US North Andover MA 27 AUG 1836 to Milford ME. 18¾c PAID (150–400 miles). Red No. Andover Aug Mass CDS, day 27 in manuscript, Paid 18¾, wax seal. Stampless FL. Nathaniel Stevens, woollen manufacturer, to Henry Prentiss. Maine timber boom, pine logs, Old Town.

Summary

• Date sent: 27 August 1836 (from the postmark, with the day written in by hand; the letter is dated 25 August 1836)
• Country of origin: United States
• Sent from: North Andover, Massachusetts (Essex County). The letter is headed Andover; North Andover was then part of the town of Andover.
• Sent to: Milford, Maine (Penobscot County)
• Distance: about 210 miles in a straight line, roughly 250 miles by post road
• Philatelic details:
  • Red circular datestamp “No. ANDOVER Aug Mass,” with the day “27” written in by hand over the date slot.
  • Manuscript “Paid 18¾,” the 18¾-cent rate for a single letter sent 150–400 miles under the 1825 rate act, prepaid by the sender.
  • Manuscript notation at the upper left, possibly “3/5 Paid” (reading uncertain), perhaps a postmaster’s account note.
  • Red wax seal remnant.
  • Recipient’s docket “Nath’l Stevens” on the back.
  • Later pencil note “THAT.”
  • Stampless FL.
• Senders: Nathaniel Stevens (1786–1865) of North Andover, written and signed for him by Charles A. Stevens. Nathaniel Stevens founded a woollen mill at North Andover in 1813 and was one of the first American manufacturers of flannel. His business grew into M. T. Stevens & Sons, which lasted into the 20th century. Charles A. Stevens (1816–1892) was his son, and later became a woollen manufacturer at Ware, Massachusetts.
• Receiver: Henry Prentiss Esquire of Milford, Maine, acting as agent or attorney for the Stevens interests in the lumber company.
• Other people named:
  • Isaac J. Stevens, a member of the lumber company, apparently a relative, with creditors pursuing him. He is not Isaac Ingalls Stevens of North Andover, later Governor of Washington Territory, who was then a West Point cadet.
  • Morgan, who had agreed to settle with Prentiss
  • Young & Dellingham (reading tentative; perhaps Dillingham), who had bought logs from the company
  • Otis, who had wagons in his care
  • Bullard; Winslow, an officer, perhaps a deputy sheriff; Wiggin & Frost; and Bartlett
• Historical interest:
  • In 1835 and 1836 the Penobscot Valley saw one of the wildest land and timber booms in American history. Investors from Massachusetts poured money into Maine timberland, and Bangor became the world’s leading lumber port. The boom collapsed in 1836–1837, just before the Panic of 1837, leaving many speculators in debt. This letter, written as the bubble was bursting, shows a Massachusetts mill owner trying to protect his share of a failing lumber partnership.
  • The letter gives timber prices of $7 per thousand board feet for pine and $3.50 for spruce, with logs to be measured when the buyers found them in the river during the spring drive.
  • Stevens worried that his main witness was unreliable and preferred a settlement to “a long and tedious lawsuit.” He argued that the company’s logs could not be seized for one partner’s debts until the company’s own debts were paid. In the postscript he told Prentiss to “replevin” the logs, meaning to sue to recover them, if anyone tried to sell them under an execution.
  • He also asked Prentiss to sell the company’s wagons in the fall, when they were most in demand. The large wagon was valued at $110.
  • Old Town and Milford, facing each other across the Penobscot, were centres of the log drives and sawmills.
• Genealogical interest: The letter places Nathaniel Stevens and Charles A. Stevens at North Andover and Henry Prentiss at Milford, Maine, in August 1836. It names Isaac J. Stevens as a partner in a Maine lumber company.

Transcription

The letter is transcribed with the writer’s original spelling. Abbreviations are written out, and uncertain readings are marked.

Page 1:

Andover August 25th 1836

Henry Prentiss Esquire
Dear Sir Since I left Oldtown I have reflected on the subject of those logs and feel desirous that a settlement should be effected without a lawsuit (as I think we can rely very little upon our principal witness) and again should we not realize more for the logs to take them back and sell them than after a long and tedious lawsuit.
Still I am not without hopes but that Morgan will settle with you as he agreed to — at all events you will not let the logs be sold under any execution against Isaac J. Stevens as the logs belong to the Company and I presume they cannot be sold on account of either member of the Company until the debts of the Company are all paid.
We had some Pine and Spruce logs in the River that Isaac J. S. said he had sold to Young & Dellingham (reading tentative) Pine at $7 & Spruce $3.50 per M — the logs to be measured when they found them in the River — The amount I do not know neither do I know whether it was left with Young & Dellingham to render their own account — which I wish you to see to.
There are one or two wagons &c. I believe left in care of Otis which I wish you to take charge of and sell in the course of the Fall when most wanted. I find the large wagon inventoried at $110.

Page 2:

The demands left in hands of Bullard I presume are in executions in hands of Winslow which he was ordered to pay to Wiggin & Frost but which he will now pay to you when collected and hope you will look sharp to Winslow and see that he does his duty as an Officer.
I did not think to name any thing to you about costs where debts were lost — I have always made arrangements to have no costs charged where debts were totally lost and you will please inform me of your views on the subject.
Please answer this soon as convenient —

Yours with respect
Nath’l Stevens
per Chas. A. Stevens

P.S. — Perhaps you can make some arrangements with Bartlett to take the logs and pay over the Balance or can make him wait and receive his amount from the proceeds of the logs at all events should he attempt to sell them under an execution you will replevin them —
N. S.
per C. A. S.

Address panel:

3/5 Paid (reading uncertain)
Paid 18¾
Henry Prentiss Esquire
Milford
Maine

Docketing (on the back):

Nath’l Stevens

Pencil (later note):

THAT

Notes on terms:

• “Per M” means per thousand board feet.
• “Execution” is a court order allowing property to be seized and sold to pay a debt.
• “Replevin” is a legal action to recover goods wrongfully taken.
• “Per” before a name means the letter was written on the sender’s behalf.