Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
LH-252
The late Thaddeus Hurd of Clyde, Ohio preserved the business records, prints, and glass plate negatives that make up the Hughes Granite and Marble Co. Collection. Upon his death, the collection was donated to the Hayes Presidential Center.
Hughes Granite and Marble Co. located on East Buckeye Street in Clyde, Ohio, built monuments, markers, and mausoleums. The company is believed to have been founded by Carmi G. Sanford of Clyde. He was joined by his brother-in-law, William E. Hughes, in 1884. After Sanford's death in 1893, Hughes incorporated the company and managed it successfully until his death in 1921. The business became one of the best known granite companies in the U.S. Stone for markers was purchased directly from Scotland, New York, and New England quarries. Through salesmen, the monuments were sold all over the Midwest. Hughes conceived and perfected the proper use of ventilation in mausoleums and crypts. He organized the American Mausoleum Co. and the American Mausoleum Construction Co. The two companies constructed over one hundred mausoleums nation wide. The company employed as many as fifty-five master stone cutters, sculptors, and engineers. Ohio Civil War memorials were contracted to Hughes for Andersonville and the battlefield sites of Vicksburg, Antietam, and Shiloh. These were designed by the Scottish-born sculptor James B. King, who later became a partner. The company was also responsible for World War I memorials in many states. In 1919, Hughes purchased quarry interests in Montpelier, Vermont. From that time until his death in 1921, Mr. Hughes lived nearly full time in Montpelier, overseeing the actual quarrying.
The collection consists mainly of business correspondence contained in nine letter press books, dating from 1892 to 1898 and several hundred albumen prints and glass negatives. Nearly all of the prints and negatives are of individual monuments and were probably created for use in advertising the firm's large monument inventory.
Ac. 5081
Box 1
Business Correspondence (Letter Press Copy Books)
Folder 1: 22 August 1892 - 26 June 1893
Folder 2: 2 January 1894 - 10 March 1895
Folder 3: 10 March - 1895 - 22 June 1895
Folder 4: 22 June 1895 - 26 October 1895
Folder 5: 26 October 1895 - 29 February 1896
Folder 6: 12 September 1896 - 19 January 1897
Folder 7: 20 January 1897 - 7 May 1897
Folder 8: 7 May 1897 - 6 September 1897
Folder 9: 6 September 1897 - 1 January 1898
Box 2
Miscellaneous Items
Folder 1: American Mausoleum and Construction Co., Clyde, OH (sales brochure ca. 1920)
Folder 2: American Mausoleum and Construction Co., Clyde, OH (cloth mounted
photos and 1 albumen of
Hughes Granite Co. site photo
Folder 3: Stock Certificate Book for Rockmarket Marble Co.
Folder 4: Work Order Cards, 1895
Folder 5:
Account Books (3), ca. 1896
Report of the Ohio Andersonville Monument Commission, 1902
Testimonial letters for Civil War Battlefield Monuments, 1903-1904
Undated Price List
Advertising Card for Charles A. Schneeren & Co.
Folder 6:
J & R Lamb Memorial Tablets Brochure, 1893
J & R Lamb Memorial Chapels, Mausoleums, & Monumental Work, 1897
Box 3
Albumen prints probably used as sales cards (62 prints)
Box 4
Albumen prints depicting outside scenes with some identification as to name or location. Several photos of Tiffin, Ohio storefront, monument display, and workmen (Thom & Revert). There are also a number of photos of the Adamant Stone Quarry located in Plainfield, Vermont (56 prints)
Box 5
Albumen prints - continuation of Box 4 (116 prints)
Box 6
Albumen prints - continuation of Box 5 (oversized prints)
Box 7
Glass plate negatives mainly of Civil War Battlefield Monuments for Regiments (17 glass negatives) :
Number 1:
149TH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY
(1st Regt. Bucktail Brigade)
2nd Brig. 3rd Div. 1st Corps.
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 2:
83RD PENNA. INFANTRY
3RD BRIGADE, 1ST DIVISION, 5TH CORPS.
Number 3:
[not legible] soldier on one knee over flag seal [Pa.]
Number 4:
[Hughes Granite Co., Clyde, OH?] 6½ x 8 ½ plate
Number 5:
142d 1st Brigade
Pennsylvania 3d Division
Infantry 1st Corps
Number 6:
R. C. Bowers Co.
monument, Series 2 [reads "CHASE"]
Number 7:
30th Infantry
1st Brigade 3d Division 5th ,
[Gettysburg info.]
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 8:
75TH PENNA INFANTRY - GERMAN REGIMENT
1ST BRIG. 3D DIV. 11TH CORPS.
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 9:
ULSTER GUARD - 20TH N.Y. STATE MILITIA
80TH N.Y. INFANTRY, 1ST BRIG. 3D DIV. 1ST CORPS.
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 10:
ADELINA I. ZERH [monument]
Aug. 21, 1891. Marz 9, 1895
Number 11:
NEW YORK INFANTRY. [tower]
DIVISION, 3D CORPS.
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 12:
NINTH MICH. BAT'Y. I. FIRST ART'Y.
1ST BRIG. HORSE ARTIL'Y CAVALRY CORPS
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 13:
16TH NEW YORK CAVALRY (Ira Harris Guard)
2D BRIGADE - 1ST DIVISION CAVALRY CORPS
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 14:
[tower] "July 20 in the evening..." [& battlefield listed]
copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Number 15:
* WILHELMI*
1 [crossed rifles] U.S.A.
Number 16:
Recruited in Philadelphia and Reading.
Mustered in September 1861, Re-enlisted January 1864.
Mustered out June 30th, 1865.
[engagements listed]
Number 17:
* ERECTED by the TOWN of LINCOLN ...1861-1865...
dedicated by BALLOU POST NO. 3. G.A.R.
MAY 30 1888
Number 18:
* [back view of 17. preceeding]
Number 19:
* 19th MAINE INF'Y REG'T. 1863
1st BRIGADE, 2d DIVISION, 2D CORPS...[battle info.]
Number 20:
* 106th PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY
PHILADELPHIA BRIGADE...[battle info.]
Number 21:
* 116th PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY
2nd BRIG. 1st DIV. 2d CORPS...[info.]
Number 22:
25th NEW YORK INFANTRY
3d BRIG. 3rd DIV. 2d CORPS...[info.]
Number 23:
* REYNOLDS [over cannon]
[to L:] BATTERY L./1st N.Y. LIGHT/ARTILLERY.
[to R:] ARTILLERY/BRIGADE/1st CORPS.
Number 24:
* th PENNSYLVANIA RESERVES/40th INFANTRY
BRIGADE 3d DIVISION 5th CORPS...[info.]
Number 25:
* C & F INDPT PENNA ARTILLERY...[info.]
HAMPTON'S BATTERY July 3rd A D 1863...[info.]
organized at PITTSBURGH PA...[info., including list of dead]
* copyright 1890 by James Irving, Troy, N.Y.
Box 8
Glass plate negatives of monuments (31 glass negatives)
Box 9
Glass plate negatives of monuments (21 large glass negatives, 11 small glass negatives)
Box 10
Albumen prints - continuation of Box 6 (67 prints)