History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 143

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317


USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 143


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185 | Part 186 | Part 187


Elder Palmer died April 22, 1822, after an illness of only five weeks. His wife survived him thirty- three years, and died Ang. 15, 1855. They lived to- gether forty-two years, and reared a family of seven- teen children. They had seventy-five grandchildren.


Hon. Elisha H. Palmer, the eldest son of Gideon Palmer, born at Montville, June 23, 1814, and married, Nov. 30, 1837, Ellis Loomis, daughter of Joel Loomis, of Lyme. He was early in life engaged in the manu- facturing interest. Previous to the death of his father he commenced at the old stand the manufacture of cotton-bats, rope, and twine. He converted the oil- mill into a cotton-factory, and for several years carried on the business in the old green oil-mill building. In 1866 he built the stone mill on the north side of the stream and greatly enlarged the business. The old oil-mill was burned down and a small stone mill erected in its place. He continued to carry on the cotton business until his sons commenced the mann- facture of bed-quilts, when he gave up the business to them, but still has an oversight of a portion of the business.


Although actively engaged in the manufacturing business, he was ever anxious to promote the public


interests of his native town, and was active in the promotion of all moral reforms. He carly enlisted in the temperance cause, and has ever been one of its most radical advocates. Party ties have but little weight with him when the prohibition of the use and traffic in alcoholic drinks has been at stake. In any office or position where he could effectually serve the cause he has never faltered or failed to put forth all his powers to make prohibition a success. He was an early advocate of anti-slavery principles, and fought against the slavery of the African to the last, and saw the day and rejoiced when slavery was abol- ished and the soil of his native country made free.


He was elected representative in his native town in 1854, and voted in the Legislature for the "Maine Law," also elected again in 1864. He was elected senator in the Ninth District in 1866, and has held many important town offices. He held the office of town clerk four years, and was selectman several years. For several years he has been an unsuccessful candidate on the Prohibition ticket for member of Congress for the Eighth Congressional District.


At the convention which organized the late "Pal- mer Reunion" he was chosen its president, and in no small degree, by his energetic and persistent labors, the late reunion was made a success.


Gideon Palmer, the eighth child of Elem Reuben Palmer and Lucretia Tyler, was born at Montville, Oct. 23, 1793, and married, July 4, 1813, Mercy M. Turner, born at Montville, June 29, 1795, daughter of Isaac Turner and Anna Comstock. He was for several years engaged in the manufacture of linseed oil at the old stand formerly occupied by his father. He was the inventor of an oil-press which has been quite extensively used in the oil business. Gideon Palmer was the first to successfully produce cotton-seed oil in this country. He was a man of enterprise, and pos- sessing a large share of public spirit, he was a great promoter of public improvements. No project which in his judgment appeared to be for the best interest of the community or town in which he resided escaped his thorough consideration, and if to his mind prac- tical, engaged his persistent effort to accomplish the object sought. He was the projector of the mill now owned and occupied by R. G. Hooper & Co., having purchased the land on which the mill stands, and laid out a site for a mill and buildings, upon which the mill and dwellings were afterwards erected.


He was the first to take up the water-privilege by erecting a dam where the paper-mill of C. M. Robert- son now stands. He was also very enthusiastic in the laying out of new highways when the public conven- ience seemed to require them; the present thorough- fare through the village of Palmertown to the railroad station was begun by him, and carried through, against much opposition by his townsmen, to completion by his persistent effort.


In 1840 he purchased a small piece of land which projected into the Thames River, in the town of


Elisha Hb. Palmer 1


almer


Eng & by A H Ruchu


Carmichael Robertson


591


MONTVILLE.


Montville, and built thereon a wharf, since called " Palmer's Wharf," which became a public as well as a private convenience. He was at one time engaged in the iron foundry business at his place in Montville, and for a short period did a successful business in that line.


Mr. Palmer was an early and stanch advocate of anti-slavery principles, and earnestly defended them until his death. He was also a firm advocate and defender of the temperance cause, and early in his business life was interested in the cause for the sup- pression of alcoholic drinks.


He was an earnest promoter of the public good of all his countrymen, and died in the harness, in the midst of his usefulness, July, 1854, in the sixty-first year of his age.


Carmichael Robertson was born Ang. 17, 1823, at Pennicuck, Scotland. He was son of Duncan ( born about 1775, died 1832) and Joan (Hodge) Robertson, and is the sole survivor of their family of six boys and five girls. On his father's side he is connected with the great statesman of England, Lord Gladstone.


