Scope and Content Note
The papers of the Hale family span the period 1698-1916, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1810-1909. The papers consist of correspondence, biographical material, business records, writings, legal documents, memorabilia, and genealogies primarily relating to one particular line of the descendants of Robert Hale who settled in Massachusetts in 1632. Included in this branch of the family were Nathan Hale (1755-1776), who was executed as an American spy during the American Revolution, his nephew Nathan Hale (1784-1863), and the latter’s son, Edward Everett Hale. All have material in the collection. Also included are papers regarding families related by marriage to the Hale family and close acquaintances, including the Everett, Hill, and Sears families, and Harriet E. Freeman, assistant to Edward Everett Hale. The collection is arranged in eight series: General Family Correspondence , General and Special Correspondence of Edward Evert Hale , Genealogical and Biographical Material , Business Records , Writings , Memorabilia , 2005 Addition , and 2023 Addition .
The General Family Correspondence series is arranged in two parts comprising the Hale and Everett family correspondence. The correspondence of the Hale family is made up almost entirely of letters exchanged between Nathan Hale (1784-1863) and his brother-in-law Alexander Hill Everett. Nathan Hale’s letters primarily relate to his business interests and discuss his activities as owner and editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser and president of the Boston and Worcester Railroad. Other topics include national and local politics, construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and demands of foreign creditors that the state of Pennsylvania pay the interest on its debt. Also included in the Hale family correspondence is material relating to Hale’s son, Charles Hale, and Alexander Hill. Additional material relating to Hale’s business activities, particularly those pertaining to the Boston and Worcester Railroad, is located in the Business Records series.
The Everett family correspondence in the General Family Correspondence series consists largely of letters from Alexander Hill Everett to his brother Edward Everett (1794-1865). The correspondence discusses family matters as well as national and local politics. Of particular note are the letters dated 1815-1816 when Alexander Hill Everett was secretary of the American Legation at the Hague and 1825-1829 when he was the American minister in Madrid.
The General and Special Correspondence of Edward Everett Hale series is arranged in two parts as general correspondence and special correspondence. Hale’s general correspondence is largely personal in nature and includes a number of letters to one of his personal assistants and to Ulysses G. B. Pierce of Washington, D.C., who often assisted him with his duties as chaplain of the United States Senate. The special correspondence file consists of letters exchanged between Hale and Harriet E. Freeman, one of his assistants. The letters are primarily personal, detailing daily events with occasional reflections on their thoughts and feelings. Freeman took numerous trips throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada, and her letters from these places constitute a virtual travel journal. When Hale became chaplain of the United States Senate and centered his activity in Washington, political events and topics figured more prominently in their letters. This is particularly true for the period of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, reflecting Hale's friendship with the president. At this time, Freeman became active in movements to preserve forest lands and protect the rights of Native Americans, writing about both causes to Hale. The letters between Hale and Freeman include a coded shorthand style of writing. Author Sara Day deciphered the shorthand used by Hale and Freeman. Researchers may wish to consult her book, Coded Letters, Concealed Love: The Larger Lives of Harriet Freeman and Edward Everett Hale, for more information about the content of coded correspondence of Hale and Freeman.
The 2005 Addition contains typed transcripts of letters from Nathan Hale (1743-1780) of Rindge, New Hampshire, to his wife Abigail Hale. The letters date from 1775 to 1780 and chronicle his military experiences during the American Revolution prior to his death as a prisoner of the British.
The 2023 Addition contains correspondence by and to Harriett E. Freeman. The series is arranged into two parts as general and special correspondence. Freeman's general correspondence contains a small amount of personal letters as well as letters related to her work with Edward Everett Hale, including transcripts of two of his sermons. The special correspondence consists of letters from Freeman to Edward Everett Hale during her travels through Italy and Tunisia from December 1905 to May 1906. The letters from Freeman to Hale include a coded shorthand style of writing. Researchers wishing to translate the letters should refer to the aforementioned book by author Sara Day.
Among the many correspondents in the collection are Horatio Allen, George Bliss, Peleg W. Chandler, John Davis, Edmund Dwight, John Murray Forbes, Joseph Grinnell, John H. B. Latrobe, Theophilus Parsons, Josiah Quincy, William B. Reed, Daniel Tyler, Elisha Whittlesey, and Robert C. Winthrop.