Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

Thomas Henry Looker

GA-25

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content
Inventory
Index

Introduction
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center acquired this collection in 1978 and 2003.

Biographical Sketch
Thomas Henry Looker was born on November 23, 1839 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  His parents were James Harvey Looker and Rachel Hough, and his grandfather was Othniel Looker, who served as governor of Ohio from March 24, 1814, to December 8, 1814.  Thomas Henry Looker attended the U.S. Naval Academy and joined the Navy as midshipman on November 6, 1846.  He served in the Mexican War and the Civil War.  He was appointed purser, U.S.N. on August 31, 1853.  After the Civil War he served as Fleet Paymaster, South Pacific Squadron, United States Navy.  Aboard the U.S. Flag Ship “Powhatan,” Looker sailed around Cape Horn and up to Panama.  He was promoted to Pay Director on March 3, 1871.  From 1877 to 1878 he was assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.  He was appointed Paymaster General, U.S.N. in March of 1890, but had to resign in May of that year due to ill health.  He retired in 1891 with the rank of Commodore. 

On May 19, 1857, Thomas Henry Looker married Lucilia S. Brigham, who was born in March, 1832 to Matthias and Caroline Crossman Brigham.  Thomas and Lucilia had six children:  Henry (Harry) Brigham, Bertie (died in infancy), Edward F., William R., Bertha H., and Reginald D. 

The members of the Looker family were strong supporters of President Hayes, Thomas H. Looker having been an acquaintance from before Hayes was elected President.  Thomas and Lucilia Looker were guests of President Hayes at the White House on several occasions. 

Preceded by his wife, Thomas Henry Looker died in Washington, D.C., in 1910. 

Scope and Content
This collection includes 147 letters written by and to the Looker family between 1846 and 1902.  This collection is mostly family correspondence, the majority of the letters being written by Lucilia Looker to her husband and her daughter Bertha.  The first half of the collection consists mainly of letters to Thomas H. while he was away on the U.S. Flag Ship “Powhatan”—including letters from his mother, wife, and son, and receipts from members of sailors’ families saying that they had received their payment.  The second half of the collection consists mainly of letters to Bertha—including letters from family members and friends.  Thomas H. himself wrote only a few of the letters in this collection.  Topics of the letters in this collection include family gossip, naval matters, and support for President Hayes. 

Although the collection is organized by date, there is also an itemized index organized alphabetically by last name of writer. 

Inventory
Ac. 4158, Ac. 5606 

Box 1

1.   1846-1861
2.   January-June 1866
3.   July-December 1866
4.   January-March 1867
5.   April-August 1867
6.   September-December 1867
7.   1868
8.   1875-1878
9.   1881-1885
10. 1885-1886
11. 1890
12. March-June 1891
13. July-December 1891
14. 1892
15. 1893
16. 1897
17. 1902
18. Undated 

Index 

_____ , Fannie
To Bertha Looker, dtd Baltimore, Md., Dec. 26, 1891. [Ac. 5606] 

_____ , Flo
To Bertha Looker, dtd Omaha, Neb., Aug. 15, 1891 [Ac. 5606]

______, Helen
To Bertha Looker, dtd New York, Oct. 15, 1890 [Ac. 5606]
To Bertha Looker, dtd. New York, Mar. 26,. 1891 [Ac.5606]
To Bertha Looker, dtd New York, Oct. 13, 1891. [Ac. 5606]

______, Helena [Monogram: HBD]
To Bertha Looker, dtd Fall River, Mass., Dec. 23, 1897. [Ac. 5606]

______, (Cousin) Mae
To Bertha Looker, dtd  ANamana,@ Annapolis, Md., July 28, 1891.  [Ac. 5606]
To Mrs. Lucillia Looker, dtd Annapolis, Md., 22 October, 1891. [Ac. 5606]
To Bertha Looker, dtd Annapolis, Md.., Dec. 31, 1892.  [Ac. 5606] 

______, Marion
To Bertha Looker, dtd Georgetown, D. C., June 2, 1892. [Ac. 5606] 

______, Sallie
To Reginald Looker, dtd Chicago, Ill., Mar. 6, 1902 [Ac. 5606]

ATWOOD, Isaac B.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Boston, Jly. 29, 1867. Receipt.

AVERY, A. D.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Elmira, Mich., Oct. 4, 1866.
---Enclr. to Mrs. Thos H. Looker dtd Oct. 23, 1866.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Elmira, Mich., Jne. 9, 1867.

BACH, Maye Gardiner
To Bertha Looker, dtd East Orange, N.J., June 7/8, 1893 [Ac. 5606]

BRIDGES, H.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Washington, Mar. 18, 1867.

BREESE, Frank M.
To Thomas H. Looker, dtd New York N. Y., 20 September, 1881. [Ac. 5606]

B[ROOKS], Amelia W.
To [Mrs. Thos. H. Looker] dtd Binghamton, Apr. 19, 1868.
---Enclr. To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Apr. 28, 1868.

BULL, M. E.
To Bertha Looker, dtd Onancock, Va., Dec. 11, 1892. [Ac. 5606]

CAMPBELL, Sidney
To Bertha Looker, dtd Clinton, Mass., Dec. 11, 1897 [Ac. 5606]

CHARLSTON, Mrs. Mary
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Brooklyn, Jly. 4, 1866.
---Encl. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Jly. 23, 1866.

CHATFIELD, Wm. H.
Receipt dtd Cincinnati, O., Jne. 6, 1866.  Copy.
---Encl. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Sept. 8, 1866.

COCHRAN, Dan J.
To Thomas H. Looker dtd Philadelphia, Pa., Aug., 1881. [Ac. 5606]
Includes copy of letter sent by the above to Sec'y of the Navy Hunt.

COLE, Mary A.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Baltimore, Sept. 5, 1866.
Receipt.  Encl. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Sept. 8, 1866.

CUTTER, Louise
To Thomas H.  Looker, dtd Washington, D. C., April 14, 1885. [Ac. 5606]

FERGUSSON, R. C.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd New York, Dec. 10, 1867.  See letter by Mrs. Thos. H. Looker
     to THL dtd Dec. 12, 1867.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker, dtd Aug. 1, 1868.  See letter by Mrs. Thos. H. Looker to THL dtd
     Aug. 3, 1868.

FULLER, Katherine
To Bertha Looker, dtd Boston, Mass., Dec. 11, 1891. [Ac. 5606]

GILLIS, Julia M.
To Bertha Looker dtd St. Louis, Mo., July 31, 1893. [Ac. 5606]

GIVENS, Maria
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Philadelphia, Aug. 26, 1866.  Receipt.  Enclr. to Mrs. Thos. H.
     Looker dtd Aug. 26, 1866.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Philadelphia, Aug. 20, 1867.  Enclr. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker
     dtd Aug. 20, 1867.

HACKETT, Ellen
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Halifax, N. S., Nov. 19, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker
     dtd Dec. 12, 1866.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd 40 Lower Wales St., Halifax, [N. S.], Apr. 15, 1867.  Enclr. to
     Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd. Apr. 30, 1867.

HALLOWELL, Alice
To Bertha H. Looker, dtd Washington, D. C.,  Nov. 24, 1897 [Ac. 5606]
To Bertha H. Looker, dtd Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 1897 [Ac. 5606]

HARRINGTON, Johanna
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Charlestown, Dec. 29, 1866.  Enclr to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker
     dtd Dec. 29, 1866.

HEISKELL, H. W.
To Thomas H. Looker, dtd Germantown, Pa., 27 July, 1886. [Ac. 5606]

HLYM, Edward
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Portsmouth, N. H., Dec. 27, 1866.

JORDAN, Mrs. Ellen
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Baltimore, Dec. 10, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd
     Dec. 8, 1866.

KEERL(?), L. B. H.
To Bertha Looker, dtd Baltimore, Md., April 6, 1891. [Ac. 5606]

LOOKER, Bertha
To Mrs. Lucillia Looker, dtd Annapolis, Md., 2 June, 1892. [Ac. 5606]

LOOKER, Eddie (son)
To THL dtd [Cinn. O, Mar. 24, 1866].  Scribbled drawings. 