Carmichael was early left an orphan, had public school advantages of education, and about 1834 was apprenticed to the baker's trade, and worked at it until 1838, when he left it and was apprenticed to a paper- maker, and learned that trade thoroughly also. In 1845 he with his brother John emigrated to this country, and settled in Norwich, Conn., as a baker. His entire capital at this time was fifteen dollars. He worked as a baker two years, when, wishing to see more of the country, he went through Massachusetts and Con- necticut, and wrought for two years at paper-making in Chatham and Paterson, N. J. He then returned to Connecticut, and engaged as paper-maker in Green- ville, where his brother had been working ever since his arrival in America. Mr. Robertson was prudent, industrious, and saving, and accumulated a small capital, and in 1851 quit working for others, and with his brother and James Bingham, under firm-name of Robertson & Bingham, established a paper manufac- tory in Waterford, near New London, to manufacture tissue manilla paper. None had previously been made in this country, and to them belongs the credit of being the pioneers in this branch of manufacturing. The firm of Robertson & Bingham soon became widely and favorably known, and the demand for their paper rapidly increased, so much so that a second mill had to be built to enable them to fill their orders. Mr. C. Robertson was financial manager, and conducted the affairs with ability, care, and prudence, and although they lost much by the hard times of 1857, their com- mercial integrity was always maintained, and they were prospered and always paid " one hundred cents on the dollar." In 1865, Robertson & Bingham pur- chased the mill of the Montville Paper Company, in Montville, and in 1866 dissolved partnership, John Robertson remaining in possession of the two mills in Waterford, Carmichael taking the Montville mill, Mr. Bingham selling his interest in them.


Mr. Robertson at once removed to and commenced enlarging and improving his Montville property, pur- chased more land (five acres) for a dwelling-lot, on which he erected a residence, and one hundred and twenty acres on Paul's Hill. Here he has been steadily at work, adding. by purchase from the Rock- land Paper Company in 1875 three other mills. He has employed twenty employés, running winter and summer. Is now running two mills, with a capacity of two thousand pounds per day to each mill. The mills are situated on the Oxoboxo River, with twenty feet fall at lower (Montville) mill, forty feet at the Rockland mill, and twenty feet at the " Bank" mill. This last has been converted by Mr. Robertson into a grist-mill and a shoddy-mill. In the grist-inill, which is run as a custom and feed-mill, there are two run of stones, and the shoddy-mill "two pickers." This is leased to the Palmer Brothers. Mr. Robertson has two steam-engines in operation, one of fifteen horse-power at Montville mill, and one of twenty at the Rockland one. The goods manufactured are purchased by New York jobbers. Mr. Robertson has by his skill, pru- dence, and close attention to business amassed a handsome competency. Is strongly Democratic in politics, and has been often chosen to places of honor and trust. He has been town treasurer, on Board of Education, has been for several years and is now se- lectman, and represented Montville in the State Leg- islature of 1881. He has been for over twenty years a member of the Congregational Church. Among the solid men of Montville none stand higher than he.


Mr. Robertson married, October, 1847, in Paterson, N. J., Mary, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Clark. She died Nov. 20, 1877. Their surviving children are Alexander Clark, Elizabeth C. (Mrs. Dr. William M. Burchard, of Lebanon, Conn .; she has two children, Agnes and Robert), May B., Tryon Edward (named from a grandson of the celebrated Jonathan Edwards), William R., Joanna W., Helen, and Anna W. All his sons are connected with the paper business. Alexander takes charge of Rock- land mills, and is salesman ; Tryon is book-keeper, and in charge of the financial department, and Wil- liam is salesman.


Daniel Lewis Browning, son of Hazard and Han- nah (Lewis) Browning, was born in Montville, Conn., Sept. 11, 1808, and was one of a family of four dangh- ters and nine sons. His parents, natives of Rhode Island, settled in Waterford shortly after marriage, and after residing there ten or eleven years removed to Montville, and lived there the remainder of their days. His father was a farmer, justice for many years, held in high esteem, and died when seventy-three years old. His mother died, however, when Daniel was but two years old. Daniel was reared a farmer, re- ceived a common-school education, and after arriving at manhood began teaching winter terms of district school. In this he gave great satisfaction, and for


592


HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.


eleven years engaged in this avocation, and taught nine terms in three districts. He married, Jan. 17, 1833, Fanny C., daughter of Joseph and Susan Lewis, of an old and prominent family in this section. Her father was born in Westerly, R. I., in 1762, and re- moved to New London with his parents when but three years of age. In early life he went on the water ; was taken prisoner by the British, and im- prisoned on one of the notorious Jersey prison-ships, and was probably the last survivor of these cruelties. He was a plain, unassuming man; was an earnest Methodist, and kept " open house" for all its clergy. He was fortunate in the acquisition of property, and died April 14, 1852, in his ninetieth year, well and favorably known by a large circle of acquaintance.


