Guide to the George Henry Hood Papers, 1857-1895

Collection Overview

The papers of George Henry Hood span the years 1857 to 1895, although the bulk of the material falls in the period 1861 to 1863. It consists primarily of correspondence between Hood and his wife Etta written while he was travailing on business selling rubber goods for a variety of firms, including the Beverly Rubber Company of Beverly, Mass., and the Rubber Clothing Company of New York and Boston. There are also a few letters from other family members and business associates and some miscellaneous items. The letters indicate that Hood's travels took him to Philadelphia (1861), St. Louis (1862), New York (1862-1863), Washington, D.C. (1861-1863), and other places. Letters from St. Louis and Washington, in particular, contain some observations on Civil War activity in those places.

The correspondence is primarily of a personal nature, dealing with family matters and the mutual concerns of a husband and wife about being separated during his business trips. A few letters relate to Hood's daughter Helen.

Descriptive Summary

Title: George Henry Hood Papers, 1857-1895
Creator: Hood, George Henry
Extent: .5 Linear Feet, 88 Items
Repository: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language: English.

Series Quick Links

Correspondence

Administrative Information

A majority of collections are stored off site and must be requested at least 24 business hours in advance for retrieval. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The status of copyright interests in these papers is unknown. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Contents of the Collection

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Correspondence

1857 Jan. 7-1862 Jan. 14

Box 1

1862 Feb. 8-Dec. 30

Box 1

1863 Jan. 1-1895 Jan. 16

Box 1

Historical Note

George Henry Hood was a resident of Chelsea, Essex County, Mass., and a rubber goods salesman and businessman during the latter half of the 19th century. Prior to the Civil War, Hood was employed at Winslow, Hood and Co. of Boston, a firm which wholesaled boots, shoes, and shoemaker's tools.

During at least part of the Civil War (1861) Hood was a travelling sales representative for Rubber Clothing Company, a firm based in Boston and New York that specialized in providing military equipment. He also sold rubber goods for a number of other firms during the war while travelling to St. Louis, New York, Washington, D.C., and other places.

After the war, Hood went into various other business ventures before founding the Boston Rubber Company in 1877, which eventually merged with the United States Rubber Company in 1892.

Hood married Henrietta ("Etta") Janvrin in Sentember 1859. They had several children, including Helen, a musical child prodigy who became a composer. In 1896, two of Hood's sons, Arthur Needham Hood (1868-1950) and F. C. Hood formed the Hood Rubber Company in Boston where Hood retained an office at least until 1912.