The letters in the collection have interesting content throughout describing the experiences of a western emigrant family to those back home. There is a letter describing the contested Wisconsin gubernatorial election of 1855 which almost led to civil war in that state. Several letters discuss the issue of slavery and "Bloody Kansas," a civil war letter wherein a soldier recounts his enjoyment in taking shots at rebel pickets. Plus a number of letters describing pioneer life in Wisconsin and William P. Rounds' flour and grain business. The collection also includes a nine page letter in form of a travel journal describing William Rounds journey from Bridgton, Maine to Milton Wisconsin in 1850.

 Biographical Sketch of George and William Rounds, and Family

George Rounds was from Buxton, Maine, on March 17, 1818, George Rounds married Rebecca Prentiss. She was born August 20, 1790, at Gorham, Maine. She was the daughter of Samuel Prentiss, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard College. He removed to Gorham and became the town's first postmaster (1777), in addition to other posts. Rebecca was his daughter by his second wife Rebecca Cook. Samuel Prentiss died at Gorham in 1815. His widow Rebecca died at Bridgton in 1844.

After his marriage to Rebecca, George Rounds moved his family to the town of Denmark, Maine, afterwards joined to Bridgton. It was part of the Fryburg Academy grant. There were few if any roads at Denmark, an almost unbroken wilderness. The Rounds were pioneers in the area and were original members of the Congregational church in Denmark. George Rounds was chosen as the first deacon. He died on September 24, 1839.

After the death of George Rounds, his son, also named George Rounds, took over as patriarch of the family. He was a deacon in the Congregational church in Bridgton. He died on May 21, 1870, leaving a wife and several children. His son George William Rounds took charge of the old homestead after his father's death.

Rebecca Rounds left the Congregational church at Denmark and joined the church in Bridgton. After a short illness she died at 93 years of age on September 14, 1882. Of Rebecca's eight children, four survived her: William (Menasha, WI), Joseph and John, who moved to Malden, Massachusetts, and Edward who lived on a part of the old homestead. This collection includes letters either written by or to all of these sons.

George William Rounds married Esther Angeline Bonney of Otisfield, Maine. Their daughter Emma Rebecca Rounds (1882-?) married James A. Ntceros (1888-1922) a Greek immigrant. This archival collection appears to have come down to us through Emma and James' daughter. James A. Ntceros was gassed during World War I in France. He was honorably discharged from the military but never fully recovered, and died soon after. This archive contains a number of paper ephemera and several letters relating to James A. Ntceros, his injuries suffered in WWI and his ensuing death.

William P. Rounds, the main correspondent of this archive, is stated to have settled at Menasha, Wisconsin in 1850*.  One of the letters in the collection written by William is titled "Journal" and starts off on May 20th, 1850. It is written to his brother George at Bridgton, Maine and is carried over to June 7th at Milton, Wisconsin. This journal describes William's travels to Wisconsin. He traveled to Wisconsin by the Erie Canal and steamboat.

While travelling over the Erie Canal, William at one point contemplates taking a cheaper passage, but decides against it because of the many Irish that were present. Rounds provides his bigoted assessment of his fellow passengers in the following passage:

"I was to take the 5 dollar passage, but when I came to see so many of the damn Irish my stomach failed, for I like the four legged hogs better than two legged ones for they are a nasty dirty lousy set of devils if I may be dare so to speak., but I do hate the whole race of the darn Irish."

In a letter dated March 22nd, 1857, Rounds writes to his brother Edward mentioning the near civil war in Wisconsin over an election for governor. William A. Barstow claimed victory over Coles Bashford, but charges of fraud were claimed by Bashford. Both sides had armed militias ready to do battle, until the courts ruled in favor of Bashford, forcing Barstow to resign. Rounds writes to his brother:

"How do you feel on the Kansas question or is it not agitated there much this part of the country seems to be in perfect commotion on that and other questions. We have been almost afraid of civil war at Madison (our seat of government) on account of the contest about governorship. Barstow went so far as to send to different places for arms but when he saw how the court was to decide he resigned."

In another letter, the troubles of "Bloody Kansas" are mentioned, this time it is Caroline, another Rounds family member who is writing from Wisconsin to her brother and sister back home inMaine. Her letter dated May 25th, 1857, reads in part:

"What do you think of the affairs at Kansas [?] Hezekiah talks some of taking a trip there in a few weeks it is 4 days journey from Jonesville he will be gone but a few weeks if he goes. A great many have gone from Wis[consin] to make Kansas their home. Now is the time for Northern men to act as well as preach."

William P. Rounds would eventually be issued a tract of 120 acres from the Land Office at Menasha, Wisconsin on February 22nd, 1858.  This land was the North half of the North East quarter of Section 28, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Menasha. He had married a woman by the name of Ann Elizabeth Northrup and was working with her father Cornelius Northrup, who was a wheel wright and lumber merchant, the letters in the collection describer their partnership.

