102: ARCHIVE OF LETTERS, DOCUMENTS INDIAN TERRITORY MAIL RTE

Mr. Harvey Vaile is said to have started a Pony Express type mail delivery, the Star Route from Independence to Santa Fe, as well as North Western Overland Mail Co and stage lines. This lot relates mostly to the latter.

The lot includes letters from Vaile's partner LP Williamson, superintendent of Northwestern Mail Company of Independence, Missouri; receipts to, and from same;

Handwritten letters on letterhead for Northwestern Mail Company dated 1883 in order to pay for mail service through Indian Territory - the auditor of the treasury for the post office department - September 1879; 1870s balance sheet for Northwestern Mail Company;

Letter from Washington DC the 30 March 1878 to Independence Missouri accepting a bid for Dodge City Route, and Fort Elliott, route???? Fairly illegible;


Memorandum of agreement between Harvey Vaile of Independence, Missouri and John R, Miner of Sandusky, Ohio and Stephen W Dorsey of Little Rock, Arkansas, for the purpose of establishing and conducting the business of mail delivery contracting under the following limitations…'' the complete three page document outlines their arrangement, apparently entered into in Washington DC for the purpose of subcontracting mail delivery for the US post office in Western U.S. including Indian Territory.

L. P. Williamson letter on Wright House stationary Dodge City, Kansas, November 4, 1883, discussing selling interest in the stage line; two more letters from Topeka, Kansas, similar subject, 1883;

1878 form letter from US post office department regarding change of schedule desired on mail route number ??? (illegible) with other very faint text and additional hand written text inside from Fort Sill Indian Territory November 4, 1878;

Another Dodge city letter from Williamson, discussing buying and selling interest in the stage line;

Washington DC February 24, 1879 list of promissory (?) notes which Dorsey gave before leaving Bismarck - it includes a list of names and dates, and amounts of money;

Document from Second Assistant, Postmaster General Washington DC, 7 May 1879 to Wm Vaile, ''You are informed that the subcontract from Caldwel to Fort Sill Indian Territory , has been received at the rate of??, illegible, looks to be $31,100;

John R, minor letter, April 21, 1880 Washington DC to William Vaile, dear sir the service on route 33259 Wellington to Medicine Lodge is increased…'';

1878 letter on letterhead of Produce and Grain merchant letterhead to William Vaile, regarding apples and apple cider;

Washington DC December 1880 accounting of Kansas routes Medicine Lodge to Kingman to Wichita , etc.

Five more additional documents from the Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster General, 1878 and 1879 ordering payment for mail routes through Indian Territory and to Nevada.

A good and clearly written letter regarding the murder of a mail carrier by the Sioux Indians in 1854 or 1855 and the compensation of a bounty of land to his widow, Independence, Missouri, November 17, 1858. Another carrier was badly wounded, but miraculously escaped and recovered from his wounds. The male route ran from Independence, Missouri to Salt Lake City, Utah.

A collection of various receipts and documents relating to the affairs of William Vaile.
Photo measures 8 x 10 inches.
Provenance: John Royle Trust and Living Estate, Independence, Missouri.
$50 - $500