Manuscript Collection Number: 170
Accessioned: Gift of Homer Riddle Lee, 1961-1965
Extent: 4.29 linear ft. (844 items)
Content: Correspondence, diaries, notebooks, account books, photographs, maps, books
clippings, journals, manuscripts, albums, ephemera, business and financial documents.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: 1989 by Kim Sebold; finding aid revised February 1994 by Kelly Baum.
In 1870 Maxwell married Harriet (Hattie) Mitchell (1836-?) and subsequently moved to Peru where he worked for several years. Maxwell was chief engineer of the Chimbota Railroad and the Obras Publicos; he also served as chief engineer of the Central Railroad of Peru which was commonly called the Oroya railway. With a summit at 15,666 feet above sea level, the Oroya railway climbed higher than any other in the world. On December 22, 1874, four years after arriving in Peru, the Maxwell's only daughter, Jane (Jennie), was born. Both Hattie and James Maxwell recount their experiences in Peru in personal diaries, letters, and notebooks.
In 1902, Maxwell retired from engineering and returned to Newark, Delaware, where he compiled personal and professional reminiscences of his career in the West and Peru. After a few years of failing health, he died at his home Wilkins Terrace, on April 7, 1912.
The Maxwell Papers include his student lecture notes; professional notebooks and drawings; diaries and accounts; and manuscripts for esasys, speeches, and an unpublished autobiography. Family papers include household account books; diaries and albums kept by Hattie Maxwell and her daughter; and genealogical material. Also housed in the Maxwell papers are printed materials, primarily relating to professional engineering, and a collection of photographs and lithographs. In addition to family photographs, there are commercially produced photographs of scenery and native peoples in the West and Peru, as well as photographs taken of railroad construction and a set of lithographic prints commissioned by the Union Pacific during western surveys of 1864 and 1865.
I. Correspondence, 1867-1921
A. Personal and business, 1867-1921
B. Hattie Maxwell to James Maxwell, 1883-1900
C. James Maxwell to Hattie Maxwell, 1886-1900
D. Hattie Maxwell to her mother and sister, 1873-1882
II. Diaries of James Maxwell, 1867-1912
III. Student notebooks of James Maxwell, 1860-1862
IV. Account books and personal finances, 1868-1922
V. Papers related to engineering and railroads, 1854-1899
VI. Family papers, 1855-1936
A. Hattie Maxwell
B. Jane (Jennie) Maxwell
C. Miscellaneous
VII. Printed materials
VIII. Manuscripts by James Maxwell
IX. Photographs and lithographs
1 Series I. Correspondence, 1867-1921
ca. 200 items
Series I.A. Personal and business, 1867-1921
77 items, arranged chronologically.
Generally directed to either James or Hattie Maxwell.
James' correspondents include his father, H.M.
McCartney, Edward Flint, Lucy Flint, and Henry Riddle.
Hattie's include Lucy Flint, Carey Atkinson, Gertrude
Parker, and Hattie's sister Amanda. Also contains
letters from James Maxwell to various businessmen.
F1 1867-1876
F2 1877-1880
F3 1881-1888
F4 1888-1894
F5 1899-1906
F6 1906-1921
F7 [n.d.]
Series I.B. Hattie Maxwell to James Maxwell, 1883-1900
59 items, arranged chronologically.
Written and sent from Newark, Delaware, to James while
he was on assignment for the Union Pacific Railroad in
the West and in Peru; generally concerning daily life
and family news.
F8 1883 Jun-Aug
F9 1888 Aug-Sep
F10 1888 Oct-Nov
F11 1888 Nov-Dec
F12 1889 Jan-Feb
F13 1889 Mar-1900 Mar
Series I.C. James Maxwell to Hattie Maxwell, 1886-1900
32 items, arranged chronologically.
Written by James while on assignment to Peru and
Montana, concerning railroad progress and daily life.
F14 1886 Apr, 1887 Feb-Apr
F15 1887 Apr-Jul
F16 1887 Jul-Dec
F17 1890 Dec-1900 Mar
Series I.D. Hattie Maxwell to mother, 1873-1882
32 items, arranged chronologically.
