1775-1913

Header Record

Title: American inventors: 19 letters and documents [decimalized]

[decimalized 02480.01-02480.19]

GLC02480

22 October 1907

Burbank, Luther, 1849-1926

Typed letter signed

Title: to Fred Lockley

Replies that he holds stock in a certain cactus company as security for payment for cactus plants which the company purchases. Informs that the stock is not considered an investment. Claims he has no other connection to the company. Written on stationary from Horticultural Novelties, Burbank's Experiment Farms, Santa Rosa, California.

GLC02480.01

18 March 1851

Colt, Samuel, 1814-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ned Dickerson

Requests information from Dickerson, a lawyer, regarding an extension for the Whittier patent. Informs Dickerson that he hopes to schedule his patent suit the following Monday.

GLC02480.02

6 June 1893

Edison, Thomas Alva, 1847-1931

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Friend Griffin

Orders several motors. Comments on his financial situation, "I am poor and needy, so if you could manage to do a neat bit of philanthropy I would like to buy them at shop cost plus 10 percent profit." Written on stationary from the Laboratory of Thomas A. Edison. One black and white bust engraving of Thomas Edison included.

GLC02480.03

1860/10/15

Ellet, Charles, fl. 1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. Thomas re: regarding family

GLC02480.04

17 April 1858

Ericsson, John, 1803-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Ericsson as the pioneering naval engineer and inventor to an unknown recipient. Says he has enclosed Mr. Stimpson's letter relative to the broken exhaust valve stem (not included). Says he included it to "show what a capital fellow he is." References an innovation Stimpson made involving a nut and a screw in an engine. Ericsson drew a small picture of the design in the middle of the letter.

GLC02480.05

1805/11/07

Evans, Oliver, 1755-1819

Letter signed

Title: to [Charles Willing Hare]

Addressed to "C.W. Hear." Acknowledges receipt of a notice to vacate a lot he had leased from William Bingham and agrees to vacate the property by May 1, 1806. American inventor Oliver Evans is credited with inventing the first high-pressure steam engine as well as other steam-driven machines. Bingham, former Continental Congressman and U.S. senator, had died the previous year. Hare was Bingham's nephew and lawyer.

GLC02480.06

1775/05/15

Fitch, John, 1743-1798

Autograph document signed

Title: [Receipt for Robert Stocton for payment in full]

Receipt to Robert Stocton [Stockton?] for payment in full. Accompanied by incomplete letter of the same date, apparently in a different hand, stating "The enclosed letter came to my Hands of," with monetary calculations. John Fitch designed and successfully launched the first steamboat in 1787. He received a U.S. patent for his steamboat in 1791. In the 1770's, Fitch made a living in Trenton as a silversmith, gunsmith, and provisioner of Continental Army troops.

GLC02480.07

1805/07/02

Fulton, Robert, 1765-1815

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Philips

Encloses his remarks [not present] on a book by Richard Parkinson (1748-1815), which he has read at the request of Sir John Sinclair. Fulton explains that his remarks are written in the form of a letter to Sinclair. He also encloses "a Sketch of Philadelphia which maybe of use" [not present]. Fulton was then residing in England. Parkinson's 1805 book "Tour in America in 1798, 1799, and 1800: Exhibiting Sketches of Society and Manners, and a Particular Account of the American System of Agriculture, with Its Recent Improvements" was highly critical of American society and its "widely…

GLC02480.08

20 August 1842

Goodyear, Charles, 1800-1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Silliman

Sends Silliman, chemistry professor at Yale, enclosed examples (not included) of his improvements in gum elastic. Claims that "the elastic articles will not loose their elastic quality by age or by use."

GLC02480.09

1898/03/25

Gray, Elisha, 1835-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: re: a copy of an article

GLC02480.10

12 March 1868

Hoe, Richard March, 1812-1886

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. H. Gibbons

Hoe, inventor of the Hoe Rotary Press, writes to Gibbons regarding property at 516 Broadway in New York City available for lease after 1 May 1869.

GLC02480.12

18 April 1855

Howe, Elias, 1819-1867

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tucker

Discusses taking measurements of the state room and states that Tucker can do it himself next Friday, or Howe will do it and will forward the measurements next Saturday. One bust engraving of Howe included.

GLC02480.13

15 June 1880

Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 1834-1906

Autograph letter signed

Title: to T.M. Barber

Discusses editing a paragraph describing an observatory in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Addressed to Barber as Professor, Western University of Pennsylvania.

