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HUGE 1850s-1880s RAILROAD LETTERS COLLECTION Baldwin Ames Old Colony Fall River
This is a huge lot of historical railroad letters. Most are in good condition with 3 or 4 with tears. There are 115 in total
The railroads mentioned include:
Fall River and Warren Railroad – Featured in 1873 corporate negotiations, legal restructuring, and governance disputes.
Old Colony and Newport Railway – Involved in regional transit, corporate land transfers, and coastal New England connections.
Plymouth and Sandwich Railroad – Documented through 1871 construction offers, contractor proposals, and grading projects.
Cape Cod Rail Road – Associated with regional expansion, public works, and seasonal transport logistics.
Boston and Worcester Railroad – Intersecting inter-line freight, billing agreements, and joint regional traffic.
Taunton Branch Railroad – Connected via regional branch-line logistics, freight accounting, and operational coordination
Here are some highlights:
1851 – 1859: Boston & Providence Railroad Operations & Station Logistics
* May 14, 1857: Attleboro station lot measurements and track extension requests submitted by station agent N. C. Suther.
* October 13, 1857: Mansfield station financial correspondence involving regional currency acceptance (managing Rhode Island bank notes versus Massachusetts currency) and freight collections managed by J. S. Tolman.
* November 5, 1857: Freight damage and safety incident reporting regarding broken carboys of sulfuric acid (oil of vitriol) consigned to Draper Tifft & Co. in Attleboro.
* 1857 – 1858 (General Series):
* Routine administrative communications directed to Superintendent Daniel Nason.
* Timber procurement and cedar tie supply contracts (including suppliers like George Whiddle) for track maintenance.
* Inter-line freight rate negotiations and billing dispute resolutions.
* Station-level asset requests, equipment tracking, and staff labor wage inquiries.
* Missing passenger luggage investigations (such as tracing a lost black leather trunk from Roxbury to Providence involving station agent C. N. Bacon and baggage master Mr. Baker).
* Right-of-way infrastructure requests, such as fence post provisioning requested by Stoughton agent Jesse Holmes and track siding extensions requested by Briggs & Fisher.
1867: Corporate Land & Regional Rail Management
* April 23, 1867: Corporate land transfers, financial restructuring, and regional railroad management linking Fall River and Providence, documented on Rhode Island Governor James Y. Smith's business letterhead.
1871: Infrastructure Construction & Public Transit Logistics
* 1871:
* Formal construction offers and contractor proposals for the Plymouth and Sandwich Railroad.
* Spark-induced fire damage claims and liability assessments stemming from locomotive operations.
* Special seasonal passenger transit coordination, including logistics for regional camp meeting operations.
1873 – 1874: Major Corporate Governance & Engineering Projects
* 1873: Corporate negotiations, legal restructuring, and governance disputes regarding the Fall River and Warren Railroad.
* June 5, 1874:
* Bridge engineering consultations involving civil engineer William J. McAlpine regarding Brunswick piles and Howe truss structural designs.
* Urban infrastructure development and grading execution for Melville Avenue, communicated between E. N. Winslow and railroad financier/president Oakes Ames
Here are some notable names mentioned:
James Y. Smith – 29th Governor of Rhode Island, author of an April 23, 1867 letter on his business letterhead concerning corporate land transfers, financial restructuring, and regional railroad management linking Fall River and Providence.
Oakes Ames – Industrialist, U.S. Congressman, and railroad financier addressed as President in 1874 infrastructure correspondence.
E. N. Winslow – Correspondent who wrote to Oakes Ames regarding bridge construction engineering and Melville Avenue grading.
William J. McAlpine – Renowned 19th-century civil engineer consulted on structural designs such as Brunswick piles and Howe trusses.
Daniel Nason – Superintendent of the Boston & Providence Railroad and primary central recipient for station management, freight, supply, and operational letters.
Hon. Luke Lyman – Political and civic figure referenced in connection with regional grading and public works.
N. C. Suther (or Luther) – Station agent in Attleboro reporting on freight movement, hazardous materials (oil of vitriol), and track measurements.
J. S. Tolman – Station agent in Mansfield managing local currency differences (Rhode Island vs. Massachusetts bank notes) and freight accounts.
George Whiddle – Timber supplier providing raw materials for railway tie procurement.
Jesse Holmes – Agent at Stoughton requesting right-of-way fence posts.
Mr. Brickley – Passenger involved in a missing black leather trunk investigation between Roxbury and Providence.
Mr. Baker – Train baggage master.
C. N. Bacon – Station transportation staff and agent in Providence handling missing baggage claims and oil supplies.
T. McGeorge – Individual associated with freight billing for the U.S. Straw Works / Mansfield station.
Charles Ellis – Issued an order for a payout of a bill left with Mr. Robins.
Mr. Robins – Individual who left a bill with Superintendent Nason.
Draper Tifft & Co. – Commercial consignees receiving industrial shipments of oil of vitriol (sulfuric acid).
Briggs & Fisher – Local business partners requesting industrial track sidings for cargo unloading.
W. H. Hillseor – Contractor/supplier associated with infrastructure development.
Orville Lawrence – Contractor or property owner involved in line operations or construction.
J. A. Brooks – Operational associate or correspondent noted in administrative records.
J. B. Tobey – Representative of the Tremont Nail Co. involved in industrial freight and manufacturing supply logistics.
Matthias William Baldwin (1795–1866)—founder of the iconic Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia and one of the most important pioneers in 19th-century American steam rail transit.
