carter Family, the material spans the period from the early 1900's through 1945. The bulk of the collection concerns the life and activities of John Richard Carter, an electrical engineer, who worked for the Isthmian Canal Commission at Gatun, Canal Zone, and served during World War I with Co. F, 37th Engineers. His correspondence includes a series of letters written from Gatun during 1914, describing work testing new water power houses for the Canal and general life in the tropics. During military service, he sent numerous postcards depicting army life at Camp Sheridan, near Montgomery, Alabama, as well as scenes around Europe. Returning to the United States in 1919, Carter died aboard ship, two days before landing. Several items in the collection, including an obituary, card of thanks, and newsclipping, reflect the tragic end of his life. The remaining items are connected to Earnest W. Carter, the other son of Samuel Carter. Also serving in Europe during the war, his papers include a series of postcards, a family photograph album, and an article about the oil and gas industry in Wood County.

HOOD FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE; 1836-1867; Arranged by Hood family members and alphabetically by receiving correspondent's name. Includes letters written by George Hood to his brothers which detail his European trip, and letters written by James Hood to brother, George, pertaining to the farm.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE; 1864, undated; Arranged by correspondent's name, if given. Includes letters written by Henry Easton and his mother as well as unsigned letters.

HOOD FAMILY HISTORY; 1836-1891 (scattered); Arranged chronologically. Includes notes on major events of Hood family; also, death dates of many family members are given.

SERMON/SPEECH; undated. Unsigned and incomplete sermon or speech--handwritten.

TRAVEL JOURNALS; 1832, 1856-1858, 1863-1864; Arranged chronologically. Includes a journal (1832) on the travels of Henry Hood, Sr., as he searched for a place to settle. Also includes travel journals of George Hood providing accounts of his trips to Europe, Africa, and Egypt.

WEATHER DIARIES; 1882-1888, 1897-1904; Arranged chronologically. Includes daily entries describing weather conditions. Also includes a few scattered notations as to visitors, deaths, etc.

LAND RECORDS; 1841, 1861, 1862; Arranged chronologically. Includes contracts to sell land owned by Hood family and a land claim made by Henry and John Hood.

CITIZENSHIP PAPERS; 1839, 1843, 1847, 1862; Arranged chronologically. Includes naturalization papers for Henry Hood and various citizenship papers for James Hood.

LEGAL PAPERS-MISCELLANEOUS; 1854, 1901; Arranged by type of documents. Includes a cemetery deed and a copy of a Perrysburg Village ordinance.

ACCOUNT BOOKS; 1841-1858, 1863-1864, 1874-1878, 1903, 1911; Arranged chronologically and by type of account book. Includes account books of Henry Hood (1841-1858) detailing expenditures and receipts by account name, an estate account book of Henry Hood (1874-1878), travel account book of George Hood (1863-1864) and a farm account ledger (1903-1911).

ACCOUNT SHEETS; 1818-1819, 1824; Arranged chronologically. Includes miscellaneous sheets detailing the accounts of the Hood family.

RECEIPTS; 1838-1855, 1873-1904 (scattered); Arranged by type of receipt and chronologically. Includes receipts from Henry Hood's estate, receipts for funeral expenses of Henry, Isabel and Thomas Hood, land and miscellaneous receipts of John and Henry Hood and receipts of J.H. Rheinfrank.

Includes letters written to Andrew Pargellis, Sr., his wife, Elizabeth, their children and grandchildren, most of which pertain to family, travel and business matters. Of special interest are letters writ ten to Andrew and Elizabeth from Elizabeth's parents in Scotland, and letters written during the Civil War to Robert and Alexander Pargellis who were serving in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Also includes correspondence and files on the Master Farm Homemaker Award to Margaret Pargellis Robertson.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION; 1819-1890's (scattered), undated; Arranged chronologically. Includes letters and typed copies certifying Andrew Pargellis and Elizabeth's marriage, church affiliation, business standing in Glasgow to assist in a move to the United States. Also includes information on John Taylor and Robertson family.

DIARIES; 1843, 1847, 1848, 1863, 1914-?, 1927-1928; Arranged by name of person keeping the diary. Includes scattered entries from Andrew Pargellis, Sr. diary, proceedings of Co. H, First Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, travel diary kept by Gertrude Pargellis and diaries kept by Robert Pargellis.

ACCOUNT BOOKS/SHEETS; 1820-1923 (scattered), undated; Arranged by type of account book and within, chronologically. Includes account ledgers and loose account sheets of Andrew Pargellis, Sr., as a stationer in Glasgow and as a newly established farmer in Wood County, Ohio; farm and personal account ledgers of Alexander, Andrew, Jr., and Robert Pargellis; one account book of E.W. Carter and one unidentified account book and sheets.

