Guide to the William Peacock Porter Notebook, 1840-1857 SPEC.RARE.MMS.0413 Finding aid prepared by David Mezick Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections

1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210

2025 June This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2025-06-24T09:41-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard William Peacock Porter Notebook SPEC.RARE.MMS.0413 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 1 0.054 Cubic feet 1840-1857 William Peacock Porter was a blacksmith who immigrated to the United States from Sunderland, Durham, England around 1844. He lived first lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and then Cincinnati, Ohio until at least the late 1850s. The William Peacock Porter Notebook is a small notebook bound in vellum created by William Peacock Porter from 1840-1857. The notebook contains Porter's notes about his work as a blacksmith as well as some records of his personal expenses and travel. (1) flat box English Porter, William Peacock Acquisitions Information

Accession No. RARE.2025.0062: Purchased, 2021 March

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], William Peacock Porter Notebook, SPEC.RARE.MMS.0413, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University

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Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

Use of Materials

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Processing Information

Processed by: David Mezick, 2025 June; Finding aid written by: David Mezick, 2025 June

Biographical Note

William Peacock Porter was a blacksmith who immigrated to the United States from Sunderland, Durham, England around 1844. He first lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and then Cincinnati, Ohio until at least the late 1850s. Porter worked to produce a variety of items, including chains, anvils, and boilers. Some of these items were made to be used for ships. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, as well as Sunderland, were major cities for shipbuilding during the 19th century.

Scope and Contents

The William Peacock Porter Notebook is a small notebook bound in vellum created by William Peacock Porter from 1840-1857. Entries before 1844 were made in England, and entries from 1844 and after were made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or Cincinnati, Ohio. The notebook contains Porter's notes about his work as a blacksmith. Included are notes about what items he worked on, such as chains, anvils, and boilers, the measurements of these types of items, for whom he made these items, and his earnings and expenses. The notebook also contains some records of his personal expenses as well as notes about his travel and the travel of his relative, James Porter.

Porter, William Peacock Blacksmithing--Ohio--Cincinnati--19th century Blacksmithing--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh--19th century Blacksmiths--Ohio--Cincinnati--19th century Blacksmiths--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh--19th century Immigrants--United States--19th century Notebooks