59 School Street, Box 1310, Edgartown MA 02539 - 508.627.4441
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A Finding Aid to the George G. Gifford Collection, 1857-1970, 1995, undated

Descriptive Summary

Repository Martha's Vineyard Museum Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508)627-4441
Call Number RU 380
Title George G. Gifford Collection
Date [inclusive] 1857-1970, 1995, undated
Extent 15 boxes (7.560 cubic feet)
Location For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's staff.
Language The materials are in English.
Abstract The Gifford Collection contains mainly business papers, but also contains some family papers and correspondence between family members.

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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use and Reproduction Restrictions

Requests to reproduce material from this collection should be directed to the library's staff. Reproduction fees may apply.

Preferred Citation

Martha's Vineyard Museum, RU 380, George G. Gifford Collection.

Acquisition Information

Examples include the following:

  • Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Mayhew in 1989 (Accession no. 1989.056). [Donation]
  • Gift of Heather Kendall, and Geoffrey Miller in 1993 (Accession no. unknown). [Donation]

Publication Information

Martha's Vineyard Museum

Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508)627-4441

Revision Description

 Addition to the Collection; Addition of series IX: Additions to Collection, [CJ],  August 2015.

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared By Matthew Seklecki in 2007 and machine-encoded by Clint Johnson in September 2015.

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Related Materials

Related Materials

  • See also, RU 518, Town of West Tisbury Records, 1912-1944, 1984.
  • See also, Oral History Collections, Willis Gifford interviews.

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Index Terms

Genre(s)

  • Account books
  • Advertisements
  • Application forms
  • Bank statements
  • Bills of sale
  • Certificates
  • Checkbooks
  • Clippings (information artifacts)
  • Correspondence
  • Diaries
  • Fliers
  • Invitations
  • Land surveys
  • Ledgers (account books)
  • Notebooks
  • Pensions (compensation)
  • Receipts (financial records)
  • Report cards
  • Scrapbooks
  • Textbooks
  • Visiting cards

Geographic Name(s)

  • Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)
  • Tisbury (Mass. : Town)

Personal Name(s)

  • Adams, William C.
  • Gifford, Beatrice
  • Gifford, Flavel
  • Gifford, George G.
  • Gifford, Willis B

Subject(s)

  • Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)--History, Local
  • Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)--Social life and customs

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Biography/Historical Note

George G. Gifford was a storeowner in West Tisbury, Town Clerk, veteran, and family man. He was born in 1866. He was also an active member of his church, the first congregational church of West Tisbury. His store focused mainly on home goods but also sold farming tools and products such as feed and grain. It was the cliché country store. Gifford’s business ran from the late 1800s until the mid 1900s, where his son later reopened it in the 1970s. Gifford was also the Town Clerk for West Tisbury for about 40 years. Despite the loss of his son George G. Gifford, Jr. in December of 1919, the Gifford family remained extremely close.

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Scope and Content of Collection

Though most of this collection consists of business ledgers, receipts, and checkbooks, there are also a few pieces that really shine a light on what sort of person George G. Gifford was. The letters he writes to his friends and family show a caring man with deep family ties. He was active in his community. A detailed scrapbook shows a trip to Europe in the 1920s. Also, the hugs amounts of letters of sympathy to the Gifford family after the death of their son show that many loved the family. The collection also contains an oversize box that has documents that are too large to fit in a regular box. These items belong to the business papers series. There is a business ledger and two advertisements fro the Gifford store. There is a huge amount of family papers and records of the Gifford children’s education. There is also a series dedicated to William C. Adams who is believed to be a partner of Gifford’s.

