Ostrom Schoolbook

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Catskill, Greene, New York, United States
Surnames/tags: 19th_Century Ostrom Pawling

An early 19th century school copybook or cypher book. Presumed to be of John Pawling Ostrom, it begins in 1816. It also contains a lease between "Widow Olida Ostrom" and Owen D. Stringham, witnessed by Christopher Hughes and Jacob Pawling, her brother-in-law and brother. Also contains the work record of Hiram B. Ostrom, in 1821. The book was found by John's great great grandson, Edwin George Weinheimer Jr. (1922-2000) , in the home of John's daughter, Hanna Olida (Ostrom) Black (1836-1916) , on the Nicholas Black Farm, just before the house was demolished, in the 1970's or 80's. Her son, Arthur George Black (1878-1960), mentions his uncle Hiram's work record in an interview he did with the town historian. He and Albert Elsey (abt.1862-) were the last occupants of the house. High resolution scans of the book and included documents are available for download from Archive.org. https://archive.org/details/ostrom-schoolbook-images

People

• Alida (Pawling) Ostrom (abt.1780-aft.1850)
• John Pawling Ostrom (1797-1850)
• Barent Hiram Ostrom (1801-abt.1870)
• Jacob Pawling (1787-1877)
• Christopher Hughes (abt.1772-abt.1856)
• Owen D. Stringham (1770-1852)

See Also

• A discussion of cypher books, https://www.friendsofthelincolncollection.org/lincoln-lore/abraham-lincolns-cyphering-book/ , https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860.0036.103?view=text;rgn=main .
• https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_905323
• https://sites.dartmouth.edu/library/2014/11/14/ciphering-books-2/
• http://needleprint.blogspot.com/2009/07/martha-smiths-ackworth-school-ciphering.html
• https://rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/early_american/copybooks/index.shtml
• https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/hhs/id/920
• https://www.resourceaholic.com/2018/03/hodder1.html
• https://csaa.typepad.com/country_school_associatio/2007/12/arithmetic-in-t.html
• https://clarklibrary.ucla.edu/blog/ce-livre-de-compte-dominique-richauds-cipher-book/
• http://selftaughtgenius.org/artworks/book-of-arithmetic-problems-of-johannes-whisler
• https://npobjects.wordpress.com/2019/04/24/huguenot-street-cipher-books/
• The art of writing, reduced to a plain and easy system: on a plan entirely new, in seven books Plain easy and familiar introduction to the art of writing, Jenkins, John , 1755?-1823, 1813 Cambridge. https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A00acc5224m/viewer#page/122/mode/2up

View all contributions by Mark Weinheimer