Mr. Daniel Browning, after marriage, settled on a farm adjoining his father's homestead, and on the death of the father, some nine years thereafter, Mr. Browning took the homestead, and resided there about twenty-two years, when he moved to the place now owned and occupied by Mrs. Browning. Here he continued to reside, leading an active Christian life, and honored by his fellow-citizens with many import- ant trusts and offices, until his death, Feb. 4, 1879. He, with his wife, belonged to the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and he was trustee, steward, etc., for many years, and by his cheerfulness of spirit and kindness of heart he endeared himself to all. He was not a strict sectarian, but contributed largely of his means to other denominations than his own. He was strictly temperate, very systematic, industrious, economical, and prudent, yet so honest that everywhere he was known and marked for his sterling integrity in this regard, his motto ever being "Do right, if the heavens fall." He was intrusted with the management and settlement of many estates; was justice for over twenty years, and represented Montville in the Legis- lature in 1851. In all these various positions he dis- charged his duties faithfully and to the satisfaction of all interested, and in all his candidacy for official positions never asked a vote. His wife survives him, and is steadily persevering in the same steps as he, confident in a blissful reunion in the sunlight of im- mortality after the "twilight" is passed.


J. C. Bolles, M.D .- John Calvin Bolles, son of Calvin and Esther (Darrow) Bolles, was born in Montville, Conn., near his present residence, Sept. 18, 1816. His father was a tanner, and we find him at an early age working at the same business, which he followed until he was fourteen, attending common school during the intervals of labor. From fourteen till twenty he was occupied in various labors, princi- pally farming. When twenty he commenced to read medicine with Dr. J. R. Gay, of Montville, and after attending medical lectures at Pittsfield, Mass., and Woodstock, Vt., was graduated from the latter insti- tution in June, 1840, and at once commenced the practice of medicine in his native town, and for over forty years has been engaged in the ardnous duties of


his profession with eminent success. He has been for years a member of the "New London Count Medical Society" and "Connecticut Medical Society,' and was a Fellow of the State Society in 1849-55-58 The practice of his profession left him no time to de vote to anything else, and has brought him a fine com petency. He cared little for office-seeking, but, as & true citizen, had political sentiments and supported them by his vote. In early years he was a Whig since 1856 a Republican. He has been a member o the Baptist Church for twenty-three years, and is everywhere esteemed as a man, a Christian, and physician. Dr. Bolles married, Feb. 7, 1843, Eunice daughter of Jonathan and Deborah (Jones) Buding- ton, of Groton, Conn. Mrs. Bolles' maternal grand- father was Moses Jones, one of the victims of the massacre of Fort Griswold, Sept. 6, 1781.


Dr. Bolles has two children,-Harriet E., who mar- ried John W. Hanna (deceased) and has two chil- dren, Grace L. and Agnes, and John C., Jr.


The name " Boels" is found in the "Roll of Battle Abbey," as given by Hollingshed, consequently of old and worthy English stock. Duchesne, from a charter in that abbey, among the conquerors under William of Normandy gives the name of "Boels." From those bearing that name the tracing is easy to Joseph Bolles, the first emigrant, who in 1640 was engaged in trade in Winter Harbor, Me., and after- wards was a prominent citizen of Wells, Me., and for years town clerk.


Thos. Bolles, second child and oldest son of Joseph, settled in the "town plot" of New London, Conn., in 1668, soon bought lands on what is even now known as " Bolles' Hill," and removed thither. He married, July 1, 1669, Zipporah Wheeler, of Groton, Conn., and had three children,-Mary, Joseph, and John. June 6, 1678, Zipporah and her two children, Mary and Joseph, were murdered by a boy, John Stoddard (vide Miss Caulkins' "History of New London"). From the surviving son, John, all of this name now in the United States are descended.


