Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers (MSS-0005)

Special Collections

Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu

Inventory

Series 1. Personal and professional correspondence, 1876-1926
9.6 cubic feet

This series includes the professional and personal correspondence of Nathaniel Terry Bacon. It has been separated into subseries: correspondence, which includes incoming and outgoing letters, and letterpress books.

Series 1. Subseries 1a. General correspondence, 1876-1926
1.1 cubic feet

The majority of this subseries contains incoming correspondence which is general in content and largely relates to Bacon’s business dealings, railroads, World War I, Belgium and France in the aftermath of World War I, personal correspondence between Bacon and family members, as well as correspondence with a variety of publishers. The subseries also includes outgoing correspondence, however most outgoing correspondence is in letterpress books in subseries 1b. Correspondents in this subseries include: Josephine Dodge (Daskam) Bacon; Rhode Island Senator Le Baron B. Colt; founder of St. George’s School, John B. Diman; Brown University President William H.P. Faunce; economist Irving Fisher; Rhode Island Senator Peter G. Gerry; Maine Senator Frederick Hale; Caroline Hazard; Rowland Hazard (1829-1898); Rowland G. Hazard (1858-1918); Alabama Senator J. Thomas Heflin; Dorothy H.W. Hunt; Utah Senator William H. King; Alfred A. Knopf; Irving Langmuir; Walter Leaf; Rhode Island Senator Henry F. Lippitt; Connecticut Senator George P. McLean; John A. Scott; Florida Representative William J. Sears; Kentucky Representative Swagar Sherley; Utah Senator Reed Smoot; Rhode Island Representative Walter R. Stiness; Arthur Travers-Borgström; John Trowbridge; Alabama Senator Oscar W. Underwood; National City Bank of NY President Frank A. Vanderlip; Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Walter N. Vincent; Mathilde Weil; and Willis R. Whitney. The subseries is arranged, for the most part, alphabetically by correspondent. The correspondence from representatives of governmental agencies or businesses is filed under the name of the agency or business. The outgoing correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Container	Description	Date
Box 1, Folders 1-4	Outgoing correspondence (arranged chronologically)	1876-1925
Box 1, Folder 5	Incoming correspondence: A – American Highway	1907-1925
Box 1, Folder 6	Incoming correspondence: American Institute	1922-1925
Box 1, Folder 7	Incoming correspondence: American Relieve – Av	1916-1925
Box 1, Folder 8	Incoming correspondence: Bacon, B.S.	1902-1925
Box 1, Folder 9	Incoming correspondence: Bad – Bat	1882-1925
Box 1, Folder 10	Incoming correspondence: Be – Bu	1902-1925
Box 1, Folder 11	Incoming correspondence: Ca – Ch (some correspondence is in French)	1903-1925
Box 1, Folder 12	Incoming correspondence: Ci – Cl	1904-1926
Box 1, Folder 13	Incoming correspondence: Coats – Collins, C.A.	1917-1924
Box 1, Folder 14	Incoming correspondence: Colo – Com (some correspondence is in French)	1902-1922
Box 1, Folder 15	Incoming correspondence: Con – Cu (some correspondence is in French)	1906-1925
Box 1, Folder 16	Incoming correspondence: Da – Du	1901-1925
Box 1, Folder 17	Incoming correspondence: Du	1924-1925
Box 1, Folder 18	Incoming correspondence: E	1914-1925
Box 1, Folder 19	Incoming correspondence: Fa – Fir (some correspondence is in French)	1915-1925
Box 1, Folder 20	Incoming correspondence: Fisher, Irving	1900-1925
Box 1, Folder 21	Incoming correspondence: Fit – Fy	1914-1924
Box 1, Folder 22	Incoming correspondence: Ga – Go	1892-1925
Box 1, Folder 23	Incoming correspondence: Gr – Gu	1906-1925
Box 1, Folder 24	Incoming correspondence: Hai – Hay	1914-1925
Box 1, Folder 25	Incoming correspondence: Hazard, A-T	1892-1925
Box 1, Folders 26-27	Incoming correspondence: Hazard, Rowland (b. 1829-d. 1898)	undated, 1891-1895
Box 1, Folders 28-34	Incoming correspondence: Hazard, Rowland G. (b. 1858-d. 1918)	undated, 1891-1917
Box 1, Folder 35	Incoming correspondence: He – Hu	1902-1925
Box 1, Folder 36	Incoming correspondence: I	1916-1925
Box 1, Folder 37	Incoming correspondence: J (some correspondence is in French and German)	1903-1925
Box 1, Folder 38	Incoming correspondence: Ka – Ki (some correspondence is in German)	1896-1925
Box 1, Folder 39	Incoming correspondence: Kn – Ku (some correspondence is in French)	undated, 1912-1924
Box 1, Folder 40	Incoming correspondence: L (some correspondence is in French)	1907-1925
Box 1, Folder 41	Incoming correspondence: Ma (some correspondence is in French)	1892-1925
Box 1, Folder 42	Incoming correspondence: Me – Mu (some correspondence is in French)	1901-1925
Box 1, Folder 43	Incoming correspondence: N	1902-1925
Box 1, Folder 44	Incoming correspondence: O – Pa (some correspondence is in French)	1907-1925
Box 1, Folder 45	Incoming correspondence: Pe – Q (some correspondence is in French)	1907-1925
Box 1, Folder 46	Incoming correspondence: R (some correspondence is in French)	1894-1925
Box 1, Folder 47	Incoming correspondence: Sa – Sc	1908-1925
Box 1, Folder 48	Incoming correspondence: Se – Sm (some correspondence is in French)	1904-1925
Box 1, Folder 49	Incoming correspondence: So (most correspondence is in French)	1895-1925
Box 2, Folder 1	Incoming correspondence: Sp – St (some correspondence is in French and German)	1915-1925
Box 2, Folder 2	Incoming correspondence: Sw (most correspondence is in French)	1912-1925
Box 2, Folder 3	Incoming correspondence: T	1907-1925
Box 2, Folder 4	Incoming correspondence: U – V (some correspondence is in French)	1910-1925
Box 2, Folder 5	Incoming correspondence: Wa – Wh	1906-1925
Box 2, Folder 6	Incoming correspondence: Wi – Wy	1895-1925
Box 2, Folder 7	Incoming correspondence: Y – Z	1901-1925
Box 2, Folder 8	Other incoming correspondence (some correspondence is in French)	1896-1925

