Damon family papers, 1819-[ca. 1885]
(Mixed Material)

Two items framed.

Papers, 1819-[ca. 1885], include: 7 deeds & related documents, 1819-1838 (certificate of sale, Roger Brown to Ephraim H. Bellows, for sale of spring of water, 1819 Nov. 25; deed, Ephraim H. Bellows to Elisha Parks & Thomas Lord, for land, cotton factory, grist mill, etc., 1831 Apr. 16; deed, Elisha Parks & Thomas Lord to James Derby, for real estate, cotton factory, & water privileges, 1833 Sept. 20; certificate of sale, James Derby to Calvin C. Damon, for "all the premises in a deed given by ... Parks & ... Lord to said ... Derby," & for land, house, spinning frames,

(cont.) machinery, fixtures, etc., 1834 Nov. 6; deed for same, 1834 Dec. 26, recorded 1835 Jan. 2; deed, James Derby to Calvin Damon, for "Bellows Factory Lot" & land in Acton, 1834 Dec. 27; deed, Ezra Conant to Calvin C. Damon, for land in westerly part of Concord, 1838 Oct. 10); 2 daguerreotype ports. (Calvin C. Damon, [undated]; Anne E. Hagar, [ca. 1859]); autograph note, H.D. Thoreau to Mr. Damon, with survey sketch, [undated]; passage copied from "the lecture on Greatness" by R.W. Emerson, copied in hand of Ellen Emerson, with autograph signature of R.W. Emerson,

(cont.) [undated]; 7 photographs ([ca. 1885]) by Alfred Munroe (2 of Old Manse, 1 each of Egg Rock, river view, Concord Free Public Library & view down Main Street, Munroe garden, & view from Nashawtuc Bridge).

Damon Family Papers, Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.

Anna M. Damon;,gift;,Mar. 6, 1995.

Mill-owning family of Concord, Mass. Calvin Carver Damon was b. 1803 in Amherst, N.H., d. 1854 in Concord, Mass. In 1834, he bought West Concord cotton mill est. in 1808 by Ephraim Hartwell of New Ipswich, N.H. & John Brown of Concord. Hartwell & Brown had purchased mill property from Ezra & Lot Conant, in whose family it had been since 1714. In 1831, Hartwell's nephew Ephraim Hartwell Bellows sold mill to Elisha Parks & Thomas Lord, who sold it in 1833 to James Derby of Exeter, N.H., who sold it to Calvin Damon. Calvin Damon produced a cotton & wool flannel

(cont.) known as domet (domett) cloth. Edward Carver Damon, a son of Calvin & Rebecca Poor Farnum of Andover, was b. (1836) & d. (1901) in Concord. He took over management of mill business on his father's death. Damon Mill under Edward's direction made cloth for Union Army uniforms during Civil War. Wooden building of 1808 burned in 1862, was replaced by brick building that still stands. Edward's brother Benjamin was briefly partner (1866). In 1864, his cousin Henry F. Smith bought 1/3 interest, which continued until 1876. Edward then

(cont.) formed partnership (1876-1880) with Edward P. Almy. In 1889, Edward became treasurer of business with his son Ralph as president, & mill property was mortgaged to Middlesex Institution for Savings. Changes in & decline of textile industry led to ultimate foreclosure on mill in 1898. Edward & Anne Damon were leaders in civic & social life of Westvale in particular & Concord in general. Edward, member of many boards & committees, was selectman, water commissioner (1872-1900), & School Committee member.

(cont.) He was also president of Concord National Bank, member of Concord Farmers' Club, Concord Saturday Club, Concord Antiquarian Society, Social Circle in Concord, & Trinitarian Congregational Church. Anne was member of School Committee & director of Concord Home for the Aged.

Accession;,AMC 008;,Mar. 13, 1995;,LPW

Some items:,Send to NEDCC for conservation, encapsulation, etc.;,1979;,Damon family