https://www.chicopeepubliclibrary.org/archives/files/original/35da402130fb81c3722a4d41b43f88e2.pdf cb1910e5d06d7379751de8770ff3b33f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Billings Family Records Subject The topic of the resource Gold mines and mining—California Families Land settlement—Rapid City (S.D.) Shakers—Enfield (Conn.) Gilbert Billings (1831-1916)---Correspondence Billings Family—Records and correspondence Homer A Billings (1836-1916)---Correspondence Description An account of the resource Nathaniel Billings came from England in the mid-17th century and was one of 12 families who “settled” Concord, MA. The records in this collection primarily follow his descendants, and include a multi-century genealogy with brief histories of the more “notable” descendants. The majority of the records included were copied out by Gilbert Billings (1831-1916) between the 1880s and 1900. Gilbert was born in East Longmeadow, went west in California in 1851 as part of the gold rush, and lived there for eight years before moving back to Massachusetts and settling in Chicopee, where he lived for over 50 years. Scope and Content: This collection consists of a single ledger, and a sheaf of manuscript pages. The ledger begins as an account book for an unknown person, likely a Billings family member, in Buffalo in 1843 (it does not specify which state, but could be Buffalo, Wyoming). The pages have been numbered, and the first 33 pages are missing. The accounting ends on pg 98, and following a few blank pages the rest of the ledger consists of copied-out letters between various Billings family members spanning approximately 1805-1890; copied-out land deeds spanning approximately 1789-1815; a copy of a power of attorney statement; a copy of Lt. Thaddeus Billings’ will (original dated 1826); and approximately 46 pages titled “The History of the Nathaniel Branch of the Billings Family, 1890, Gilbert Billings, Chicopee Mass.” Following this, any pages remaining in the ledger were cut out. In addition to the documents he copied out, Gilbert often included additional contextual information. Letters copied out include Gilbert’s own correspondence on his journey to California via Nicaragua; Homer A. Billings’ correspondence regarding his time operating stagecoaches in Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Dakotas; and numerous other letters between family members. Though he did not copy out every letter—Gilbert wrote that these are “but a selection”—the ones included cover a wide range of activities and family goings-on. The manuscript pages are a very detailed genealogy of the Billings family, beginning with Nathaniel Billings. In addition to the typical names/dates/locations, Gilbert included numerous short vignettes of various family members and their lives. Among other notable aspects, a few family members were foundational in starting the Shaker community in Enfield, Connecticut, which existed from 1792-1917. Abstract A summary of the resource. A small collection consisting of one ledger and a set of manuscript pages regarding the Billings family. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Collection digitized by Kate Ouimette, CPL Archivist. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Approximately 1800-1900 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Digital content made available in the Chicopee Archives Online is intended for personal research and educational purposes; commercial use or distribution of this content is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder. The Chicopee Public Library holds copyright to select content in the Chicopee Archives Online. Copyright to other content may be held by authors or their heirs, or may be in the public domain. Requests to reproduce, distribute, or publish content in the Chicopee Archives Online should be sent to cpl@chicopeepubliclibrary.org. Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CPL-BILLINGS Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Billings Family Records: Manuscript Description An account of the resource 38 pages of handwritten notes regarding the Billings family genealogy. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Digitized by Kate Ouimette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gilbert Billings (1831-1916) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Digital content made available in the Chicopee Archives Online is intended for personal research and educational purposes; commercial use or distribution of this content is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder. The Chicopee Public Library holds copyright to select content in the Chicopee Archives Online. Copyright to other content may be held by authors or their heirs, or may be in the public domain. Requests to reproduce, distribute, or publish content in the Chicopee Archives Online should be sent to cpl@chicopeepubliclibrary.org. Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CPL-BILLINGS-manuscript