Series 1. Subseries 1b. Letterpress books, 1885-1926
8.5 cubic feet

The letterpress books contain copies of Bacon’s outgoing correspondence. The books are arranged chronologically, with some subject arrangement within the books. Some of the books also include an index. Subjects of the outgoing correspondence relate to Bacon’s business interests and financial information regarding the Solvay Process Company, Southern Realty Company, and Belanger’s Incorporated. Other matters in the books include general business, personal matters, draft publications, economics, and World War I.

Container	Description	Date
Box 3, Item 1	General outgoing correspondence	1885-1900
Box 4, Items 1-2	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence (2 ledgers)	1886-1890
Box 5, Item 1	General outgoing correspondence	1888-1901
Box 5, Item 2	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1891
Box 6	General outgoing correspondence	1891-1893
Box 7	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1895-1896
Box 8	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1896-1900
Box 9, Item 1	General outgoing correspondence	1896-1904
Box 9, Item 2	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1896-1905
Box 10	General correspondence; Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1901-1903
Box 11	Solvay Process Company and general outgoing correspondence	1901-1905
Box 9, Item 3	General outgoing correspondence	1902
Box 12	Belanger’s Incorporated and general outgoing correspondence	1903-1905
Box 9, Item 4	General outgoing correspondence	1905
Box 13	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1905-1908
Box 14	Belanger’s Incorporated, Southern Realty, and general outgoing correspondence	1906-1908
Box 15	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1907-1909
Box 9, Item 5	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1909
Box 9, Item 6	Belanger’s Incorporated and Southern Realty outgoing correspondence	1909-1911
Box 16	Belanger’s Incorporated and Southern Realty outgoing correspondence	1909-1912
Box 17	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1909-1912
Box 18	Solvay Process Company outgoing correspondence	1909-1914
Box 19	Southern Realty Company outgoing correspondence	1910-1913
Box 9, Item 7	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1911-1912
Box 9, Item 8	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1912-1914
Box 20	General outgoing correspondence	1912-1915
Box 21	Southern Realty Company and general outgoing correspondence	1913-1914
Box 22	Belanger’s Incorporated outgoing correspondence	1913-1916
Box 23	Solvay Process Company and general outgoing correspondence	1914-1919
Box 24	Phoenix Linen Company and general outgoing correspondence	1915-1918
Box 25	Southern Realty Company outgoing correspondence	1915-1920
Box 26	Phoenix Linen Company outgoing correspondence	1915-1921
Box 27	Belanger’s Incorporated and general outgoing correspondence	1917-1925
Box 28	Sea View Railroad and general outgoing correspondence	1918-1921
Box 29	Solvay Process Company and general outgoing correspondence	1920-1923
Box 30	General outgoing correspondence	1925-1926

Series 2. Financial papers, 1893-1925
2.3 cubic feet

This series includes correspondence pertaining to banking transactions, bank statements, check books, income tax returns, and investments.

