Hartwell Annual Reunions

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Past Reunions: Newsletter and Photograph Archive

Photograph of the 1884 Reunion, held at the Cattle Show Grounds in Concord, Massachusetts

The Association has compiled and digitized newsletters and photographs of Hartwell annual reunions as far back as 1884. The newsletters especially make fascinating reading, and who knows, you might spot a close relative among the many reunion photographs.

As for the Association Reunions themselves, in 1882 Mr. Lyman W. Densmore called together the Hartwells of the Boston area, with other branches from Virginia and Indiana, to form the Hartwell Family Association. Meetings were held, usually in Concord, for around twenty years, and were well attended. The support of this organization enabled Mr. Densmore to publish his two books, The Handbook of Hartwell Genealogy in 1887, and The Hartwell Family in 1895. It is unclear why the organization was discontinued. Mr. Densmore was the moving spirit and it is possible his health was beginning to fail. He died in 1898.

In 1937, Claude S. Hartwell, a young lawyer from Boston, called together all the Hartwells within 50 miles of Boston. About 50 responded, and the Hartwells of America organization was created. A genealogical committee was appointed, dues were set, and the annual meeting was fixed for the last Saturday in June. Meetings have been held every year since then, with the exception of one year during World War II.

If you have edits, suggestions or material to contribute, please contact Stephen Hartwell at [email protected].