Library, Museums and Press Staff
January 14, 2026

Late 19th to Early 20th Century Business in Delaware: The Williams Family Papers

By David Cardillo, Digital Collections and Preservation

 

The Williams Family Papers document the business and personal affairs of prominent Delaware politician and landowner James Williams (1825–1899) and his son Nathaniel J. Williams (1857–1943). Nathaniel followed in his father’s footsteps as a politician and landowner. The collection also includes records from Parvis & Williams, a Middletown-based fertilizer manufacturing company led by James Williams after he joined John Parvis in 1885.

Materials in the collection include correspondence, college notebooks, account books, ledgers, canceled checks, tax forms, stock and real estate transactions, legal records, bills and ephemera. Together, these materials provide insight into late 19th- and early 20th-century business practices in Delaware.

One notable item is a letter written by Nathaniel’s uncle while Nathaniel was away at college. Although Nathaniel attended the University of Virginia rather than Delaware College, which later became the University of Delaware, the letter offers a vivid snapshot of daily life in Middletown at the time.

 

Handwritten letter dated June 9, 1871 from Middletown, Delaware written in cursive ink on lined paper. The letter is addressed to a person named Stephen and discusses receiving an invitation to attend a university society celebration, travel plans and observations about growth and new houses in Middletown.

Written on June 9, 1899, the letter describes new houses under construction and preparations for hauling a large peach crop, reflecting the region’s economic activity and agricultural roots.

 

The collection also includes a scrapbook created by Martha E. Clayton of Middletown, Delaware. It contains newspaper clippings alongside handwritten notes detailing home remedies, cooking recipes and household cleaning instructions. Among the entries are directions for a sulfuric acid compound believed to prevent illness, a printed home remedy for cholera and advice on helping hens lay eggs during the winter.

Close-up of a handwritten historical note in dark ink on aged paper describing how to avoid smallpox. The cursive text mentions placing sulphuric acid in a warmed glass vessel to create fumes that spread through a house as a preventative measure.

Clipping from a 19th century newspaper titled “The Sun Cholera Mixture” attributed to the Chicago Herald. The printed article discusses cholera appearing in Europe and promotes a home remedy, listing ingredients such as tincture of opium, rhubarb, peppermint and camphor along with dosing instructions.

An aged, yellowed newspaper clipping titled "HOW TO MAKE HENS LAY IN WINTER." The text advises using young pullets, keeping a warm hen-house, and feeding a diet of wheat, meat scraps, and vegetables. It emphasizes maintaining a quiet environment and consistent feeding habits, noting that results take several weeks. The snippet is signed "N. B."

While the Williams Family Papers offer valuable documentation of business and agricultural trends during a period of economic transition in the United States, they also reveal the personal lives, beliefs and daily routines of the people behind the records.

Digitization of this collection was made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Library.