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Original June 10, 1851 handwritten Pennsylvania coal-industry business letter from Benjamin Milnes in Philadelphia to Richard Lee in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
An exceptional piece of mid-19th-century Pennsylvania industrial history with substantial period business content relating to the anthracite coal trade and the transportation problems involved in moving coal from the Pottsville region to Philadelphia.
The letter discusses, among other matters:
• A missing/awaited bill of lading connected with a shipment
• Coal becoming backed up at Richmond in Philadelphia
• Problems involving canal transportation
• The possibility of giving up a wharf
• Railroad transportation, specifically referenced as “R.R.”
• Moving approximately 80–90 cars per day to the wharf
• Banking/financial business involving Schuylkill Haven
• Instructions concerning an additional shipment of five cars of coal
The correspondence provides a fascinating firsthand glimpse into the everyday logistics of Pennsylvania's anthracite coal industry at a time when canals, railroads and Philadelphia coal wharves were all integral parts of the transportation network.
The letter is dated Philadelphia, June 10, 1851 and addressed to Mr. Richard Lee of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
The writer is believed to be Benjamin Milnes, who is documented in connection with Pennsylvania's 19th-century coal industry. Milnes was associated with coal operations in the Pottsville area and later documented in Philadelphia's Richmond coal trade.
Of additional interest, the period writing paper bears an embossed/blind “O & H” manufacturer's mark consistent with Owen & Hurlbut of South Lee, Massachusetts. Archival collections document Owen & Hurlbut “O & H” marked writing paper from this same mid-19th-century period.
The original folded letter also served as its mailing cover and retains excellent period details, including:
• Original blue postal cancellation
• Manuscript Pottsville address
• Surviving red wax seal
• Original docketing noting the sender/date
• Original folds and handwritten contents
Condition:
Very good antique condition considering its approximately 175-year age. Paper remains remarkably substantial and legible. Expected age toning, staining, fold lines, edge wear and other signs of handling/storage are present. The red wax seal survives with age-related wear/loss. Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.
This is an original period document, not a reproduction.
A particularly appealing piece for collectors of Pennsylvania history, Pottsville and Schuylkill County history, anthracite coal mining, early railroad and canal transportation, Philadelphia industrial history, postal history, or 19th-century American manuscripts.