Series 2. Subseries 2a. Banking correspondence, 1893-1925
0.9 cubic feet

This subseries is arranged alphabetically.

Container	Description	Date
Box 2, Folder 9	American Exchange National Bank	1920-1922
Box 2, Folder 10	American Exchange National Bank	1923
Box 2, Folder 11	American Exchange National Bank	1913-1925
Box 2, Folder 12	Bank of General and South America; Birmingham: Buffalo	1898, 1922-1925
Box 2, Folder 13	Dominick Bros. & Co. Federal Land Bank	1896-1924
Box 2, Folder 14	Green, Hinckley & Allen: Counsellors-at-Law	1914-1922
Box 2, Folder 15	Hinckley	1913, 1923
Box 2, Folder 16	Hinckley	1923 August-December
Box 2, Folder 17	Hinckley	1924-1925
Box 2, Folder 18	Hinckley-Keeder, Peabody & Co.	1901-1925
Box 2, Folders 19-22	Merchants National Bank	1893-1924
Box 2, Folder 23	Merchants National Bank; Old Colony Trust Company (includes items in French)	1922-1925
Box 2, Folders 24-26	Old Colony Trust Company	1925
Box 2, Folder 27	Providence Institution; Rhode Island Hospital Trust	1896-1924
Box 2, Folders 28-38	Rhode Island Hospital Trust	1897-1925
Box 2, Folder 39	The Savings Bank; The Selma National Bank	1903, 1914-1925
Box 2, Folders 40-41	Société Générale (includes items in French)	1902-1904
Box 2, Folder 42	State National Bank of Boston; Syracuse Trust Co.	1903-1921
Box 2, Folder 43	Thames National Bank; New Haven Co.; Van Kleeck Co.	1901-1925
Box 2, Folder 44	Wakefield Trust Company	1903-1925

Series 2. Subseries 2b. Bank statements, check books, and income tax returns, circa 1909-1925
0.7 cubic feet

This subseries contains bank statements, check books, and income tax returns. It is arranged chronologically by type of record.

Container	Description	Date
Box 31, Folders 1-10	Bank statements	1920-1925
Box 31, Folders 11-20	Check books	1909-1922
Box 31, Folders 21-25	Income tax returns	undated, 1913-1924

Series 2. Subseries 2c. Investments, 1900-1925
0.7 cubic feet

Container	Description	Date
Box 31, Folder 26	Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation	1923-1925
Box 31, Folder 27	Atlantic Fruit Company	1913-1924
Box 31, Folder 28	Bartica Company; By-Product Coke Corporation	1906-1916
Box 31, Folder 29	By-Product Coke Corporation	1917-1924
Box 31, Folder 30	Commonwealth power Co.- General Electric Co.	1921, 1924-1925
Box 31, Folder 31	Illinois Central Railroad Co.; Index Visible, Inc.	1918-1924
Box 32, Folder 1	Ironation Solvay Coke Co.; Kansas Chemical Manufacturing Co.	1912-1924
Box 32, Folders 2-3	Lawas	undated, 1910-1925
Box 32, Folder 4	Manhattan Rubber MFG [Manufacturing] Co.	1910-1925
Box 32, Folder 5	Narragansett Railroad; Nashville Industrial	1917-1924
Box 32, Folder 6	Business: Yale, Kardex Institute	1925
Box 32, Folder 7	Semet-Solvay Company	1911-1921
Box 32, Folder 8	Solvay Cie.-Solvay Process	1900-1908
Box 32, Folders 9-10	Solvay Process	1909-1922
Box 32, Folder 11	Solvay Securities	1907-1925
Box 32, Folder 12	Transportation of Saturated Bring From Tully to Syracuse	1907-1912
Box 32, Folder 13	The Utah Salduro Company	1918-1925
Box 32, Folders 14-16	Wisner Manufacturing Co.	undated, 1915-1924
Box 32, Folder 17	Investments/Checks	1911-1925

Series 3. Philanthropic papers, 1907-1926
0.05 cubic feet

The philanthropic papers in this collection consist of correspondence relating to Nathaniel Terry Bacon’s charitable contributions. This series is arranged alphabetically.

