Guide to the James Orton Papers, 1846-1981, bulk 1846-1877

Collection Summary
Biographical Note Note
Scope and Content Note
Subject Headings
Related Material
Administrative Information
Access and Use
Encoding Information
Series List
Container List

Repository:	Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries
Creator:	Orton, James, 1830-1877
Title:	James Orton Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1846-1981
Bulk Dates:	1846-1877
Quantity:	1 cubic foot (3 boxes)
Abstract:	One scrapbook, one diary, and a number of letters and manuscripts relating to Orton's education and his family. The scrapbook contains clippings of Orton's writings about his early explorations of South America, with annotations presumed to be by Orton himself.

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1830 April 21	Born to Minerva Squire and Azariah Giles Orton in Seneca Falls, New York
1846-1847	Attended Oxford Academy in Chenango, New York
1850-1851	Attended Williston Seminary in Easthampton, New York
1851-1855	Attended Williams College
1855-1858	Attended Andover Theological Seminary
1859 November 17	Married Ellen Maria Foote
1860 July 11	Ordained as pastor of the Congregational Church in Greene, New York
1861-1863	Served as pastor of the Congregational Church in Thomaston, Maine
1864	Served as pastor in Brighton, NY
1866	Appointed instructor of natural sciences at the University of Rochester
1867-1869	First South American expedition
1869-1877	Chaired the department of natural history at Vassar College
1873 June - 1874 January	Second South American expedition
1876 October - 1877 September 25	Third South American expedition
1877 September 25	Died while on expedition, Lake Titicaca, Peru

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One scrapbook, one diary, and a number of letters and manuscripts relating to Orton's education and his family. The scrapbook contains clippings of Orton's writings about his early explorations of South America, with annotations presumed to be by Orton himself.

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Access

This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library without any additional restrictions.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to quote (publish) from unpublished or previously published material must be obtained as described in the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library.

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There is additional Orton material in our Autograph Files and Biographical Files. There are also Alumnae Biographical files for his daughters Anna and Susan. A tribute to his wife Ellen can be found in the February 1931 issue of the Vassar Quarterly: https://newspaperarchives.vassar.edu

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Names:

Orton, A. G. (Azariah Giles), 1789-1864

Organizations:

Oxford Academy (Oxford, Chenango County, N.Y.)--Students
Vassar College--Faculty
Williams College--Students
Williston Seminary (Easthampton, Mass.)--Students

Subjects:

Naturalists--United States--Biography

Document Types:

Scrapbooks

VCL Categories

Nature and Natural History

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Encoded by Laura Streett, June 2018.

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Preferred Citation

James Orton Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.

Processing Information

Processed by Miranda Villesvik, 2017.

Acquisition Information

The 1876 diary was gift from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming in 2004 (M2004-006). The remainder of the collection was purchased from Hein and Company Bookstore, Jackson, California in August 2015(M2016-014).

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Series List

Series I. Biographical Material

Series II. Images

Series III. Correspondence

Series IV. Writings

Container List

SERIES I. Biographical Material,
1.1	Diary, 1876
1.2	Scrapbook, circa 1873-1876
1.21	Williams College Tuition Bill, 1853 May 3
1.22	Marriage Certificate, Orton and Ellen M. Foote, 1859 November 17
1.23	Resolution of thanks, [Congregational Church], Thomaston, Maine, 1863 September 13
1.24	Mary Manly Obituary, 1953 April 3
1.25	Voice of the Mountains — Vermont Country Store catalogues, 1981, 1985
SERIES II. Images,
1.3	William Jameson — photograph (carte de visite)
1.4	Domingos Monteiro Peixoto — "President of the Province of Amazonas, Brazil" — photograph, 1873 (carte de visite)
1.5	Col. Phineas Staunton — photograph (carte de visite)
1.6	Henry Augustus Ward — photograph (carte de visite)
1.7	James Orton — photograph, circa 1860-1865 (carte de visite)
1.8	James Orton — photograph, circa 1866-1868 (carte de visite)
1.9	James Orton — photograph, circa 1869-1873 (carte de visite)
1.10	James Orton — photograph, circa 1869-1873 (cabinet card)
1.11	James Orton — photograph, circa 1869-1873 (cabinet card)
1.12	James Orton — photograph, circa 1862-1871 (paper print)
1.13	James Orton — photograph circa 1862-1871 (paper print)
1.14	James Orton — engraving, circa 1855 (2 prints)
1.15	James Orton — photograph of sketch (paper print)
1.16	James Orton — photograph of memorial in Peru (paper print)
1.17	Unidentified — photograph (carte de visite)
1.18	Unidentified — photograph (carte de visite)
1.19	Unidentified — photograph (tintype)
1.20	Unidentified — photograph (tintype)
SERIES III. Correspondence,
2.1	James Orton to "friend Mary," 24 January 1855
2.2	James Orton to Azariah Giles Orton, 3 February 1855
2.3	James Orton to "friend Mary," 15 March 1855
2.4	"Notro W." to "Carus Jacobus" [William Orton to James Orton?], 19 February 1857
2.5	Azariah Giles Orton to James Orton, 20 February 1857
2.6	Azariah Giles Orton to James Orton, 6 April 1857
2.7	Letter of introduction for James Orton from S.R. Asbury to James Browne and Co., 1858
2.8	James Orton to Annie, Susie, and Blossie Orton, 6 August 1872
2.9	James Orton to Annie Orton, [summer 1872]
2.10	Asahel Foote to Albert L. Orton, 16 December 1872
2.11	G.R. Williams to James Orton, 29 May, 1876
2.12	James Orton To Annie Orton, 5 April 1877
2.13	Jacob to Karl, “First of all, I want to see you,” undated
SERIES IV. Writings,
Juvenelia
2.14	"A Voyage of Discovery," undated
2.15	"Plymouth," undated
2.16	"Fall," undated
2.17	"The Seasons," undated
2.18	"Canals," undated
2.19	"Discovery of America," undated
2.20	"Rome," undated
2.21	"A Voyage to England," undated
2.22	"Progress of Chemistry," undated
2.23	"Progress of Electricity," undated
2.24	"In the time of the wars between England and Spain…" undated
2.25	"Acrostic: The Seasons," undated
2.26	"Industry," undated
2.27	"Water is the most useful thing…" undated
Oxford Academy
2.28	"The Job of Ancient Writings," 1846 August 26
2.29	"Angelo, the Artist" [Michelangelo], 1846 September 12
2.30	"Effects of the Crusades," 1846 September 25
2.31	"Napoleon was trumpeted out of his earthly career…" [Death of Napoleon] 1846 November 19
2.32	"The Progress of Literature," 1846
2.33	"Latin Salutatory" Oxford Academy anniversary, 1846
2.34	"Rome," 1847 January 30
2.35	"Aeneid Liber 2d Line 250", 1847 February 13
2.36	Calliopean Society address, 1847 February 19
2.37	"Grecian Literature," Calliopean Society address, 1847 April 16
2.38	"Battle of Tours," 1847 May 8
2.39	"Literary Fame," 1847 May
2.40	"Among the great events which characterize…," [conquest of the Americas] 1847 August 28
2.41	"Crusades," 1847
2.42	Eulogium on Oxford Academy, circa 1846-1847
Williston Seminary
3.1	"The Mediterranean," 1850 January 1
3.2	Adelphi Society address, 1850 March 8
3.3	"Tall Oaks From Little Acorns Grow," Adelphi Society address, 1850 May 24
3.4	"Ambition," 1850 October 26
3.5	"Smithsonian Bequest," Adelphi Society address, 1850 November 8
3.6	"On the Evils of Intemperance," 1850
3.7	"True Patriotism," 1850 Fall
3.8	"Milton, P.L. B.V. 171-174," 1850
3.9	"A Leaf from 'The Sack of Troy,' Aeneid, L. II. 268-297," 1851 January 25
3.10	"Thoughts on Reading," 1851 February 15
3.11	"The Thinker," Commencement [piece], 1851 June 28
3.12	"A Dream," 1851 July 3
3.13	Greek and Latin translations, 1851
Williams College
3.14	"Supposed Speech of Hannibal to His Army at the Battle of Ticinum," 1852 March
3.15	"Character," Class Society, 1852 April 22
3.16	"The Rights to Discuss Presidential Acts," 1852 June 18
3.17	"The Moral Grandeur of the Missionary Enterprise," Mills Society 1852 September 26
3.18	"A Thought," 1852 October 8
3.19	"On the Different Varieties of Hornvbende," Society of Natural History, 1852 October 27
3.20	"Truth," 1852 November 18
3.21	"Remorse," 1853 March
3.22	"Science and Philosophy," 1853 June 9
3.23	"Christian Conflict," Prize Rhetorical exercise, 1853 July 11
3.24	"Art," 1853 October 5
3.25	"Mirabile, Terrabile, Horrabile…," Philotechnian, 1853 October 12
3.26	"Romans X: 5-9," Mills Theological Society 1854 February 6
3.27	"We take the term politics…," 1854 February 15
3.28	"Holy Beauty," Junior Exhibition 1854 May 2 (2 copies)
3.29	"The world’s history…," [missionaries], Mills Theological Society 1854 July 16
3.30	"Legs, " 1855 January 31
3.31	"Nature is but the Outer Court of the Temple of the Most High, " 1855 March 28 (2 versions)
3.32	"Reason in Insects," 1855 June 1
3.33	"Footprints of the Creator, " 1855 July 31
3.34	Philotechnian, undated
3.35	"Imagination as a Mediatorial Power," undated
3.36	"Some are born great, some achieve greatness…," undated
3.37	"I do not presume to call in question…" undated
Unidentified and Miscellaneous
3.38	"To An Album" [poem], 1851 September 3
3.39	"Romans 8: 38-39," Brighton, New York 1867 March 31
3.40	"I John 4:8," given in Brighton and again at Vassar 1866 December 2; 1869 May 16
3.41	"Vespertinae Romanenses," undated
3.42	"Additional Stanzas," undated
3.43	"Though nine long years…" undated
3.44	"No Man Can learn Every Thing," undated
3.45	"Composition Day," undated
3.46	"Maternus Metus!," undated
3.47	"Curiosities of History," undated
3.48	"The Inca's Doom," undated
3.49	"Character of Early Government and Laws," undated
3.50	"Elements," undated
3.51	"Intervention or non intervention, that is the question…," undated
3.52	"Origin of Women's Rights," undated
3.53	"…English Superstition…" undated