The Blakeslee-Foy-Crabtree families papers contain documents and photographs that primarily relate to the Blakeslee family and associated families Gustafson, Newberry, Curtiss and others of Northfield and Litchfield, CT. There are also items that relate to the Foy famiy, who emigrated to the United States in the 1910s and 1920s, some of whom settled in Northfield and Litchfield, and Davida Foy Crabtree (1944- ), daughter of Alfred Foy (1904-1975) and Davida Blakeslee Foy (1910-1999).

The collection contains teaching credentials and certificates; correspondence; photographs (including daguerreotypes and tintypes); journals; genealogical records; and other materials. Among the strengths of the collection are documents and photographs that relate to Davida Blakeslee Foy's teaching career in the Thomaston, CT, and Litchfield schools and Davida Foy Crabtree's years at Litchfield High School. Photographs in the collection primarily relate to the Blakeslee and associated families and include Bernice Blakeslee's award-winning fine art slides. Also of note is a small amount of reference material on Northfield and some photographs of family farms and other buildings and landscapes there and a record book maintained by clerks Joseph Newberry and George Gilbert containing minutes of meetings and receipts for services of teachers, First Society (Litchfield), 15th School District and 7th School District, 1849-1869.

Additional information about items in the collection may be found in the accession files. Please ask staff for assistance.