Mariah Crabb Papers
Scope and Contents
The papers of Mariah Crabb document her manumission, include information about her former enslavers, and detail the activities of her family members in the 1830s and 1840s. Of particular note is Mariah Crabb's handwritten Manumission Indenture. On July 1, 1831, Mariah and her family purchased their freedom for $150 from Martin, Elizabeth, and David Hausman.
Consisting largely of personal letters written to Mariah Crabb from her former enslavers, Martin and Elizabeth, the letters primarily consist of assertions of the Hausmans' great fondness for Mariah and repeated requests for her to visit with the children. Due to Elizabeth's advanced age, her son David penned the last letter in 1840. Mariah also received letters from her daughters, Mary, Lucy, and Elizabeth, her husband Jacob, and several others. Topics revolve around religion, education, career choices and the general well being of the individuals under discussion. Almost all letters are signed. One letter was written to Lucy Crabb by her sister, Mary.
Records kept by Mariah over the years also include legal receipts; property records (land deeds); tax records, including commentary about home repair, and information on a tenant who lived on the property. Several other miscellaneous receipts document daily life struggles on Ohio's western frontier including difficulties purchasing groceries, sewing materials, and so on. There is a property tax receipt for Mary Crabb from a Norwalk, Ohio, business for the year 1878.
In 1845 I. Flaharty (?) of Buffalo, New York, wrote a personal statement regarding Mariah Crabb's character for "honesty and industry." Also in this series is certification of her membership in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Buffalo.
Dates
- Creation: 1831-1878, undated
- Creation: Majority of material found in 1834-1849
Creator
- Crabb, Mariah (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted.
Biographical Sketch
Mariah Crabb's life in Virginia, Ohio, and New York is not well documented. However, these records offer some contextualized information about her life as an enslaved person and, later, as a free Black woman during the 1830s and 1840s.
In about 1826, Mariah moved from Virginia to Fort Seneca, Ohio, with her enslavers, Elizabeth and Martin Hausman. Five years later the Hausmans manumitted Mariah and her family, in exchange for payment. The handwritten manumission document is dated January 1, 1831, and the indenture grants freedom to Mariah and her heirs. The record further suggests that she continued to live in the area of Huron County, Ohio, and that she later moved to Oberlin, Ohio, in Lorain County. By drawing on the correspondence she had with the Hausmans and her family, one must piece together this skeletal story of her life. There are no records found providing birth or death information for Mariah Crabb.
Mariah was married to Jacob Crabb. No documentation exists to confirm the date or location of their marriage. The couple had three daughters, Mary (1824-1903), Lucy, and Elizabeth. Mary and Elizabeth Crabb spent time living in Buffalo, New York. It is likely that Mariah also lived in Buffalo. A statement of character from I. Flaharty (?) received by Mariah in 1845 refers to his acquaintance with her in both Oberlin and Buffalo over eleven-year period.
Mary returned to Oberlin to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered and enrolled in the Collegiate Institute (name changed to Oberlin College in 1850). There is record of her enrollment at the Oberlin's Collegiate Institute in the spring of 1840. Mary may have initially attended the town's racially integrated public schools. A letter to her mother Mariah, dated 1846, suggests that Mary moved to Sandusky, Ohio, to accept a teaching position. Elijah Brown (1822-1900), a cook on the ships of the Great Lakes, and Mary Crabb were married on 21 January 1847. Sandusky and Oberlin city records suggest they did not have children. Elijah and Mary returned to Oberlin for the remainder of their lives and are buried in the Westwood Cemetery in Oberlin, Ohio.
Sources Consulted
Sandusky and Oberlin City Records
Mariah Crabb Papers (30/383)
Note written by Ed Schwaegerle; updated by Emily Rebmann.
Extent
0.20 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Accruals and Additions
Accession No: 2005/081.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Mariah Crabb Papers Finding Guide
- Author
- Erica Noble and Ed Schwaegerle
- Date
- 2007 January 24
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2007 January 24: Processed by Erica Noble; Ed Schwaegerle assisted with the biographical sketch.
- 2025: Prepared for migration by Louisa C. Hoffman.
Repository Details
Part of the Oberlin College Archives Repository
420 Mudd Center
148 West College Street
Oberlin OH 44074-1532 US
440-775-8014
440-775-8016 (Fax)
archive@oberlin.edu