Isaiah Townsend (1777-1838) and John Townsend (1783-1854) were merchants in Albany, N.Y. The brothers and their heirs, Franklin, Theodore and Rufus, were active in business and political developments of the day. Their business interests began and...
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Isaiah Townsend (1777-1838) and John Townsend (1783-1854) were merchants in Albany, N.Y. The brothers and their heirs, Franklin, Theodore and Rufus, were active in business and political developments of the day. Their business interests began and were concentrated in the iron trade but also included salt production, railroads, steamboats, real estate in New York and other states, banking, and insurance. Collection consists of correspondence, business, legal and land papers, and other materials that document the business activities of the Townsend family. Correspondence, 1799-1897, mainly concerns business interests but also contains references to political issues and family and personal matters. Business correspondence relates to orders for manufacture of parts, accounts, and purchase and sale of iron primarily in New York. Accounts, 1801-1896, are included for the various companies set up by the Townsend family and other companies in which they had shares and/or interests. These records consist of items such as bills, receipts, orders, notes and drafts, invoices, money and labor lists, weigher's returns, statements, and cancelled checks. Legal papers, 1805-1845, contain papers relating to debts, estate matters, land disputes, and receipts for family expenditures. Also, land papers, 1799-1854; insurance papers, 1821-1880; and miscellaneous papers, 1802-1902, which include a variety of business-related documents; a diary, 1840-1841, of Isaiah Townsend; lectures, 1860-1865, given by Howard Townsend; and mechanical drawings.
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