New York State Historian Appointment Books

Chronological.

This series consists of seven appointment/account books created by the State Historian from 1897 to 1907 to track activities and expenses of the office. The beginning of each book contains spaces for daily journal entries. The account portion of each book lists expenditure, amounts, and total balance available.

Both journal and account entries frequently refer to the indexing and publishing projects in which the office was engaged. Some of these projects included the indexing and publishing of the public papers of Governors George Clinton and Daniel Tompkins, the Council of Appointment Minutes, the Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York, and the papers of Sir William Johnson.

Journal entries tend to be very brief and sporadic. They generally refer to progress on work assignments, work completed, travel, and appointments. Notable entries are a description of events on Inauguration Day 1897, personal thoughts on Governor Frank Black's abilities and prospects, a description of an interview with the new governor concerning the work of the Office of State History (1897), descriptions of undergoing surgical procedures while anesthetized with cocaine and chloroform respectively, and reactions to the sinking of the battleship Maine (1898).

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.