The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Yates, Thomas, 1811-1876
Title: Papers
Dates: 1844-1887, bulk dates 1844-1854.
Call No.: Col. 535
Acc. No.: 84x135
Quantity: 19 items (1 folder)
Location: 3 B 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Thomas Yates was a carriage maker, blacksmith,
justice of the peace, and postmaster from Factoryville, Barton township, Tioga
County, New York, during the middle of the 19th century. For some time he was in business with Charles
H. Payson. He was born in 1811, married
Emily Margaret Knapp, and died in 1876.
Thomas and Emily had several children, including a
son Thomas P. Yates (1847-1933), who also became a carriage and wagon maker. In the 1892 state census, he was listed as a
mechanic, but as a civil engineer in the 1900 federal census. In 1876, he was a vestryman for Grace
Episcopal Church in Waverly, N.Y., and also served as postmaster of
Factoryville. He patented a new,
improved sash fastener in 1878, patent number 212,083.
One family tree lists Thomas, Arthur (1807-1880) and
Trevor Yates (1816-1877) as brothers, the sons of Hannah M. Palmer and William
Yates. (Another family tree lists Arthur
and Trevor as brothers, but omits Thomas.) Trevor Yates was listed as a blacksmith in the
1850 census. In the 1855 state and the
1860 federal censuses, Arthur was listed as a lumberman.
Charles H. Payson was born in Pennsylvania around
1818. He was listed as a carriage or
wagon maker in 1855 New York state census and 1860 federal census.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Collection contains items relating to both Thomas
Yates and his son Thomas P. Yates, both of Tioga County, New York. Papers of Thomas Yates pertain to his
blacksmith and carriage making business and date between 1844-1854. Manuscripts include articles of agreement,
apprenticeship agreements, labor contracts, and bills, as well as a letter from
Yates in reply to an order for a wagon.
Thomas P. Yates applied for several patents, but
apparently was rejected for at least one; however, he was granted permission to
make products following Solomon Goddard's patent for carriages and Parker's
patent for airtight cases. An
illustrated patent of Joseph Enders carriage springs is also included.
ORGANIZATION
The items are in accession number order.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Charles J. Semowich.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Carriages and carts.
Carriages and
carts - Patents.
Carriages and carts - Pictorial works.
Carriage and wagon making - New York (State) – Tioga
County.
Carriage industry.
Carriage manufacturers and dealers - New York (State) –
Tioga County.
Wagons.
Business records - New York (State) - 19th century.
Commercial correspondence.
Patents - 19th century.
Apprentices.
Wages – Apprentices.
Agreements.
Articles
of apprenticeship.
Blacksmiths.
Additional author:
Payson, Charles H., circa
1818-
Yates,
Thomas P., 1847-1933.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 3 B
5
All accession numbers begin with 84x135.
Folder 1 of 1:
Thomas Yates
material:
.1 Agreement between Arthur Yates and
Andrew G. Washbon on one part, with Jacob Busby [or Bushy] on other part: Yates
and Washbon agree to sell blacksmith shop and land to Busby, Factoryville,
Tioga County, New York, Feb. 23, 1844;
With addition: Busby assigns
his interest in shop and land to Thomas Yates and Trevor Yates, Sept. 12, 1845;
Additional notes on
back, chiefly about payments
.2 letter (copy), Thomas Yates, Factoryville,
July 11, 1851, to John Du Bois, Williamsport: can make him a wagon, but he needs
information about what kind, size of wheels, thickness of tires, [etc.]; please
send a sketch; would Du Bois like to order some lumber wagons as well? “Our
wagons wear out they do not ‘fall to pieces .…’”
.3 apprenticeship agreement, Oct. 1, 1851:
Devillow Knapp of Factoryville, age 18, apprenticed to Thomas Yates, at the
carriage making business, until Knapp turns 21 on June 20, 1854; Knapp is to be
paid a certain sum each year of his apprenticeship, and at the end of his term
is to receive a set of tools; signed by Knapp, Yates, and Isaac Knapp, father
of Devillow
[other records spell the
name as Devillo]
.4 agreement: George D. Wilkinson agreed
to work for Thomas Yates as a carriage maker for two years, with salary set
forth in this agreement, Oct. 5, 1851; signed by both men
.5 apprenticeship agreement, Nov. 6, 1851:
Ethan C. Ball of Factoryville, age 17 (but will be 18 on Dec. 11, 1851),
apprenticed to Thomas Yates, at the blacksmithing and carriage ironing
business, for three years; Ball is to be paid a certain sum each year of his
apprenticeship; signed by Ball, Yates, and Willmina Ball, mother of Ethan C.
