Samuel Bailey of Bailey's Mills, Vermont
His Letters and Papers
A volume of 208 pages containing the Letters and Papers of Samuel Bailey of Bailey’s Mills, Vermont, was transcribed, edited and published by William M. Bailey in March 1990.
The 56 letters were written to or by Samuel Bailey in the period from 1874 through 1890. There are 27 other documents relating to businesses of Samuel Bailey in the period of 1851 to 1890.
Most of the letters, which concerned business affairs with his sons, also contained information about family, neighbors, etc. The miscellaneous documents consist primarily of copies of various notes for money loaned by Samuel Bailey and others to his sons in Illinois and later in Iowa. There are other interesting documents, such as an unsigned copy of a will written by Samuel Bailey in 1886. This may not have been his final will.
There also is a copy of a “Maintenance Agreement” signed by Samuel Bailey, his son George Bailey, and by Samuel Bailey’s wife, Achsah Bailey. This agreement was for George to provide maintenance, i.e. room, board, clothes, etc., for Achsah Bailey during a period while Samuel Bailey was to be traveling west to visit his sons and daughter.
In addition, there is a document dated in 1851, somewhat before the rest of the material, which covers the sale of the Bailey’s Mills property to Oliver Bailey. This was after the death of Levi Bailey who died in 1850 without a will. Samuel Bailey was one of the Administrators of the estate.
The volume also includes historical material and indexes dealing with Samuel Bailey and his ancestors.
The letters and documents were given to William J. Bailey by S. David Bailey of Green Valley, Arizona. The originals are being maintained in files developed by William Bailey and now held by his daughter, Elizabeth.