John Bolles, in his day and generation, was an able man of great force of character. He did what he deemed right if all the world opposed. From study- ing the Bible he learned to think slavery a giant evil and unchristian, and manumitted all his slaves, caring for the old, the weak, and helpless till their death. He changed from the Presbyterian belief to that of Baptist, and nearly all his descendants adhere to his last church. He died at the hale old age of nearly ninety years. The last four of his fourteen children were born after he was sixty years old. His fourteenth son, Samuel, was born after he was sixty- seven, and attained almost ninety-nine years. The four generations were aged,-Thomas, eighty-four; John, ninety ; Samuel, ninety-nine; and John, ninety.


This Samuel Bolles was born at New London, May 10, 1744, and died Aug. 10, 1842. He was a farmer, and lived in a house built by himself in Waterford


AL Browning .


... . . .


Loting la Bolles M. D.


Samuel . Harris


593


MONTVILLE.


when but nineteen. He had thirteen children, of whom Calvin was seventh. Calvin was born Dec. 18, 1777. He was a farmer ; lived in Montville, where he died Dec. 21, 1857. He married, first, Rebecca Dar- row, Oct. 24, 1799., They had two children. She died June 11, 1811. Second, Hester Darrow, sister of Rebecca, Dec. 5, 1811. She had three children, and died Nov. 12, 1818. Third, Sarah Turner, July 1, 1819. She died, withont offspring, February, 1864. The five children of Mr. Bolles were Rebecca D. (Mrs. S. R. Palmer, of Spencerport, N. Y.); Margaret H. (Mrs. D. F. Beebe); Francis W., of East Lyme; Harriet N. (Mrs. A. G. Schofield, of Norwich) ; and John C., subject of this sketch.


S. S. Harris .- The Harris family is an old English one. The first American ancestor was James Harris, of Boston, Mass., born in England about 1640, and who probably came to New London, Conn., from Boston with wife, Sarah, and several children, and died there in 1714.


James Harris, his eldest son, born April 4, 1673, in Boston, married, in 1696, Sarah, daughter of Sam- uel Rogers, of New London. In 1698 he removed to Mohegan, now Montville, and settled on land granted by Owaneco, the Mohegan sachem, who was a par- ticular friend of Sarah and her father. Through this favoritism Mr. and Mrs. Harris soon received large grants of land, and he became a noted man, and held commission of lieutenant. Sarah died Nov. 13, 1748, in the seventy-second year of her age; they had nine children.


He next married, in 1750, Mrs. Sarah Jackson, daugh- ter of Lieut. Joseph Harris, of New London. She only lived two years, and died without children. Lieut. James died Feb. 10, 1757, aged nearly eighty-four. He and his wives are buried in ancient Mohegan, in Montville. In 1718 he removed to Colchester, now Salem, and resided there many years. His numerous land patents caused him to be a litigant for many years in the courts, and none in the colony had a wider range of acquaintance. His second son, Jonathan, born at Mohegan, Jan. 15, 1705, married, July 28, 1735, Rachel, daughter of Hon. Joseph Otis. He was a distinguished man, and his daughter "was a woman of marked natural abilities, a noble mate to her husband, who was a man of commanding force and dignity of character and fine personal appear- ance." In 1739 he with his brother bought a large tract of land from their father, and Jonathan built a mansion on what is still called the " Old Harris Home- stead," in Salem, and lived there his whole subse- quent life. He was selectman of Colchester for sev- eral years. He had thirteen children, and with his good wife, Rachel, and his two youngest children, twins, died suddenly in September in 1761 of a ma- lignant and wide-sweeping fever.


Nathaniel, son of Jonathan, born in Colchester (Salem), on the homestead above mentioned, April 2, 1743, married Mary Tozer, Feb. 1, 1764, and


settled on the old homestead, where they lived and died, and where their thirteen children were born. All these children lived past middle age, all reared large families, and never a shadow of evil habit, vice, crime, or stain of reputation rested on one of them. He served in the Revolution, and was captain of militia. " He was a proud and high-toned man, proud of his lineage and blood, proud of his little wife and daughters, proud of his farm-stock, of his full crops, and of his abundance and rich variety of choice fruits. Of stalwart frame and stately bear- ing, he was ever tender and gentle as a belted knight to all womankind and to children, but among men he was dignified, austere, and even imperious and lordly. His little wife, Mary, mated him most fitly in her sphere, ruling well her household, and inspir- ing all by the gentleness and potency of her influ- ence and example." He died March 12, 1812, aged seventy-nine. His wife survived him, dying, aged ninety, in 1834.