LOOKER, Mrs. Rachel V (Mother of Thomas H. Looker)
To Thomas H. Looker, dtd Hoboken, N. J., 19 November, 1861. [Ac. 5606]
To THL dtd Cinn., O., Feb. 26, 1866. 
To THL dtd Cinn., O., Dec. 4, 1866.
To THL dtd Cinn., O., Jne. 2, 1868.
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Cincinnati, Ohio, 9 April, 1875. [Ac. 5606]

LOOKER, Rufus
To Thomas H. Looker, dtd Washington Court House, Ohio, 20 October, 1881. [Ac. 5606]

LOOKER, Thomas Henry
To Mrs. THL dtd Callao Bay, U.S. Flagship APowhatan,@ Mar. 27, 1867 W/2 enclrs.: two
     poems entitled "Sowing to the Flesh" and "Per Pacem Ad Lucem."
To Mrs. THL dtd Callao Bay, Flagship APowhatan,@ Jly. 20, 1867.
To Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd  n.p., Aug. 1, 1868.  See letter by Mrs. Thos. H. Looker to THL
     dtd Aug. 3, 1868.
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd San Francisco, 12 May, 1876. [Ac. 5606]
---Postcard
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Albany, N.Y., 21 June, 1878. [Ac. 5606]
---Postcard
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Albany, N.Y., 21 June, 1878. [Ac. 5606]
---Postcard
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Georgetown Heights, D. C., 26 Jan, 1882. [Ac. 5606]
---Clippings enclosed in envelope.
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 May, 1882. [Ac. 5606]
To Mrs. Lucillia B. Looker, dtd Annapolis, Md., 19 July, 1891. [Ac. 5606]
To Bertha Looker, dtd Chillicothe, Ohio, 22 Aug., 1891. [Ac. 5606]
To Bertha Looker, dtd Georgetown, D.C., 21 Nov., 1891. [Ac. 5606]

McNIDER, Ellen
To Mrs. THL dtd Boston, Apr. 28, 1867.  Enclr. To Mrs. THL dtd Apr. 30, 1867.

NICHOLS, E. T.
To Thomas H.  Looker dtd Washington, D. C., Feb. 9, 1886. [Ac. 5606]

NICHOLS, John
To Mrs. THL dtd Lavonia, Dec. 4, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. THL dtd Dec. 8, 1866.

PERKINS, E. R.
To H. Peachey dtd Commercial National Bank, Cleveland, O., Dec. 20, 1866.  Enclr. to
     Mrs. THL dtd Dec. 24, 1866.

PRESS, Mrs. Jane
To Mrs. THL dtd Boscobel, Mar. 8, 1867.

RAGIN, Ellen
To Mrs. THL dtd South Boston, Sept. 26, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. THL dated Oct. 23, 1866.

RANDAL, Mrs. Mary [R.]
To Mrs. THL dtd Boston, Sept. 25, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. THL dtd. Oct. 23, 1866.

RANDALL, Hon. Sam (House of Representatives)
To Thomas H. Looker, dtd Washington, D. C., 2___, 1885. [Ac. 5606]

ROBERTS, Peter
To Mrs. THL dtd Pine Grove, Gallia Co., O., Feb. 9, 1867.  Enclr. to Mrs. THL dtd Feb.
     12, 1867.

THURMAN, Allen G.
To Geo. Bancroft dtd Chillicothe, O., Sept. 4, 1846.

WARD, Margret
To Mrs. THL dtd Hartford, Ct., Jan. 11, 1867.  Enclr. to Mrs. THL dtd  Jan. 10, 1867.

WHALEN, Margarett
To Mrs. THL dtd Baltimore, Mar. 29, 1866.  Enclr. to Mrs. Thos. H. Looker dtd Aug. 26, 1866.

MISCELLANEOUS

Miniature tintype of Thomas H. Looker in uniform transferred to the Portrait File.