Primarily letters posted from Peru.
F18 1873 Dec-1874 Jan
F19 1874 Jan-Feb
Includes some letters to Hattie's sister.
F20 1874 Feb-Apr
F21 1874 May-Jul
Letters to mother and sister in a hand-sewn notebook.
F22 1874 Jul-1875 Nov, 1882 Aug
2 Series II. Diaries of James Maxwell, 1867-1912
20 items, arranged chronologically.
Record of daily events and expenses from travel in the
American West and Peru, primarily discussing progress
of railroad projects.
F1 1867 Railroad progress, establishment of the town of
Cheyenne, Wyoming, brief mention of Indian attacks.
F2 1868 Railroad progress, movement of camps, expenses.
F3 1869 Travel by stagecoach to Salt Lake City, Utah;
daily labor, weather reports; memoranda pages contain
notes on elevation between Omaha and Sacramento.
F4 1870 Work progress, lines run, weather, expenses;
Oregon, Idaho, western territories. Postage stamp
enclosed in rear pocket of the the diary.
F5 1871 Work progress, weather, calculations; enclosures.
F6 1872 Travel to and arrival in Peru; enclosures.
F7 1873 Notes arrival of letters from home.
F8 1874 Work progress in Peru.
F9 1880 Includes addresses; home life in Delaware; travel
to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Kansas,
and Danville, Ohio.
F10 1883 Work progress, camp life, expenses; locations in
Boise and Pocatello, Idaho; Butte, Montana; and Utah.
F11 1886 Entries primarily inventories.
F12 1900 Travel to South America; boat trip returning to
the United States with stops at Cartagena, Colon,
Panama, Costa Rica; home life in Newark, Delaware.
F13 1901 Work trip to Tuscaloosa; travel to Philadelphia,
New York; home life in Newark; weather reports.
F14 1902 Weather, daily reports in Newark.
F15 1903 Weather, miles walked daily in Newark.
F16 1904 Weather, miles walked daily, Hattie's illness,
trip to Chicago.
F17 1905 Weather, recovery from an illness, trip to
Cleveland.
F18 1906 Weather, addresses, monthly accounts with
magazine subscriptions.
F19 1907 Building a new home, weather, addresses, magazine
accounts.
F20 1912 Few entries: weather, addresses, magazine
accounts.
F21 [n.d.]
Series III. Student notebooks, 1860-1862
8 items.
James Maxwell's autograph notes taken during various
courses while enrolled at Delaware College and the
Polytechnic College. Titles from covers of notebooks
F22 Lectures by Dr. Kennedy on physics, 1860
F23 Lecture on Chemistry, 1861
F24 Lecture on Physics, 1860-1861
Laid in is a letter from Maxwell to his sister with
response to her views of President Abraham Lincoln.
F25 Lecture on Chemistry, 1861-1862
F26 Lecture on Geology and Mineralogy, 1862
F27 Lecture on Industrial Physics, 1862
Includes student essays by Maxwell on "Parallels in
Rhetoric" with such topics as the United States and
England, eloquence of the bar and the pulpit, Napolean,
and Washington.
F28 Notes on Differential Calculus, [n.d.]
Also contains an essay titled "The Means of Supplying
Cities and Towns with Water"
F29 Notes on Astronomy, [n.d.]
3 Series IV. Accounts and personal finances, 1868-1949
8 items.
Monthly expenses for individuals and household,
maintained by Maxwell until his death in 1912 and
thereafter by Jane, his daughter. Record of daily
expenses as well as groceries, clothing, household
goods, and a few luxury items.
F1 Monthly account book, 1868
Includes Western Union telegram from J.
Blierkinsderfer, Jr., June 3, 1868.
F2 Monthly expense book, 1908-1911
F3 Monthly expense book for groceries, 1911-1915
F4 Monthly expense book, 1911-1915
F5 Recordbook of stocks and bonds, 1912-1949
Pocohontas Consolidated Collieries, General Gas and
Electric, General Motors, Metropolitan Edison Co., and
Pennsylvania Railroad.
