Collection of 255 letters, 776 manuscript pp., (164 retained mailing envelopes), dated 1 April 1879 to 19 April 1918; the bulk of correspondence dates from the 1880s and 1890s; mostly handwritten, some typed; includes correspondence of Barrett family members of Hartford, Connecticut, to their son, Charles C. Barrett, as well as incoming business letters to Barrett, who worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad as a traveling passenger agent, and later became a land developer and realtor at Edgar, Wisconsin; the archive also includes 1 diary of 1873-1874 kept by William J. Barrett; 12 small memorandum notebooks, dated 1884-1913; and over 340 pieces of related paper and manuscript ephemeral material.
There are several sections, or groups of
letters, within the collection. Including a section containing family letters
written by Mrs. Jane Barrett to her son Charles C. Barrett, as well as letters
to Charles from his sister Grace and, his brother, Cliff; there are letters
written to Barrett’s wife Clara B. Minshall. Then there is a section consisting
of business letters written to Charles C. Barrett from various individuals, and
business-related letters written to Charles from his brother Cliff. Overall,
the letters and the related ephemera document the life of Charles C. Barrett in
the West and Mid-West, who along with his brother speculated in city lots in
Kansas City, and later in Edgar, Wisconsin. Charles, and his brother Clifford, also
worked for railroads, and Charles was a traveling salesman, helping to sell
early gasoline internal combustion engines for farming, mining and other
industries.
Charles “Charley” Crosby
Barrett (1857-1922)
Charles
Crosby Barrett was prominently identified with the development of Edgar,
Wisconsin, having gone there in 1893, after successful business experience in
other sections of the country. He was born in Blooming, Grove Township, Dane
County, Wisconsin, three miles from Madison, on 25 December 1857. He was the
son of James W. Barrett (1817-1863) and his wife Jane Clinton May (1828-1901)
who married in 1844 and went west to Wisconsin from Wethersfield, Connecticut
in 1847. Besides Charles, James and his wife had three other children: Grace
Barrett (1848-1895); James Barrett Jr. (1850-); and Clifford Page Barrett
(1859-1948).
James
W. Barrett served with the 29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil
War and died of typhoid fever at Vermillionville, Louisiana, in November 1863.
After the death of her husband, James Warner Barrett, Mrs. Barrett moved her
family back to Connecticut. This archive includes letters written by siblings
Grace, Charles and Clifford P. Barrett, as well as their mother Mrs. Jane
Clinton May Barrett.
Charles
C. Barrett was educated in Wethersfield and Bridgeport, Connecticut. He then
became a commercial traveler for a wholesale boot and shoe house of Hartford,
Connecticut, and continued in that line for ten years when he moved to Kansas
City, Missouri and became connected with the Missouri
Pacific Railroad as ticket agent and traveling passenger agent, remaining eight
years, and for the three following years was manager of the Ada Mining Company
stationed at Joplin, Missouri. He then became interested in the mining
business, which occupied his attention until November of 1893, when he went to
Edgar, Marathon County, Wisconsin.
In Edgar Barrett first engaged in logging,
but soon embarked in the real estate business, his holdings covered a wide territory.
He served three years as Edgar’s postmaster and erected the first special post
office building erected in Marathon County. He then organized the Edgar Land
Company, which laid out forty acres in town lots, the north side of the
village, and in three and a half days had a half mile of street with sidewalks
graded. He also laid out forty acres about one-half mile distant from the old
town of Rib Falls, in connection with the Rib Falls Land Company. He helped
organize the Edgar, Cassel & Emmett Telephone Company, he became president
of the Edgar Local Telephone Company and operated the first telephone exchange
in Marathon County outside of Wausau.
Barrett
was a Republican and for eighteen years served as Justice of the Peace and was
the first police judge elected at Edgar after the incorporation of the village.
The collection includes a number of business letters written to Barrett from
the 1880s to the mid-1890s.
In
1903 Mr. Barrett was married to Mrs. Clara Bertha (Blumer) Minshall
(1869-1942), the divorced daughter of Swiss immigrant miller/farmer, Mathias
Blumer (1832–1898) and his wife Anna Weiker (1833–1907) who was born Luxemburg.
The couple settled in LaCrosse Co., Wisconsin. Clara had at least six siblings:
Elizabeth Blumer Simonton (1857-1914); Margaret Blumer (1859-1936); John Blumer
(1860-1952); Katherine Blumer Mayor (1862-1943); Bertha Blumer Markle
(1866-1930); and Christian Blumer who died as an infant in 1870. Mathias Blumer
had a flour mill on Mormon Creek in the southern part of LaCrosse County.
