Collection number: MC 85
Size: 4 boxes (1.33 cu.ft.)
About the Piper Family
The Isaiah Piper family lived in Factory Village (Belmont), New Hampshire from 1836. Isaiah’s first wife Elisabeth 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, gave birth to Ernest Kilburn (born 1871) and Fred Herbert (born 1873). 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], 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 I: Isaiah and Elisabeth Piper
Subseries A: Personal Papers
| Box 1 | |
|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1854-1857 |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1870 |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Account Book, Isaiah Piper, 1894-1898 |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper (son), 1872 |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper, 1876 |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | Correspondence from Ahira B. Piper (son), 1877 |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | Correspondence, miscellaneous individuals |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | Receipts, taxes, 1869-1893 |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | Receipts, miscellaneous, 1824-1895 |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | Miscellaneous materials |
Subseries B: Town of Belmont, New Hampshire Papers
| Box 1, Folder 11 | Accounts, 1878-1906 |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | Estate of Fred H. Brown: will, inventory, receipts, 1880-1893 |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | First Free Baptist Church, receipts and Sunday School records, 1868-1882, 1856(?) |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | First Free Baptist Church, sermons preached for members of the Piper family (eulogies, etc.), 1858 and n.d. |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | Guardianship of Eleanor Sanborn, receipts, 1887-1890 |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | Selectman’s Inventory, 1881-1883 |
| Box 2 | |
|---|---|
| Box 2, Folder 1 | Tax Assessments: C-F; I-N, 1845 |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | Tax Assessments, 1847 |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | Tax Assessments: A-B, 1849 |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | Tax Assessments: A-B, 1863 |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | Tax Assessments, 1864 |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | Undertaker’s Vouchers, 1886-1895 |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Miscellaneous government documents (taxes, town meeting notices, petitions) |
Series II: Fred H. and Sarah E. Piper
Subseries A: Personal Papers
| Box 3 | |
|---|---|
| Box 3, Folder 1 | Account Book, Sarah E. Piper, 1904-1919 |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | Miscellaneous accounts, documents, etc., 1909-1941 |
Subseries B: Town of Belmont, New Hampshire Papers
| Box 3, Folder 3 | Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates, 1919 |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1920-1922 |
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Guardianship of Cyrus B. Norris, n.d. |
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Legal documents, 1902-1920 |
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Poor relief, receipts and communications, 1926-1927 |
| Box 3, Folder 8 | Receipts and bills, 1914-1928 |
| Box 3, Folder 9 | Tax Assessments ledger, 1925-1926 |
| Box 3, Folder 10 | Tax Assessments, 1926, 1929 |
Series III: Photographs
| Box 3, Envelope 1 | Isaiah Piper, Nov. 1880 |
| Box 3, Envelope 2 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 3 | Unidentified Man, Woman, and Infant |
| Box 3, Envelope 4 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 5 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 6 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 7 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 8 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 9 | Unidentified Man (Duplicate of e.8) |
| Box 3, Envelope 10 | Unidentified Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 11 | Unidentified Boy |
| Box 3, Envelope 12 | Unidentified Man, full-length portrait |
| Box 3, Envelope 13 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 14 | Unidentified Man (Duplicate of e.13) |
| Box 3, Envelope 15 | Two unidentified women |
| Box 3, Envelope 16 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 17 | Unidentified Woman, full-length portrait |
| Box 3, Envelope 18 | Unidentified Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 19 | Unidentified Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 20 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 21 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 22 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 23 | S. Piper (Man) |
| Box 3, Envelope 24 | S. Piper (Man) |
| Box 3, Envelope 25 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 26 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 27 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 28 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 29 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 30 | Unidentified Boy |
| Box 3, Envelope 31 | Unidentified Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 32 | Unidentified Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 33 | Unidentified Woman |
| Box 3, Envelope 34 | Unidentified Woman, 3/4-Length Portrait |
| Box 3, Envelope 35 | Unidentified Man |
| Box 3, Envelope 36 | Unidentified Very Young Girl |
| Box 3, Envelope 37 | Landscape; Piles of wood and building materials |
| Box 3, Envelope 38 | House Under Construction |
| Box 3, Envelope 39 | House Under Construction |
| Box 3, Envelope 40 | Mt. Washington Cog Railway |
| Box 3, Envelope 41 | White Mountains |
| Box 3, Envelope 42 | Mt. Washington Cog Railway Station |
| Box 3, Envelope 43 | Building. Mt. Washington |
| Box 3, Envelope 44 | View of Clouds from White Mountains |
| Box 3, Envelope 45 | White Mountains |
| Box 3, Envelope 46 | Hikers in White Mountains |
| Box 3, Envelope 47 | Automobile on Mt. Washington Road, c. 1925 |
| Box 3, Envelope 48 | Skiers. White Mountains |
February 4th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I am the grandson of Fred H. Piper. I am a loss as to how these items came into the possession of UNH. From the information I assume that the latest material is from 1941 so it somehow left the family after that date. I have no regrets that the collection is where it is, otherwise it would have probably been lost forever. I do,however,note several errors in the information and would like to somehow straighten out the information. Another interesting aspect of this material is that Mrs. Dean Charles Pettee (Luella Sweat)was a first cousin to Fred Piper. Runnels “History of Sanbornton” Volume II page 574 gives a pretty good family history. By the way, the picture at the top of this page is of Isaiah Piper. Ernest K was the oldest son by his second wife Sarah Kilborn. Fred was the younger brother. Wallace Piper Rhodes
February 5th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hello Wallace.
We bought the papers from a dealer in New Jersey back in 1986.
Thank you for the corrections and for the tip about the history of Sanbornton. I will update the information accordingly.
Roland Goodbody Manuscripts Curator