RECEIPTS-PARGELLIS FAMILY; 1850-1916 (scattered); Arranged chronologically. Includes receipts for payments for food supplies, dry goods, newspapers and loans.

ASSESSMENT LIST-MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP; 1914. Includes a printed listing of land owners, acres of land owned, valuation of land for 1913 and 1914.

NEWSCLIPPINGS; (October 10, 1844), (September 7, 1855), (1911), (1927), (1945); Arranged by subject of clipping. Includes obituaries of Duncan Pargellis and Andrew Pargellis, Sr., and information on an American tour of Scotland sent to Margaret Pargellis. Also included are clippings on Emily Pargellis' death and Alexander Pargellis' death.

ESSAYS; March 23, 1858, 1859, undated; Arranged chronologically. Includes one dated essay on happiness written by A.E. Pargellis, one in the year 1859, and several essays for which no author or date is given. Subjects included in this group of essays are spring, language, history and temperance.

GENEALOGIES; undated; Arranged by family name. Includes genealogical notes on the Moore, Wright and Pargellis families.

MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS; (1864), (1867), undated; Arranged alphabetically by subject of the writing. Includes eulogy of Harry Carter, a history of Hull Prairie, comments on the Grand Army of the Republic, a program by students at Kalamazoo College an various sermons and religious writings.

CITIZENSHIP PAPERS; 1851, 1857, 1880; Arranged chronologically. Includes naturalization papers of Alexander, Andrew and Robert Pargellis.

MILITARY PAPERS; 1863, 1864; Arranged alphabetically by type of paper and within, chronologically. Includes election of Robert Pargellis as First Lieutenant of "H" Co., discharge papers of Alexander Pargellis and pension papers of Robert and Alexander Pargellis.

CERTIFICATES; 1831, 1832, 1856, 1879; Arranged alphabetically by type of certificate and within, chronologically. Includes guildmaster and Merchant's House membership certificates for Andrew Pargellis, Sr., Justice of the Peace certificates of Robert Pargellis and teaching certificate of Alexander Pargellis.

LAND RECORDS; 1882, 1908, 1917, 1919, undated; Arranged alphabetically by type of land record and within, chronologically. Includes land claims, leases, mortgages of Pargellis lands.

WILL; 1877, 1887; Arranged chronologically. Includes wills of Elizabeth Pargellis.

MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL DOCUMENTS; 1819, undated; Arranged alphabetically by type of document and within, chronologically. Includes power of attorney for Andrew Pargellis, Sr. and a sample ballot for Wood County elections.

Included foreign currency, exhibition program for the Fostoria Academy, invitation to 111th Regiment O.V.I., Kalamazoo College catalog, a Liberty Bond, World War II ration books, and poetry.

POSTCARDS; undated. Includes postcards, some of which depict scenes from Scotland. No writing appears on the back of any of the photographs.

LITHOGRAPHS; 1850-1851, undated; Arranged by subject. Includes printed lithographs of Leamington, England and the Glasgow cemetery.

PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS/PHOTOGRAPHS; 1800's, early 1900's, undated. Includes three albums; one of S. Emily Crook Pargellis, depicting the Davenport and Crook families, one of the Pargellis family, and one depicting the Rheinfrank family and hospital in Perrysburg. Also included are individual photographs of the Pargellis family.

Includes records of Middleton Township, including enumeration of youth (1885), account book (1843-1859), school registers (1842-1888), a petition listing males in the township (n.d.), a petition requesting a special election to vote on prohibition (n.d.), and a notice to owners of stock regarding enforcement of a local law (1872).

HOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH; 1860-1907; Arranged by type of church record. Includes minutes, list of members, histories, statistics, letters of dismission, petitions and correspondence.

METHODIST CHURCH; November 23, 1865. Includes a membership ticket for Catharine Crook.

MCKINLEY CLUB; undated. Includes organizational meeting minutes.

MIDDLETON LYCEUM; 1856-1868; Arranged chronologically. Includes constitution and minutes of the Lyceum. Located in the back of the volume is a document nominating Andrew Pargellis, Sr. to the Merchant's House, Glasgow.

MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP FARMERS CLUB; January-March 1870; Arranged chronologically. Includes the organizational minutes of the Farmers Club. Located in the back of the volume are Pargellis accounts, 1871-1879.

MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP GARFIELD CLUB; August 20, 1880. Includes the minutes of one meeting.

HULL PRAIRIE ASSOCIATION #2274 HUSBANDS OF INDUSTRY; 1890-1892, 1898; Arranged chronologically. Includes the minutes of this organization.

