Thomas W. Thompson journal | Collections | The Huntington

Thomas W. Thompson journal | Collections | The Huntington

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Harvey W. Brown journal
Manuscripts
Diary kept by Harvey W. Brown while he traveled from Boston to San Francisco, and back again, in 1868. Brown left Boston on March 9, 1868, traveled to New York, and departed on board the Henry Chauncey on March 11. During the voyage Brown described his seasickness and the death and sea burial of a man from steerage, as well as making regular notes on weather conditions and distances traveled. On March 19 Brown arrived in Aspinwall (now Colón, Panama), traveled across the Isthmus by rail, and boarded the steamer Sacramento. On March 25 he described seeing "a volcano...on the mountain...it look[ed] like a grate of live coals." Writing on his 22nd birthday, April 1, 1868, Brown grew introspective, noting, "Little did I think last year at this time I should be here or that Aunty would be sleeping in the silent grave...How the things will change in a year." But his merriment returned when he got a piece of paper pinned to his jacket as an April Fool's joke. After a stop in Acapulco, the Sacramento arrived in San Francisco on April 2. Brown worked sporadically while in California as a painter (he worked briefly on the Mercantile Library) and applied for a job in cabinet making, but on April 17 he instead "hired a store" with his friend Ned at the cost of $25 a month. They attempted to sell corn, and while Ned did reasonably well Brown failed to sell anything. On May 6 Brown and Ned moved to new rooms when Brown got an unspecified job, but he "could not stand it...It made my arm so lame I could not work" (although he was well enough to go to the theatre that night). Brown seems to have been much more interested in amusement than work, and found the time to frequent the theatre, pay $20 in gold to join the Olympic Club, take multiple day trips, play nine pins and shooting, attend an Independent Order of Odd Fellows picnic, and carouse with his friends at places like the Bella Union, where he describes one of them as being "pretty drunk." By May 21 Brown had grown tired of San Francisco and bought tickets home for himself and a friend named Frank. They departed on the Sacramento on May 22, and had an uneventful voyage back across Panama and home, although Brown did not like their ship, the Rising Star. By June 16 they were back in Boston. Brown apparently worked as a carpenter, although the last entry in the diary, made August 31, 1868, notes that he "bought out A.Polson fish market [ in Fields Corners, Dorchester]." The front pages of the diary contain various sketches, including one of a ship. The back of the diary contains some accounting notes.
mssHM 78060
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Alpheus B. Thompson letters to Timothy Wolcott
Manuscripts
These three letters were written by Alpheus Thompson to Timothy Wolcott during 1856 and 1857. In HM 18997, written 1856, September 6, from Santa Barbara, Thompson thanks Wolcott for looking after his son, Francis. In HM 18998 (dated 1857, June 2), Thompson writes of the advantageous opportunities in San Francisco in the real estate market, and asks Wolcott to look after Francis "for a few months longer." He also includes business details regarding property and other assets. The final letter in this series was written in San José, California, on June 17, 1857 (HM 18999), and Thompson asks if Wolcott would take Francis under his charge, and to "provide him with suitable Clothing and Board."
mssHM 18997-18999
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Letter and poem by Dunstan Thompson
Manuscripts
The poem, by Dunstan Thompson, is entitled "The cities by the sea," (HM 74386); and the letter is from Thompson to Maurice Goodner, Nov. 16, 1947 (HM 74387).
mssHM 74386-74387
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Conversations with Dunstan
Manuscripts
A compilation of conversations between Dunstan Thompson and his partner, Philip Trower. These are extracts from Trower's diary between 1969 and 1973; the conversations took place at The Lodge, Cley (in Norfolk), and on their daily drives. Also enclosed: autograph note by Trower and an earlier version of "Conversations."
mssHM 81174
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Silvanus P. Thompson letters to Henry Currie Marillier
Manuscripts
Three letters written by Silvanus P. Thompson (1851-1916) to "Marillier," presumably Henry Currie Maillier. The letters discuss Thompson's work as a collaborator, with members of the Gilbert Club, on the translation of William Gilbert's book, De Magnete (1600), and Thompson's authorship of accompanying Notes. In one letter, Thompson describes the ideal behind the translation as being: "As Gilbert would have done it had he written it in English." Includes also a one-page description of a lecture Thompson gave on this topic.
mssHM 82727-82730
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Thompson, Fred W. Letter to Thomas Lord Kimball
Manuscripts
The collection consists of the personal and business papers of Thomas Lord Kimball, primarily focused on his activities with the Union Pacific Railroad. The personal correspondence includes over 330 letters sent by Kimball to his wife Mary Porter Rogers Kimball between 1859 and 1893, a letter from Kimball to his daughter Frances (1870), and a letter to Mary Kimball from her brother I.S. Hodsdon (correspondence between Hodsdon and Thomas Kimball is included in the business correspondence). The personal papers also include diaries kept by Kimball between 1860 and 1899, diaries kept by Mary Kimball between 1890 and 1898, and a biographical sketch of Kimball. The railroad papers include business correspondence from a variety of correspondents including Frederick L. Ames, Sidney Dillon, I.S. Hodsdon, W.H. Holmes, Jay Gould, and E.P. Vining, as well as a few pieces of outgoing correspondence by Kimball. The financial and operation papers include Kimball's Union Pacific pocket notebooks dated 1891-1899, a small group of Jay Gould manuscripts (1877-1880), correspondence on the W.C. Thompson scandal (1872-1873), a letter appointing Kimball as travelling agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. (1860), correspondence on the sale of a Unitarian Church in Omaha (1877-1880), production summaries for the Union Depot in Omaha (1879-1896), and miscellaneous railroad agreements, circulars, passes, receipts, promissory notes, financial statements, and stocks and bonds. The political papers consist of incoming correspondence, an agreement for Charles H. Brown to back the Union Pacific in pending legislation before Congress (1877), an agreement between Kimball and the National Union Publishing Co. (1877), a congressional voting record (1878), and a payroll. The mining papers include items related to the Newcastle Mining & Improvement Co. in Wyoming (1891-1894) and the Ella Mine in Idaho (1879-1880), as well as an analysis of coal on the Union Pacific Railroad line and a report on the coal business in Wyoming (1888). Also included is a box of newspaper clippings regarding Kimball's railroad activities from 1888-1889 (approx. 470 items).
mssKimball