Col. John W. Kingman Autograph Letter Signed Archive of Three Territorial Wyoming Letters

Kingman, Col. John W.

Published by Wyoming Territory

About this Item

Three autograph letters signed from Col. John W. Kingman, 2 of which are to his son Daniel C. Kingman and the third to his daughter Gracie Kingman. Written on lined bi-fold white paper generally 8" x 10" or slightly smaller; all three letters folded for envelope. Two letters show mild separation at folds. Written in a very legible hand in dark brown or black ink. Two letters on commercial letter stock from the Congress Paper Company ( embossed logos in upper left corner on all three letters) and the third from the Juanita Mills Paper Company. Fun and insightful content from Col. John W. Kingman to his kids. John Kingman was a Colonel in the 15th New Hampshire Infantry. After the war he made his way west where he put out his shingle to practice law in Wyoming Territory. In due time Kingman was appointed associate justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, supported women's suffrage and appointed the first woman ever to be a Justice of the Peace, Esther Hobart Morris in 1870. Kingman's son, Daniel C. Kingman apparently buckled down under his dad's advice (see excerpts of letters below) , entered the United States Military Academy, graduating second in the class of 1875 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He served as an instructor at the Military Academy and as the engineer officer of the Army's Department of the Platte based at Fort Omaha. In 1883, he began the construction of roads and bridges in Yellowstone National Park. Kingman Pass on the Grand Loop Road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris is named for him, (Wikipedia). But in 1869, dad disapproved of son Dan's activities, "I have had hinted to me that there are some young ladies in the way. I certainly hope that is not so! You may find it pleasant and agreeable to dally and flirt with them; but you are sure to find in the end, that like all kinds of dissipation, it is a terribly expensive pleasure!" The next letter finds young Dan enrolled at Dartmouth but cannot attend classes yet. Dad cautions not to spend time with "idlers, loafers, bummers, they will be sure to seek your acquaintance and society, will rob you of your time, will distract your attention, will tempt you to idle and lax habits and will familiarize you with the ways of fashion and folly and extravagance to your lasting injury." Col. Kingman also advises his son to read Plutarch's Lives, Homer and Virgil. The third letter to daughter Gracie turns to legal news and Kingman's growing law practice. "I have been retained in some very heavy mining cases, where there are very large sums at stake and where there will be very hard fighting." Later politics are mentioned. "I am very glad however, to know that the President (Grant) and all the cabinet are satisfied of my integrity & that they have been in the wrong and not I." Hmm--a good nugget for research. The first letter is dated September 11, 1869 from South Pass City. Letter number two from Cheyenne, January 23, 1871 and the third from Laramie City, June 4th, 1873.

Seller Inventory # 017681

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Col. John W. Kingman Autograph Letter Signed Archive of Three Territorial Wyoming Letters
• Publisher: Wyoming Territory
• Binding: Manuscript Letters