The
1900 Census states that Clara was divorced from her first husband. She had
previously been married to Dr. Albert P. Minshall (1862-1932). The couple
married in 1892 and had one child, Cyrus Bertrand Minshall (1894-1988). They
were divorced by 1900. Their son Cyrus was a veteran of WWI. There are several
letters in this collection written to Cyrus and a number of letters written to
Clara.
Charles
and Clara had three children: Clifford Charles Barrett (1909-1976); Jane
Clinton May Barrett (1909-1999); and Charles J. Barrett (1910-1961). The family
was Presbyterian in faith. Charles Crosby Barrett died at his home on January
14, 1922. He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau, Wisconsin. Clara
Barrett outlived her husband by twenty years, and died in 1942 she was buried
with Charles.
Collection Inventory:
48 letters, 242 pp., written by Mrs. Jane
May Barrett to her son Charles C. Barrett, dated 15 April 1884 to 27 June 1894.
Mrs. Barrett is located mainly in Hartford, Connecticut, with some letters
written from New Haven and Bridgeport, as well as Milwaukee and Vilas,
Wisconsin. Charles C. Barrett was living in Kansas City, Missouri in the
earlier letters, but later in Blendville (Joplin), Missouri, and Edgar,
Wisconsin.
31 letters, 92 pp., various correspondents
to Mrs. Clara B. (Blumer) Minshall, fiancé, and later wife of Charles C.
Barrett, dated 14 August 1894 to 6 December 1903; Minshall was located in various
locales, including Edgar, LaCrosse, Mosinee, Viroqua, Wausau, all in Wisconsin;
and Carbondale, Illinois; letters are written to Clara mainly by female
friends; a couple by Charles C. Barrett. Her friends are writing from locales
in Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, and in particular
Viroqua, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
6 letters, 28 pp., written by “Addie” to
Charles C. Barrett, dated 14 December 1879 to 12 August 1894; Barrett was in
Kansas City, Missouri; Edgar, Wisconsin, and 1 letter found him in Chicago,
Illinois. “Addie,” was either a sister, or more likely, a sister-in-law, wrote to
Barrett from Chicago; Mexico City, Mexico (3 letters); and Kansas City,
Missouri.
26 letters, 57 pp., written by Cliff P.
Barrett to his brother Charles C. Barrett (22 letters) in various places
including Kansas City, Missouri; Hartford, Connecticut; Chicago; and Edgar,
Wisconsin; his wife (2 letters) in Kansas City, and his mother Mrs. Jane
Clinton May Barrett (1 letter) presumably at her home in Hartford; dated 13 March 1880 to 29
April 1895; Cliff P. Barrett was located mainly in Kansas City, Missouri (10)
and Mexico (11), but he also wrote from Chicago and New York. When he was in
Mexico, Cliff P. Barret worked for the Mexican Central Railway.
4 letters, 16 pp., written by Grace Barrett,
to her brother Charles C. Barrett, dated 18 May 1891 to 24 July 1894. Grace wrote
from home in Hartford, Connecticut; her brother was then in Blendville
(Joplin), Missouri; Edgar, Wisconsin; and Kansas City, Missouri.
9 letters, 57 pp., written by “Hattie” to
her friend Charles C. Barrett, 3 August 1884 to 10 May 1891; Hattie wrote to
Barrett while he was in Kansas City, Missouri; she was from Hartford,
Connecticut.
25 letters, 35 pp. (mostly typed), from the
Weber Gas Engine Co. to Charles C. Barrett, dated 4 January 1892 to 1 May 1893;
Weber was located in Kansas City, Missouri, Barrett in Joplin, Missouri; Weber
was one of the earliest manufacturers of gasoline internal combustion engines
in the U.S. Weber started operations in the mid-1880s building stationary
engines for farm and industrial use, with a decided focus on the latter.
84 letters, 195 pp., dated 1 April 1879 to
20 February 1895, (several undated), both handwritten and typed, these are mostly
incoming business letters to Charles. C. Barrett. Barrett was in Kansas City;
Joplin, and Blendville (Joplin), Missouri; and Edgar, Wisconsin. His
correspondents wrote from various places in Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin; many individuals wrote
from Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri, as well as Hartford and Bridgeport,
Connecticut.
3 letters, 6 pp., dated 1 March 1915 to 19
April 1918; written by various individuals to Cyrus Minshall, son of Clara Blumer
Minshall Barrett. Cyrus was living in Mosinee, Wisconsin; his correspondents wrote
from Chicago, Illinois and La Crosse, Wisconsin.
4 incoming letters, 14 pp., to Mrs. Jane C.
