Our Collection

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.

Walker, Benjamin (1753-1818) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.05128 Author/Creator: Walker, Benjamin (1753-1818) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 August 1791 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; 23.8 x 19.3 cm. Order a Copy

Discusses land deals involving Knox, William Duer, and Henry Jackson. States that some days since Royal Flint lodged with him, the terms of agreement for the purchase of Mount Desert were set at 6 pence per acre. 100 dollars is due when executing the agreement along with a quarter of the purchase price when the deeds are executed. The other three quarters will be due 8, 16, and 24 months later. Bonds will be given for the several payments with interest after one year of the execution of the deeds. Notes he will press Duer to send the first payment so the deeds can be executed. Reports that Jackson has acknowledged the $5,760 he sent him for the other purchase. Wants to know if the deeds from that purchase are going to him or Knox. Suggests getting an agent to go to Europe soon as the market will quickly be glutted with land for sale. Docket notes that Knox answered this letter on 2 September.

Walker, Benjamin, 1753-1818
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

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