Special Collections Department
Alexander Wilson Papers
Manuscript Collection Number: 388
Accessioned:
Extent: 2 linear feet.
Content: Letters, envelopes, brochures, checks, receipts, trade cards, ephemera.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: May 1999 by Anne E. Krulikowski.
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Special Collections, University of Delaware Library
Newark, Delaware 19717-5267
(302) 831-2229
Table of Contents
Introductory Note
The bulk of this collection contains correspondence and documents related to the conduct of Alexander Wilson's manufacturing business. The correspondence concerns customer inquiries about the equipment that Wilson manufactured and responses to Wilson's own inquiries and orders from other manufacturers and retailers of parts and supplies. Most letters are very brief: acknowledging orders, requesting clarification of orders, and stating transportation arrangements with railroad companies, especially the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad, whose tracks lay not far from Wilson's plant.
Wilson was married and had a son named William. In the early 1870s, William attended Newark Academy while Edward S. Porter was Principal. Porter was also a professor of engineering and agriculture, which he later taught at Newark College. This collection contains illustrated letterhead from Newark Academy, an 1869-70 circular for the Academy, and a letter from Porter.
Wilson had a sister named Annie E. Wilson and a brother named Wiliam T. Wilson; letters addressed to Alexander from both siblings are included in this collection. Annie appears to have been single or widowed and spent much of her time on extended visits to relatives in Philadelphia and Chester County, Pennsylvania, as well as in Delaware and Maryland. William was a college student near Pittsburgh in the early 1860s. An April 1865 letter from William notes the reaction in Pittsburgh to news of the fall of Richmond, an important event near the end of the Civil War. Later, William married, but he and his family did not live in New Castle County.
The strength of this collection lays in the advertising information presented on brochures, trade cards, and envelopes, which offer detailed information about agricultural machines, engines, parts, and tools, and often specify prices, sizes, and provide diagrams. Company letterhead often presents a fairly detailed description of a business and is often illustrated with equipment or a view of the plant, mill, or works.
Another strength of this collection lays in its record of a network of interdependent manufacturing concerns in the East and midwest, each producing goods necessary to the operation of the others. This exchange of goods was made possible by the railroad, which also figures prominently in the correspondence and receipts.
Many documents in this collection are in poor to very poor condition. Many papers were corroded by some type of acid and others have suffered silverfish damage.
Source:
Beers, D. G. Atlas of the State of Delaware. Philadelphia, PA: Pomeroy and Beers. 1868.Arrangement note
Series II contains the bulk of this collection -- the correspondence and information sent by various companies and businessmen to Alexander Wilson. A group of advertising trade cards is also included in this series.
Series Outline
I. Personal Papers And Business Documents
1. Personal Papers
2. Business Documents
3. Checks
II. Correspondence Received From Other Companies
1. Company Correspondence
2. Company Envelopes
3. Advertising and Trade Cards
Contents List
1 Series I. Personal Papers and Business Documents, 1852-1888.
Personal papers include correspondence relating to Wilson's involvement
in New Castle County, information about Newark Academy, funeral
invitations, and the letters written by Annie and William T. Wilson.
Business documents include notes written by Wilson, tax and legal
documents. Wilson's checks, drawn on the National Bank of Newark, are
included at the end of this series.
Series I.1. Personal Papers
F1 New Castle County Trustee of the Poor, 1873-1877
Includes ALS, Nov. 14, 1876, from John Janvier Black
F2 New Castle County School District, 1868, 1875
F3 Newark Academy, 1869-1871
F4 Funeral Invitations, 1861, 1870-1871
Includes notices for Newark residents Joseph Dean, Mrs. Martha Ram[?], Samuel
Scott, and Mrs. Mary J. Gillespie.
F5 Correspondence from Anne E. Wilson, ca. 1874-1876
F6 Correspondence from William T. Wilson, ca. 1865-1874
F7 Miscellaneous Documents (2 Items)
Includes card noting Democratic party candidates standing for election in 1884 to
national, state, and local offices. Also includes "Report of School/Lettie Groves"
(n.d.) that lists William Wilson as a student.
