American Antiquarian Society
185 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
United States
During this free, drop-in program you will learn about William Lewis (1819 – 1897), who kept a daily diary for fifty-nine of his seventy-eight years. Many of his journals and record books will be available to view and read. In addition, Christie Higginbottom and Bruce Craven, who in 2012 first discovered Lewis's diaries in a wooden box at the Tolland (Connecticut) Antiques Show, and Ashley Cataldo, AAS curator of manuscripts, will be available to answer questions and give deeper insights into Lewis's life.
Born in Vermont on Valentine's Day, 1819, Lewis was orphaned at age thirteen, and by seventeen was living on his own, working as an apprentice in tanneries throughout southern Vermont and New Hampshire and Central Massachusetts. Over the course of his life, he was also a bookseller, a peddler of Yankee Notions magazine, and a successful farmer. Meticulous in his record keeping, Lewis wrote about everything from his pear and apple orchards, dairy, early work in tanning, and years as a traveling bookseller and lender. His daily journals give a remarkably accurate and comprehensive picture of daily nineteenth-century life in central Massachusetts, as well as insights into the various industries in which he worked.
In 2024, Higginbottom and Craven, who worked as interpreters at Old Sturbridge Village for many years, published Finding William Lewis (1819-1897) The Everyday Life of This Singular Man, a book based on Lewis's journals and their research into his life. Last fall, they gave the entire collection of Lewis diaries, account books, and records to AAS. It is now the Society's most complete collection of nineteenth-century diaries.
Curator of Manuscripts Ashley Cataldo is responsible for selecting, cataloging, and making accessible the AAS's collection of diaries, correspondence, and other papers. She holds an MA in English from Clark University, where she has also pursued graduate work toward a PhD in history. Cataldo has published articles on early American bookbinding, presented on seventeenth-century manuscript culture, and is interested in the intersection of information studies and the environmental humanities.
Christie Higginbottom worked at Old Sturbridge Village for over forty years. She coordinated the horticulture program, worked as research historian for horticulture and landscape, and now works seasonally in the Paul Rogers Herb Garden.
Bruce Craven worked at Old Sturbridge Village for over forty years. He coordinated the agriculture program, designed museum exhibits, and now volunteers.