Mark Twain Visits Cambridge, 1870
Lecture series were a major form of entertainment in the late 1800s. The photo shows Ackley Hall on the south side of West Main Street where Samuel L. Clemens (better known by his pen name, Mark Twain) lectured on 13-Jan-1870 at the age of 34.
Below is a recount of his visit based on the letters he wrote to his fiancé, Olivia (Livy) Langdon. The letters were published by the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. All letters to Livy are signed “Sam’ while letters to others are signed “Mark”.
The following letter was written on 14-Jan1870 from Troy, the next stop on his lecture tour. I have interjected comments from footnotes and from our local history files using the markings “[ed:]”
Researching the History of your House
Many people want to know the history of their house. Here’s how to research it using your deed
- Use the Book of Deeds in the Washington County Clerk’s office in Ft Edward
- Your deed tells the Book number and Page number where your deed is filed in Ft Edward
- It also has the Book number and Page number of the previous deed with names and dates.
- Find that previous deed using Book number and Page number and you’ll have the owner before that
- From that deed you’ll have the Book number and Page number of the deed before that and so on
- Within a couple of hours, you’ll have names and dates associated with the history of your house
These slides provide details. Also, you can download and print this PDF ... Researching Your Deed