Container	Description	Date
Box 32, Folder 18	Indian Rights Association	1907-1926
Box 32, Folders 19-22	Near East Relief	undated, 1921-1925
Box 32, Folder 23	Newport Association; Women of the Orient	1907-1923

Series 4. Writings, undated, 1887-1925
0.45 cubic feet

The writings series consists of essays, journals, and newspaper articles written by Bacon and others, as well as letters to editors. The series bas been arranged into three subseries: Manuscripts, Printed and Collected. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by title or topic.

Series 4. Subseries 4a. Manuscripts, undated, 1898-1924
0.25 cubic feet

Container	Description	Date
Box 32, Folder 24	“American international indebtedness”	undated, 1900
Box 32, Folder 25	“An attempt at the 1st book of the Iliad…”	undated
Box 32, Folder 26	Early British architecture	undated
Box 32, Folder 27	Economics	undated
Box 32, Folder 28	Fragments of writings: Chemistry, History: Self-Determination	undated
Box 32, Folder 29	“Kultur”	1915
Box 32, Folder 30	“Memorandum on Sachuest property”	1914
Box 32, Folder 31	“Neglected aspects of war”	1918
Box 32, Folder 32	“On combustion”	1912-1913
Box 32, Folder 33	“Our insular questions”	undated
Box 32, Folder 34	“Our peace negotiations”	undated
Box 32, Folder 35	Owens Lake	undated
Box 32, Folder 36	“Peace proposal”	1918
Box 32, Folder 37	Physics: “The Limits of Individuality,” Self-Discoveries	undated, 1920
Box 32, Folder 38	“The point of evolution”	1914-1915
Box 32, Folder 39	“Probably effects of the outcome of the war on business in the US”	1916
Box 32, Folder 40	“Proposal for reorganizing the League of Nations”	1923
Box 32, Folder 41	“A proposal for stabilizing the dollar”	undated, 1920
Box 32, Folder 42	“Reparation”	1920
Box 32, Folder 43	“The Russian Railway Syndicate”	1904
Box 32, Folder 44	“Side-lights on history from tribal names”	undated, 1921
Box 32, Folders 45-46	“Thermodynamics” includes blueprints	undated
Box 32, Folder 47	Travel: Sailing Experience through countries	undated
Box 32, Folder 48	“Traveler’s scraped no. 1” (recollection of Nathaniel Terry Bacon while in Europe)	1924
Box 32, Folder 49	“Unforeseen tendencies of democracy”	1898
Box 32, Folder 50	Vapor Pressure [removed from correspondence of H.K. Moore]	1922
Box 32, Folder 51	“Vapor tensions at low temperature”	1922
Box 32, Folder 52	“What shall we do with the Philippines?”	1913
Box 32, Folder 53	Other: Machine inventions, letters relating to jobs/employment	undated, 1910-1919

Series 4. Subseries 4b. Printed, undated, 1900-1925
0.1 cubic feet

Container	Description	Date
Box 32, Folder 54	Clippings of newspaper articles written by Bacon and others	1900-1925
Box 32, Folder 55	A discussion on the vapor pressure theory	1917
Box 32, Folder 56	Hector as a poetic creator	1923
Box 32, Folder 57	Of the phenomena observed in Crookes’ tubes	1906
Box 32, Folder 58	On the mechanical processes of combination	1913
Box 32, Folder 59	Some new hypotheses as to different states of matter	1919
Box 32, Folder 60	Some insular questions	1901
Box 32, Folder 61	Stabilizing production by means and reserves	1924
Box 32, Folder 62	Suggestions for uniform rate regulation	1908
Box 32, Folder 63	Why the US is not yet a creditor nation [xerographic copies]	undated

Series 4. Subseries 4c. Collected, 1887-1923
0.1 cubic feet

Container	Description	Date
Box 42, Folders 19-20	Irving Fisher leaflets	undated, 1912-1923
Box 42, Folder 21	Leaflet: La Croisade Des Femmes Françaises: The German law of the 22nd of July 1913, concerning Imperial and State nationality, permits a German to become naturalised in another country without losing hit original nationality	undated
Box 42, Folder 22	Leonard W. Bacon poem: “In the Region of Death”	1887
Box 42, Folder 23	London Times. Latin Treasure Trove	1887
Box 42, Folder 24	The Rhode Island Company. John J. Orr v The Rhode Island Company	1919
Box 42, Folder 25	Arthur Travers-Borgström, “The Monetary Unit” (draft with edits)	undated
Box 42, Folder 26	Walter H. Stevens v Union Railroad Company	1904

Series 5. Personal papers, circa 1825-1927
2.7 cubic feet

The personal papers in the collection contain family wills and estate information, death notices, calling cards, travel information, Bacon’s patents, newspaper clippings regarding a variety of subjects, and photographs.