Arrangement

  • Series I: Personal Correspondence
    • Subseries A: Incoming
    • Subseries B: Outgoing
  • Series II: Family Papers
    • Subseries A: Correspondence
    • Subseries B: Educational Materials
    • Subseries C: Island Social Clubs
    • Subseries D: Miscellaneous
  • Series III: Business Correspondence
  • Series IV: Business Papers
    • Subseries A: Ledgers
    • Subseries B: Account Books/Daybook
    • Subseries C: Receipts
    • Subseries D: Checks/Bank Statements
  • Series V: Clippings
  • Series VI: William C. Adams Materials
  • Series VII: Oversize Documents
  • Series VIII: Scrapbooks
  • Series IX: Additions to Collection

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Contents of Collection

Series I: Personal Correspondence

Subseries A: Incoming, 1909, undated 
Box Folder

Invitation to George G. Gifford about Camp-Meeting Association, 1909 

 1 1

Letter to George G. Gifford about Seaman’s Bethel, undated 

 1 2

Subseries B: Outgoing, 1892-1945 
Box Folder

Letters from George G. Gifford to Willis Gifford, 1930-1939 

 1 3

Letters from George G. Gifford to Willis Gifford, 1940-1945 

 1 4

Letter from George G. Gifford to the Town of West Tisbury, 1892 May 10 

 1 5

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Series II: Family Papers

Subseries A: Correspondence, 1857-1947 
Box Folder

Letters to Mrs. George G. Gifford, 1893-1929 

 1 6

Letters to Mrs. George G. Gifford, 1930-1940 

 1 7

Letters to and from George G. Gifford, Jr., 1916-1919 

 1 8

Letters to Flavel Gifford, 1939 

 1 9

Letters to Beatrice Gifford, 1929-1940 

 1 10

Wedding Invitations to the Giffords, 1906-1912 

 1 11

Letters of Sympathy, 1919 

 1 12

Letters of Sympathy, 1919 

 1 13

Letters to Willis B. Gifford, 1922-1946 

 2 1

Letters to Willis B. Gifford from Beatrice, 1940-1947 

 2 2

Letters to Willis B. Gifford from Flavel Gifford, 1939-1947 

 2 3

Letters from Willis B. Gifford home to his parents, 1918-1939 

 2 4

Letters from Willis B. Gifford home to his parents, 1940-1943 

 2 5

Letter to Bartlett Mayhew, 1857 

 2 6

Letter to Mrs. Louise Perry from William J. Cox, 1947 

 2 7

Subseries B: Educational Materials, 1883-1933 
Box Folder

Edgartown School report cards for Willis Gifford, 1920-1921 

 2 8

Applications at Brown University for Willis Gifford, 1912, 1918 

 2 9

West Tisbury High School graduation, 1904, 1907 

 2 10

School reports for Beatrice Gifford, 1902, 1903, 1904 

 2 10

8th grade work of Beatrice (Mayhew), 1904 

 2 11

History of the class of 1915, George G. Gifford, Jr., 1915 May 14 

 2 12

Tisbury High School graduation, 1902, 1909, 1912, 1915, 1933 

 2 13

Physics notebook from George G. Gifford, Jr. Tisbury School, undated 

 2 14

School Books of Georgene Mayhew Gifford, 1883-1886 

 2 15

Report card of Welsey Whiting, 1914 

 2 16

Subseries C: Island Social Clubs, 1926, undated 
Box Folder

Masonic club at Rhode Island State College certificate, Willis Gifford, 1926 

 3 1

M.V. Lodge Masons papers of Willis Gifford, undated 

 3 2

Invitations to Local Events, undated 

 3 3

Family Calling Cards, undated 

 3 4

Subseries D: Miscellaneous, 1911-1967, undated 
Box Folder

Scrapbook, 1920s 

 3 5

Political flyer for George G. Gifford, undated 

 3 6

Cards and certificates for George G. and Willis Gifford, undated 

 3 7

Army and Navy Diary of Willis Gifford, undated 

 3 8

Play Production, undated 

 3 9

Personal papers and Insurance papers of Jerry B. Mayhew, 1911-1920 

 3 10

Land Accounts and Plot maps, undated 

 3 11

MV Agricultural Society Ribbons, 1960-1967 

 3 12

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Series III: Business Correspondence, 1922-1940 
Box Folder

Letters to George G. Gifford, 1922-1932 

 3 13

Letters to George G. Gifford from W.R. Hammett and Andrew H. Weeks, 1939-1940 

 3 14

Letters to George G. Gifford from Matthew H. Merry about a birth certificate, 1940 

