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However, after a severe fire which destroyed the Gotô ''honjin'' in [[1735]], another family was granted permission to have their establishment serve as the official ''honjin'' for the town. After another fire destroyed that establishment in [[1793]], the Gotô family were unable to regain their position, and Kurebayashi Kenzaemon<!--紅林権左衛門--> took over the role of ''honjin'' operator for a time. Following yet another fire, towards the end of [[1806]], however, Kurebayashi too was forced to relinquish the position, passing it on to relatives from the Baba family, who then transformed their home into the town's ''honjin''. The Baba family claimed descent from [[Baba Nobufusa|Baba Mino-no-kami Nobufusa]], a retainer of [[Takeda Shingen]]. They relocated from [[Ise province]] to Mikawa towards the beginning of the Edo period. The head of the family was known as Hikojûrô in each generation. They engaged in agriculture, saké brewing, and ran a store called the Ise-ya selling rice and other grains. Members of the Baba family continued to maintain the ''honjin'' from [[1807]], through the end of the Edo period, until [[1870]]. The first Baba Hikojûrô to run the ''honjin'' was also known as Sôkei 宗徑; his son & successor was Hôtô 邦嶋, who was then followed by Atsunori 篤則, who ran the ''honjin'' until 1870.

However, after a severe fire which destroyed the Gotô ''honjin'' in [[1735]], another family was granted permission to have their establishment serve as the official ''honjin'' for the town. After another fire destroyed that establishment in [[1793]], the Gotô family were unable to regain their position, and Kurebayashi Kenzaemon<!--紅林権左衛門--> took over the role of ''honjin'' operator for a time. Following yet another fire, towards the end of [[1806]], however, Kurebayashi too was forced to relinquish the position, passing it on to relatives from the Baba family, who then transformed their home into the town's ''honjin''. The Baba family claimed descent from [[Baba Nobufusa|Baba Mino-no-kami Nobufusa]], a retainer of [[Takeda Shingen]]. They relocated from [[Ise province]] to Mikawa towards the beginning of the Edo period. The head of the family was known as Hikojûrô in each generation. They engaged in agriculture, saké brewing, and ran a store called the Ise-ya selling rice and other grains. Members of the Baba family continued to maintain the ''honjin'' from [[1807]], through the end of the Edo period, until [[1870]]. The first Baba Hikojûrô to run the ''honjin'' was also known as Sôkei 宗徑; his son & successor was Hôtô 邦嶋, who was then followed by Atsunori 篤則, who ran the ''honjin'' until 1870.

The family laid out a considerable amount of money in 1807 to expand the ''honjin'', but the following years saw relatively few guests - and of those who did visit, most stayed only briefly, for a "short break" (''koyasumi'') and not overnight. In order to reduce expenses and to pay off loans, the Baba family sold many of its fields between [[1819]] and [[1838]], and returned to providing financial services. The family also at this time began selling folding fans and other small paper goods. Through these activities, they were able to keep the ''honjin'' business stable through the end of the Tokugawa period.<ref>Gallery labels, Futagawa juku honjin shiryôkan.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45389022175/sizes/k/]</ref> Overall over the course of the 19th century, use of the Futagawa-juku ''honjin'' by elite guests averaged around 60 nights out of the year; this was a fairly typical proportion among ''honjin'' along the Tôkaidô. During the intervening days/weeks, the Baba family supported itself through other business. While sixty nights out of the year was the overall average, however, the actual numbers ranged widely, from only three nights out of the year in [[1807]] when the ''honjin'' was first built, to over 160 in [[1862]] or [[1863]], when the ''sankin kôtai'' system was relaxed (meaning that many daimyo's wives and heirs returned to their home domains) and when, due to the chaotic politics of the time, shogunate officials and others were traveling between Edo and Kyoto far more than typical. [[Shogun]] [[Tokugawa Iemochi]] also journeyed to Kyoto himself in 1863, the first such visit by a shogun in over two hundred years, since [[Tokugawa Iemitsu]] in [[1634]]. The ''honjin'' was also damaged in the [[1855]] [[Ansei Earthquake]] (as were many [[daimyo yashiki|daimyo mansions]] in Edo), leading to a severe drop in the number of visitors for a year or two afterwards, before the numbers picked up, dramatically, in the early 1860s.<ref>Gallery labels, Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45578238364/sizes/3k/]</ref>