Barrett, Charles C. Barrett’s mother, dated 25 September 1893 to 27 June 1899;
one letter was written by her daughter Grace Barrett. Jane was presumably at
home in Hartford, Connecticut.
16 miscellaneous letters, 36 pp., dated 11
January 1880 to 15 February 1916; written by various correspondents these
letters appear to be loosely related to the Barrett family, perhaps some
through marriage (Hunt family), others through business (Ada Mining Co.), two
letters are by Charles C. Barrett, one is a copy.
Journal/Notebooks
1 Diary/Journal of William J. Barrett, 60
pp., entries dated 9 December 1873 to 3 January 1874; bound in limp leather
binding, measures 3 ½” x 6”, the short entries are written in pencil; also
includes some memoranda.
12 small notebooks, bank books, etc., consisting
of a total of 149 manuscript pp., plus blanks, a mix of accounts, memoranda,
notes, etc., a couple issued by the railroads, and used to keep notes, or keep
track of things; a couple are bank books, a checking account book; a weekly
time book for employees; etc., dated 1884-1913.
Ephemera
3 telegrams; 4 newspaper clippings; 10
manuscript notes; 15 postcards; 19 printed and manuscript documents, includes
special tax bills, power of attorney, deed of trust, etc.; 28 printed pieces of
ephemera including circulars, small broadsides, brochures, advertisements, pamphlets;
31 used envelopes; 45 receipts, both on printed letterhead, and manuscript
receipts; 85 used checks; and 107 greeting cards, invitations, business cards,
calling cards, etc., pertaining to Barrett and his career.
Sample Quotations:
“Wabash,
St. Louis & Pacific R’Y Co.
Kansas
City Station, Feb’ry [2], 1883
Dear
Chas.
I
enclose you deed of lot here. Gillis St is to be graded in the spring the bill
has passed the council the party who owns all the new houses by the school
house is having it graded and is going to build houses on Gillis St and a brick
block corner Gillis & 5th. The grading will probably cost $2 per
front foot. We will then have a street, shall dam the lower part of the hold
and catch what comes off from the street. That part of the town is coming up…
One
more Hartford fellow arrived last week, a fellow named Geo Norton, who has been
traveling for W.C. Hunt & Co. He is looing round here and says he is going
to stay. All well here, give my love to Ma, have not heard from her since she
left K City, except our Christmas presents. When are you going to settle the
old account? Yrs, CPB”
“Wabash,
St. Louis and Pacific Railway
Kansas
City, Mo. Aug 20th, 188[5]
Dear
Chas.,
Arrived
here Wednesday morning in good shape. Everything was satisfactory they did not
expect me for a week more but I am satisfied to get back to work.
Went
out to the lot there are 4 wood houses and two brick buildings going up
opposite the school house and the big bluff towards Bob Johnston is being
graded level with the street so we do not look as far down as we did. Everybody
is expecting a big trade this fall they are counting on 35,000,000 bushels of
wheat and 200,000,000 bushels of corn in Kansas and everything is favorable to
their getting it.
The Goodyear Rubber Co have a fine store here they are also agents for New York
Belting Co. Will find out more about them and let you know. Have been so busy
since I got back that have not had any time to see about buildings. I
understand that there is no rubber store in St. Joseph, Mo. about 40,000
inhabitants but still it is not as good a point as Kansas City and none west of
here nearer than Denver…
Chas.
you better make that settlement before it gets mixed worse. Will pay the note
and make a new deed this week. Have a squatter on the lot. She pays $1.00 per
month have $2 so far this will pay the taxes. Shall try and get some more
cabins on it.
Yours,
Cliff”
“Hotel
San Carlos
Mexico
26
de March de 1889
Dear
Mother,
After
a long and unprofitable wait for Gen’l Harrison to remember and reward the
terrible efforts made by brother Chas. to help him take his seat comfortably in
Washington by appointing one or both of us, and you also as minister and family
to Mexico (salary $12,000 per year), like all office seekers, have become sick
of politics and politicians and more especially of living on climate and high
altitude and have decided to put on the garb of a working man (this is only a
figure of speech for I am the possessor of only one suit) and sign my name in
full on the pay roll of the Mexican Central Ry above the name of R.C. Russell
General Material Agent who according to the printed note at the bottom of the
roll will certify in due time that I have diligently performed the duties of my
office.
This
great change came over me at 8 A.M. yesterday morning. Saturday, I heard there
was a vacancy. Saw Mr. R, he said come to work Monday. Your son said if I don’t
suit or fill the bill, I am ready to take a walk at any time. If I suit, I want
something better. Mr. R. said you shall have something better. This was the
conversation in full, short and sweet and as the pay car only starts out once a
month shall remain that long anyway, but our health is good here. We of course
enjoy the change, will see some more of the world, make a living, learn Spanish
and of course have better opportunities where there are not so many men to pick
from as in the States.
