The making of marmalade in New England, as with Britain, began with the quince. Unable to grow orange trees, the early Americans planted quince from seeds that they brought with them and made English style quince marmalade. As transportation became more accessible, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, and pomelos could be shipped north from Florida and the West Indies to make spreadable jams.
Below is a recipe for from a 1945 copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fanny Merritt Farmer for marmalade.”

1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 lemon
water
sugar

“Wipe fruit and slice very thin, rejecting only seeds and core of grapefruit. Measure and add 3 times the quantity of water. Let stand in earthen dish overnight and next morning let boil 10 minutes. Leave until next day, then boil 2 hours. Measure, add equal amount of sugar, and boil stirring occasionally that it may not burn, about 1 hour. Pour into glasses, seal, label and store. Makes about 2 quarts”

The fruit need not be left to soak overnight. For a quicker and traditional bitter marmalade taste, bring the fruit to a boil and let it set overnight before adding sugar and cooking. “