Piper Family papers, 1845-1941

Collection number: MC 85
Size: 4 boxes (0.75 cu.ft.)

About the Piper Family

The Isaiah Piper (1825–1901) family lived in Factory Village (Belmont), New Hampshire from 1836. Isaiah was the son of Stephen Piper and Elizabeth Evens of Sanbornton, N.H. Isaiah’s first wife Elisabeth (nee Barney) taught school there. She died in 1864 aged 35 years, having had two children, Ahira Barney (born 1856) and Elmer Isaiah (born 1861). His second wife, Sarah Emeline Kilburn (1836–1920), gave birth to Ernest Kilburn (1871–1937) and Fred Herbert (1873–1955). Both Isaiah and Fred H. Piper were active in town government and affairs. Isaiah was the town treasurer of Upper Gilmanton (Belmont) in 1879 and selectman of Belmont during the period 1882-1885 and 1895. Fred H. Piper was selectman of Belmont from 1913-1916 and 1920-1934. He was a Representative to the General Court in 1936-1937 and trustee of the town’s trust funds in 1945-1948. His wife, Sarah E. Piper, worked as a teacher.

About the Piper Family Papers

The Piper Family Papers contain various personal papers relating to Isaiah and Elisabeth Piper and Fred H. and Sarah E. Piper. There are receipts, account books, and correspondence – including 20 letters Ahira B. Piper wrote to his parents that describe the social and cultural life of Manchester, New Hampshire, 1876-1877. The collection also contains materials relating to the Pipers’ work in Belmont’s government, such as: selectmen’s inventories, tax assessment records, vital records, receipts, correspondence, and various accounts. Also included is information regarding the First Free Baptist Church of Belmont and 48 photographs, many of which are unidentified.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [Folder number], [Box number], Piper Family Papers, 1824-1941, MC 85, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Purchased: Charles Apfelbaum, Mar. 1986 (Accession number: 8576)

Collection Contents

Series 1: Isaiah and Elisabeth Piper

Subseries A: Personal Papers

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1854-1857
Box 1, Folder 2Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1870
Box 1, Folder 3Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1894-1898
Box 1, Folder 4Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper (son), 1872
Box 1, Folder 5Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper, 1876
Box 1, Folder 6Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper (son), 1877
Box 1, Folder 7Correspondence, miscellaneous individuals
Box 1, Folder 8Receipts, taxes, 1869-1893
Box 1, Folder 9Receipts, miscellaneous, 1824-1895
Box 1, Folder 10Miscellaneous materials

Subseries B: Town of Belmont, New Hampshire Papers

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 11Accounts, 1878-1906
Box 1, Folder 12Estate of Fred H. Brown: will, inventory, receipts, 1880-1893
Box 1, Folder 13First Free Baptist Church, receipts and Sunday School records, 1868-1882, 1856(?)
Box 1, Folder 14First Free Baptist Church, sermons preached for members of the Piper family (eulogies, etc.), 1858 and n.d.
Box 1, Folder 15Guardianship of Eleanor Sanborn, receipts, 1887-1890
Box 1, Folder 16Selectman’s Inventory, 1881-1883
Box 2
Box 2, Folder 1Tax Assessments: C-F; I-N, 1845
Box 2, Folder 2Tax Assessments, 1847
Box 2, Folder 3Tax Assessments: A-B, 1849
Box 2, Folder 4Tax Assessments: A-B, 1863
Box 2, Folder 5Tax Assessments, 1864
Box 2, Folder 6Undertaker’s Vouchers, 1886-1895
Box 2, Folder 7 Miscellaneous government documents (taxes, town meeting notices, petitions)

Series 2: Fred H. and Sarah E. Piper

Subseries A: Personal Papers

Box 3
Box 3, Folder 1Account Book, Sarah E. Piper, 1904-1919
Box 3, Folder 2Miscellaneous accounts, documents, etc., 1909-1941

Subseries B: Town of Belmont, New Hampshire Papers

Box 3, Folder 3Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates, 1919
Box 3, Folder 4Correspondence, 1920-1922
Box 3, Folder 5Guardianship of Cyrus B. Norris, n.d.
Box 3, Folder 6Legal documents, 1902-1920
Box 3, Folder 7Poor relief, receipts and communications, 1926-1927
Box 3, Folder 8Receipts and bills, 1914-1928
Box 3, Folder 9Tax Assessments ledger, 1925-1926
Box 3, Folder 10Tax Assessments, 1926, 1929

Series 3: Photographs

  • e. 1 Isaiah Piper, Nov. 1880
  • e. 2 Unidentified Man
  • e. 3 Unidentified Man, Woman, and Infant
  • e. 4 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 5 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 6 Unidentified Man
  • e. 7 Unidentified Man
  • e. 8 Unidentified Man
  • e. 9 Unidentified Man (Duplicate of e.8)
  • e. 10 Unidentified Girl
  • e. 11 Unidentified Boy
  • e. 12 Unidentified Man, full-length portrait
  • e. 13 Unidentified Man
  • e. 14 Unidentified Man (Duplicate of e.13)
  • e. 15 Two unidentified women
  • e. 16 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 17 Unidentified Woman, full-length portrait
  • e. 18 Unidentified Girl
  • e. 19 Unidentified Girl
  • e. 20 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 21 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 22 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 23 S. Piper (Man)
  • e. 24 S. Piper (Man)
  • e. 25 Unidentified Man
  • e. 26 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 27 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 28 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 29 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 30 Unidentified Boy
  • e. 31 Unidentified Girl
  • e. 32 Unidentified Girl
  • e. 33 Unidentified Woman
  • e. 34 Unidentified Woman, 3/4-Length Portrait
  • e. 35 Unidentified Man
  • e. 36 Unidentified Very Young Girl
  • e. 37 Landscape; Piles of wood and building materials
  • e. 38 House Under Construction
  • e. 39 House Under Construction
  • e. 40 Mt. Washington Cog Railway
  • e. 41 White Mountains
  • e. 42 Mt. Washington Cog Railway Station
  • e. 43 Building. Mt. Washington
  • e. 44 View of Clouds from White Mountains
  • e. 45 White Mountains
  • e. 46 Hikers in White Mountains
  • e. 47 Automobile on Mt. Washington Road, c. 1925
  • e. 48 Skiers. White Mountains
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