Should
we do well here you must come down and make us a visit as it will I know please
you more than anything or anywhere you have seen or been. All winter and summer
if you feel cool, cross the street and warm, up in the sun, if you feel warm
put up a parasol or get int eh shade there are many degrees difference. Summer
and winter are very little different here, except that summer has a drawback
(Not het) it rains for several months in the afternoons but no extreme heat no
perspiration, sun stroke, mad dogs, or your old complaint of too much ice
water…
Saturday
Col. Fisher formerly with the Missouri Pacific road as live stock agent and now
general agent of the International and Great Northern at Laredo, Texas, was in
the city. We went out to Chapultepec, he had been there before with General
Scott in 1847, or 1848. With love to all, Yours Cliff”
“Weber
Gasoline Engine Co.
Kansas
City
December
10th, 1892
C.C.
Barrett, Esq., Joplin, Mo.
Dear
Sir:-
Enclosed we hand you B/L of one of our No 6 Engines shipped you today. We send
foundation bolts, driving pulley oils, etc. This engine was run six days
pulling a full load before shipping and is all OK in every respect. You will
please pay freight and draw on us for amount. When you get engine placed, we
will send man. Would send one at once but are very busy and would like to have
you place engine on foundation, when we will send man to pipe up and start.
Would be pleased to have you send transportation you spoke of when I saw you
last. Send for two if you can, and will send a man down to set up and when he
is finished will come down myself.
This
engine is a hummer, it is one of our new style cylinders and its efficiency is
fully 20% greater than the old style, besides it is a better looker.
With best wishes, we are yours truly, Weber Gasoline Engine Co.,
Robert Weber”
“Weber
Gas and Gasoline Engine Co.
Kansas
City, Mo.
Feb
1st, 1893
Mr.
C.C. Barrett, Joplin, Mo.
Dear
Sir:
Enclosed
we hand you letter from W.S. Harmany. Kindly keep track of the matter. How are
you making it with the Frye Engine? Please keep us posted on this engine.
We
will send the cuts you asked us for as soon as they are out which we hope will
be in a few days.
Yours
very truly,
Weber Gas & Gasoline Engine Co.,
R.G.
Weber”
“Harmony
Foundry, Manufacturers of Blake’s Improved Crusher, …
Mining
and Lead Furnace Castings
Joplin,
Mo. Jan 31st 1893
Mess.
Weber Gas & Gasoline Engine Co., Kansas City, Mo.
Gentlemen:
I
am contemplating changing my power in my foundry & machine shop. I am using
20 H boiler & 15 H Engine. I believe 10 Horse would run it and I am
friendly towards gasoline engines, and want information for my own use & to
sell by in case I put your engine in my works. I have not had an opportunity to
see your engine that you have here.
My Respects, W.S. Harmany”
“Weber
Gas and Gasoline Engine Co.
Kansas
City, Mo.
Feb
28th, 1893
Mr.
C.C. Barrett,
Joplin,
Mo.
Dear
Sir:-
Enclosed
we hand you letter received from Messrs. Rauch & Kennedy. It may be
possible that you and these parties can work together to a pretty good
advantage in making sales in his town. We refer the matter to you for your
consideration.
Isn’t
it time we were getting a settlement for the Frye & Weldon engine? If you
think it desirable, I will run down and see you and we will settle this matter
up. If you have any transportation it will be acceptable, as I understand you
carry it around loose in your pockets. Just ‘loose’ a little bit of it up this
way.
Yours
very truly,
Weber Gas & Gasoline Engine Co.
R.G.
Weber, Secy”
“Rauch
& Kennedy
Boiler
Makers and Dealers in Miners’ Supplies
Galena,
Kansas Feb [24] 1893
Weber
Gasoline Engine Co., KC, Mo.
Gents.
What show will you give us to handle your engines here in Galena which is one
of the best fields in the South West. There is now more H.P. in use in &
near Galena than any other camps in the South West.
We
have a nice sales room business & make a specialty of all kinds of
machinery used in the mines.
We
also have the advantage over all in location &c. Can furnish good
references as to standing & ability.
Respectfully yours, Rauch & Kennedy”
“Weber
Gas and Gasoline Engine Co.
Kansas
City, Mo.
March
25th, 1893
C.C.
Barrett, Joplin, Mo.
Dear
Sir:-
Your
favor of the 22nd is received enclosing testimonial letter, for
which please accept thanks. The letter is a good one and will do lots of good.