Container	Description	Date
Box 32, Folder 64	Bridge Syndicate Agreement	1905
Box 32, Folder 65	By-law of the Otto Werdmueller Family Institution	1889
Box 32, Folder 66	Calling cards	undated
Box 32, Folder 67	Newspaper clippings regarding the death of Rev. Dr. Leonard W. Bacon [Xerographic copies of originals]	1907
Box 32, Folder 68	Estate of Nathanial Terry Bacon	1926-1927
Box 32, Folder 69	Flyers from various activities and travels (includes some in French)	circa 1904-1924
Box 32, Folder 70	Note regarding publications and travels (includes some in French)	undated, 1919
Box 32, Folder 71	Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge Company record book of Executive Committee	1868-1892
Box 32, Folder 72	Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge Company record book	1868-1892
Box 33, Folder 1	Inventory of the furnishing and items in “The Acorns”	undated
Box 33, Folder 2	Elizabeth King autograph book (signatories included a poem along with their name and usually where they were from)	circa 1825-1830
Box 33, Folder 3	Letter regarding death of Nathaniel Bacon	1926
Box 33, Folder 4	Letters to Bacon family members	undated, 1898
Box 33, Folder 5	Purchase agreements: Bacon’s sale of Sea View Railroad property; Purchase of personal property from Julius Holgate	1920, 1922
Box 33, Folder 6	Travel notebook	undated
Box 33, Folder 7	Surveys of Acorns property	undated
Box 33, Folder 8	Fort Clinton field book	1905
Box 33, Folder 9	Calendar books	1923-1924
Box 33, Folder 10	Passports: Traveling from Paris to Russia, Nicaragua passport [in Spanish]	1902-1903, 1925
Box 33, Folders 11-13	Patents	undated, 1911-1924
Box 43, Folder 1	Patent diagrams	undated, 1917
Box 32, Folder 14	Physical exams of Nathaniel Terry Bacon	undated, 1918-1920
Box 34, Folder 1	Newspaper clippings scrapbook: Reviews of articles written	circa 1902
Box 34, Folder 2	Newspaper clippings scrapbook: Municipal reform activities	circa 1894
Box 32, Folders 15-16	Newspaper clippings scrapbooks: World War I	undated, 1917-1918
Box 45	Newspaper clippings mostly about geo-politics [Note: Digitized and only available electronically]	circa 1890-1920
Box 35	Seaview Railroad: Account books; Report to Public Utilities Commission	undated, 1909, 1920
Oversize Folder 1	Narraganset Pier Railroad timetables: USGS charts; U.S. Potash claims; Map of Greece; Diagram patents; Map of Utah Salduro Co. claims	1897-1926
Box 33, Folder 17	Susan Bacon papers: Travel correspondence; American Fund for French Wounded; Personal correspondence	undated, 1911-1918
Box 33, Folder 18	US Spruce Production vs Hazard Family, et al.	1926
Box 33, Folder 19	Will of Katharine Bacon Fyffe	1909-1924
Box 33, Folder 20	Will of Nathaniel Bacon	1848
Box 44	Name stamps, wallet, religious iconography on ornament, Phillips Brooks poem (part of Good Motto Cards)	undated
Box 42, Folders 10-13	Family photographs: San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura, California, Hazard family home in California, portraits of family members, Josie Zurmuhler	circa 1887-1900
Box 42, Folder 14	Photographs: Includes images removed from data books in subseries 6d and 6e and correspondence in series 2; Hazard and Bacon family portraits (some captions are in French). General Note: One nitrate negative of Maison Carree, Nimes, France was permanently removed in 2022, digitized, and destroyed. It is only accessible electronically	undated, 1894-1923
Box 43, Folder 2	Portrait of Nathaniel Terry Bacon	1910
Box 42, Folder 15	Photographs: Near East Relief	undated
Box 42, Folder 16	Photographs: South American petroglyphs	circa 1914
Box 42, Folder 17	Photographs: Bluefields, Nicaragua—people, scenery, logging	circa 1910-1914
Box 42, Folder 18	Postcards	undated
Box 44	Card catalog	undated

Series 6. Business papers, 1865-1925
5.7 cubic feet

Series 6. Subseries 6a. Bacon Tract records, 1865-1925
0.4 cubic feet

The Bacon Tract consisted of twenty-five houses in the town of Geddes, near Syracuse, New York, which Bacon purchased then rented or mortgaged as an attempt to provide low-cost housing for men working in the Solvay factory.

This subseries consists of correspondence, financial papers, and legal papers all relating to the Bacon Tracts. The financial papers include receipt records for each piece of property, as well as payment records for individual tenants. The subseries also includes deeds and outstanding mortgages.

Container	Description	Date
Box 33, Folders 21-31	Correspondence	1909-1925
Box 33, Folders 32-42	Financial records and receipts	1901-1920
Box 36, Folder 1	Deed lists	undated
Box 36, Folders 2-3	Deeds	1865-1923
Box 36, Folder 4	Mortgage lists	undated

Series 6. Subseries 6b. Belanger’s Incorporated records, 1909-1925
0.4 cubic feet

Belanger’s Incorporated operated a logging concern in Bluefields, Nicaragua. It was one of several inter-related logging and shipping businesses operated in Central America by bankers Neil and Arthur Lawder. Bacon began his association with Belanger’s during a trip to Central America in 1902, soon after becoming a director of the company. In 1916, Bacon incorporated the Schooner Cay Company to operate a sawmill on Belanger’s property in Bluefields. The principal products of these companies were mahogany logs and lumber by-products.

The subseries consists of correspondence, photographs, contracts between Bacon and Belanger, timber contracts, financial statements, and records of the Schooner Cay Company. The correspondence, which is arranged alphabetically, pertains to Bacon’s association with the company, as well as letters from company officials and Arthur Lawder, documenting his financial involvement. Also described in the correspondence are the effects on local business of the 1909-1919 revolution in Nicaragua.

Container	Description	Date
Box 36, Folder 5	Correspondence: A	1916-1917
Box 36, Folders 6-9	Correspondence: Belanger’s	1917-1922
Box 36, Folder 10	Correspondence: Bi – C	1916-1922
Box 36, Folder 11	Correspondence: D – Lam	1916
Box 36, Folders 12-15	Correspondence: Lawder	1920-1923
Box 36, Folder 16	Correspondence: Lawder – Li	1924-1925
Box 36, Folder 17	Correspondence: M – T	1916-1918
Box 36, Folder 18	Correspondence: U – Z	1916-1922
Box 36, Folder 19	Contracts between Bacon and Belanger	1909-1914
Box 36, Folder 20	Financial statements and timber contracts	1914-1924
Box 36, Folder 21	Schooner Cay Company	1916-1919

Series 6. Subseries 6c. Phoenix Linen Company records, 1915-1920
0.3 cubic feet

Phoenix Linen Company operated a textile mill in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, producing cotton and linen textiles. Bacon became a member of the Board of Directors of the company around 1915 at the request of his son-in-law’s father, Herbert Keith. Keith was a company officer at the time. At the time of Bacon’s joining, the company was in receivership and Bacon attempted to assist its officers in a financial reorganization plan; however, the plan failed and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1919.

This subseries consists of correspondence (arranged alphabetically), which includes letters from the company president, Robert Simpson. The subseries also includes financial statements and notes, contracts and agreements, as well as lists of stockholders (arranged alphabetically).

Container	Description	Date
Box 36, Folder 22	Outgoing correspondence	1920
Box 36, Folder 23	Correspondence: A – D	1916-1920
Box 36, Folder 24	Correspondence: E – L	1917-1920
Box 36, Folder 25	Correspondence: M – McCampbell	1917-1920
Box 36, Folder 26	Correspondence: McCampbell – Sh	1915-1920
Box 36, Folders 27-29	Correspondence: Robert Simpson	1912-1919
Box 36, Folder 30	Correspondence: Sm – V	1916-1919
Box 36, Folder 31	Correspondence: W – Z	1916-1920
Box 36, Folder 32	Checks and expenses	circa 1919-1920
Box 36, Folder 33	Financial statements	1917-1919
Box 36, Folder 34	Agreements and contracts	1915-1919
Box 36, Folder 35	Stockholders’ meetings	1915-1918
Box 36, Folders 36-39	Stockholders’ lists	circa 1915-1919
Box 36, Folder 40	Bankruptcy sale catalog	1919
Box 36, Folder 41	Inventories of furniture and machinery/equipment	circa 1917-1919
Box 36, Folder 42	Correspondence, notes, and court filings	circa 1916-1919
Box 36, Folder 43	Notebook	1915-1917