F6 Monthly expense book for groceries, 1915-1919
F7 Monthly expense book, 1916-1922
F8 Monthly expense book for groceries, 1920-1922
4 Series V. Papers related to engineering and
railroads, 1854-1899
F1 Henck, John. Field Book for Railroad Engineers. New
York: D. Appleton and Company, 1854.
F2 Haswell, Chas. H. Engineers and Mechanics Handbook.
New York: Harper and Brothers, Publishers, 1870.
F3 Accompilation of rules and formulas, [1871]
F4 Ferro-Carril: Chimbote Juaraz Recuay. Lima, 1872.
F5 Sketchbook profiling the Chimbotea Railroad, [1872-1874]
F6 Notebook detailing railroad construction in Peru and
American railroad fares, 1874-1880.
F7 Notebook detailing the Danville, Onley, and Ohio River
lines in Illinois. Includes notes on the Nicaraguan
Canal, 1879-1880.
F8 Notebook containing daily progress reports, 1880 Jan-Mar
F9 Notebook containing observations of the Peruvian
Railroad, [1882]. Includes some inserts.
F10 Notebook detailing railroads in the western United
States, 1888. Includes some inserts.
F11 Spanish diagram recording progress on tunnel
construction, 1892
F12 Notebook concerning railroad construction, 1899
5 F13 Notebook on railroad routes and their construction,
[n.d.]
F14 Sketchbook of engineer's drawings, [n.d.]
F15 Engineering notebook concerning various railways and
bridges, [n.d.]. Includes some inserts.
F16 Notebook concerning engineering and railroad routes,
[n.d.]
F17 Notebook containing mathematical formulas, [n.d.]
F18 Engineering sketchbook
F19 Oversized engineering sketches and tables, 1883-1906
Union Pacific Railroad, 1867-1871
F20 Includes a payroll account, weather record, accounting
table, and a map, 1867-1870
F21 Includes survey reports, weather records, a
supplementary report, and a monthly property return
report, 1871.
Peruvian Railroads, ca.1875
F22 Includes survey reports, progress reports,
measurements, specifications for construction, and
estimates of work remaining.
Miscellaneous, 1877-1901
F23 Includes a payroll account, a timeroll account, a
construction agreement, and a report for a proposed
extension.
F24 Includes documents on food rations for workers,
procedures for surveying, and a map.
6 Series VI. Family papers, 1855-1936
56 items.
Series VI.A. Hattie Maxwell, 1855-1876
F1 The Prize Album, a compilation of poems written to
Hattie by her friends, 1855-1858
F2 Personal diary, 1873
F3 Personal diary, [1873]
F4 "A History of Jennie's life while in Peru," 1874 Dec-1876 Apr
Series VI.B. Jane (Jennie) Maxwell, 1913-1936
F5 Student handbook containing notes on literature,
poetry, mathematics, and Indian names [n.d.]
F6 Personal diary, 1913-1914
Life in Newark, Delaware
F7 Memorandum notebook, 1930
F8 Notebook containing a collection of sayings, phrases,
and quotes, 1935-1936
F9 Prosebook containing notes on music, [n.d.]
F10 Notebook containing geographical information on Newark,
[n.d.]
F11 Letters, clippings, obituary of Emiline Mitchell
7 Series VI.C. Miscellaneous
F12 Accordian folder containing newspaper clippings
Inserts include a map of the lot where the Newark
Trust Building was erected and a related note; and
a map of the land condemned for the new school
house, accompanied by a summary of the land
status.
F13 Preservation copies of newspaper clippings and inserts
F14 Address book, [n.d.]
F15 Memoranda and address book, [ca. 1891]
Includes notes on railroad stations, tunnels, etc.
F16 Handwritten family tree and family register, [n.d.]
