Scope and arrangement
Fernando Wood was an American Democratic politician who served as mayor of New York City; United States Representative; and Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th Congress.
This collection consists predominantly of correspondence addressing personal, financial, and political matters. Letters concerning political matters relate both to Wood's tenure as mayor of New York City, and to his term in Congress, and include an 1859 letter from the Clerk of Common Council certifying his mayoral election; a letter from A. Oakey Hall which discusses the two men 'burying the hatchet,' and letters from R. M. Blatchford concerning the operation of Central Park. Other prominent correspondents include judges Charles P. Daly and George Shea; Augustus Schell, A. W. Randall, John T. Hoffman, Hamilton Fish, Royal Phelps, Robert B. Minturn, Jr., and the Archbishop of New York. Also included are miscellaneous autographs and franks, and documents signed by Wood.