Fast Family papers

Collection – Box: 1

Identifier: MS-0330

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents

The bulk of significant information in the Fast Family Papers may be found in the three folders of correspondence, although this information is sketchy at best. The letter of Dec. 6, 1885 is most notable for its account of William's experiences at the prison camp at Cahawba and survival of the explosion of the Sultana. The family correspondence and the Coons correspondence centers mostly around William Nicholas Fast, but there are letters between brothers John, Isaac, and Christian Fast, whose relationship to William is not known. The Amos Ewing correspondence is devoted singularly to his friendship with Bertha Fast, the wife of Harry C. Fast. Also personal in nature, the letters provide a chronology of his rise in Oklahoma politics.

Secondary information on William Fast may be found in the legal documents which highlight his army career with the 102nd O.V.I. during the Civil War. Also, the printed material includes several programs from annual reunions of the 102nd Regiment, with one announcement of a reunion of Sultana Survivors.

One unrelated printed item of interest is an admission card for the execution of Wesley Johnson on May 29, 1884 in Napoleon, Ohio, only the second hanging in the history of Henry County. The ticket is one of just two hundred issued by the sheriff.

Dates

Creation: 1853-1933

Extent

0.46 Cubic Feet (1 legal box)

Creator

Fast Family (Family)

Biographical / Historical

The Fast Family Papers do not provide any particular descriptions of their family members. However, it is known that William Nicholas Fast, married to Amanda E. Fast, was mustered into the 102nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company K, on September 6, 1862 in Covington, Kentucky. Captured in action in Athens, Alabama on September 24, 1864, William spent some time in a prison camp in Cahawba, Alabama. He was exchanged on April 22, 1865, and mustered out on May 20, 1865. He received a disability pension of $12 per month for contracting rheumatism, which led to a heart condition.

Bertha Snyder Fast, the wife of Harry C. Fast, maintained a correspondence with Senator Amos Ewing of Oklahoma. While the nature of the relationship is uncertain, there is evidence he worked for Bertha's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Snyder, as a boy in Ohio.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Additional Description

Arrangement

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - FAST FAMILY 1864-1930 Arranged chronologically Correspondence by William Nicholas Fast to his wife Amanda, written while serving with the 102nd O.V.I; a recounting of his capture and imprisonment at Cahawba, Alabama and survival of the explosion of the steamer Sultana; and various letters between brothers John, Isaac, and Christian Fast regarding an estate settlement.

CORRESPONDENCE - COONS FAMILY 1876-1892 Arranged chronologically Letters from the A.J. Coons Family to W.N. Fast, regarding their friendship and farming life in Nebraska.

CORRESPONDENCE - AMOS A. EWING 1917-1933 Arranged chronologically Personal letters from Amos A. Ewing to Bertha Fast, with topics including their friendship from his period of employment as a boy by her parents, through his rise in politics from a House Representative to Senator in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

DIARY January-July 1908 Diary written by an unknown woman covering routine farm chores.

POEM 1853 A 14 verse poem telling the story of a love triangle and murder.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

PENSION/DISABILITY CLAIMS 1865-1904 Arranged chronologically William N. Fast's Civil War pension claim file, including certificate of discharge, Bureau of Pensions claims form, and correspondence with attorneys regarding his claims.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

LEDGER 1917-1922 Account ledger of unknown location or person. Includes the name of H.C. Fast for share of an estate and a distribution of $500 to Bertha Fast.

PRINTED MATERIAL

MISCELLANEOUS 1884-1931 Arranged chronologically Admission card to the execution of Wesley Johnson in Napoleon, Ohio (1884); reunion programs of the 102nd O.V.I.; announcement of the 18th Reunion of the National Sultana Survivors Association; pamphlets of the First Christian Church of Guthrie, Oklahoma; and a home remedy for chronic diarrhea.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records were donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections in September 1983 through the cooperation of Kathryn Fast Doerzbach of Napoleon, Ohio.