The 1860 Census shows William at Menasha, but listed without an occupation. He is enumerated with his wife and 3 year old daughter Mary. The town of Menasha had about 1,800 residents at this time. In 1868, Rounds was appointed as one of the commissioners to improve the road between Menasha and Chilton.  By 1870, his family had grown to include three more children (Lillian, William, Hattie). He is now listed as a grain dealer, with $12,000 in real estate and $3,000 in personal estate. He had a teacher and a servant residing with him, presumably helping his wife with the raising and education of the children. He is also found at his time to have been a State Representative, serving in the 23rd and 24th Sessions of the Wisconsin State Legislature (1870-1872). By the 28th Legislative Session, he was listed as a State Senator. It is possible that he served further years as well. During the period of 1860 to 1870, the town of Menasha had grown by 1,200 people to just over 3,000 total residents. 

When the 1880 Census was taken, William P. Round's family had grown again, with the addition of another daughter. The servant and teacher were gone. For some reason, an occupation for him was not listed in 1880, but we do find William listed in a city directory of 1884 for Neenah, Wisconsin, as a partner in the firm of "Rounds & Coats." His partner was Haskell E. Coats and they were a wholesale and retailer in "grain and land plaster." He continued to reside at Menasha, but kept his business at Neenah, which is an adjacent town on Lake Winnebago. Menasha is 100 miles north of Milwaukee, but only 30 miles southeast of Green Bay. It is connected to Green Bay by the Fox River. William P. Rounds died on August 5th, 1905.

One letter written by a friend of William P. Rounds was written while the man was serving during the Civil War. Dated December 27th, 1864 from Fort Davis, Virginia:

"I like it here very well and should hate to leave the regt. It is fun to go on picket and shoot at the Johnies. There is some of them come into our lines about every night. I suppose I shall have to go on picket tonight and stay till tomorrow night.  There was a fellow got part of his ear shot off last night on picket out of Co. E."

The letters from the 1860s detail William P. Rounds' business in Wisconsin, the prices of commodities locally and elsewhere. There is considerable discussion of how his goods were to reach the markets. He is sending flour to Chicago and to his brother George in Maine, where George was trying to find businesses to purchase it. The flour is sent out of Green Bay, or by rail, but there seems to be plenty of flour around and with transportation costs it is hard to compete with other flour dealers back east. There is also considerable discussion of domestic life and events within the Rounds family.

*According to his testimony in 1894 in a case involving the City of Menasha seeking damages against the United States as the owner of the United  States Canal - 53d Congress 3d Session. House of Representatives. Report No. 1626.

      Inventory of the Archive:

        116 Letters, 256 pages, 57 envelopes:

 20 letters (65 pages), 1 envelope, dated 1847-1857.

40 letters (82 pages), 14 envelopes, one letter dated 1864, the rest 1866-1867.

45 letters (78 pages), 27 envelopes, dated 1868-1869.

6 letters (15 pages), 2 envelopes, dated 1870-1930.

5 letters (11 pages), undated, plus parts of 3 other letters (5 pages), also undated.

13 addressed envelopes, probably detached from some of the letters in collection.

Within these letters is a 9 page travel journal dated May 20, 1850, describing William P. Rounds journey from Maine to Wisconsin, the journal was sent to his brother George back home in Maine as a letter, but the word "Journal" is written on the top of the first page.

        7 Photographs:

1 cased daguerreotype of young man

3 ambrotypes, two of which are cased. One of these ambrotypes has the words "Grandpa

Rounds" written on back, one of the ambrotype cases has the hinges broke.

1 photograph, measuring approximately 10" x 6 ½" of the ship "President Grant," some folds and

tears, circa 1918 (this is the ship that "daddy" came home from France on after WWI ended).

1 photograph, 6 ½" x 5 ½", of "William Rounds & Family," Sept 1898.

1 photograph, 3 ¼" x 2 ¼", of 7 women, with first names only, dated 1911.

1 Guest Book: 70 manuscript pages, dated between 1913 to 1948, listing the dates, names and residences of the guests Presumably this was a guest book for the Rounds summer home as most entries are dated from the spring through fall, with most being in the summer. The majority of the visitors are from either Maine or Massachusetts, or other New England states.

1 Mother's Journal to Her Daughter:

29 manuscript page journal, unbound, with two additional letters, which update events. This journal and letters were written by Mrs. James Andrew Ntceros (Emma Rebecca Rounds), as a way to preserve for her daughter a record of girl's father who died from injuries received from his gassing in WWI. Includes biographical data, his service years, how they met, why they needed to keep their marriage secret at first (women weren't allowed to be married and be employed as a teacher in New Jersey at the time), family history, and things the father wanted for his daughter, dated 1922-1926

164 Miscellaneous Paper Ephemera Items: including receipts, legal documents, journals, printed and manuscript ephemera, amongst other items from the Rounds family and their descendants dated roughly 1810-1948.  (A complete listing can be forwarded if interested).