Contains information about descendants of Samuel Young,
the Greenleaf family, and ancestors of Harriet
(Mitchell) Maxwell
F17 Obituaries (including James R. Maxwell and John Flint),
a Spanish notebook, notes, announcements, notebook of
home remedies, articles, letters, poems, and transcript
of a lecture on school districting.
8 Series VII. Printed material
F1 Ferro-Carril a la Oroya: Estudios Comparativos de las
Propuestas Presentadas al Supremo Gobierno. Lima,
1869.
F2 Ferro-Carriles: Apuntes sobre las Mejoras Materiales
Aplicables a la America Latina. Lima, 1869.
F3 Ferro-Carril de Arequipa: Documentos, Relativos a esta
Empresa. Lima, 1869.
F4 Inaguguracion del Ferro-Carril de Mollendo a Arequipa.
Lima, 1871.
F5 Memoria sobre Las Obras P£blicas del Per£. Lima, 1874.
F6 Reglamento del Travellers' Club. Lima, 1875.
F7 Salazar, Manuel M. Gramatica Castellana. Lima, 1873.
F8 Dictionary of Indian Tongues. Victoria, V.I.: Hibben &
Carswell, 1865.
F9 Hand book of the First Exposition of Monarchs and
Beauties. Three Northern Galleries, Philadelphia.
F10 Maxwell, James R. "Railway Construction in the
Peruvian Andes." Proceedings of the Enginners' Club of
Philadelphia 12 (July 1895). Includes three copies.
F11 Proof sheets for "The Builders" by Evelyn Gunn, Nov.
1908. Includes a letter and a copy of the poem.
F12 National Geographic 24:4 (April 1913). Contains "In
the Wonderland of Peru."
F13 Oversize material. Includes Poiree Needle Dam Plan and
Festival Schedule.
9 Series X. Manuscripts by James Maxwell
"Incidents in an Engineer's Life in the Far West"
Autobiographical account of Maxwell's experiences
working on the Union Pacific Railroad. Includes Indian
attacks, travel, work of the railroad survey crews, and
daily life in the West.
F1 Holograph, pp 1-85
F2 Holograph, pp 86-182
F3 Holograph, pp 183-235
Miscellaneous essays
F4 At the Zoo, 4 pp.
F5 Biography of Benjamin Disreali, 15 pp.
F6 Biography of Louisa May Alcott, 8 pp.
F7 Central America, 11 pp.
F8 Climatic Influences [of India] As Compared with That of
Our Own Country, 17 pp.
F9 Edmund Greenleaf, 3 pp.
F10 Effect on Commerce, 7 pp.
F11 The Fisheries of Japan, 16 pp.
F12 George Francis Train, 5 pp.
F13 Ireland, 14 pp.
F14 Jim Spikehook, 1p.
F15 A Long Ride, 2pp.
F16 Lower California, 9 pp.
F17 The Makers of the Panama Canal, 11 pp.
F18 Milan, 12 pp.
F19 Mules, 3 pp.
F20 Our Third War with Great Britian, 4 pp.
F21 Peru, 16 pp.
F22 Thomas Babington Macauley, 9 pp.
F23 Tristram Coffin, 11 pp.
F24 William Hickling Prescott, 17 pp.
F25 William Morris, 7 pp.
10 Series XI. Photographs and lithographs
F1 Family and acquaintances, 15 items
Family and colleagues from studios in Wilmington and
Philadelphia, including James R. Mawell, Harriet M.
Maxwell, Jane (Jennie) R. Maxwell; and A.L. Kennedy,
president of the Polytechnic College.
F2 Colleagues, 8 items
Four portraits from the studio of E. Courret and two
from the studio of Ricardo Villaalba, both in Lima.
Also inclues a portrait of Thomas C. Darant, "vice-
president and general manager of the Union Pacific R'y
when it was being built"
10 Series XI. Photographs and lithographs (cont'd)
F3 Near Salt Lake City, 5 items
"Taken at the Gallery of Crockwell & Ottinger, agent
for copying and enlarging pictures...Salt Lake City."