Series 6. Subseries 6d. Solvay Process Company records, 1868-1924
2.2 cubic feet

The Solvay Process Company, incorporated June 11, 1881 by Rowland Hazard, introduced to the United States a patented process for producing alkali from salt, coke, and limestone which would provide the growing chemical industry with a cheap and plentiful source of soda ash and caustic soda. The American patent on the Solvay process was extended to Hazard by two Belgian brothers, Ernest and Alfred Solvay. Rowland Hazard became president of the Solvay Process Company, which located its primary plant in Syracuse, New York. After his death in 1898, he was succeeded by his son, Frederick R. Hazard, who held office until his death in 1917. The Solvay Process Co. expanded to include five additional plants, and gave rise to several subsidiary companies, including the Semet-Solvay Company, formed in 1894, and the By-Products Coke Company, which began production in 1906. In 1920, five chemical companies, including the Solvay Process Co. and the Semet-Solvay Co. were incorporated to form the Allied Chemic and Dye Corporation. Bacon’s association with the Solvay Process Company began in 1884 when he travelled to the Solvay plant in Dombasle, France, with Rowland G. and Frederick Hazard to study manufacturing techniques. For the next fifteen years he travelled extensively throughout Europe reporting on the developments in the industry, functioning as a “presidential assistant for foreign affairs” to Rowland and later Frederick Hazard. In addition to serving in this capacity, Bacon also compiled monthly production reports on ash and caustic soda produced at the Syracuse and Detroit Solvay plants. After the incorporation of the Allied Chemical and Dye Corp., many Solvay employees were gradually “retired”; Bacon, however, continued to prepare monthly reports until November 1924 when he was released from the company.

This subseries consists of correspondence, data books, laboratory reports, printed materials, and other items relating to the Solvay Process Company. The subseries also includes oversize folders of diagrams, production tables, and blueprints, as well as photographs that document the construction of the Detroit plant and the Ensley, Alabama plant. The correspondence (arranged alphabetically) pertains to Bacon’s activities with the company. (The correspondence from Rowland Hazard and Rowland Gibson Hazard was removed when the collection was initially arranged in 1968 and placed in Bacon’s general correspondence—Series 1). There is extensive correspondence with company president, E.D. Winkworth as well as with his successor, Proctor Malin. The data books (arranged chronologically) contain Bacon’s reports on production techniques used in Solvay factories in England, France, and Germany, and analyses of factory productions at the various American Solvay process plants. Additional production reports are included with the correspondence in the letter-press books. The laboratory reports include ash and caustic soda reports prepared by Bacon, a report on the production of ammonia and soda, and reports from Solvay Process Co. plants in Syracuse and Detroit. Solvay-Werke in Germany, and Solvay & Cie. in France. The print material includes Frederick Hazard’s report to his staff. Also included are Bacon’s contracts with the company and a typescript report with photographs of living conditions of Solvay employees earning less than 25 cents, which was prepared by the Solvay Guild in 1913.

