Partridge Family Collection

Cover Image:
Carrie Theodore Partridge
Carrie Thomas Partridge - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:
358
Dates of Original:
1806 - 1938

Historical Context

Carrie Theodore Partridge (December 3, 1864-July 14, 1946) was born on Onondaga Hill, New York to Theodore Benjamin and Mary Emily (Powell) Partridge.  Her grandparents, Williams and Laura (Blossom) settled in this area from Massachusetts and raised a family of 4 boys and 2 girls.  Carrie's grandfather Williams was a lawyer, farmer, and served as both a Commissioner of Highways and of Schools.  Carrie and her parents moved from Onondaga Hill when she was in her early teens and eventually made a home in Stillman Valley, Illinois.  Carrie became a teacher upon their move to the Midwest and her father operated a general store.  These documents, which date from the early 1800s through the 1880s, had traveled with Carrie's family to Illinois and a family who has had possession of these artifacts since Carrie's death in 1946, found the Town of Onondaga Historical Society online and returned them to their place of origin.

Scope of Collection

The collection consists of a variety of documents.  Carrie's grandfather, Williams Partridge, as a lawyer, wrote many deeds and mortgages, as well as receipts for purchases pertaining to the daily needs of the family and promissory notes either for himself or individuals living in Onondaga Hill, and documents relating to Williams' service to the town in his capacity as Commissioner.  There are genealogical materials relating to both the Partridge and Powell families.  Several pieces of correspondence include letters from family members describing their struggles of living in Iowa and Kansas, a letter from an Army Private serving on the plains of the Indian Territory, and a letter from a Missionary serving in Gawan, Turkey, to a school class in Auburn, New York, writing about his experience teaching Turkish students in 1854.  Carrie's uncle, James Albert Partridge, who opened the first telegraph office in Syracuse, was a student in the early 1830s at the Onondaga Valley Academy, located in Onondaga Hollow.  A large amount of his school essays on a variety of topics such as slavery, temperance, and stenography are included in this collection as well as receipts for tuition and books.  From the many family letters, much of the writing shows evidence of a strong religious family as well as being steadfastly against the evils of alcohol.