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Scope and Contents
The material is one small book of old paper pages but bound in modern binding. When the modern binding was applied apparently the original pages were very loose and subsequently bound out of chronological order. Very tight binding making it impossible to read all dates and words written on pages. Some dates from 1794 are bound following dates occuring in 1798 and some pages are bound upside down indicating that the diary pages were loose when bound into the modern binding. The pages are not numbered but written on both sides. The format is mainly a daily account of activities performed by the writer between February 3, 1791 and November, 1799. In this particular logbook are reports overseeing shipment of government supplies and movements of civilian passengers between Detroit and Mackinac - the route of the valuable fur trade on board the sloop Wellcome (1779) and later on Chippewa (1792-1796) as well as trips between Fort Erie and Detroit. He lists his business correspondence as well as orders of barrels of salt, rum, pork, cattle, horses conflicts with the indigenous population, his military service, events during the “late war in America” and acquisition of Negroes. At some point in time various members of the family - John and George Harrow, his sons, and Washington B. Harrow, grandson of Alexander take possession of this logbook extending the dates in the diary to 1817 as well as others who used the empty pages of the diary to practice penmanship or drawing as there are sketches in profile of people and birds, various names not Harrow (Thomas Nokes, James Robertson, James Trebey, Nancy Brown, John Blaker) enscribed on the pages as well as statements “This book belongs to.” Grandson Captain Washington B. Harrow (1848-1928) added a page dated approximately 1910 with a brief biography of his grandfather with the date of death as 1818. Other death dates come from Google and possibly one item listed as “Obituary” on Google maybe the closer attributable date. Captain Washington B. Harrow was a shipmaster of Port Huron, Michigan and assistant manager of the Thompson line of tugs out of Sault Ste. Marie. He was son of George (1805/6 - 1886) and Lucretia Peer Harrow (1808-1893). Their names are mentioned in the diary.
Dates
- Creation: 1791-1817
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1791-1799
Creator
- From the Item: Harrow, Alexander, 1755-1811 (Person)
- From the Item: Harrow (Family)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection housed remotely. Users need to contact 24 hours in advance.
Extent
From the Item: .1 Linear Feet (One small book) : Bound in modern brown linen binding with brown leather spine lettered in gold - Manuscript Diary. ; 20 x 16 x 2 cm
Language of Materials
From the Item: English
Repository Details
Part of the Lehigh University Special Collections Repository
Lehigh University
Linderman Library
30 Library Drive
Bethlehem PA 18045 USA
610-758-4506
610-758-6091 (Fax)
inspc@lehigh.edu