HULL PRAIRIE #746 GRANGE; July 8, 1871, June 6, 1874, undated; Arranged chronologically. Includes the minutes of this organization.

WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION OF HOOD CHURCH; 1893-1899; Arranged chronologically. Includes the minutes of this organization.

WOOD COUNTY FARMERS MUTUAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION; 1911-14, 1916-17, 1919, 1921-27, 1929, 1932, undated. Includes the constitution of this organization and the Secretary's annual report of losses.

YOUNG MEN'S TEMPERANCE UNION OF HOOD CHURCH; 1877. Includes the constitution and by-laws of this organization and minutes of August 10 and 22, 1877.

Postmarked and stamped envelopes (now empty) that had previously contained letters to the Pargellis family, kept for their value as artifacts of postal and philatelic history. (The letters themselves are now located in the Correspondence sub-series).

CORRESPONDENCE - EARNEST W. CARTER; 1917-1919, 1939; Arranged chronologically. Postcards, primarily written during period of service in Europe during World War I.

CORRESPONDENCE - J. RICHARD CARTER; 1913-1919; Arranged chronologically. Includes letter from senior year at University of Michigan, job related correspondence, professional vita, and correspondence while working in the Canal Zone.

CORRESPONDENCE - CONDOLENCE LETTERS; 1919. Condolence letters from War Mothers Association, and from Army comrades in the 37th Engineers, on the death of J. Richard Carter.

CORRESPONDENCE - ANNE ROBERTSON; 1908-1910, undated. Primarily Christmas package cards and postcards.

CORRESPONDENCE - MISCELLANEOUS; undated. Letter to "Paul and Margaret" from "Mother".

MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS; 1919. Draft of text for obituary of J. Richard Carter, and text for a "Card of Thanks" from family members after the funeral.

HANNAH E. BASHARE ESTATE PAPERS; 1925. Probate settlement papers to Grace and Earnest Carter from the estate of their great aunt.

NEWSCLIPPINGS; 1919, undated. Newspaper clipping on the return of the body of J. Richard Carter, after a mix-up by the army, and the obituary of Leslie Robertson (Bertha Carter's father).

ARTICLES; 1962. Photocopy of book chapter, "Stanley Pargellis, Newberry Librarian, 1842-1962" by Ray Allen Billington, from unidentified book.

ARTICLES; 1979. Article on Wood County petroleum industry, "Oil's Well That Ends Well" by Earnest W. Carter, appearing in Farmland News, Feb. 13, 1979.

BROADSIDE; 1914. Ohio Dry Fall-in-Line County Auto Tour poster, with notes on verso describing the event. Oversize and encapsulated.

CALENDARS; 1913. University of Michigan pictorial calendar, probably belonging to J. Richard Carter.

CERTIFICATES; 1919-1920, 1941-1945, undated. War-savings certificate with several $5 stamps affixed; commemoration certificates honoring the war service of J. Richard Carter, issued by the U.S. War Department and the University of Michigan (his alma mater); and certificates recognizing the service of Leslie F. Robertson on the local Selective Service Board during World War II.

PAMPHLETS; 1903. "Reverend George Athearn Adams, December 21, 1821-December 25, 1903: In Memoriam".

PAMPHLETS; circa 1910. J.A. Scott Company, Lightning Conductor System. Lightning rod company product booklet.

PAMPHLETS; 1919. Handbook for Local Unions: Ohio W.C.T.U.

POSTCARDS; 1914-1919. Picture postcards, from either Earnest W. or J. Richard Carter, depicting scenes from Colorado, Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, Alabama, and around Europe during World War I.

PHOTOGRAPHS - LOOSE; 1906?, 1914-1915, 1918-1919, undated. Photographs of the area around Gatun, C.Z., where J. Richard Carter worked for the Isthmian Canal Commission; a portrait of Richard Carter; a group of young men (possibly engineering students at University of Michigan) including Richard Carter; scenes of army life at Camp Sheridan, near Montgomery, Alabama; and two pictures of the Interurban Bridge at Waterville, Ohio, under construction.

PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS; 1910s-1920s. Earnest Carter and family album, with farm scenes around Ohio, pictures from unknown location in Texas, and portraits of family members, primarily unidentified.

PHOTOGRAPHS - PANORAMAS AND OVERSIZE; 1900, 1918-1920. Large format scenes and group portraits, including Samuel Carter farm threshing scene; Co. H at Camp Sheridan; Co. E, 37th Engineers at Ft. Myer, Va.; Co. F, U.S. Infantry at Akron, Ohio; and the U.S.S. Maui, returning from Brest, France. Oversize and encapsulated.