Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

John H. James

FR-11

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Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content

Inventory

Introduction

The John H. James Papers are part of the larger Charles E. Frohman Collection. The collection was donated to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center by Mr. Frohman in 1967. The papers are stored with those of Lyman E. Strong and William A. Townsend. Other related collections at the Hayes Presidential Center include the papers of Jacob A. Barker (FR-10) and John G. Camp (FR-3).

Biographical Sketch

John H. James (1800 – 1881) was one of the pioneer settlers of Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio. Mr. James was an attorney, director of the Urbana & Champaign Mutual Insurance Company, and president of the Urbana Banking Company. He served in the Ohio Senate from 1837 to 1838. In 1836, John H. James was chosen president of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company. Under his management, the work of constructing the railroad was accelerated as much as the limited means of the corporation would permit.

Scope and Content

The collection is essentially a portion of the business papers of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company. In 1832, the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company was chartered. The state of Ohio was at that time aiding new railroads and the $200,000 state money received by this road was one of the moving causes of its inception. It was the first company incorporated for railroad purposes in the state of Ohio and intended to connect the communities of Dayton, Ohio, and Sandusky, Ohio.

Its first officers were Joseph Vance, who served as the organization’s president and John H. James, who served as its treasurer. In 1836, Vance resigned to become governor of Ohio. James succeeded Vance as president and held that position until November 1842. During this time James continued as the company’s treasurer. Late in 1842, Vance again became president of the railroad.

During James’ tenure as president, he contracted for the iron used between Sandusky and Bellevue, Ohio. He also entered into a contract with the firm of Roger Ketchum and the governor of New Jersey for the construction of a locomotive to be named the “Sandusky.” In 1837, the “Sandusky” was brought from Buffalo, New York aboard the vessel Sandusky to the town of Sandusky, Ohio. During the fall of that year, the locomotive was placed on the tracks between Sandusky and Bellevue, Ohio, the road having been completed between these points

The collection, dating from 1837 to 1875, consists primarily of business papers and correspondence of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad. The bulk of the collection is correspondence, accounts, and reports from the 1830s and the 1840s. Subjects include early business matters of the company including: concerns of stockholders; Ohio Senate bills authorizing loans of credit by the state of Ohio; communications of James with the General Assembly of Ohio; a review of early affairs of the company; the controversy between James and Vance relative to business of the company and transfer of files; and correspondence with F. M. Follett, who was the agent for the Ohio Insurance Co., located at Sandusky, Ohio.

The collection is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent’s surname. The inventory provides an item-level description of the collection.

Inventory

Ac. 1824

¼ linear ft.

BARKER, Jacob A.

Barker & Others - agreement, June 23, 1838

BARNARD & DeGRAFF

To the Mad River and Lake Erie RR Co., August 30, 1847

BARTLEY, M Governor of Ohio

J.H.James to Bartley, August 11, 1845

BELL, James H. [Engineer Mad River RR]

To Samuel Lockwood, April 5, no year

BELLEFONTAINE GAZETTE

J.H. James to Gazette, July 26, 1843

BROUGH, John [Auditor of State]

J.H. James to Brough, September 13, 1842

To J.H. James, September 13, 1842

BROWN, D.W.C. [General Manager Cincinnati Sandusky & Cleveland RR]

To J.H. James, January 5, 1875

CAMP, John G.

To J.H. James, March 15, 1838

Agreement by Camp & Others, June 20, 1839

Areement by Camp & Others, June 28, 1838

Camp & Others, September 6, 1839

CAVILUR, E.B.

To J.H. James, September 16, 1843

CORD, J.W.

Cord & Others, agreement June 23, 1838

DENNISON, William

To J.H. James, September 10, 1864

DURBIN, William, Jr.

Account sheet, February 5, 1841

Voucher to credit of Mad River & Lake Erie RR, September 20, 1842

Account with Ohio Insurance Co., October 3, 1842

To R. Patterson, March 16, 1844

FISHER, J.W.

To J.H. James receipt, June 28, 1842

FOLLETT, F.M.

To J.H. James, December 2, 1841

To J.H. James, November 2, 1841

See Durbin Account sheets, February 5, 1841

See Account sheet with Mad River & Lake Erie RR Co, May 3, 1841

To J.H. James, January 3, 1842

To J.H. James, February 1, 1842

To J.H. James, March 1, 1842

To J.H. James, March 31, 1842

To J.H. James, June 1, 1842

To J.H. James, July 1, 1842

To J.H. James, July 6, 1842

To J.H. James, August 17, 1842

Account sheet with Ohio Insurance Co., November 4, 1842

Account sheet with Ohio Insurance Co., May 3, 1841

To J.H. James, July -, 1842

To J.H. James, September 1, 1842

To J.H. James, October 1, 1842

To J.H. James, November 1, 1842

To J.H. James, December 5, 1842

Account sheet with Mad River & Lake Erie RR, 1841/1842

To J.H. James, February 1, 1843

To J.H. James, March 1, 1843

To J.H. James, April 1, 1843

To J.H. James, May 4, 1843

To J.H. James, June 5, 1843

To J.H. James, July 1, 1843

To J.H. James, August 1, 1843

To J.H. James, September 1, 1843

To J.H. James, October 4, 1843

To J.H. James, November 2, 1843

To J.H. James, December 4, 1843

To J.H. James, March 16, 1844

To J.H. James, January 1, 1844

To J.H. James, February 1, 1844

To J.H. James, March 1, 1844

To J.H. James, June 1, 1844

To J.H. James, July 1, 1844

To J.H. James, August 2, 1844

To J.H. James, September 3, 1844

To J.H. James, October 1, 1844

To J.H. James, November 2, 1844

To J.H. James, January 1, 1845

To J.H. James, March 1, 1845

To J.H. James, April 2, 1845

To J.H. James, May 1, 1845

FOLLETT, O. [President Sandusky Dayton & Cincinnati RR]

To J.H. James, May 18, 1837

Follett & Others, September 6, 1839

To J.H. James, December 27, 1841

To J.H. James, January 6, 1843

To J.H. James, January 7, 1843

To J.H. James, September 15, 1858

To J.H. James, January 8, 1868

FORRES, Samuel

J.H. James to S.F., Urbana, November 16, 1835

GLENN, E.

