William J. Robinson and Martin Ryan collection, 1860-1885 (majority within 1860-1870) - University of Michigan William L. Clements Library - University of Michigan Finding Aids (original) (raw)
Address:
909 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- William J. Robinson and Martin Ryan collection, 1860-1885 (majority within 1860-1870)
William J. Robinson and Martin Ryan collection, 1860-1885 (majority within 1860-1870)
Summary
Creator:
Abstract:
This collection is made up of letters and financial documents related to William J. Robinson, a tanner in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and Martin Ryan, a farmer in Niantic, Illinois. Ryan composed the majority of the letters, writing to Robinson about farm work and finances during the 1860s. Other items pertain to the business and financial interests of Ryan and Robinson.
Extent:
0.25 linear feet
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Clements Staff and Meg Hixon, February 2013
Background
Scope and Content:
This collection is made up of around 125 letters and financial records addressed to William J. Robinson, a tanner in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Martin Ryan, a farmer in Niantic, Illinois, composed approximately two-thirds of the letters, writing to Robinson about farm work and finances during the 1860s. Aside from a few land-related documents sent to Ryan, most of the remaining items pertain to Robinson's other business and financial interests.
Martin Ryan wrote frequently to William J. Robinson between December 1860 and the spring of 1869. He reported on the timber industry, real property, his crops (most frequently corn), cattle prices and purchases, and farm-related finances. In a few letters, he referred to the inherent risks of shipping cattle to Pennsylvania during the war (June 16 and July 7, 1863), and he also discussed monetary policy related to gold and silver standards (July 15, 1861), his desire for his wife to work fewer hours and for his sons to go to school (August 20, 1864), and his difficulties with a manager who often drank (several items, 1866-1867). In 1867 and 1868, Ryan often mentioned a lawsuit, and a few items of business correspondence addressed to him appear interspersed between his outgoing letters from the late 1860s. Ryan's letter of May 27, 1861, encloses an itemized list of costs associated with his farm.
The remaining items are primarily business letters and receipts to William J. Robinson, most of which are dated after 1869 (approximately 40 items). The firm Whitneys & Kingman (also known as Kingman & Whitney) of Chicago, Illinois, inquired about Robinson's willingness to purchase hides and sent numerous invoices and receipts. A few of Robinson's draft replies are present. Robinson received at least 2 letters from his son Edwin in the mid-1870s, and some items from the 1880s are addressed to his son James.
Biographical / Historical:
William J. Robinson, a tanner, lived in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, in the mid-19th century. He and his wife Margaret had eight children: Charles, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ann, Margaret, Edwin P., Harry, and James. Robinson did business with Martin Ryan (August 30, 1811-September 9, 1873), a native of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. In the 1860s, Ryan owned a farm in Niantic, Illinois, where he grew crops and traded livestock. He nd his wife Margaret had three children: Martin, George, and Ella.
Acquisition Information:
1983. M-2085 .
Processing information:
Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.
Arrangement:
The collection is primarily arranged chronologically, with undated items placed at the end. Some receipts are grouped together.
Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Contents
Using These Materials
RESTRICTIONS:
The collection is open for research.
USE & PERMISSIONS:
Copyright status is unknown
PREFERRED CITATION:
William J. Robinson and Martin Ryan Collection, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan