Place of Origin

United States ➔ Ohio ➔ Harpersfield

Date of Composition

presumed 19th century

Description

The library's collection of the Alexander Harper Family Papers includes four recipe books that were likely compiled at Shandy Hall, the Harper family homestead, in Harpersfield, Ohio. The  books are undated but were likely compiled during the 19th century. The books are located in Series II, Sub-Series D of the collection.

In 1797, Alexander Harper (1744-1798) and two family members entered into an agreement with the Connecticut Land Company and were able to acquire six townships in the Connecticut Western Reserve, in what is now Ashtabula County, Ohio .The following year, Alexander brought his family to the settlement, which they named Harpersfield. Alexander Harper died shortly after coming to Harpersfield, but his seven children all became prominent members of the community. Most prominent of the Harper children was Robert (1791-1851), who was a lawyer, farmer, businessman, Superintendent of the Public Works at Cunningham Creek, and a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. After marrying Polly Hendry in 1815 Robert began construction of Shandy Hall, which was continuously inhabited by descendants of the Harper family into the early twentieth century. Today the house is owned by the Western Reserve Historical Society, which operates it as a museum.