Buttles, Anson W., 1821-1906. Papers, 1846-1906. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 186, Milwaukee Micro Collection 75, and Milwaukee Micro Collection 76 2.6 cubic ft. (6 archives boxes, and 1 small archives box) + 1 microfilm reel (35 mm) + 7 microfilm reels (35 mm)

ABSTRACT: Diaries and letters of Buttles, a rural resident of the town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the diaries, kept continuously from 1856 to 1906 on a farm near Fox Point, Buttles remarks on national elections and gives information on local political activity derived from his positions as town clerk, justice of the peace, school clerk, county surveyor, and county superintendent of schools. For the Civil War period, there are notations on the volunteer army, the draft, civilian privations, and the Indian war scare. The diaries also include references to farm operations and household economies; Dutch immigrant life; the "Lady Elgin" steamboat disaster in 1860; the Chicago fire of 1871; the Milwaukee strike of 1886; the panic and mob rule following bank closures of 1861 and 1893; rural entertainments; smallpox vaccinations; road building; books read; and family life. There are a few letters from Byron Kilbourn, Abram Vliet, and Don J. Whittemore, 1851-1857, containing information on surveying for the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad; and genealogical material on the Buttles and Stoughton Families.

The diaries, which are also on microfilm, are letters by Anson Buttles, including many to his wife describing his work as engineer during the construction of the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad and the Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad; and several letters, written to him by Paul Juneau and Byron Kilbourn.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 186 contains papers from 1851 to 1906, including typed diary excerpts from 1856 to 1906, scattered correspondence from 1851 to 1857, and genealogical material on the Buttles and Stoughton families.

Milwaukee Micro Collection 75 contains microfilmed copies of papers from 1846 to 1857. This includes letters from Paul Juneau and Byron Kilbourn, and letters Buttles wrote to his wife while he served as an engineer during the construction of the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, and the Milwaukee & La Crosse Railroad.

Milwaukee Micro Collection 76 contains diaries written by Buttles from 1856 to 1906. Also included in this collection are recipes, formulas, marriage records, and a catalogue of curiosities and specimens.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:   Buttles was a Pennsylvanian by birth; he emigrated to Wisconsin with his parents in 1843 and settled on a farm near Fox Point, in the town of Milwaukee; was married and spent the remainder of his life there.

Buttles' diaries show that he was a local politician of influence. For thirty years or more he was town clerk and justice of the peace; he was also at times school clerk, county surveyor, and county superintendent of schools, as well as enumerator for the federal and state census.

He was accused of Know Nothing principles in 1856; maintained his Democratic faith through the Civil War; voted for Governor Taylor in 1872; and in 1880 went over to the Republicans. Besides remarks on national elections, there is information on local politics and political methods, particularly among the emigrant groups that surrounded the Buttles farm. His entries as justice of the peace and county superintendent should shed light on the history of jurisprudence and educational methods in Wisconsin.

For the Civil War period, there are notations on the volunteer army, on the draft, on civilian privations, and on the Indian war scare.  Buttles' brother was in the army; he himself in his capacity as justice of the peace made out affidavits for those who wanted exemption from army service.

Farm operations are touched upon on almost every page. Buttles speaks of systems of cropping, home manufacture of harrows, carts, neckyokes, and axe handles, of splitting rails, of making shingles, of building a house, of tapping sugar trees, of setting out an orchard, of butchering and smoking hams, and of curing tobacco. In most cases he describes in detail the operation.  Road building was a matter of much importance; he frequently was called upon to make surveys; in 1870 he was engaged to survey the route for the Watertown railroad and tells of the many difficulties connected with the work.

Household economies, too, engaged much of his attention. Soap making and sauerkraut making are described. In 1861 a kerosene lamp was purchased; in 1871 a Singer sewing machine; in 1888 a gasoline stove; and in 1872 the whole family helped to put down a new carpet, underlaid with straw.

In 1865 Buttles had his life insured and later wrote policies himself. He speaks of a number of smallpox epidemics and of administering a vaccine to the whole neighborhood.  He also describes an epidemic among horses in 1872, affecting animals in the whole region, so that the streets of Milwaukee were filled with oxen instead of horse teams.

Happenings outside of his own community are also commented upon. In 1856 he writes of witnessing a balloon ascension in Milwaukee; in 1860 of the Lady Elgin steamboat disaster; in 1871 of the Chicago fire and the terrible wind storms; in 1886 of the Milwaukee strike and the terror of the residents of the city; and in 1861 and 1893 of the panic and mob rule following bank closures. The Buttles family seldom missed a circus performance; they also attended dances, barn raisings, kirmisess, and the annual state fair.  In 1880 they witnessed the Grand Review in Milwaukee and in 1893 spent several days at the Columbian Exposition.

Mr. Buttles seems to have been a collector, too, as he mentions his brother's bringing home from the war some curiosities for his cabinet. He read widely--books on travel, adventure, history, biography, and fiction--as well as magazines and newspapers. His lists of books read and his occasional comments are a valuable index to what an educated citizen of Wisconsin was reading during the last half of the nineteenth century.

Predominant in the diary is the record of the life of the Buttles family. The diarist's parents, his wife's parents (immigrants from Holland), and children of both families, as well as the eleven children of Mrs. and Mr.. Buttles are subjects of lengthy comment. A sister, Olive, married a son of Solomon Juneau, and some of the responsibility of the rearing of their seven children fell upon Anson Buttles. The accounts of the movements of all these relatives occupy more and more space as the years go on, and the closing volumes are devoted almost exclusively to family affairs.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Buttles, Anson W., 1821-1906. Papers, 1894-1906. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 186, Milwaukee Milwaukee Micro Collection 75, and Milwaukee Micro Collection 76. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Buttles, O.B. Papers [microform], 1869-1884. (Milwaukee Micro Collection 74)

Buttles, Viola Eltrude, 1889- .  A history of the Buttolph-Buttles family, 1949. (Milwaukee Small Collection 214)

ACQUISITION:  Letters presented by Alice Buttles Perrin of Wellesley Farms, Massachusetts. Genealogical material loaned for copying by Anson M. Buttles of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Microfilmed materials were loaned for copying by Anson M. Buttles in March 1956 and 1979 (accession numbers M79-599, M79-133, M79-234, and M79-387). Original diaries were presented by Thomas Buttles in 2002 (accession number M2002-110).

PROCESSING: Karen Baumann processed the collection on May 14, 1999.  Nicholas Wolf processed the addition in 2002.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

• Agriculture--Wisconsin.
• Buttles family.
• Chicago (Ill.)--Fire, 1871.
• Farm life--Wisconsin--Milwaukee County.
• Juneau, Paul.
• Justices of the Peace--Wisconsin--Milwaukee County.
• Kilbourn, Byron, 1801-1870.
• La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company.
• Lady Elgin (Boat).
• Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad Company.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
• Railroads--Wisconsin.
• Stoughton family.
• Strikes and lockouts--Wisconsin--Milwaukee. 
• Surveyors--Wisconsin.
• Vliet, Abram.
• Whittemore, Don Juan, 1830-1916.
• Wisconsin--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

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Last edited on Friday, October 11, 2002.
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