 3 15

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Series IV: Business Papers

Subseries A: Ledgers, 1875-1902, undated 
Box Folder

Business Ledger, 1875-1895 

 4 1

Business Ledger, 1882 

 4 2

Business Ledger, 1886 

 4 3

Business Ledger, 1888 

 4 4

Business Ledger, 1890 

 5 1

Business Ledger, 1989 

 5 2

Business Ledger, 1899 

 6 1

Business Ledger, 1902 

 6 2

Business Ledger, undated 

 6 3

Subseries B: Account Books/Daybooks, 1892-1926, undated 
Box Folder

Daybook/Account book, 1892-1893 

 7 1

Daybook/Account book, 1895-1900 

 7 2

Daybook/Account book, 1900-1901 

 7 3

Daybook/Account book, 1901 

 7 4

Account Book, 1901 September-1901 November 

 7 5

Account Book, 1901-1902 

 7 6

Account Book, 1902 

 8 1

Account Book, 1902 

 8 2

Account Book, 1904, 1907 

 8 3

Account Book, 904 

 8 4

Account Book, 1918 January-1926 December 

 9 1

Account Book, undated 

 9 2

Account Book, undated 

 9 3

Account Book, undated 

 9 4

Account Book, undated 

 9 5

Subseries C: Receipts, 1868-1930s 
Box Folder

Receipts, 1920s 

 10 1

Receipts, 1930s 

 10 2

Receipts and other papers from the William Rotch Store, 1868-1869 

 10 3

Subseries D: Checks/Bank Statements, 1891-1931 
Box Folder

Bank Statements of Jerry B. Mayhew, 1917-1930 

 10 4

Checking statements, 1901 

 10 5

Checkbooks, 1900, 1911-1920 

 10 6

Checkbooks, 1920-1925 

 10 7

Checkbooks, 1925-1926 

 10 8

Checkbooks, 1926-1928 

 10 9

Checkbooks, 1928-1930 

 10 10

Checkbooks, 1930-1931 

 11 1

Checks, 1897 

 11 2

Checks, 1891-1893 

 11 3

Checks, 1899-1901 

 11 4

Checks, 1920-1930 

 11 5

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Series V: Clippings, 1920-1995 
Box Folder

Newspaper clipping about George G. Gifford reopening store and others, 1945-1970 

 12 1

MV Gazettes, Grapevine, Vineyard News, 1920 March 12, 1933 July-1933 December 

 12 2

MV Gazette articles about the Gifford Store, 1955 May, 1995 June 23 

 12 3

Article about George G. Gifford’s Christmas cards and 2 samples, undated 

 12 4

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Series VI: William C. Adams Materials, 1887-1904 
Box Folder

Bill of sale of personal property in Cottage City to William C. Adams, 1887 October 1 

 12 5

Pension papers for William C. Adams, 1899, 1904 

 12 6

Shipping Receipts for freight purchased by William C. Adams, 1902 

 12 7

Statements of accounts from purchases by William C. Adams, 1902 

 12 8

Receipts for furniture purchased by William C. Adams, 1902 

 12 9

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Series VII: Oversize Documents, 1885-1887, undated 
Box Folder

Business Ledger, 1885-1887 

 13 1

Store advertisements, undated 

 13 2

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Series VIII: Scrapbooks, 1916-1939, undated 
Box Folder

Scrapbook of marriages, deaths, and births on Island 1916-1931, from MV Gazette, undated 

 14 1

Scrapbook of marriages, deaths, and births on Island 1925-1935, from MV Gazette, undated 

 14 2

Scrapbook of marriages, deaths, and births on Island 1933-1939, from MV Gazette, undated 

 14 3

Scrapbook of W.A. Mayhew, 1916-1931 

 15 1

Scrapbook of handwritten poetry and Newspaper clippings, book 1,  

 15 2

Scrapbook of handwritten poetry and Newspaper clippings, book 2,  

 15 3

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Additions to Collection, 1939, undated 

Scope and Content

Series IX contains materials found in an archival survey of the Martha's Vineyard Museum's Collections and deemed relevant to the George Gifford Collection.
Box Folder

Dukes County Notary certification, 1939 

 15 4

The Isle of Martha’s Vineyard, undated 
Author/Creator:  Gifford, George G.

 15 5

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