Silver Reef
Company's office & melting room, Stormont Mill
Stormont Mill
General View Stormont Mill
Horsting Works Buckeye Mine, Stormont Company
F4 Views on the Union Pacific Railway, 6 items
"Published by T.H. Rutter, Butte, Montana"
St. Lawrence Mine, Butte
Twin Falls, Shoshone
88. Bridal Veil Falls, Shoshone (2 copies)
101. Twin Falls
unidentified
F5 Idaho, 6 items
Owghie Land and Irrigation Company, Dam and Canal on
Bu? River, Idaho
F6 Northern Pacific Rail Road, Seattle, 5 items
Engineer camp on Northern Pacific
Engineering party No. 2, August 1870
Engineering party No. 3
Camp Maxwell, N.P.P.R. Eng Corps near Seattle, W.T.
C.S. Kidder's party, N.P.R.R. Seattle, August 1870
F7 Railroad labor, 2 items
F8 North American Indians, 8 items
Arapahoe
Omaha
Pawnee (2 items)
Pawnee squaw
Punkak Sioux
Snake
Winnebago squaw
F9 Mormons, Salt Lake City, 7 items
Brigham Young
Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution
Entrance to Brigham Young's grounds
The Temple as it is to be
View of Brigham Young's house and grounds
The Theatre
Tithing Office
10 Series XI. Photographs and lithographs (cont'd)
F10 Exposition, 11 items
unidentified
Avenue of the entrance to Exposition
Avenue of Grey (barefooted) Friars
Entrance to Exposition
Alameda
View of Exposition grounds
Entrance to Cemetary
Lower side of Plaza, Lima
Bath House at Chorillos
Bay of Callao
Callao, 1872
F11 Lima, Retratos Album and postcards, 11 items
Photographers Richardson y Salazar, Courret Hermanos
Including one photograph, "Cathedral of Lima,
revolution of June 1872" which shows a crowd in front
of the chathedral; and three photographs of "antique
pottery"
F12 Lima, V.L. Richardson, photographer, 6 items
one image of "Virgin and Child" not attributed to VLR
F13 Lima, Ricardo Villaalba, photographer, 33 items
[Priest and Indian child in prayer]
Bull fighter
Choloo, half Indian
Indian girl in her Sunday dress
Indian in his Sunday costume
Indian man and woman
Indians in Holiday costume
Aymari, Indian girl at Puno
Indian girl near Cazco
Indian of the Interior (2 items)
Indian of the Andes, peaceful
Peaceful Indians
Indians of Bolivia
Chanchos or wild Indians (4 items)
Indian women selling fruit
Musicians
Man and wife
Wife and child
Porter
[Man carrying cut reeds]
Milk woman of La Paz, Bolivia
Indian porter
Aquador or water carrier (3 items)
Indian and llamas (3 items)
10 Series XI. Photographs and lithographs (cont'd)
F14 Chuquicara, 3 items
One photograph captioned "Jennie Riddle Maxwell was
born at Chuquicara, December 22, 1874"
F15 Central Railroad of Peru, 8 items
F16 Ferro Carril del Peru, 1892, 5 items
One photograph captioned "West face of Galera Tunnel at
the summit of the Andes, elevation over 15,600 ft.
F17 On the way to Cartagena, 1 item
"Group on S.S. Alene (Liverpool) on way to Carthagina"
F18 Asheville, North Carolina (2 items)
F21 Photograph album
Includes photographs of Chimbote Railroad, Central
Railroad of Peru; Kingston, Jamaica; and Cartagena,
1899
Lithographs
Both sets produced by the Major & Knapp Eng. Mfg. &
Lith. Co, Broadway, N.Y.
F19 Union Pacific Rail Road, Survey of 1864
F20 Union Pacific Rail Road, Survey of 1865
12 Photographs, 57 items
Various photographs of Peru, mounted on boards, 8 1/2 x
9 1/4 inches
13 Miscellaneous
Picture frames, covers of writing tablets, etc.
Back to the UD Special Collections Home Page
Return to List of Manuscript Finding Aids by Title