1860-1950
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Hill family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
Abstract
This collection consists of papers of the Hill family of Groton, Massachusetts, primarily volumes kept by various family members, as well as papers of Caroline Matilda Caswell.
Biographical Sketches
Listed in bold are the individuals most heavily represented in this collection:
Deacon Henry Hill (1809-1876) of Groton, Massachusetts, married Abigail Coffin (1811-1888) in 1833. They had eight children: Charles Henry Hill (1834-1908); Mary Abby Hill (1836-1837); Sarah Coffin Hill (-1886); Joseph Coffin Hill (1840-1896); Frank Hill (1843-1911); Cortlandt Shattuck Hill (1847-1917); Lucy Maria Hill (1849-1907); and Ellen Montgomery Hill (1851-1941).
Charles Henry Hill (1834-1908) was a farmer and produce dealer in Groton. In 1862, he married Mary Susan McIntire (1841-1930), and they had eight children: Henry "Harry" Augustus Hill (1864-1952); Mary "Mamie" Abigail Hill (1867-1942); Elizabeth Susan Hill (1871-1957); James Thornton Hill (1873-); Nellie Frank Hill (1876-); Susan Putnam Hill (1878-1935); Charles Cortlandt Hill (1882-); and Lucy Hill (1884-1884).
Elizabeth Susan Hill (1871-1957) was a schoolteacher, including at the Willard School in Groton, Massachusetts.
Nellie Frank Hill (1876-) was very active in the settlement house movement of the early 20th century. She served variously as vice president, secretary, and general manager of the Frances E. Willard Settlement, a home for working women. The founder and president of the organization was Caroline Matilda "Tillie" Caswell (1864-1938).
The Frances E. Willard Settlement was incorporated in 1903 and encompassed a number of different settlement houses and philanthropic services for women. The primary Frances E. Willard House on Chambers Street in Boston was a residence for young working women. The organization also operated a clubhouse with a gymnasium, auditorium, library, and other rooms, and offered practical training in dressmaking, millinery, bookkeeping, stenography, and other subjects. Llewsac Lodge of Bedford, Massachusetts, was a rest home and "industrial center" for women between 40 and 60. The organization also operated a camp for girls in Bedford named after Nellie Frank Hill. And the Harriet E. Sawyer Home for Aged Women in Malden, Massachusetts, served women 65 or older.
Susan Putnam Hill (1878-1935) was a schoolteacher in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and beginning around 1907, served as director of a school gardening program in which garden plots were tended by local schoolchildren.
Sarah Coffin Hill (-1886) married merchant James Porter Fiske (1825-1873) in 1866.
Lucy Maria Hill (1849-1907) married Frederick Fosdick (1850-1924) in 1873, and they had four children: Frederick "Fritz" Woodbury Fosdick (1875-1943), later a judge of the Massachusetts Superior Court; Nellie Fosdick (1878-1917); Richard Coffin Fosdick (1883-1956); and Miriam E. Fosdick (1890-1971).
Ellen "Nellie" Montgomery Hill (1851-1941) spent several years traveling, especially during the 1890s, including to Japan to visit her brother and sister-in-law, Joseph Coffin Hill (1840-1896) and Charlotte Coleman Caryl (1852-1932). Joseph was in Japan representing Scott's Emulsion Company. While in Japan, Nellie hired a personal attendant, or amah, named Suzuki Rui Matsu, who returned with her to the United States and lived and traveled with her for years.
Collection Description
This collection consists of papers of the Hill family of Groton, Massachusetts, primarily Charles Henry Hill and his daughters Elizabeth Susan Hill, Nellie Frank Hill, and Susan Putnam Hill; Sarah Coffin Hill Fiske; Lucy Maria Hill Fosdick and her daughter Nellie Fosdick; and Ellen Montgomery Hill. The collection also contains papers of Caroline Matilda Caswell, who was associated with Nellie F. Hill through their philanthropic work, particularly the Frances E. Willard Settlement, a settlement house for working women in Boston.
