Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Bement mss., 1843-1891, consists of the correspondence of Isaac Bush, 1815-1864, farmer of LaPorte County, Indiana, and his wife, Sarah Ann (Bement) Bush, 1821-1891.
- Extent:
- 1 Box (1 standard)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Bement mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Sarah Ann Bement, the oldest child of Hiram Bement and Sarah Collins, was born ca. 1821 in New Hampshire. In 1834, the Bement family moved from the Northeast to Galena Township, La Porte County, IN. Isaac Ter Bush, son of John Ter Bush and Lydia Clearwater, was born October 9, 1815, in Wawarsing, Ulster County, New York. After the family moved to the Midwest, they dropped the first syllable of their surname. By 1840, the Bush family had moved to LaPorte County, and in 1850, they were located in the Kankakee Township.
Isaac Bush and Sarah Ann Bement married on December 22, 1850, in LaPorte County, IN, and Sarah Ann Bement moved to Isaac Bush's farm in Kankakee. In addition to tending his farm, Isaac Bush served his local community by holding several township offices and supported the Republican Party. He passed away around the age of 48 in ca. 1864. Following her husband's death, Sarah Ann (Bement) Bush moved into the household of her younger brother, Orren Bement, for a time, and by 1880 she had taken in a young Swedish immigrant named Louisa Anderson. Mrs. Bush never remarried but spent her twilight years on her husband's farm in Kankakee. She died on November 20, 1891, at the age of 70.
- Scope and Content:
The Bement mss., 1843-1891, consists of the correspondence of Isaac Bush, 1815-1864, farmer of LaPorte County, Indiana, and his wife, Sarah Ann (Bement) Bush, 1821-1891. The correspondence deals chiefly with news about the family and friends. Included are Civil War letters, 1861-1864, from Peter L. Hornbeck, stationed in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia; and three, 1862, 1865, and 186-, from Orren Bement, brother of Sarah Ann (Bement) Bush, stationed in Kentucky. Also included are letters from Julia A. (Bement) Woodward, an aunt of Sarah Ann (Bement) Bush, dated January 3, 1843, and May 3, 1846. In these letters, the Mormons are mentioned, the first letter detailing lectures given at Mishawaka, Indiana, by Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois.
The material from 1878-1891 consists entirely of invitations.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift: 1950
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged following original order.
- Physical location:
- Lilly - Stacks
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Bement mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu