Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Knox Family

GA – 22

Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content

Inventory

Introduction

The Hayes Presidential Center acquired this collection in 1962. Additional Knox family letters can be found at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, and at the New York Historical Society in New York City. Other correspondence from John Jay, Jr. can also be found in the Hayes Papers at the Hayes Presidential Center. Much of the family biographical information was provided in 2007 by Bruce A. Jones of Teaneck, New Jersey, who has conducted extensive research on the Knox family. Additional material from Mr. Jones may be found within this collection.

Biographical Sketch

John J. Knox was born March 18, 1791 to James and Nancy Ehle Knox. John J. was a successful merchant and banker. He owned one of the largest general stores in Oneida Co, NY and was a co-founder of the Bank of Vernon in 1839, serving as its president until 1862. He also owned and had interests in several other businesses. John J. Knox also was active in the New York State Militia, being appointed brigadier general in 1826 by Governor DeWitt Clinton. In addition to his commercial and military pursuits, he also served on the Board of Trustees at Hamilton College form 1828 to 1876. For thirty years he was the Senior Trustee and President of the Board of Trustees. A powerful and influential man, he was twice a presidential elector: once for William Henry Harrison and once for Abraham Lincoln (his second term).

John Jay Knox married Sarah Ann Curtis on October 7, 1813. They settled in Cook’s Corners in Augusta, Oneida County, New York. This village came to be known as Knox Corners, and finally Knoxboro in 1863. John Jay and Sarah had ten children: Elizabeth Ann, Cordelia E., James Curtiss, William Eaton, Algenia, John Jay, Jr., Henry Martyn, Charles Eugene, and Emma Louise. John Jay Knox, Sr. died on January 31, 1876.

Elizabeth Ann Knox (April 18, 1816 – May 2, 1876) married Thomas Williams and lived in Vernon, NY. They had two children: John J. Knox and Charles Eugene.

Cordelia E. Knox (August 14, 1817 – December 10, 1876) married Andrew Anderson. They had six children: Emma, Edward, Adelaide, Sarah, Jennie, and John Jay Knox.

James Curtiss Knox (November 29, 1818 – July 16, 1894) married Mary Whiteley. They lived in Knoxboro and had three children: James Theodore, William Strong, and Mary Louise.

William Eaton Knox (October 16, 1820 – September 17, 1883) was a Presbyterian minister. He married Mary E. Chandler, who died in 1845. He then married Alice Woodward Jenks. His children were: John Henry, Frederick William, Mary Alice, George William, and Robert Jenks.

Algenia Knox (July 27, 1822 – November 17, 1864) married Charles Rhodes. They lived in Oswego, NY and had six children: Charles Eugene, Benjamin, Katherine Taylor, Sarah Adelaide Knox (Sauchie), and John J. Knox.

Sarah Adelaide Knox (December 14, 1826 – June 11, 1910) married William Neil Strong. They had two daughters: Frances Adelaide and Emma Louise.

John Jay Knox, Jr. (March 19, 1828 – February 9, 1892) graduated from Hamilton College in 1852 with a Master’s Degree and became a teller at the Bank of Vernon. With help from his father, John Jay and his brother Henry Martin opened the private banking firm J. Jay Knox & Co. in St. Paul, MN. The firm closed in 1862. In February of 1862 John Jay published several articles supporting a national banking system based on a safe, elastic, convertible and uniform paper currency in Hunt’s Merchant Magazine and Commercial Review. The articles impressed Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, and John Jay was appointed to a clerkship at the Treasurer’s Office. From there he quickly worked his way up, and was appointed Comptroller of the Currency in 1872. He served in this office through the Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes and beyond, leaving the post in 1884. He then served as President of the National Bank of the Republic in New York City, a position he held until his death. John Jay married Caroline Elizabeth Todd in 1871, and they had seven children: Caroline Todd, Elizabeth Irving, John Jay, Jr. (died in infancy), a second John Jay, Jr., Irving Gillis, Herman Warren, and Adelaide Strong.

Henry Martyn Knox (July 10, 1831 – May 12, 1904) married Charlotte B. Cozzens and had three children: Carolyn, Henry Cozzens, and John Paul.

Charles Eugene Knox (December 27, 1834 – April 30, 1900) founded and was President of the German Theological Seminary in Bloomfield. He married Sarah Fake and they had the following children: Charles Rhodes, Mary Fake, Sarah Algenia, Frederick Jay, Herbert Eugene, Margaret Prentiss, John Williams, Helen Theodosia, Robert Henry, Alice Adelaide, Gertrude E., Edward Prentiss, and Ernest Arnold.

Emma Louise Knox (April 3, 1836 – December 5, 1917) was unmarried and lived at the Homestead in Knoxboro.

Scope and Content

This collection contains nearly 500 pieces of correspondence and spans from 1826 to 1947, though the bulk of the collection dates from the 1830s through the 1880s. The incoming and outgoing correspondence of John Jay Knox, Sr., Charles E. Knox, and Edward Prentiss Knox make up the majority of the collection. It is mainly correspondence between family and friends, although there are some letters concerning business and civic matters. There are also five letters from Edward Prentiss Knox written while he was serving in World War I. The correspondence is arranged into incoming and outgoing correspondence for each Knox family member and/or family. An item level inventory of the collection is provided.

Inventory

Ac. 1537

1/3 linear ft.

1. John Jay Knox, Sr. – Misc. Correspondence

2. John Jay Knox, Sr. – Incoming Correspondence A-O

Allen, Edward – Dec. 24, 1835

Anderson, Andrew – Jul. 9, 1845

Bennett, S. – n.d.

Camp, L. D. - n.d.

Case, Salmon – Dec. 2, 1841; Oct. 15, 1842

Chandler, W. W. – June 18, 1836; Dec. 21, 1842

Cook, Jos. L. – Dec. 10, 1836; June 27, 1842; Dec 31, 1842; Jan. 13, 1843

Curtis, J. G. – Sept. 26, 1838; June 10, 1842

Dexter, S. Newton – June 29, 1836; Jul. 16, 1836; Dec. 10, 1842; Dec. 29, 1842

Dix, C. & E. – Jan. 3, 1837

Field & Co. – Apr. 15, 1842

Johnson, B. P. – Jul 25, 1842

Kirkland, C. P. – Oct. 30 1838

Kellog, H. H. – Sept. 12, 1838

Knox, O. S. – June 18, 1836

Hand, J. J. – Apr. 2, 1842

Hoblen, S. N. – Mar. 30, 1842

Munger & Buckingham – Jul 8, 1842; Apr. 9, 1842

Norris, Robert J. – Jul. 2, 1842

Ostennoler, Leicister – Dec. 8, 1842

3. John Jay Knox, Sr. – Incoming Correspondence P-Z

Parmalee, Solomon – Aug. 11, 1835; Apr. 7, 1836; June 29, 1836; Feb. 7, 1838; Dec. 3, 1838

Penney, Joseph – Sept. 12, 1838

Pond, T. T. – Jul. 6, 1842

Ranney, O. T. – May 18, 1841

Reynolds, A. W. – Apr. 9, 1842

Richmond, S. N. & A. – Jan. 27, 1841

Seymour, A. – Jul. 22, 1842

Shearman, W. H. – Oct. 6, 1836; Oct. 29, 1836

Spencer, J. H. – Apr. 7, 1836

Storr, David – Dec. 20, 1826

Swift, W. P. & Co. – Apr. 9, 1842

University of the State of N.Y. – June 15, 1868

Ward, Sardis – Jan. 21, 1826

Wetmore, Calvary – n.d.

Williams, Ransom G. & Hubbard, Joel M. – Apr. 1842

4. John Jay Knox, Sr. – Outgoing Correspondence

1842, Apr. 12

1842, Apr. 23

5. John Jay Knox, Jr. – Outgoing Correspondence

1874, May 19

1875, July 7

1877, Mar. 2

1877, Apr. 14

1877, Dec. 20

1881, Feb. 15

6. Charles E. Knox and Family – Outgoing Correspondence

1848, July 20

1854, May 24

1854, Oct. 7

1859, Sept. 3

1875, May 28

1878, Mar. 11

1880, Feb. 4

1887, Aug. 15

1887, Sept. 6

1887, Dec. 2

1887, Dec. 21

1888, Jan. 25

1888, Feb. 29

1888, May 22

1888, Aug. 18

1889, Nov. 1

Knox, Sarah Fake [wife]

1856, Feb.

1875, Feb. 19

Knox, Frederick J. [son]

1886, June 15

7. Charles E. Knox – Incoming Correspondence A-E

_______, Adelaide – Oct. 26, 1889

Allen, Albert – n.p., n.d.

Allen, Lyman Whitney – Newark, Oct. 31, 1889

Anderson, Sarah – Long Island, Aug. 3, 1879

Axmann, Herman – Brooklyn, Oct. 20, 1889

B____, Augusta – Bloomfield, NJ, Aug. 5, 1879

Beal, M. B. – Easthampton, MA, Mar. 16, 1878

Browler, Chas. DeW. – Ann Arbor, MI, Nov. 19, 1878; Dec. 21, 1878; Jul. 30, 1879; Sept. 2, 1879; Sept. 22, 1879; Feb. 11, 1880

Brown, S. R. – Springside, June 21, 1856; Jul. 11, 1856

Broyton, J. McK. – Utica, Mar. 5, 1874 (in part only)

Bullock, V. V. – Albion, June 18, 1860

Canfield, B. C. – Morristown, Apr. 2, 1877

Curtis, Wm. W. – Galesburg, IL, Feb. 10, 1864

Dean, L. W. – NY, Jan 25, 1883

Dodd, Amzi – London, n.d.; Mar. 23, 1864

Dwight, B. W. – Clinton, NY, Mar. 27, 1879

Ellinwood, F. F. – NY, Feb. 15, 1870

Erdman, Mrs. – St. Paul, Apr. 8, 1861

Erdman, W. J. – Fayetteville, NY, Oct. 25, 1865

8. Charles E. Knox – Incoming Correspondence F-N

Filld, Henry M. – NY, Jan. 22, 1857

Fine, Mary B. – Winona, n.d.; May 8, no year

First National Bank, NY – Oct. 31, 1889

Gallagher, S. C. – Liberty, Jul. 25, 1877

Gillen, Chas. A. – Jan. 13, 1893

Hoghton, Louise S. – Monnouth Beach, Dec. 4, 1877

Howell, J.W. – Bloomfield, Nov. 27, 1882; Apr. 1, 1884

Jackson, F. Wolcott, Treas. German Theological School. – n.d.

Jortisell, A. H., Jr. – Bricksburg, May 22, 1874

Keep, R. P. – Hartford, June 6, 1880

Kellog, H. H. – Clinton, May 5, 1858

Kendall, H. – NY, Apr. 16, 1863; Apr. 17, 1863

Koester, Chas. F. – Marysville, KA, Nov. 27, 1872

McChain, George – Ithaca, NY, Nov 15, 1859

Marsh, E. E. – Bloomfield, Sept. 24, 1883

______, Molly – May 11, 1902

Murray, J. O. – Princeton, Nov. 12, 1889

Newark Academy – Newark, NJ, Feb. 20, 1880 (2); Jan. 6, 1882

Norris, M. P. – (Morristown, NJ) Sept. 8, 1893

9. Charles E. Knox – Incoming Correspondence O-Z and Miscellaneous

Orr, Peggy – Montclair, NJ, Jul. 8, no year; Oct. 11, 1921

Packard, Prof. – (Yale College) n.d. (copy)

Peloubet, Chabrier – Bloomfield, June 12, 1872

Peters, William R. – Feb 18, 1865

Rogers, Sarah K. – Brooklyn, Jul. 1, 1887

St. Paul City Sabbath Schools – Flier dtd. June 13, 1860

Schlote, Helene – Gottingen, Easter Sunday, n.d.

Shaw, Charles D. – Paterson, NJ, Oct. 29, 1889

Smith, D. M., Scovel, A., Judson, R. – n.d. (printed)

Smith, Gerritt – Dec. 5, 1855

Smith, J. Few – Newark, NJ, Aug. 29, 1863; Apr. 7, 1864

Strong, William F. – Albany, Nov. 16, 1864

Tallman, George C. – Utica, NY, Mar. 19, 1864

Thirrell, H. F. – Philadelphia, Sept. 19, 1864

U.S. Christian Commision – St. Paul, Feb. 1864

Van Dorne, (Milt) – Richmond, IN, Aug. 23, 1863

Wallace, Miss – n.d. (invitation)

Wells, James, Sears, H., Goodrich, H., St. Clair, James – June 18, 1860

Wheeler, Isaac B. – n.p. May 17, 1866

Whiton, James M. – Long Island, Sept. 12, 1877; Aug. 2, 1879

Williston Seminary – Easthampton, MA, Aug. 28, 1877; Mar. 11, 1878; June 25, 1879; Dec. 23, 1879; Feb. 19, 1880; Mar. 30, 1880

Wood, Louisa W. – Bloomfield, NJ, Feb 19, 1877

10. Algenia Knox Rhodes and Family – Outgoing Correspondence

n.d. (17 letters)

1852, May 15

1863, Dec. 5

Rhodes, Catherine Taylor [daughter]

1887, Jan. 1

Rhodes, Benjamin [son]

1859, Nov. 17

Rhodes, Sauchie (Sarah Adelaide) [daughter]

1862, Dec. 15

11. Emma Louise Knox – Outgoing Correspondence

1883, May 27

1887, Apr. 2

1887, Apr. 9

1887, June 14

n.d.

12. Henry M. Knox and Family – Outgoing Correspondence

n.d. (8 letters)

1851, June 10

1851, Nov. 12

1852, June 5

1852, Sept. 30

1852, Nov. 2

1853, Oct. 6

1857, May 4

1860, May 21

1860, June

1860, June 16

1861, Feb. 14

1862, Sept. 10

1865, Oct. 18

1868, Aug. 15

1869, June 29

1877, Dec. 12

Knox, Charlotte (Lottie) B. Cozzens [wife]

1889, Oct. 19

13. James C. Knox and son Theodore Knox– Outgoing Correspondence

1836, Feb. 23

1838, Dec. 21

1880, Apr. 30

1887, Dec. 3

1887, Dec. 13 (postmarked)

1888, Jan. 2 (2 items)

1888, Jan. 6

1888, Mar. 7

1888, Apr. 23

1889, Oct. 23

Knox, James Theodore [son]

n.y., Dec. 9

n.d., 1855

Feb. 8, 1856

14. William E. Knox and Family – Outgoing Correspondence

n.d. (seven letters)

1851, Nov. 13

1853, Nov. 21

1859, Nov. 7

1860, Apr. 10

1860, June 4

1860, June 19

1861, Apr. 17

1862, Apr. 18

1862, Aug. 20

1863, Jul. 8

1863, Aug. 17

1863, Dec. 23

(1864), Mar. 22

1866, Feb. 2

1866, Jul. 6

1867, Sept. 3

1871, Feb. 13

Knox, Alice Woodward [wife]

1864, June 23

1868, May 30

1869, Apr. 5

Knox, John H. [son]

1857, Sept. 22

1860, Jul. 23

1868, Mar 31

Knox, George William [son]

1889, Dec. 2

15. Thomas Williams, Jr. and Eliza Ann Knox Williams – Correspondence

n.d. (in part)

n.d.

1837, Jul. 14

1838, Apr. 16

1838, Apr. 17

1841, Oct. 30

1841, Nov. 18

1841, Dec. 11

1842, Apr. 12

1842, May 18

1842, Dec. 13

1843, Sept. 28

1874, Dec. 18

1875, Jul. 29

1879, Sept. 13

1880, Jan. 30

1881, Jan. 1

1889, Nov. 23

16. Edward Prentiss Knox – Outgoing Correspondence – Undated

17. Edward Prentiss Knox – Outgoing Correspondence 1886-1914

1886, Sept. 9

1887, Sept. 5

1902, n.d. (two items)

1902, Apr. 26

1902, Oct. 13

1902, Oct. 19

1902, Nov. 8

1903, Mar. 11

1903, May 8

1904, Oct. 30

1910, Nov. 3

1911, Apr. 3

1911, Aug. 21

1911, Aug. 29

1914, Apr. 11

1914, Nov. 4

18. Edward Prentiss Knox – Outgoing Correspondence 1916-1929

1916, Jan. 2

1917, Feb. 1

1917, May 22

1917, Sept. 22

1917, Nov. 25

1918, Nov. 12

1918, Nov. 26

1919, Jan. 26

1919, Feb. 2

1919, Mar. 3

1919, n.d.

1919, Dec. 11

1920, Feb. 22

1920, Mar. 14

1920, Apr. 4

1920, Apr. 13

1920, May 29

1920, Aug. 13

1921, Mar. 28

1923, Feb. 9

1923, Mar. 1

1923, Mar. 28

1923, Apr. 2

1929, Aug. 26

19. Edward Prentiss Knox – Incoming Correspondence

Knox, Charles [brother] – Oct. 19, 1920

Knox, Gertrude [sister] – Dec. 4, 1898; Oct. 8, 1899

Knox, Sarah [mother] – n.d. (13 letters); Mar.10, n.y.; Jan. 27, 1914; Dec.30, 1814; Feb. 4 1916; Aug. 11, 1919; May 16, 1920; May 25, 1920;

Impartial letter, n.d.

Receipt, May 13, 1947

20. Miscellaneous