Description:

CHARLES J. GLIDDEN AND THE ERIE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMPANY
An important archive of material related to early telephony being the correspondence and documents of Charles J. Glidden in his capacity as Treasurer of the Erie Telegraph and Telephone Company. Glidden (1857-1927) established the first telephone exchange in Lowell, Mass. in 1878 after seeing Alexander Graham Bell's exhibit at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition the previous year. In addition, Glidden is credited with constructing the first long distance telephone line, between Lowell and Boston. This collection concerns the Erie Telephone and Telegraph's formative period from 1883 to 1901 as it expanded from a local telephone concern to a national system, providing service from Massachusetts to Texas and beyond. By 1901 the company would the nation's largest telephone system consisting of 250,000 miles of wire, 145 stations covering eight states and comprising one-sixth of the Bell System. Of great interest are 29 retained A.L.S.'s of CHARLES J. GLIDDEN in which he writes to investors promoting the company as it was expanding across the country. The collection includes seven letters and endorsements by former Union General BENJAMIN S. BUTLER who handled a lawsuit for the company. In addition there are about 300pp. of manuscript and typescript chronicling the growth of Erie including meeting minutes of the board of directors, receipts, letters from other corporate officers, company attorneys, and other documents.
The letters from Glidden date from the very beginning of the Erie Company in 1883 as it sought to expand its business across the country, and read, in very small part: [May 28, 1883]: "...The Northwestern Telephone Co. has a contract for some purposes with the American Bell Co. which expires in about five years. They retain the old contract with the Bell Co. appointing the Northwestern as agents with power to establish exchanges from time to time which the Bell Co. is obliged to give contract upon basis they were giving at the time application was made. They have no right to purchase the property under any circumstances. At the expiration of five years we shall probably take a perpetual contract giving the American Bell Co. certain percentage of our stock. The Southwestern contract runs eight years. At the end of that time, a perpetual contract will be taken out by payment of a certain percentage of our stock to the American Bell Co... [July 27, 1883] "...There is a great prospect for the Erie Company. We have reason to believe that the stock will sell for $75 or $80 per share along in October or November. We advise you to hold on to your stock although we are willing to buy it at $60 1/2 net...[Aug. 30, 1883] "...the Erie...covers the states of Minnesota, part of Wisconsin, the territory of Dakota, Cuyahoga County Ohio, which includes Cleveland, also the States of Arkansas and Texas. There are 7000 subscribers increasing very rapidly... [Sept. 21, 1883] "...We are increasing between 500 and 600 subscribers per month... " [Sept. 17, 1883] "...The official count up to August 1st showed that there were 6,520 subscribers. The number at this writing probably excess 7,000..." [Oct. 8, 1883] "...A dividend of one and one quarter per cent has been declared on the stock of the Erie...We cannot account for the low price of stocks, unless it is on account of the depression of all stocks just now, but we hope for a rally soon...". The collection also includes voluminous notes, including minutes of directors meetings which detail the Erie's corporate expansion; the details of laying poles and wire; dealing with various state and local regulations; the appointment of board members; as well as corporate infighting that culminated in a case that prompted the involvement of BENJAMIN BUTLER in 1886 to 1887. Also included is a good amount of correspondence to the company as well numerous legal documents. In all, the archive presents a revealing window into the workings of the early telephone system and its rapid expansion during the late 19th century. Overall very good condition with the expected folds and some light to moderate toning to some pieces. A very important archive most certainly worthy of further research.

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May 14, 2009 10:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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