The Jonathan L. Peirce papers include correspondence and business papers of Jonathan L.
Peirce, Jonathan Franklin Peirce, and Franklin Lovering Peirce, 1810-1918. Jonathan L.
Peirce's letters (1820s-1870s) are chiefly to his sister, Nancy Peirce Haynes, in regard to
her education in New England (1827-1833); his father, Moses Peirce; and his brother, also
Moses Peirce, relating to real estate and business matters. The collection also contains
letters to Angelina Moulton Peirce from her parents, the N. T. Moultons; and her sister and
brothers, Bell, John, and Thayer. There are also letters during the 1860s and 1870s from
Jonathan L. Peirce and his wife to their son, Jonathan Franklin Peirce, while he was
attending Beloit College. Jonathan Franklin Peirce received many letters from his sisters,
Hannah and Julia, particularly concerning his school work and education.
From the 1890s on, the collection is composed primarily of letters to Jonathan Franklin
Peirce from his wife, Ella Crumbaugh Peirce, and his son, Franklin Lovering Peirce dealing
with family matters. In 1918, there is a large group of letters written by Franklin Lovering
Peirce to his mother while he was stationed as an air cadet in Texas, relating general
information and incidents about military life.
The miscellaneous unsorted business papers include bills, indentures, and deeds. The school
papers of Nancy Peirce Haynes and Angelina Moulton Peirce consist of compositions, poems,
and copy books (1823-1833), and those of Jonathan Franklin Peirce are from his four years at
Beloit College (1862-1866). The collection also contains family photographs, ephemera, a
diary, and an account book.
