Goodrich, Chauncey A. (Chauncey Allen), 1790-1860

Overview: The archive consists of correspondence, documents, writings, printed material, and photographs documenting the history of the G. & C. Merriam Company. The papers provide insight into the business practices of the nineteenth century publishing and bookselling trade, particularly in Massachusetts, and contain much material on lexicography, the development of American English, and the publishing history of Webster's Dictionary. Principal correspondents include Merriam Company editors Chauncey...

Overview: The papers consist of correspondence, business and legal documents, sermons, lectures, and other writings of the Goodrich family, descendants of Elizur Goodrich (1734-1797), and members of related Webster, Coe, Ellsworth, and Fowler families. The bulk of the correspondence concerns Chauncey Allen Goodrich's publication and copyright of an abridgement and revision of Webster's dictionary and the resulting disagreements among the heirs of Noah Webster. The papers also highlight Elizur Goodrich's...