GLC02480.14

13 April 1867

McCormick, Cyrus Hall, 1809-1884

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

McCormick, inventor of the reaping machine, writes to an unknown recipient regarding an approaching meeting.

GLC02480.15

25 July 1792

Stevens, John, 1749-1838

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Kean

Stevens, noted for his developments in steam locomotion, discusses financial matters with John Kean, cashier of the Bank of the United States.

GLC02480.17

February 3, 1913

Westinghouse, George, 1846-1914

Typed letter signed

Title: to R. R. Robinson

Thanks Robinson for sending books. Encloses a check for $100 (not present). Addressed to Rev. R.R. Robinson, Secretary-Treasurer, Wm. McKinley Normal & Industrial School, Alexandria, Va.

GLC02480.18

8 May 1819

Whitney, Eli, 1765-1825

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Trumbull

Whitney, noted for his invention of the cotton gin, writes to Colonel John Trumbull, an established artist residing in New York City. Introduces Trumbull to Lucius Manson, a young, self-taught artist from New Haven, Connecticut, who will soon visit New York. Requests that Trumbull assist and encourage Manson in his artistic pursuits.

GLC02480.19

26 April 1862

Jackson, Thomas J. "Stonewall", 1824-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Richard S. Ewell

"Stonewall" Jackson discusses enemy troop positions while preparing for his Valley campaign. Believes Banks "still at New Market." Jackson is twenty eight miles from New Market, and "only about 16 miles from Fishers Gap." Also asks Ewell to send communications to General Johnston for him. Accompanied by two non-contemporary clippings describing document that were used during its sale. Written at "Swift Run Gap." One right profile and one seated engraving of Jackson included.

GLC02481

19 October 1798

Jay, John, 1745-1829

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Daniel Hale

Asks Secretary of State Hale to prepare a pardon for Jacobus J. Low. Low had been convicted in Ulster County of receiving two barrels of stolen flour, and sentenced to pay a $50 fine and serve 4 months in jail. Written by Jay as Governor of New York. Two seated black and white engravings, one right profile engraving, and one bust engraving of John Jay included.

GLC02482

1848/05/22

Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lieut. G. W. Smith re: awaiting ratification of the treaty with Mexico

Written as Captain of Engineers regarding preparations for the engineer corps to leave. Mentions McClellan ("McClelland").

GLC02641

1841

McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885

Book signed

Title: Cavalry tactics. Third part. Evolutions of a regiment.

McClellan's personal copy of an army cavalry tactics manual, signed by McClellan on the titlepage as "Capt. 1st Cavalry." Pencilled note on rear pastedown by Millis Knickerbocker, a member of McClellan's Dragoons, states that he found the book near Fortress Monroe in 1862 and gave it to McClellan, who allowed him to keep it. The back of the book has numerous foldout plates of formations and includes music for retreat, reveille, breakfast and assembly. Printed by J. and G. S. Giden. "Printed by order of the War Department."

GLC02645

30 August 1861

Fremont, John Charles, 1813-1890

Broadside

Title: Fremont's proclamation

Issued from Headquarters of the Western Department. Fremont, department commander, declares martial law over the state of Missouri to counteract "the total insecurity of life, and the devastation of property by bands murderers and marauders, who infest nearly every county in the State and avail themselves of the public misfortunes and the vicinity of a hostile force to gratify private and neighborhood vengeance." Fremont issues a second proclamation on the same day, reminding the military that severe action mandated by the new law should be limited, and confined to few cases. Followed by…

GLC02654

10 March 1862

Halleck, H.W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George B. McClellan

Celebrates Union victory at the Battle of Pea Ridge, a major battle in the Trans-Mississippi. Relates that "The Army of the Southwest, under Genl Curtis, after three days hard fighting near Sugar Creek, Ark, has gained a most glorious victory over the combined forces of Van Dorn, McCulloch, Price & McIntosh." The Union army managed to repulse the attack, despite having been surprised by the Confederates. The Confederates are forced to leave Arkansas. McCulloch and McCintosh were killed during the battle. Claims that "Our loss in killed & wounded estimated at one thousand; that of…

GLC02655

1902/01/20

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Document signed

Title: Contract for payment to members of the Cherokee nation (cos. Thomas Buffington)

Signed by Buffington at Tahlequah, Indian Territory, for the Cherokee Nation and approved by Roosevelt at Washington. "Executive Mansion" has been struck and "White House" typed-in. Approving Act of the Cherokee National Council for expenses.

GLC02657