Description:

Very Nice Rutherford B. Hayes ALS Re: Railroad Trip to Hometown Delaware, Ohio

A 1p autograph letter signed by former 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893), as "Rutherford B. Hayes" at lower left. July 23, 1890. Written at Hayes's estate Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio. On watermarked cream laid paper. Expected wear including flattened folds, and a deckled left edge possibly indicating a previous bifold. Isolated ink smudging lightly affecting four words. A tiny hole near the top edge affecting the "G" of "Grove." Else near fine and very legible. 5.5" x 8.5."

Hayes wrote this charming letter describing the route he intended to take en route to his hometown of Delaware, Ohio, located 81 miles south of Fremont. Hayes's correspondent was Chauncey Hills (1816-1901), who is listed in an 1890-1892 Delaware city directory as serving as the vice president of the Delaware Gas Light & Coal Company. In addition, Hills was the husband of an older sister of his wife Lucy's best childhood friend, as will be further explained later.

Hayes wrote in full:

"Spiegel Grove
Fremont, O.
23 July. 90

My Dear Sir:

I have your kind not of the 21st, and with pleasure accept your proffered hospitality.

I shall spend tomorrow, Thursday, with my son Birchard in Toledo, and in the evening train on the Columbus Hocking Valley and Toledo will leave for Delaware expected to arrive there between nine and ten.

Sincerely
Rutherford B. Hayes

Mr. C. Hills
Delaware."

Hayes wrote that he would take the Columbus Hocking Valley & Toledo Railroad. This expanded rail line, the result of three railways consolidated in 1881, connected Toledo, on the border of Michigan and Lake Erie, with points southward all the way to Gallipolis near the West Virginia border. The rail line went through rich coal country in Hocking Valley.

Hayes writes about this visit to Delaware in late July 1890 in his diary, enabling us to substantiate the details of his visit. He recorded: "July 27. Sunday. - Thursday via Toledo, where I spent the day, to Delaware. Entertained at pleasant home of Chauncey Hills, whose wife was Margaret Williams, an older sister of Carrie Little, Lucy's nearest friend from her school-days in Delaware… A noble family…" [See the images of this included just for reference.] Hayes's wife Lucy Webb Hayes (1831-1889) had died at age 57 a little over a year earlier, on June 25, 1889, and Hayes positively revered any connection to her memory. See ed., Charles Richard Williams, Vol. IV, 1881-1893, "Diary & Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Nineteenth President of the United States" (Columbus: The Ohio State Archaeological & Historical Society, 1925), p. 590.

In the letter, Hayes mentions his eldest son Birchard Austin Hayes (1853-1926); Hayes's middle name and his eldest son's first name were inspired by a Hayes ancestor, Sardis Birchard. After graduating from Cornell University in 1874 and Harvard Law School in 1877, Birchard Hayes became one of the leading lawyers of Toledo, Ohio. He was a name partner in the firm Swayne, Swayne, & Hayes.

Rutherford B. Hayes served as president between 1877-1881.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 21, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000