Papers, 1852-1900.

ArchivalResource

Brett, Zebas Franklin. Papers, 1852-1900.

Papers, 1852-1900.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84666125

Consists of 15 diaries (1870, 1872-1873, 1875-1876, 1878-1879, 1883-1885, 1890-1892, 1900) and two letter and receipt books (1852-1855, 1857-1866) containing approximately 170 letters and over 650 bills, receipts, and other miscellaneous items. Diary entries are brief and include a daily note about the weather and one or more sentences about the activities of Brett and his family members. The first volume recounts the great fire of Nov., 1872 in Boston and the loss of his store and $125,000 worth of inventory. Although he opened another store, the fire proved to be too much and he eventually became a salesman for Whitten, Burdett and Young, earning $5,000 a year. His diaries continue to speak about his job from time to time, his social and family affairs, and his great devotion to the church. He and his wife were members of the Harvard Congregation Society and attended services on an almost daily basis. As Brett gets older, he writes more about time with his family and dwells more on his health and describes spine damage. He notes his children's birthdays and what was given to them. In 1879, he mentioned that his daughter was going to Wellesley College.

16 v.

Winterthur Library