The diaries, farm registers, and account books of William Clapp and other members of the Clapp family, who had a thriving fruit orchard in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the mid-nineteenth century, span the years 1843 to 1884. The Clapp family orchards were a large enterprise producing a wide variety of fruits: apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, currants, and many types of berries, as well as tomatoes and other vegetables. The account books list “Clapp Favorite Pears” as one of the fruits grown by the family.
William was a young man with a wide variety of interests and activities. He often attended cultural events such as concerts, exhibits, and lectures in Boston. After attending a lecture or sermon, William usually noted the topic in his diary. In the early 1850s, William was attending French classes; periodically, his daily entry notes that he has devoted a day to his French exercises. William had great interest in the scholarly and academic world, and he and his father attended both the general and the divinity school commencements of Harvard University. Judging by the book titles William noted, he was particularly interested in history, philosophy, and theology. Unfortunately, William never wrote down his thoughts about the books he read or the lectures and concerts he attended, activities that clearly occupied an important place in his life. He, like his father, was also a great reader of contemporary newspapers and sometimes commented on national events.
William was very involved in local civic affairs. He regularly attended the town meeting, for which he usually noted the purpose in the diaries and farm registers. An 1864 announcement for an annual town meeting is tipped into one of the farm registers (F15). William was also active in overseeing public school affairs and providing for the care of the poor in the local parish.
Biographical information was derived from the collection.
From the guide to the William Clapp papers, 1843–1884, 1850–1864, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)
