Name/Title
Recollections of Richard D. Rutherford manuscriptEntry/Object ID
ARC964Scope and Content
Typed manuscript, "Recollections of Richard D. Rutherford."
Richard Duffields Rutherford was born in Charles Town in the Old Rutherford home opposite the Inn. He married Elizabeth Deck Forrest, the daughter of Samuel and Anna Henderson Forrest (the latter a long time resident of Charles Town until her death there). Rutherford moved with his family to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1889. He later lived in Denver and died at the age of 74 in Indianapolis in 1923 at the home of his son, Richard, Jr.
In the manuscript, Richard D. Rutherford recounts his childhood living in Charles Town between 1859 and 1867. He recalls the events of John Brown's raid and the Civil War, in particular, the use of his family's home as the residence/headquarters for officers of both the Confederate and Union armies.
Rutherford's father, Thomas Rutherford, owned an entire block bounded on the east by East Alley (Seminary Street), on the west by East Street (Church Street), on the north by Washington Street, and the south by Congress Street comprising Lots Nos. 101, 102, and 108. In 1858 Rutherford purchased a house on Lot No. 108 which was built in 1840 by Dr. Taliaferro Stribling.
"Recollections" later appeared in 13 consecutive issues of the Spirit of Jefferson--Farmer's Advocate. The first article was printed in the April 1, 1948 issue, and the final article in the June 24 issue. The manuscript appears to be a complete copy of what would be all 13 articles.
(ARC886 is a scrapbook with the entire collection of newspaper clippings that form the article, "Recollection of Richard D. Rutherford (V. M. I.).")
(See Media for additional information about Rutherford and the article.)Acquisition
Accession
75Source or Donor
Charles Town LibraryAcquisition Method
GiftArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
34 loose pages