The bulk of the collection consists of volumes, including diaries, account books, drawing books, autograph albums, school gardening notebooks, and commonplace-books. Included are five account books kept by grocer and produce dealer Charles H. Hill showing sales of groceries and other merchandise; a book of drawings and watercolors by Elizabeth S. Hill; autograph albums of Caroline M. Caswell, Lucy Maria Hill Fosdick, and Ellen M. Hill; printed material, meeting minutes, and other records related to the Frances E. Willard Settlement, the Harriet E. Sawyer Home for Aged Women in Malden, Massachusetts, and Llewsac Lodge in Bedford, Massachusetts; gardening notebooks kept by Susan P. Hill, schoolteacher and director of a school gardening program in Lancaster, Massachusetts; two household account books of Sarah Coffin Hill Fiske; and diaries, correspondence, and receipts of Ellen M. Hill, including receipts written in Japanese characters.
Arrangement Note
The papers in this collection are arranged by family group, in the siblings' birth order: I. Charles Henry Hill and his family; II. Sarah Coffin Hill Fiske; III. Lucy Maria Hill Fosdisk and Nellie Fosdick; IV. Ellen Montgomery Hill; and V. Miscellaneous and unidentified family members.
Loose items removed from between the pages of a volume are filed in a folder immediately following the volume.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by purchase, September 2022.
Restrictions on Access
The Hill family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Charles Henry Hill family papers, 1860-1950
This series consists of the papers of Charles Henry Hill and three of his daughters: Elizabeth Susan Hill, Nellie Frank Hill, and Susan Putnam Hill. This series also contains papers of Caroline Matilda Caswell, who was associated with Nellie F. Hill through their philanthropic work.
A. Charles Henry Hill papers, 1860-1913
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains a pocket diary with brief, sporadic entries describing Charles H. Hill's activities, as well as financial memoranda; five account books, including three oversize daybooks and one account ledger showing sales of groceries and other merchandise to various customers; and a few receipts and miscellaneous letters. An additional account book may have been kept first by Hill or his wife Mary Susan McIntire Hill, but accounts beginning in 1912 were apparently kept by their son James Thornton Hill. Many pages have been torn out.
Pocket diary, 1860
Items removed from diary, 1869-1870
Account book, 1864-1871, 1912-1913
Personal papers, 1870-1910
Daybook, 1871-1872
Daybook, 1872-1873
Account ledger, 1874-1881
Items removed from account ledger, undated
Daybook, 1876-1877
B. Elizabeth Susan Hill papers, 1890-1920
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries consists primarily of a volume containing color and black-and-white pencil drawings and watercolors apparently by Elizabeth S. Hill at Groton, Massachusetts. Subjects include plants, insects, fish, and birds, as well as the Willard School, a one-room schoolhouse in Groton where Hill taught in 1892. The volume contains captions identifying many of the subjects and memoranda about some of the insects pictured. The subseries also includes miscellaneous personal papers, primarily receipts.
Drawing book, 1890-1920
Items removed from drawing book, 1890-1900
Personal papers, 1906-1918
C. Nellie Frank Hill and Caroline Matilda Caswell papers, 1875-1950
This subseries contains papers of Nellie Frank Hill and Caroline Matilda "Tillie" Caswell, who were associated with each other through their philanthropic work, particularly the Frances E. Willard Settlement. Also included are records of some of the organizations with which they were affiliated.
Nellie Frank Hill personal papers, 1891-1950
Arranged chronologically.
Included is a pocket diary kept by Nellie F. Hill at West Groton, Massachusetts, when she was a teenager, containing sporadic entries about her activities, such as church and school attendance. The volume also contains accounts and miscellaneous memoranda. Personal papers consist of a few papers related to her estate.
Pocket diary, 1891
Items removed from diary, [1891]
Personal papers, 1897-1950
Caroline Matilda Caswell personal papers, 1875-1930
Arranged chronologically.
Autograph album, 1875-1882
This volume contains signatures of Caswell family members and friends, primarily in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Also included are poems and drawings.
