Typescript copies of family letters, 1824-1896, between members of the Van Santvoord family of New York City, chiefly letters to and from Alfred Van Santvoord (1819-1901), a wealthy Hudson River steamboat entrepreneur. The bulk are between Van...
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Typescript copies of family letters, 1824-1896, between members of the Van Santvoord family of New York City, chiefly letters to and from Alfred Van Santvoord (1819-1901), a wealthy Hudson River steamboat entrepreneur. The bulk are between Van Santvoord and his wife Anna M. Townsend Van Santvoord (d. 1890) beginning in 1852, the year of their marriage. Letters concern their married and family life, including the upbringing of their four surviving children to adulthood; family stays at Cady Hill, the Townsend home in Saratoga Springs; the activities of friends and relatives; and frequent travel to Europe. Also present are letters written by their children, letters exchanged by Anna and her mother Elizabeth Lansing Townsend, and letters from Alfred Van Santvoord to his family during a trip to Europe, 1846-1847. Other family members are also represented. The collection includes some manuscript annotations and typescript genealogical notes, apparently written by a family member. The location of the original letters is not known.
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