Calvin Coolidge
Plymouth, VT, ca. 1882-1907
Register With Two Rare Teenage Signatures of the Future President Signed "J. Calvin Coolidge" Including Numerous Signatures of His Father, Grandfather, and Stepmother
Archive

"Record of Registered Matter Received and Delivered at _____ Post Office." The postmaster has penned "Plymouth, Vt" and signed his or her name next to "Postmaster" on a few of the 35 filled-in pages, 15.25" x 10.5", front and verso. There are 23 lines on each page, with a total of approximately 800 signatures of residents of Plymouth receiving registered mail. Bound with string, back cover present. There are six loose sheets, each frayed at the edge where once bound, and 67 printed pages at the end which are not filled in.

The Postmaster, or a clerk, filled out the columns headed "Date of arrival," "Registered package no.," "Postmark of Package," "Date of bill," "No. of letter or parcel," "Class," "Postmark of Reg. Letter or Parcel," "Name of addressee of registered letter or parcel," and "Date of delivery." The last column is headed "Signature of person to whom delivered."

On May 6, 1868, John Calvin Coolidge (1845-1926) married Victoria Josephine Moor (1846-1885), daughter of Hiram D. Moor (1812-1888). They had two children: future President [John] Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) and Abigail Grace Coolidge (1875-1890). Victoria's father, Hiram D. Moor, served as Postmaster of Plymouth, Vermont, from 1868-1888 and there are three rare signatures of Calvin Coolidge's grandfather in this register. Victoria Moor Coolidge died on March 14, 1885, when her son was 12 years old. Six years later, on September 9, 1891, John married Carrie Athelia Brown (1857-1920). There are nine signatures of Calvin Coolidge's stepmother as "Carrie A. Brown" before she married his father and 14 signatures, mostly as "Carrie A. Coolidge" who was Postmaster of Plymouth, Vermont, from December 10, 1903 to April 21, 1917.

Beginning in 1868, John Calvin Coolidge operated a store and post office out of his house in Plymouth. The post office was in the building where the Coolidges lived though they did not always operate it. During his wife's tenure as Postmaster, in this register, his signature appears four times as "John C. Coolidge Asst. P.M."

Calvin Coolidge attended Plymouth schools until 1886, when he enrolled at Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont. Because this school was 11 miles from his home, Calvin boarded at various houses in Ludlow and Proctorsville. His younger sister Abigail also attended Black River. After their Winter 1889/1890 term, Calvin and Abbie went home to Plymouth for a short vacation. Abbie became ill and remained at the homestead when Calvin returned to school. On March 6, 1890, 14-year-old Abigail died of appendicitis. On May 23, 1890, at the age of 17, Calvin Coolidge was graduated from Black River Academy. He then returned home to Plymouth. Coolidge had planned to attend Amherst College in the fall but became ill and was unable to take the admission tests. His principal at Black River suggested he attend St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, as a senior. If he earned a graduation certificate, he wouldn't have to take the Amherst admission tests. Coolidge entered St. Johnsbury on April 15, 1891, and, by June, he had earned his certificate. He returned to Plymouth for the summer and 19-year-old John Calvin Coolidge was admitted to Amherst College in September.

Although named for his father, John Calvin Coolidge, he was always known as Calvin and while in college dropped the "John" from his name completely. His exceedingly rare signature as "J. Calvin Coolidge" appears twice in this record book, each time signing for a registered letter or parcel addressed to his father. One, mailed in West Bridgewater, Vermont, was signed by him on May 28, 1890, five days after his graduation from Black River Academy. The other, mailed in Proctorsville, Vermont, was signed on July 31 [1891], a month after leaving St. Johnsbury, five weeks before entering Amherst. The 1891 signature is slightly smudged on the "dge" of his signature.

Postmasters signing this register and the years they were in office: Coolidge's grandfather Hiram D. Moor (1868-1888), George M. Moore (1888-1889), Leslie J. Walker (1889-1902), Warren R. Spaulding (1902-1903), and Coolidge's stepmother Carrie A. Coolidge (1903-1917).

There are 82 signatures of Calvin Coolidge's father, John Calvin Coolidge, accepting registered letters or parcels. A notary public, John Calvin Coolidge, Sr. swore in his son as President in the parlor of his home in Plymouth , Vermont, by the light of a kerosene lamp at 2:47 AM on August 3, 1923. President Harding had died the previous evening in San Francisco and Vice President Coolidge had just been notified by messenger of Harding's death – the family homestead had neither electricity nor a telephone.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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15.25" x 10.5"