Nesmith family papers, 1885-1930
The Nesmiths were related to Caroline M. Caswell by marriage. Her sister Mary Louise married Charles Irving Nesmith. Included are deeds, estate documents, and genealogical notes.
Personal papers, 1904-1926
Caroline M. Caswell's personal papers relate primarily to the estate of Nellie Evelyn Cook (-1911), treasurer of the Frances E. Willard Settlement. Caswell was an executor. Included are legal documents, letters, and an estate inventory.
Papers of organizations, 1913-1942
Arranged chronologically.
Frances E. Willard Settlement printed material, 1913-1926
Included are informational pamphlets about the settlement, programs for benefit concerts, and newspaper clippings.
Administration Bureau meeting minutes, 18 April 1923-15 January 1925
This volume, entitled "Records of the Administration Bureau of the Plan for securing interest in and support of the Trio of Philanthropies," contains meeting minutes documenting fundraising efforts for the Frances E. Willard Settlement, the Harriet E. Sawyer Home for Aged Women, and Llewsac Lodge. Caroline M. Caswell was the chair of the bureau, and secretaries included Nellie F. Hill, Margaret E. Tyler, and Madeleine Newell.
Florida Health Resort and Recreational Center for Women documents, 1927-1931
Included is the certificate of incorporation, stock certificates, and the trademark certification.
Little Grey House stockholders' ledger, 1929-1930
Included is the certificate of incorporation, stock certificates, and other papers.
Items removed from stockholders' ledger, 1929-1942
D. Susan Putnam Hill papers, 1899-1912
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries consists primarily of notebooks kept by Susan Putnam Hill for her Lancaster, Massachusetts, school gardening program. The gardens were located in North Lancaster, South Lancaster, and Lancaster Center. Notebooks include students' names, attendance, details about vegetables and flowers planted and picked, and diagrams, as well as diary-like entries and descriptions of the program. The subseries also contains two notebooks apparently kept by students, as well as other volumes belonging to Hill. Her notebook dated 1908-1910 contains a draft of a long letter to her cousin Eleanor.
Lesson attendance notebook, 1899-1900, with Willow Dell Farm accounts, 1908
Items removed from attendance notebook, 1908
Personal papers, 1901-1910
Gardening notebook, 1907
Items removed from notebook, [1907]
Gardening notebook, 1908-1910
Items removed from notebook, [1908-1910]
Gardening notebook, 1910, with miscellaneous memoranda, undated
Gardening notebook, 1910
Gardening notebook, 1910
Items removed from notebook, [1910]
Gardening notebook, 1912
Gardening notebook, 1912
Gardening notebook, 1912
Gardening notebook, 1912
Items removed from notebook, 1912
Gardening notebook, undated
Child's gardening notebook, undated
Child's gardening notebook, with drawings, undated
Items removed from child's notebook, undated
Memoranda book, undated
II. Sarah Coffin Hill Fiske papers, 1866-1886
Arranged chronologically.
This series consists primarily of household account books kept by Sarah Coffin Hill Fiske. The daybook also contains sporadic memoranda, including one on the assassination of President James Garfield.
Housekeeping accounts and recipe book, [ca. 1866]
Daybook of household expenses, 1873-1883
Personal papers, 1886
III. Lucy Maria Hill Fosdick and Nellie Fosdick papers, 1865-1901
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains the papers of Lucy Maria Hill Fosdick and her daughter Nellie Fosdick. Lucy's autograph album contains signatures of family members and friends, including classmates from Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. Nellie's school notebook contains notes apparently taken for a class at Smith College entitled "Logic and Psychology."
Lucy Maria Hill Fosdick autograph album, 1865-1887
Nellie Fosdick school notebook, 1901
Items removed from school notebook, [1901]
IV. Ellen Montgomery Hill papers, 1864-1931
This series consists of the papers of Ellen "Nellie" Montgomery Hill, primarily diaries documenting her extensive travels through Europe and Japan. Diary entries describe her social activities; shopping and sightseeing; trips to the theater, museums, and other places; and people she met. The series also contains other volumes, correspondence, and receipts.