Series I.2 Business Documents
F8 Notes Written By Alexander Wilson
F9 Licenses/Legal Documents
F10 Tax Documents
Series I.3 Checks
F11 1852-1865
F12 1866-1870
F13 1871-1873
F14 1874-1875
F15 1876
F16 1877
F17 1878-1879
F18 1880-1882
F19 1883
F20 1884-1888
F21 Unknown Dates
F22 Fragments of Checks
1 Series II. Correspondence Received From Other Companies, 1855-1900.
This series includes correspondence and advertising that was sent to
Alexander Wilson. These companies were either Wilson's customers or
were manufacturers from whom Wilson purchased goods or services. The
bulk of this correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of
company; some of this correspondence is accompanied by envelopes.
Company names and known locations are noted for companies contained
in each folder. Some correspondence was written on blank stationery or
on letterhead which can no longer be read. This miscellaneous
correspondence is arranged by the writer's last name. The folder labelled
"Unidentified" at the end of this series contains fragments of letters that do
not contain the writer's name or in which the writer's name is illegible.
Following the correspondence is a collection of envelopes. Some are
arranged alphabetically by company name; most are placed in
miscellaneous files because the company name cannot be identified. A
small collection of advertising trade cards is placed at the end of this
series.
One exception to alphabetical listings by company name follows Garrett &
Son, which became Garrett, Kent & Co., which then became D. H. Kent &
Co. This company also owned Kent Iron & Hardware, Co. Since these
various names represent the same business enterprise at various stages in
its history, the folders for all these company names have been grouped
consecutively.
F23 Alexander & Co. (Elkton, Md.)
American Iron Works (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
F24 Baker Lime Co. (Avondale, Pa.)
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company
Baltimore Weekly Sun (Baltimore, Md.)
Bank of Hanover (Goldsboro, N.C.)
Bank of Portsmouth (Va.)
F25 Wm. E. Bird (New York, N.Y.)
R. M. Black (Lagrange near Glasgow, Del.)
F26 C. W. Blandy & Bro. (Newark, Del.)
Bower's Complete Manure (Baltimore, Md.)
A.S. Brownell & Co. (Boston, Mass.)
F27 George W. Bush & Sons (Wilmington, Del.)
E. Mortimer Bye (Wilmington, Del.)
Miscellaneous "B"
F28 Casho Machine Co. (Newark, Del.)
Wm. C. L. Carnagy (Kirkwood, Del.)
Cranston & Newbold (Newport, Del.)
Citizens' National Bank (Middletown, Del.)
Crew, Moore & Levick (Philadelphia, Pa.)
F29 Miscellaneous "C"
F30 Davis, Keys, & Co. (Elkton, Md.)
Joseph Dean & Son (Newark, Del.)
The Delaware Gazette (Wilmington, Del.)
F31 George G. Evans (Newark, Del.)
Excelsior Saw Works (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Miscellaneous "E"
F32 Faircloth & Grainger (Goldsboro, N.C.)
Ferris & Garrett (Wilmington, Del.)
F. L. Franks (Wilmington, Del.)
F33 B. Fritch (Wilmington, Del.)
Miscellaneous "F"
F34 Garrett & Son (Wilmington, Del.), 1851-1865
F35 Garrett, Kent & Co. (Wilmington, Del.), 1865-1866
F36 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1867
F37 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1868
F38 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1869
F39 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1870
1 Series II. Correspondence Received From Other Companies (Cont'd)
Series II.1 Company Correspondence (Cont'd)
F40 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1871
F41 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1872
F42 Garrett, Kent & Co., 1873 & n.d.
F43 D.H. Kent & Co. (Wilmington, Del.), 1873
F44 D.H. Kent & Co., 1874
F45 D.H. Kent & Co., 1875 & n.d.
F46 Kent Iron & Hardware, Co. (Wilmington, Del.), 1883-1885
F47 Kent Iron & Hardware, Co., 1886-1887 & n.d.