Ball
.6 bill from Thomas Yates, June 30, 1852,
to unknown person, for new hub, spokes, new boxes and setting of same, new axle
[spelled exl], new bob[?] in old wheel, and something else
.7 agreement between Thomas Yates and
Jeremiah Fenner, Sept. 15, 1852: Fenner to make six cutters [with description
of them]; Yates to pay Fenner with tools, clothing, boots or shoes, board, and
$2 a week
.8 agreement between Charles H. Payson and
Thomas Yates, both of Factoryville, Tioga County, N.Y.: they agree to become
partners under the name of Charles H. Payson & Co., to make and repair
carriages and sleighs, and to do blacksmithing at Yates’ place of business;
spells out additional terms of the agreement, including the fact that if a
partner is absent, he shall pay twelve shillings to the firm for each day of
absence; this partnership to last only one year; dated Oct. 29, 1853
.9 agreement between Charles H. Payson and
Thomas Yates for Yates to rent part of his establishment to Payson for one
year, with privilege of five years; gives details of what parts are to be rented
(wagon shop, paint room, etc.), dated Oct. 4, 1854
.10 agreement between Thomas Yates and
William S. Tuthill, dated Nov. 1, 1854: Yates rents to Tuthill for one year,
with privilege of five years, his blacksmith shop and coal rooms, with details
about access to cellar of carriage shop; Tuthill is to pay his rent in
blacksmith work for Yates
.11 conveyance of rights: Zebulon Parker of
Licking County, Ohio, convey to Thomas and Trevor Yates of Barton, Tioga
County, N.Y., the right of making, using, and vending to people in Tioga County
one of Parker’s Patent Air-tight Cases or Drafts for purpose of propelling
saws[?] or other machinery; also mentions Parker’s Patent Percussion and
Reaction Water Wheels; dated Nov. 8, 1850;
Printed form; endorsed on back:
water wheel deed
.12 Solomon Goddard and Judah Pierce 2d sell
to Thomas Yates the right to make a certain patented device, dated Oct. 2,
1851; Henry Warfield and John L. Allen are also mentioned;
Printed form; endorsed on back:
Goddard & Pierce to Thos. Yates carriage top lever patent deed
.20 slip of paper with figures, and dates
from Feb. 23, 1844, to Oct. 20, 1848
Thomas P. Yates material:
.13 printed copy of patent no. 160,887, dated
March 16, 1875, issued to Joseph Enders of Louisville, Kentucky, for
improvement in carriage springs; with illustration;
[was enclosed with letter from Munn
& Co., .15 below]
.14 communication from United States Patent
Office, Feb. 28, 1882, to Thomas P. Yates, Factoryville, rejecting his
application for a patent for improvement in wall pockets;
.15 letter: Munn & Co., Office of the
Scientific American, New York, Jan. 7, 1884, to T. P. Yates: examiner very
unlikely to reopen his claim;
Mentions enclosing a copy of Ender’s
patent, which is .13 above
.16a-b letterpress copy of a letter from Thomas P.
Yates to U.S. Patent Office, March 10, 1886
.17 letter, Gilbert M. Plympton, New York, to
C.M. Crandall, Aug. 19, 1886: encloses correspondence relating to Yates’ kite
application; please return them
Printed letterhead:
solicitor of American and foreign patents; counsellor at law in patent cases
.18 letter, Gilbert M. Plympton, New York, to
C.M. Crandall, Sept. 25, 1886: Yates’ kite application has been rejected
Printed letterhead: solicitor of
American and foreign patents; counsellor at law in patent cases
.19 form letter, United States Patent Office,
to T. P. Yates, Feb. 28, 1887: application about improvement in kites has been
received