A. Volumes, 1864-1929
Arranged chronologically.
Autograph album, 1864-1886
This volume contains signatures of family members and friends, including classmates from Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.
Commonplace-book, 1871-1884
This volume contains miscellaneous quotations, poems, and writings by Nellie M. Hill, including writings on religious subjects. Most of the volume is blank.
Scrapbook on Robert Browning, 1886-1888
This volume contains newspaper clippings on Robert Browning, his death, and the Browning Club.
Items removed from scrapbook, 1883-1890
European travel diary, 27 April-31 December 1892
This diary describes Nellie M. Hill's travels in Geneva, Bavaria, Berlin, Dresden, Amsterdam, Paris, and back in Geneva. Included are entries mentioning friends named Ella and Alice, as well as many others.
European travel diary, 4 June-11 August 1893, 1890
This diary describes Hill's travels in London and Edinburgh. Included are entries mentioning friends named Ella and Alice, as well as many others. The back of the volume contains a list of French phrases, written at Geneva, 4-15 September 1890.
Travel diary, 16 August 1893-26 May 1895 (with gaps)
Entries in this diary were written in London; briefly in the continental United States; during the voyage to Hawaii; in Honolulu; in Yokohama, Japan; and on the return voyage to the United States. Hill was in Japan visiting her brother and sister-in-law, Joseph Coffin Hill and Charlotte "Lottie" Coleman Caryl Hill.
Japanese travel diary, 29 July 1894-1 January 1895
This diary describes Hill's activities in Yokohama, Japan. Entries discuss Joseph Coffin Hill, Charlotte "Lottie" Coleman Caryl Hill, and their children, as well as Suzuki Rui Matsu; the weather; customs and cultural differences, including food and clothing; sights; tension between Japan and China; English lessons with Rui; Americans living and working in Japan; earthquakes; and other subjects.
Items removed from diary, [1894]
Japanese travel diary, January-3 May 1895
This diary is a continuation of the diary in Folder 14. Entries describe daily activities, including trips to Kobe and Kyoto with Suzuki Rui Matsu and an earthquake in Yokohama.
Travel diary, 9 January-30 May 1900
Entries describe daily activities in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan, with Suzuki Rui Matsu; Rui's marriage; and the voyage from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Singapore, Penang, the Suez Canal, Europe, and Boston. Included are many entries about shipboard social activities.
Pocket diary, 1919
This diary was kept at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and describes Hill's daily activities. Also included are addresses, accounts, and memoranda of books read.
Items removed from pocket diary, 1919
Pocket diary, 1926
This diary was kept at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and describes Hill's daily activities. Included are entries related to the death of her friend Rebecca Torrey (1845-1926), as well as addresses, accounts, and memoranda.
Pocket diary, 1929
This diary was kept at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and describes Hill's daily activities. Also included are addresses, accounts, and memoranda.
B. Personal papers, 1885-1931
Arranged chronologically.
Included are letters from Yasu Kume, a student of Nellie's in Osaka, Japan, 1919-1920, including a letter about a deadly influenza outbreak there; letters from cousins Alice Hill, Sarah Hill, and John P. Coffin, as well as Charlotte Coleman Caryl Hill; resolutions on the death of Joseph Coffin Hill in 1896; and a large number of receipts for purchases made in Europe and Japan, including many written in Japanese characters.
Receipts, 1885-1921
Correspondence, 1892-1931
Oversize passport, issued at Tokyo, Japan, 26 April 1899
V. Miscellaneous Hill family papers, 1876-1913
Arranged chronologically.
This series consists of miscellaneous and unidentified Hill family papers, including loose papers and fragments; a commonplace-book containing manuscript and printed poetry and quotations, primarily religious; and a daybook of daily accounts, apparently kept in at least two different hands.
Loose papers, 1876-1913, undated
Unidentified commonplace-book, 1885-1887
Items removed from commonplace-book, [1885-1887]
Unidentified account book, 1889-1898
Items removed from account book, 1893
Preferred Citation
Hill family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.