To J.H. James, September 16, 1843

HARPER, Rice

Summons for Mad River & Lake Erie RR Co., November 2, 1839

JAMES, John H.

Sign, ‘Lots for Sale’ 12” x 18” flier, no date

To S. Forrer, November 16, 1835

O. Follett to J.H. James, May 18, 1837

Camp, J.G. to J.H. James, March 15, 1838

To F. S. Wildman & N. Starr, August 13, 1838

James & Others agreement, June 20, 1839

Reese, Wm.J. to J.H. James, June 24, 1840

See Ohio Senate Bill No. 247

Agreement, June 23, 1838

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, November 2, 1841

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, December 2, 1841

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, December 27, 1841

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, January 3, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, February 1, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 1, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 31, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, June 1, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, July 1, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, July 6, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, August 17, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, July - , 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, September1, 1842

To J. Brough, September 13, 1842

John Brough to J.H. James, September 13, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, October 1, 1842

Agreements, October 14, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, November 1, 1842

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, December 5, 1842

Receipt from J.W. Fisher, June 28, 1842

To ‘My dear Sir,” November 26, 1842

O. Follett to J.H. James, January 6, 1843

O. Follett to J.H. James, January 7, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, February 1, 1843

To General Assembly of Ohio, February 27, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 1, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, April 1, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, May 4, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, June 5, 1843

To Joseph Vance, June 12, 1843

To Joseph Vance, June 14, 1843

Joseph Vance to J.H. James, June 18, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, July 1, 1843

To Joseph Vance, July 10, 1843

To Editor Bellefontaine Gazette, July 26, 1843

To Joseph Vance, July 27, 1843

Statement - item 62, July 27, 1843

Statement - item 63, July 27, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, August 1, 1843

To Joseph Vance, August 3, 1843

To Joseph Vance, August 31, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, September 1, 1843

To Joseph Vance, September 14, 1843

E. Glenn to J.H. James, September 16, 1843

E.B. Cavilur to J.H. James, September 16, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, October 4, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, November 2, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, December 4, 1843

Patterson, R. to J.H. James, November 28, 1843

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 16, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, January 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, February 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, June 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, July 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, August 2, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, September 3, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, October 1, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, November 2, 1844

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, January 1, 1845

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, March 1, 1845

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, April 2, 1845

F.M. Follett to J.H. James, May 1, 1845

To Mad River & Lake Erie RR Co., May 30, 1845

To M. Bartley, August 11, 1845

Signed Statement, May 10, 1853

O. Follett, September 15, 1858

V. Winters to J.H. James, November 19, 1853

O. Follett to J.H. James, January 5, 1868

Brown, D.W.C. to J.H. James, January 5, 1875

Dennison, W. to J.H. James, September 10, 1864

KELLER, William C.

See J.H. James, May 10, 1853

LOCKWOOD, Samuel

J.H. Bell to S.L., April 5, no year

McNEMAR, Richard R.

To J.H. James, May 29, 1845

MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE RAILROAD COMPANY

See also J.H. James, President and Joseph Vance, President

Harper, Rice to Summons, November 2, 1839

Account Sheet with F.M. Follett, May 3, 1841

Account Sheet with F.M. Follett, 1841

Barnard & DeGraff, August 30, 1847

NEILL, Thomas

Mad River R.R. Stock assignment, October 17, 1837

Neill & Others agreement, June 20, 1839

Neill & Others memo, September 6, 1839

OHIO INSURANCE COMPANY

See Wm. Durbin, Jr.

See F.M. Follett

Statement, October 14, 1841

OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

J.H. James, February 27, 1843

OHIO SENATE BILLS

No. 165 authorizing loan credit to Mad River & Lake Erie RR

No. 247 providing temporary loans-Com. Of Canal Fund

Amendment to Bill No. 165

No. 233 passed March 7, 1837

No. 197 passed March 7, 1837

PATTERSON, R. Secretary Mad River & Erie Railroad

To J.H. James, November 28, 1843

Wm. Durbin Jr. to R.P., March 16, 1844

Notation [see verso Barnard & DeGraff], August 30, 1847

REBER, George

To ‘Dear Sir,’ September 18, 1852

REESE, Wm. J.

Reese & Others agreement, June 20, 1839

To J.H. James, June 24, 1840

SANDUSKY CITY BANK

Statement signed, January 8, 1837

SANDUSKY, DAYTON & CINCINNATI RAILROAD

See O. Follett, President

STARR, N.

J.H. James to F.S. Wildman & N. Starr, August 13, 1838

THOMPSON, Sheldon

Thompson & Others agreement, June 23, 1838

TOWNSEND, Ch

Townsend & Others agreement, June 23, 1838

URBANA BANKING Co.

Agreement, June 20, 1839

VANCE, General Joseph

J.H. James to J. Vance, June 12, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, June14, 1843

To J.H. James, June 18, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, July 10, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, July 27, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, August 3, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, August 31, 1843

J.H. James to J. Vance, September 14, 1843

WILDMAN, F.S.

J.H. James to F.W. & N. Starr, August 13, 1838