Ebenezer Graves journals and related materials, 1849-1989, undated

Historical/Biographical Note

Historical/Biographical Note

Ebenezer Graves III (1830-1906) was born to Ebenezer and Nabby (Mantor) Graves on December 11th, 1830, in Charlemont, Mass. The second of four sons and the middle child out of five, Ebenezer lost an older sister in early childhood, around which time the family relocated to Ashfield, Mass. The Graves family were farmers, and their daily chores and tasks are illustrated in Ebenezer's memo books. Ebenezer grew up surrounded by family in an environment of hard work and strong religious belief, as seen in his writings. As he reached young adulthood, Ebenezer and his younger cousin Darwin E. Graves attended advanced schooling in nearby Conway, Mass, where they boarded together. Ebenezer taught at least term of school in Conway in the winter of 1849-1850. He continued to live and work on the family farm in Ashfield; in the 1850s, he and his younger brother Addison took up the trade of peddling, selling and trading various products across New England and New York. Ebenezer kept a "memorandum" book of his peddling journeys, including information about the weather, trades and industries of the towns he passed through, entertainments and social trends, and more. On December 31st, 1855, Ebenezer married Persis Rice Whittiams (1828-1919) of Adams, Mass. The couple would have two children, Harriet Marie Graves (1856-1928) and Dana Lincoln Graves (1860-1937). Ebenezer and his family stayed in Ashfield, where he continued to work as both a farmer and a peddler until his death following a stroke on September 6th, 1906 at age 75.

Sources

Material within MS029.002.047 and US Census data.