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Creator
Ford, Gordon Lester, 1823-1891
Call number
MssCol 1040
Physical description
11 linear feet (24 boxes)
Language
Materials in English
Preferred Citation

Gordon Lester Ford papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Gordon Lester Ford (1823-1891) was a businessman, lawyer and collector of Americana. He practiced law for much of his life but his main interests were business and real estate investment. He was president of the New London, Willimantic & Palmer Railroad from 1852 to 1856 and director or investor in several other railroads. He also served as U.S. Marshall in southern New York, collector of internal revenue for the third collection district, commissioner of deeds, and business manager of the New York Tribune. In 1863 he helped to found the Brooklyn Daily Union, a newspaper devoted to supporting the Union cause during the Civil War. He also was a founder of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and of the Brooklyn Art Association. He collected books and manuscripts and assembled what was regarded as one of the largest private collections of Americana. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, legal and business papers and account books. General correspondence, 1842-1893, which includes in-coming letters and drafts and letterbooks of out-going letters, reflects Ford's activities as a lawyer and businessman, his real estate and railroad investments, his government service, and his autograph collecting. Family correspondence, 1830-1910, contains Ford's correspondence with his parents, wife (Emily Ellsworth Ford), brothers and sisters, children, and various members of his mother's family, the Burnhams. Legal papers, 1837-1893, include case records, letterbook, law diaries, and law ledgers. Business papers, 1839-1891, include insurance papers, accounts, bills and receipts, promissory notes, and indentures. Account books, 1844-1892, consist of ledgers reflecting Ford's legal and business transactions and accounts with various people including family members. There are also papers, 1863-1871, concerning his internal revenue position and the Brooklyn Daily Union, in addition to miscellaneous papers which include membership certificates, invitations, calling cards, and printed ephemera.

Biographical/historical information

Gordon Lester Ford (1823-1891) was born in Lebanon, Conn., one of several children of Lester and Eliza (Burnham) Ford. While still a child he was sent to New York where he became employed in the mercantile firm of his uncle, Gordon Burnham. He showed a precocious talent for business, became an accountant, and found employment (1847) as chief clerk, and later as deputy marshal in the office of the U. S. Marshall for the southern District of New York. In 1850 he was admitted to the bar. He practiced law for much of his life at times in partnership with Alexander Bliss and Francis Andrew March (1825-1911). His main interests, however, appear to have been business and real estate investment. He was president (1852-1856) of the New London, Willimantic & palmer Railroad, and for a short time (1883) of the Brooklyn & Coney Island Railroad, and he was a director or investor in several railroads including the Morris & Essex Railroad, the New York & Harlem Railroad, and the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad. He also served as collector (1869-1872) of internal revenue for the third collection district, as commissioner of deeds, and as business manager of the N. Y. Tribune. In 1863 be helped to found the Brooklyn Daily Union, a newspaper devoted to supporting the Union cause during the Civil war. Following his marriage (1853) to Emily Ellsworth Fowler, a granddaughter of Noah Webster, he settled in Brooklyn. He was a founder of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and of the Brooklyn Art Association. Ford was an avid collector of books and manuscripts relating to America and he assembled what was regarded as one of the largest private collections of Americana in the world. After his death his collection became part of the holdings of the New York Public Library. Two of his children Worthington C. Ford (1858-1941) and Paul Leicester Ford (1865-1902) became prominent authors.

Scope and arrangement

The bulk of the papers consist of correspondence, legal and business papers and account books. The correspondence is separated into general and family, both in chronological order (by year only). The general correspondence (1842-1891) consists of in-coming letters, and drafts and letter books of out-going letters. The correspondence reflects Ford's activities as a lawyer and businessman, his real estate and railroad investments, his presidency of the New London, Willimantic & Palmer Railroad, his work as deputy U. S. Marshall, as collector of internal revenue and as commissioner of deeds. Some correspondence concerns his autograph collecting. His civic and social life is reflected to a lesser degree, correspondents include Alexander Bliss, Gordon Burnham, William C. Ford (who acted as his office manager), William C. Fowler, Henry J. Gardner, G & C Merriam (publishers), Charles Nordhoff and Whitelaw Reid. Some family correspondence is scattered throughout the general correspondence. The family correspondence (1830-1891) includes early letter by Ford to his parents after his arrival in New York City, included also is correspondence of Ford with his wife Emily Ellsworth Ford, his brothers and sisters especially Marcia Ford, and his children, and various members of the Burnham family. The legal papers (1837-1893) include case records, a letter book, law diaries and law ledgers. The case records concern real estate in Brooklyn (Ford vs. Sampson) and the bankruptcy of Ellis Bartlett, a New York merchant who assigned his assets to Ford for the purpose of settling with his creditors. The letter book (1851-1852) contains correspondence of Ford & March and Ford & Bliss. The law diaries and ledgers contain notes of work performed, letters received/sent, court appointments, bank balances, and some business and household expenses, and records of actions taken in cases litigated in various courts. The business papers (1839-1891) include insurance papers, accounts, bills & receipts, promissory notes, indentures, pocket-size account books, and other papers in chronological order. The account books (1844-1892) include ledgers reflecting Ford's complex legal and business transactions and accounts with various persons including family members. There are also papers (1869-1871) relative to Ford's collectorship of internal revenue consisting mainly of correspondence with the commissioner of internal revenue at Wash., D. C.; and papers (1863-1869) relative to the Brooklyn Daily Union including correspondence of Ford and Simeon Baldwin Chittenden with the Associated Press and others, articles of agreement and other papers. There are also a few miscellaneous papers including membership certificates, invitations, calling cards and printed ephemera. Ford's certificates of appointment as commissioner of deeds (including one certificate signed by Brigham Young) have been filed in the charter case.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

circa 1902, Received from The family of Gordon L. Ford

Processing information

April 21, 1986, by Julia Todd and John Stinson

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328