Deerfield, Mass. (January 27, 2016)--- Historic Deerfield, Inc., and the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association have recently purchased at auction a trove of 19th-century documents, consisting of journals, account books, maps, drawings, and notebooks, created by Deerfield residents Epaphras Hoyt (1765-1850) and his son Arthur (1811-1899).  These manuscripts have been in private hands until now, and afford a new, significant perspective on Deerfield's history and the influence the Hoyts exerted on wider events.  From the early 19th century until the close of the Mexican War, the observations of Epaphras Hoyt provide an unprecedented account of local, regional, and national events from the perspective of a highly literate and intellectually curious antiquarian and historian in rural western Massachusetts.

The Hoyt family has old ties to Deerfield, arriving around 1680 and living in the village until the 20th century. As a founding family, their importance to Deerfield has long been recognized.  When the extraordinary opportunity to vastly enlarge the Memorial Libraries' Hoyt collections occurred, both organizations became focused on the auction. It took the cooperation and resources of Deerfield's two museums to secure these critically important documents and return them to Deerfield. 

"The acquisition of these manuscripts by prominent members of the Hoyt family is an important addition to the collection of papers at the Memorial Libraries," said Philip Zea, President, Historic Deerfield. "These carefully kept documents that record the lives of important Deerfield residents give us greater insight into their contributions to American culture in the late 18th and early 19th century."

"Epaphras Hoyt's papers are a remarkable local window from this small New England village of Deerfield into national and international history," said Tim Neumann, Executive Director of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.  "They are also a very rich resource to further the PVMA's mission of telling the many real stories of the people of this region."

Born in 1765 in the Old Indian House, the only residence within the stockade to survive the devastating 1704 French and Indian raid on Deerfield, Epaphras Hoyt became a leader in town and county affairs.  Beyond holding numerous civic offices such as postmaster and justice of the peace, he represented Deerfield in the Massachusetts Assembly, worked as a surveyor, served as a general in the Massachusetts militia, published on military theory, the French and Indian wars, and the American Revolution, and contributed to the Medical and Agricultural Register (Boston) and the American Journal of Science (New Haven). His tenure as Sheriff of Franklin County is documented in an account book he kept between 1815 and 1831. Copies of speeches he made at anti-Masonic conventions are but one example of his involvement with the political life of western Massachusetts.  Epaphras Hoyt was an avid reader and a keen observer of local and national events - all of which are reflected in his extensive journals.

Hoyt played an important role in the education of his nephew, Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864). As a clergyman, professor, and the first Massachusetts state geologist before becoming President of Amherst College, Hitchcock collected and studied fossilized impressions that later paleontologists would identify as dinosaur tracks. Hoyt's only son, Arthur, followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a talented surveyor and civil engineer. Arthur inherited his father's library of books and manuscripts, and amassed his own substantial library, all of which are recorded in a hand-written catalog that came as part of the papers acquired. The new materials document Arthur's work as an engineer constructing the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, and the Central Massachusetts Railroad, and speak to the early development of regional transportation networks.

These materials will join Hoyt papers already in the Memorial Libraries that include surveying notebooks of both Epaphras and Arthur, journals, correspondence, legal documents, and books. Acquisition of these Hoyt documents was made possible in part through the generous support of Margaret E. C. Howland, Ann Lord, and a bequest from the estate of David R. Proper (1933-2014), former Librarian of the Memorial Libraries.

The Memorial Libraries, comprised of the book and manuscript collections of Historic Deerfield and the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, is located at 6 Memorial St., Deerfield, MA. Hours are Tue.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-noon, and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.  Information regarding the collections can be found at:  http://library.historic-deerfield.org, or:  http://deerfield-ma.org/about/library/ 

About Historic Deerfield, Inc.

Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley. Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside.

About the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association

Incorporated in 1870, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association collects and preserves objects and documents that illustrate the history of Franklin County and the Connecticut River Valley from the time of the Pocumtuck people, its earliest inhabitants, to the later European settlement, up to the 20th century. Utilizing its facilities at Memorial Hall Museum, the Old Indian House Memorial, and the Deerfield Teachers' Center, PVMA offers award-winning exhibitions, programs, publications, and  websites.