ABSTRACT: The William Charles Redfield Letter collection consists of a four page letter that William Charles Redfield wrote to his brother, James Starr Redfield, after a 300-mile steamboat trip on the Mississippi traveling from Dubuque, Iowa to St. Paul, Minnesota.
CREATOR: Redfield, William Charles
DATE: 1856-06-24
SCOPE: The William Charles Redfield Letter collection consists of a four page letter that William Charles Redfield wrote to his brother, James Starr Redfield, after a 300-mile steamboat trip on the Mississippi traveling from Dubuque, Iowa to St. Paul, Minnesota. The letter documents the itinerary of the trip and several side trips of Mr. Redfield and his family. Mr. Redfield also explains to his brother how and when to meet up with him when they begin their journey home. Mr. Redfield discusses the growth of towns along the Mississippi River and his amazement at the success of farming west of Lake Erie
EXTENT: 1 letter
HISTORY: William Charles Redfield was born on March 26, 1789 in Middletown, Connecticut. Mr. Redfield was self-educated in meteorology and the law of storms, specifically directionality of winds in hurricanes, and later received an honorary degree from Yale in 1839. Mount Redfield in Essex County, New York is named for Mr. Redfield after he organized and was a member of the first expedition to Mount Marcy in 1837. Mr. Redfield was also one of the founders and the first President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1848. He became the first American expert on fossil fish. Mr. Redfield died on February 12, 1857 in New York City.
ACCESS: This is collection P-046. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is "From the collections of the Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library at the University of Missouri - St. Louis.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Controlled Access Headings:
Geographic Heading(s)
- Mississippi River--Description and travel
- Dubuque (Iowa)
- St. Paul (Minn.)
Name(s)
- Redfield, James Starr, 1810-1888
- Redfield, William C., 1789-1857
Subject(s)
- Farming--1850-1860
- Steamboats--Mississippi River