We
have been giving the matter of leasing a number of Weber Gasoline Engines in
the mining districts quite a little consideration and have come to the
conclusion that this is the proper thing to do, and it is so proposed to
organize a company to furnish the funds necessary to build, say 50 or 75
engines. The company so organized to put in ½ of price of the engines, we
taking the other ½ for payment of engines in stock in the new company, which
would beyond a doubt show our faith in the enterprise.
We
enclose you herewith a statement showing the results obtained from leasing 50
engines, which shows that such a company would declare a 25% dividend and still
have a surplus of $1560. We intend to push this thing through at once, and
already have some money subscribed. We suggest that you lay the matter before
some of the monied men of Joplin, and see whether or not they will want some
stock. The stock will be sold at par value and will be paid 20% when issued or
say 20% every 60 days thereafter, or as fast as the money may be needed to
build the engines. It may be that there are some men in Joplin who might want
some stock, and we think it quite proper that they should be given a chance at
it.
You
will remember that while I was in town, there were several parties who talked
very favorable of the scheme, but then it does not pay to put too much faith in
these people, as there are a great many men, you are no doubt aware, who talk a
great deal and very favorable, but when it comes to putting up the stuff, they
are not there.
We
can place all of this stock in K.C., but as above stated, we think it proper
that a small interest should be held in Joplin, as Joplin will be the
headquarters of the new Company.
Kindly let us hear from you by return mail, whether or not there are any errors
in the statement that suggest themselves to you.
Awaiting
your early reply in the matter, we beg to remain, yours truly,
Weber
Gas & Gasoline Engine Co., R.G. Weber”
A
Statement: Showing the results obtained from leasing a number of Weber Gasoline
Engines in the Zinc and Lead Mining Districts of Southwest Missouri and
Southeast Kansas.
50
Weber Gasoline Engines costing $1000 each - $50000.00
Freight
on 10 cars at $30 per car - $300.00
Salary
of Engineer - $900.00
Salary
of Clerk - $900.00
Rent
of Office and Telephone - $340.00
Incidental
Expenses - $500.00
Total
Outlay $52940.00
Income
First Year:
Revenue
from setting 50 engines at $10 each - $500.00
Profit
on 150000 gallons of gasoline at 1 cent per gallon- - $1500.00
Lease
money from 50 engines at $30 a month - $15000.00
Total
Yearly Income - $17000.00
Less
Expense - $ 2940.00
Less
25% annual dividend declared on $50000 $12500.00
Surplus
- $ 1560.00”
“Kansas
City, Mo. 5/10/93
Mr.
C.C. Barrett
Joplin,
Mo.
Friend
Charles,
I
want to see you soon as possible. I cannot keep your Gasoline Eng. any longer
as it has been a loss to me now of about seven hundred to a thousand dollars
and I will not put up with it any longer and want you to advise disposition of
same.
The house you represent don’t seem to care whether this Eng. is a success or
not. Hoping to see you soon,
Yours
truly, M. P. Welton”
“The
Missouri Pacific Railway Company
Kansas
City, Mo. Aug 1st 1894
C.C.
Barrett,
Charly,
I see you live up next to my old friend and the next governor of Wisconsin,
Major Upham, of Marshfield Wood County, Wisconsin. We were town boys and on the
board at Annapolis Med when Arthur was President. Introduce yourself to him,
the first time you see the Major. Geo. Stevens is here, just come up from City
of Mexico. Says Cliff and wife never looked better.
Poor
P.H. Jackley is very popular now. Shot and killed a barkeeper named Wolf at the
Cape of Good Hope Saloon, 15th & Grand Ave, last Sunday night
about midnight, had a ‘gog on’! The jail is crowded with his friends daily. We
are going to try and pull him through so he will not hang!
Send
him down to Jefferson City 10 or 15 years. Hearing tomorrow. Have Warner and
Gibson to defend him. Poor ticket business. Very light. We had a great trip to
Mexico in April. There was 18 of the agents with their wives from here. Had the
Special Pullman Crystal.
As
to the loan due July 31 of $300 – and interest. I want you to sell a cord of
lumber or two, and send me $330 with out fail, and I will release and send you
the papers.
Must
have this as I am like the balance! Special taxes has broke me! Have carried
this loan as long as I can and you must take it up or reloan the money of some
one else. Let me hear from you. Jack Hannon of Hannon & Dixon had a gog on
last Friday and fell down an [arch]way in the New York Life and killed himself,
buried last Monday. My sons scattered, Scovell at Sitka, Alaska; Charley at
Lincoln, Nebraska; and Harry at Las Vegas, New Mexico….
Yours truly, E.S. Jewett”