The family laid out a considerable amount of money in 1807 to expand the ''honjin'', but the following years saw relatively few guests - and of those who did visit, most stayed only briefly, for a "short break" (''koyasumi'') and not overnight. In order to reduce expenses and to pay off loans, the Baba family sold many of its fields between [[1819]] and [[1838]], and returned to providing financial services. The family also at this time began selling folding fans and other small paper goods. Through these activities, they were able to keep the ''honjin'' business stable through the end of the Tokugawa period.<ref>Gallery labels, Futagawa juku honjin shiryôkan.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45389022175/sizes/k/]</ref> Overall over the course of the 19th century, use of the Futagawa-juku ''honjin'' by elite guests averaged around 60 nights out of the year; this was a fairly typical proportion among ''honjin'' along the Tôkaidô. The ''honjin'' was typically busiest in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 10th months of the year, in following with the schedule of ''sankin kôtai'' groups traveling to and from Edo. During the intervening days/weeks, the Baba family supported itself through other business. In total, some 58% of guests stayed for only a "short rest" (''koyasumi'', ''shôkyû''), while roughly a full quarter of guests stayed overnight (''shukuhaku''). Another 13% or so stopped at Futagawa for a midday rest (''hiruyasumi'', ''chûkyû''). While sixty nights out of the year was the overall average, however, the actual numbers ranged widely, from only three nights out of the year in [[1807]] when the ''honjin'' was first built, to over 160 in [[1862]] or [[1863]], when the ''sankin kôtai'' system was relaxed (meaning that many daimyo's wives and heirs returned to their home domains) and when, due to the chaotic politics of the time, shogunate officials and others were traveling between Edo and Kyoto far more than typical. [[Shogun]] [[Tokugawa Iemochi]] also journeyed to Kyoto himself in 1863, the first such visit by a shogun in over two hundred years, since [[Tokugawa Iemitsu]] in [[1634]]. The ''honjin'' was also damaged in the [[1855]] [[Ansei Earthquake]] (as were many [[daimyo yashiki|daimyo mansions]] in Edo), leading to a severe drop in the number of visitors for a year or two afterwards, before the numbers picked up, dramatically, in the early 1860s.<ref>Gallery labels, Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45578238364/sizes/3k/]</ref>

The Baba family has left 33 volumes of records, covering the period from 1807 to [[1866]]. They include lists of prominent individuals who stayed at the ''honjin'', as well as for certain periods day-to-day records. These include several categories or groups of documents, two of which are: volumes grouped until the title ''go-kyûhaku sôken'' (御休泊早見), which are organized chronologically, day by day; and volumes collected under the title ''go-kyûhaku kiroku'' (御休泊記録), which are organized in ''iroha'' order (akin to alphabetically) by the names of the ''daimyô'', ''kuge'', or other figure featured in that entry. These ''go-kyûhaku kiroku'' record in which rooms or buildings each figure stayed, how many people they brought with them, the food they were served, how much they paid, what extra gifts they brought for the post-town officials, and what special gifts they were given in exchange by the post-town. Records regarding ''daimyô'' are particularly detailed, including as well accounts of actions by post-town officials & the ''daimyô’s'' representatives (e.g. the exchange of official documents); occasions when stays were extended or changed due to the weather; descriptions of where lanterns and banners were hung; and so forth.

The Baba family has left 33 volumes of records, covering the period from 1807 to [[1866]]. They include lists of prominent individuals who stayed at the ''honjin'', as well as for certain periods day-to-day records. These include several categories or groups of documents, two of which are: volumes grouped until the title ''go-kyûhaku sôken'' (御休泊早見), which are organized chronologically, day by day; and volumes collected under the title ''go-kyûhaku kiroku'' (御休泊記録), which are organized in ''iroha'' order (akin to alphabetically) by the names of the ''daimyô'', ''kuge'', or other figure featured in that entry. These ''go-kyûhaku kiroku'' record in which rooms or buildings each figure stayed, how many people they brought with them, the food they were served, how much they paid, what extra gifts they brought for the post-town officials, and what special gifts they were given in exchange by the post-town. Records regarding ''daimyô'' are particularly detailed, including as well accounts of actions by post-town officials & the ''daimyô’s'' representatives (e.g. the exchange of official documents); occasions when stays were extended or changed due to the weather; descriptions of where lanterns and banners were hung; and so forth.