F48 W. R. & H. Gause (Wilmington, Del.)
F49 Gawthrop & Bro. (Wilmington, Del.)
H. Gawthrop & Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Geiser Manufacturing Co. (Waynesboro, Pa.)
F50 B. Gill & Son (Trenton, N.J.)
Graham, Emlen, & Passmore (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
Miscellaneous "G"
F51 Harbert & Raymond (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Hilles & Jones (Wilmington, Del.)
D. P. Holloway & Co. (Washington, Del.)
E. F. Houghton & Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
F52 Hoopes & Townsend (Philadelphia, Pa.)
F53 Miscellaneous "H"
F54 Miscellaneous "J"
F55 Keystone Steam Engine and Agricultural Works (Lancaster, Pa.)
Keystone Varnish and Japan Works (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Miscellaneous "K"
F56 L. H. Lee & Brother (Baltimore, Md.)
F57 Longcope, Campbell & Co. (Baltimore, Md.)
J. L. Lovett (New London, Pa.)
Miscellaneous "L"
F58 McConaughey Bros.
F59 J. Marshall & Co. (Newport, Del.)
James Morrow (Wilmington, Del.)
Miscellaneous "M"
F60 National Bank of Newark (Del.)
Newark Iron Foundry (Del.)
F61 New Jersey Agricultural Works (Trenton, N.J.)
New Jersey Steel and Iron Co. (Trenton, N.J.)
F62 A. Patterson (Wilmington, Del.)
Pennington Bros. (Middletown, Del.)
Pennsylvania Agriculture Works (York, Pa.)
Philadelphia Machinery Agency (Philadelphia, Pa.)
F63 Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad, Newark Station (Del.)
F64 Phoenix Iron Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
F65 Pusey, Jones & Co (Wilmington, Del.)
Contains Adams Express Company, Wilmington Branch, receipts.
F66 Miscellaneous "P"
F67 A. M. Quinby & Co (Wilmington & Del.)
(Formerly Quinby & Kent)
1 Series II. Correspondence Received From Other Companies (Cont'd)
Series II.1 Company Correspondence (Cont'd)
F68 H. A. Ramsay & Son (Baltimore, Md.)
F69 Reynolds & Co (Wilmington, Del.)
F70 Wm. C. Robinson & Son (Baltimore, Md.)
Includes sample cards of rosin-sized sheeting.
2 F71 Miscellaneous "R"
F72 S. G. Simmons & Bros. (Wilmington, Del.)
Walter Smith & Co. (Sharon Hill, Pa.)
Springer, Morley & Gause (Wilmington, Del.)
F73 Charles Stewart (Wilmington, Del.)
F74 George W. Stone (Wilmington, Del.)
F75 E. C. Stotsenburg & Son (Wilmington, Del.)
F76 Miscellaneous "S"
F77 Geo. G. Tyler (Baltimore, Md.)
F78 Thos. Whann & Son (Strickersville, Pa.)
F79 Geo. P. Whitaker (Pincipio Furnace, Md.)
F80 Whiteley, Fassler & Kelly (Springfield, Ohio)
F81 John A. Wilson (Wilmington, Del.)
(Also called Diamond State Agricultural Warehouse)
F82 S. Y. Wilson (Newark, Del.)
F83 Wright & Son (Newark, Del.)
F84 Miscellaneous "W"
F85 Nathan Zigler (Newark, Del.)
3 Series II. Correspondence Received From Other Companies (Cont'd)
Series II.1 Company Correspondence (Cont'd)
F86 Unidentified
F87 Fragments
Series II.2 Company Envelopes
F88 Garrett, Kent & Co. Envelopes
F89 D. H. Kent & Co. Envelopes
4 F90 L. H. Lee & Bro. Envelopes
F91 Miscellaneous Envelopes
F92 Miscellaneous Envelopes
F93 Miscellaneous Envelopes
F94 Miscellaneous Envelopes
F95 Miscellaneous Envelopes
Series II.3 Advertising Trade Cards
F96 Advertising Trade Cards
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