Library Record
Metadata
Title |
Nessmuk collection |
Author |
Sears, George Washington, 1821-1890 |
Year Range from |
1846 |
Year Range to |
1890 |
Object Name |
Manuscript |
Control Number |
12061 |
Call Number |
MS 09-325 |
Physical Description |
.62 linear ft. (2 boxes) |
Summary |
The collection is comprised of materials related to George Washington Sears (1821-1890), a canoeist, sportswriter, and early conservationist who wrote under the pen name "Nessmuk." The collection includes a handwritten manuscript of Sears' book Woodcraft (1884), a bible, and a number of pocket diaries. See Notes field for full finding aid. |
Search Terms |
Sears, George Washington, 1821-1890 Diaries Camping |
Notes |
Guide to the Nessmuk Collection, 1846-1890 (MS 09-325) Creator: Sears, George Washington, 1821-1890 Collection Number: MS 09-325 Extent: .62 linear ft. (2 boxes) Donated by: Joan Madison, October 1998 and November 1999. Inclusive Dates: 1846-1890 Bulk Dates: N/A Access: Access to this collection is unrestricted. Abstract: The collection is comprised of materials related to George Washington Sears (1821-1890), a canoeist, sportswriter, and early conservationist who wrote under the pen name "Nessmuk." The collection includes a handwritten manuscript of Woodcraft (1884), a bible, and a number of pocket diaries. Catalog Terms: Sears, George Washington, 1821-1890 Diaries Camping Scope and Content Note: The collection is comprised of materials related to George Washington Sears (1821-1890), a canoeist, sportswriter, and early conservationist who wrote under the pen name "Nessmuk." The collection includes a handwritten manuscript of Sears' book Woodcraft (1884), a bible, and a number of pocket diaries. The Woodcraft manuscript consists of a preface, a table of contents, and 119 pages of paginated text. None of the illustrations in the published version of the book are included. The manuscript includes copy-editing annotations likely written by George Bird Grinnell, Sears' editor and the editor of Forest and Stream magazine. The publication of Woodcraft in 1884 popularized what is today called ultralight camping. The six pocket-size diaries in the collection record a variety of Sears' observations and daily activities. Subjects include his activities as a cobbler and knife seller, his ill health, weather, gardening, fishing, hunting, Sears' and his son Charles' struggles with alcohol, contact with J.H. Rushton, builder of Sears' canoes, and correspondence with Forest and Stream, a magazine to which Sears was a frequent contributor. The diaries also include information about an 1883 canoe trip to the Adirondacks, an 1870 trip to Brazil, and brief travels near Sears' home in Pennsylvania. The bible included in this collection contains an inscription written by Sears, dated 1867. Bible also includes marked passages and notes on endpapers. The collection also includes typescript transcriptions of Sears' diaries compiled by Christine Jerome and photocopies of photographs of Sears and his descendents. Organization Note: Folders retain their original arrangement. Biographical Note: George Washington Sears (1821-1890) was a sportswriter and early conservationist who wrote under the pen name "Nessmuk." Sears was born December 2, 1821 in Webster, Massachusetts. He took his pen name from a Native American man who had taught Sears woodcraft as a youngster. As a child, he briefly worked in a mill and began work as a cobbler, a trade that he would pursue throughout his life. At nineteen he signed on for a three-year voyage on a whaler headed for the South Pacific. On Sears' return, his family moved to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, where Sears was to live for the rest of his life. In 1857, he married Mariette Butler. The couple would have three children. Sears died at his home in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania on May 1, 1890. Sears is well known for his traveling and writing, particularly his three canoe cruises through the Adirondacks in the 1880s. In addition to his voyages through the Adirondacks, Sears also traveled in Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Ontario, Brazil, and in his home state of Pennsylvania. Sears' work was first published in 1860 in the sporting journal Porter's Spirit of the Times. Sears was a frequent contributor to Forest and Stream magazine during the 1880s. He also wrote articles and poetry for Atlantic Monthly, Lippincott's, Putnam's Magazine, The Aldine, Outing, and American Angler. Sears' first book, Woodcraft, a work that popularized "go-lightly" camping, was published in 1884. Woodcraft has remained in print since its initial publication. Sears published a book of poems, Forest Runes, in 1887. Sears is also known for his use of featherweight cedar canoes built by J.H. Rushton, including the 17-pound Nessmuk, the 16-pound Susan Nipper, and the 10.5-pound Sairy Gamp. These canoes were used for Sears' famous trips through the Adirondacks. Sears first gained national attention with his articles about his 1880 trip through the Adirondacks in Forest and Stream. In 1916, the magazine named him "the greatest woodsman who ever wrote" for Forest and Stream. Mount Nessmuk, in northern Pennsylvania, and Lake Nessmuk, in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, are named for him. Box and Folder Listing: BoxFolderFolder Title 11Bible - 1864 12Diary - 1846 13Diary - 1870 14Diary - 1881 & 1883 15Diary - 1884 16Diary - 1888-1889 17Diary - 1890 18Transcribed Diaries [photocopy][folder 1 of 2] 19Transcribed Diaries [photocopy][folder 2 of 2] 21Woodcraft handwritten manuscript - ca. 1884 22Photographs [photocopies and slides] - n.d. |
Collection |
Adirondack Experience Library |