The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: J.R. Holmes

Title: Papers

Dates: 1852-1886

Call No.: Col. 508

Acc. No.: 77x480.1-.56

Quantity: 56 items

Location: 34 K 4

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

J.R. Holmes was a carriage maker who worked in Cortlandville and MacGrawville, Cortland County, New York, during the second half of the 19th century.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection of papers relates to the carriage making business of J.R. Holmes between 1852-1886. Items in the collection include bills, letters, advertisements, a transfer of patent, and a contract for carriage construction. Holmes assembled carriages to the specifications of his clients, having bought parts from various manufacturers. Included in the collection are statements for Sprouts' Patent Springs, Huson's Patent Platform Gearing for Wagons, and an advertisement for carriage tops made by Goddard & Warfield. Letters discuss parts that were returned or were lost. Many of the bills are for parts purchased from Crocker, Ogden, & Co. or from H.W. Pell & Co. The H.W. Pell & Co. bills have vignettes illustrating items for sale; specific products included axles, springs, bolts, seats, varnish, spokes, whip sockets, shaft sockets, saddle clips, seat backs, hubs, clamps, and carriage tops.

ORGANIZATION

In accession number order.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Craig W. Ross.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Business records - New York (State).

Carriage and wagon making - New York (State)

Carriage industry.

Carriage manufacturers and dealers - New York (State).

Carriages and carts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 K 4

.1 Warranty statement. L. B. Sprout to B. Homes [Holmes], "two setts of Sprouts Patent springs for the term of one year." Montrose, [New York,] June 16, 1852.

.2 Transfer of patent. Edgar Huson, owner of patent for Huson's Patent Platform Gearing for Wagons, dated February 17, 1857, to Lewis Seymour, James G. Sterns, and Thomas Harrop, June 24, 1857. Homer, New York, 1857. In turn, they assigned the patent to J.R. Holmes for use in Cortlandville, N.Y., Feb. 7, 1859, and recorded at U.S. Patent Office, November 25, 1868.

.3 Transfer of patent. Henrietta, New York, 1859. Harmon Hibbard, inventor, to Jared A. Hibbard, 1851, and also to George S. Hanes and Perry G. Handy, which two in turn sold their rights to Lewis Seymour, 1859. J.R. Holmes bought Seymour’s rights for Cortland County, August 10, 1859.

.4 Receipt of assignment of patent rights, L. P. Fitzgerald of J. R. Holmes, November(?) 23, 1868.

.5 Agreement. McGrawville, New York, November 5, 1873. J. R. Holmes to H. D. Stone for construction of the skeleton of a carriage. Gives details of construction.

.6-.51 Printed billheads. J. R. Holmes to H. W. Pell & Co., Rome, New York, 1874, 1875, 1878. Goods for carriages and wagons, including axles, springs, bolts, grease, varnish, spokes, saddle clips, whip sockets, etc.

.52 Printed billhead. Crocker, Ogden & Co., Dealers in Hardware, Carriage Goods, Belting, &c., to J. R. Holmes, Binghamton, N.Y., June 25, 1874. For hubs, axles, etc.

.53 Receipt. Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railway Company to J. R. Holmes, March 19, 1878. For handling and transportation of springs and axles.

.54 Receipt. D. E. Kinny, executor of J. Kinny, of J. R. Holmes, McGrawville, [New York,] August 21, 1880. Kinny received two wagons, one top buggy, and one platform wagon from Holmes to apply on a note given by Arthur Holmes to Joseph Kinny.

.55 Printed billhead. Nelson & Call, Carriage Goods and Blacksmith's Supplies, Cortland, N.Y., to J. R. Holmes, April 28, 1886. Payment on account.

.56 Printed advertisement. Goddard & Warfield's and Dr. J. L. Allen's Important Improvement on the Original Elevators, … for operating carriage tops. Homer, Cortland Co., N.Y. Includes a price list of Goddard & Warfield's carriage tops and illustrations of carriage parts.

List of names appearing in the above bills:

Allen, J. L. (Dr.)

Bedell, Harvey S.

Call (of Nelson & Call)

Crocker, Ogden & Co.

Fitzgerald, L. P.

Goddard & Warfield

Handy, Perry G.

Hanes, George S.

Harrop, Thomas

Hibbard, Harmon

Hibbard, Jared A.

Holmes, B.

Holmes, J. R.

Huson, Edgar

Huson's Patent Platform Gearing for Wagons

Kinny, D. E.

Kinny, J.

Nelson & Call

Pell, H. W. & Co.

Pell, Henry W.

Seymour, Lewis

Sprout, L. B.

Sterns, James G.

Stone, H. D.

Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad Company

U. S. Patent Office

Warfield (of Goddard & Warfield)