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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Vose, Thomas (1753-1810) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04233 Author/Creator: Vose, Thomas (1753-1810) Place Written: Thomaston, Maine Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 6 June 1789 Pagination: 3 p. : address : docket ; 31.4 x 18.4 cm. Order a Copy

Mentions that he recently arrived in the Waldo patent lands, and has found the people there mostly healthy, though grain is scarce and some people are quite destitute. Reports that Captain [George] Ulmer told him he had written to Knox regarding the discontentedness of the populace, but Vose has not found evidence of that yet. Declares that Isaac Winslow, Jr. and his cousin agreed to lease part of their farm on the patent, and that he would visit his brother in Portland soon to get his consent as well. Discusses his inability to collect enough money from the populace to purchase tools and equipment to get his farm running. In order to avoid a delay, felt it necessary to ask to borrow money from Knox (though he apologizes for the impropriety). Received Knox's note with his consent to borrow the money. Also discusses the payment of taxes on the lands, and his own lack of money. Significant water damage on page three of the document.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Vose, Thomas, 1753-1810
Ulmer, George, 1756-1825
Winslow, Isaac, 1763-1806

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