Samuel Harris, son of Capt. Nathaniel, was born in Salem, Conn., Dec. 10, 1780 ; married, Sept. 29, 1805, Anna, daughter of Nathaniel Otis, of Colchester. He was a farmer, and settled first in Salem, and after- wards in East Haddam, Conn., where he died April 5, 1857, aged seventy-six. His widow died there Aug. 28, 1862, aged seventy-three. Samuel was a man of solid worth and earnestness of purpose, and much es- teemed by his associates. His children were Rachel Ann (Mrs. Aaron T. Niles), Samuel Selden, Harriet Salome, Lydia Maria (Mrs. James E. Swan), Nathan- iel Otis (a physician of East Haddam, Conn.), Eliza- beth Cone ( Mrs. Ephraim Martin).


Samuel Selden Harris was born in Salem, Conn., March 8, 1809, and passed his early life as a farmer's boy, moving with his people to East Haddam when about nineteen. He was educated at public and pri- vate schools, and taught public school one year. He lived in East Haddam until he was twenty-six, ex- cepting a few years in which he was engaged in ped- dling in the South. (The money gained in those years was deposited in a savings-bank, and has never been drawn out, and by accumulated interest and compound interest has greatly increased.) Mr. Har- ris married in Montville, Dec. 27, 1836, Mercy A., daughter of Joshua and Eliza (Chapell) Baker, and soon after settled in Montville as a farmer, on the place now occupied by him. This was the old Baker homestead and the birthplace of his wife.


Mr. Harris has always been a farmer, taking pride in his avocation, and has given particular attention to stock-raising. He has had marked success, and has been called the best farmer in the town. His first Presidential vote was cast for Andrew Jackson, but of later years he has been a Republican. He has held various local offices, justice in particular. In 1831 he enlisted in the First Regiment Horse Artillery as a private, was rapidly promoted, showing great capacity and love for military affairs ; he was prompt and ac-


594


HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.


curate, and became lieutenant-colonel. He has dis- charged his various duties to-the great satisfaction of his superiors and constituents. About 1860 he united with the First Congregational Church of Montville, and has been a valued member of the same from that time, over cherished in its counsels and ever liberal in its support. He has been honored with the office of deacon, and has conscientiously discharged its duties for the past ten years. He takes great interest in Sabbath-schools, and has been teacher of an adult class for many years and with marked good results. All in all, Deacon Harris is a representative farmer, an honest man, a kind neighbor, a warm friend, an earnest Christian, and enjoys in a very high degree the esteem and confidence of the whole community.


George Drisdale Jerome was born on Plum Island, N. Y., Feb. 8, 1816. He was named by a British officer who was engaged in the war of 1812 and was at his birth staying on the island. The emi- grant, Benjamin Jerome, great-grandfather of George, came from England in early colonial days, and settled in New London, near the present site of the "Pe- quot House." He was probably a farmer, had three sons, Richard, Benjamin (2), and William, and died at an old age. Benjamin (2) was a farmer, married a Brown, and settled in New London. He purchased, in advanced life, Plum Island, and improved it from a wilderness state and farmed there. He was always a farmer, always resided in New London, was a Uni- versalist in religious creed, of a social, genial nature, with many friends. He dropped dead on the sea- shore at a very advanced age. He had children,- William, Benjamin, Richard, Jesse, John, Hannah, Fanny, and Abby. Nearly all his sons became sea- faring men, and William and Benjamin died in the West Indies. Jesse was born in 1771, in Groton, Conn., was reared a farmer with common-school edu- cation, married Desire, daughter of Deacon Jehiel Rogers, of Montville, and with his older brother, Richard, settled on Plum Island. After a few years he returned to the mainland, purchased three hun- dred and seven acres of land lying on the line of Waterford and Montville, and ever after resided there. Ilis second wife was Harriet Loomis. He had six- teen children, of whom Emily (deceased), Benjamin (deceased), Jesse, William, John, Susan (deceased), George D., Richard (deceased), and Julia were the children of Desire who attained maturity, and Har- riet, Augustus, Elias, Frank, Lucretia, and Hannah were children of Harriet. Elias and Frank were killed while serving as soldiers in the late civil war.


Like his father, Mr. Jerome was a Universalist. In polities was Whig and Republican. He was hon- ored with many public trusts, was selectman for many years, was member of school visiting committee; of strong, positive nature, quick decision, and good judg- ment, he was quite a leader in town matters and universally esteemed. He died Dec. 5, 1867, aged eighty-seven years.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.