(Letters): Letters from an Inventor trying to Build and Sell their "Improved Harrowed Cultivator"

McDONALD, Thomas E.

Published by New Jersey / New York / Michigan / Ohio, 1868

About this Item

A collection of 43 letters from 1868 written to and from Thomas E. McDonald to investors, salesmen, and his partner David D. Stelle. Most letters are near fine, some have age-toning on the edges of the letters. An archive of letters between the inventor Thomas E. McDonald, his partner David D. Stelle, and various investors and salesmen for their "Improved Harrowed Cultivator". McDonald and Stelle's "Improved Harrowed Cultivator" was patented to both of them in 1867. It combined the three stages of growing corn: planting seeds, harrowing the stalks, and cultivating the corn. The letters are written in 1868 around the New Jersey and New York area, mostly from New Brunswick, New Jersey. However a couple of letters are from Jackson, Michigan and Ohio. Most of the letters are from McDonald to investors hoping that they can help fund the production of the cultivator. He also writes to Nelson Dunham, an associate, about the difficulty in finding investor, "I think I would not create any unnecessary alarm, get posted from Washington first before much is said. I will endeavor to push things as fast as possible". There are letters from various salesmen offering to pitch the cultivator and also including their input on how they'd change the machine if it were theirs. Particularly Johnathan Baker who wrote letter after letter about business meetings and working on the project with McDonald. Baker does not show up for the meeting about the cultivator at first, "Am sorry to be obtund to say they are not here yet, have telephoned to Baker and written to him," but eventually arrives a week later delaying the production of the cultivator. McDonald then begins writing about the expenses and his hope that investors will give money to him so that he may be able to distribute his invention to more places in the United States. After many letters about financial issues, changing designs and parts, and looking for investors; Mcdonald writes happily to Dunham that production has started and the cultivator is now being made. An interesting archive detailing the struggle of an inventor and farmer in 1868. Seller Inventory # 417962

Bibliographic Details

Title: (Letters): Letters from an Inventor trying ...

Publisher: New Jersey / New York / Michigan / Ohio

Publication Date: 1868

Binding: Unbound

Condition: Near Fine