Container	Description	Date
Box 36, Folder 44	Correspondence: A	1899-1914
Box 36, Folder 45	Correspondence: B – Bingham	1908-1922
Box 36, Folder 46	Correspondence: Bingham	1919-1921
Box 36, Folder 47	Correspondence: Bl – Bu (includes correspondence in French)	1896-1920
Box 36, Folder 48	Correspondence: C – Cla	1898-1921
Box 36, Folder 49	Correspondence: Clu – Cz	1908-1923
Box 36, Folder 50	Correspondence: D – E	1904-1920
Box 36, Folder 51	Correspondence: F	1897-1917
Box 36, Folder 52	Correspondence: G	1894-1921
Box 37, Folder 1	Correspondence: Han – Hazard, Frederick	1895-1910
Box 37, Folders 2-4	Correspondence: Hazard, Frederick	1911-1917
Box 37, Folder 5	Correspondence: Hazard, I.P. – Hi	1909-1920
Box 37, Folder 6	Correspondence: Ho – Hughes	1908-1919
Box 37, Folder 7	Correspondence: Hughes	1920-1921
Box 37, Folder 8	Correspondence: J (includes correspondence in German)	1899-1922
Box 37, Folder 9	Correspondence: K – L (includes correspondence in German)	1902-1922
Box 37, Folder 10	Correspondence: M – P (includes correspondence in German)	1906-1924
Box 37, Folders 11-17	Correspondence: Solvay & Cie.	1895-1914
Box 37, Folder 18	Correspondence: Su – Winkworth, E.D.	1922
Box 37, Folders 19-21	Correspondence: Winkworth, E.D.	1922-1924
Box 37, Folders 22-27	Data books	1885-1899
Box 37, Folder 28	Data book	1895-1896
Box 37, Folders 29-31	Data books	1896-1897
Box 37, Folder 32	Data book	1896-1899
Box 37, Folder 33	Data book	1896-1902
Box 37, Folder 34	Data book	1897
Box 37, Folder 35	Data book	1897-1899
Box 38, Folder 1	Data book	1897-1899
Box 38, Folder 2	Data books	1899
Box 38, Folder 3	Data book	1899-1901
Box 38, Folder 4	Data book, includes photographs taken at Detroit plant	1902
Box 38, Folders 5-7	Data books	1902
Box 38, Folder 8	Data books	1902-1905
Box 38, Folder 9	Data book	1906
Box 38, Folders 10-11	Data books	1906-1907
Box 38, Folder 12	Data book	1907-1909
Box 38, Folder 13	Data book	1907-1912
Box 38, Folder 14	Data book	1909
Box 38, Folder 15	Data book	1911-1913
Box 38, Folder 16	Data book	1912-1917
Box 38, Folder 17	Data book	1912-1920
Box 38, Folder 18	Data book	1917-1920
Box 38, Folder 19	Data book	1921-1924
Box 38, Folder 20	Data book	undated
Box 43, Folder 3	Data books	circa 1913-1920
Box 39, Folders 1-3	Laboratory report: Ammonia soda	1911
Box 39, Folder 4	Laboratory report: Ash, caustic	1913-1922
Box 39, Folder 5	Report notes	circa 1901-1922
Box 39, Folder 6	Laboratory reports, notes, water data, inventories, “The condition in which Ammonia is contained in crude bicarb,” testing notes, evaporation of caustic soda (includes materials in French)	1897-1911
Box 39, Folder 7	Laboratory reports testing notes, results, “Detailed report on the Moline Quarry property at Moline, Kansas,” “Note on Limekilns,” Jamesville and Moline Quarry expense reports, inventories (includes materials in French and German)	1912-1919
Box 39, Folder 8	Laboratory reports: “Consistency of milk of lime titre and its bearing on distiller scaling” by CS Lykes; “Distiller scale investigation preliminary report” by DA Morton; testing reports	1920
Box 39, Folder 9	Laboratory reports: “Preliminary report on distiller scale investigation” by S. Boyer; Formation of basic scale in the distiller” by CK MacFetridge; Low pressure distillation preliminary observation	1921
Box 39, Folder 10	Laboratory reports: Acid titre in crude brine test results; “Action of fused soda ash on calcium carbonate” by CT Patterson; “Solution of quartz in ammonium hydrate at 197 degrees Celsius” by NT Bacon; Data charts	1922
Box 39, Folder 11	Laboratory reports: Data charts, notes	undated
Box 39, Folder 12	Frederick Hazard remarks addressed to the members of the staff of the Semet-Solvay Company and the Solvay Process Company, at a joint meeting on October 27, 1914, in the Guild Hall, Solvay, NY	1914
Box 39, Folder 13	Frederick Hazard remarks addressed to the members of the staff of the Semet-Solvay Company, the Solvay Process Company, and allied companies at a joint meeting on October 27, 1915, in the Guild Hall, Solvay, NY	1915
Box 39, Folder 14	Frederick Hazard remarks addressed to joint meeting of representatives of the Solvay Process Company, the Semet-Solvay Company, and the associated companies following the superintendents’ meeting at the Guild Hall, September 27, 1916	1916
Box 39, Folder 15	Superintendent meeting reports, general discussion papers	undated, 1916
Box 39, Folder 16	Blueprints	undated, 1916-1919
Box 39, Folder 17	Contracts	1889, 1910
Box 39, Folder 18	Meeting of Solvay employees: List of attendees, menu	1921
Box 39, Folder 19	Extract from “The Sherman Law”; Location of Salt Wells; Advertisement	undated, 1868, 1896
Box 39, Folder 20	Solvay Guild House Survey: Survey on the conditions of housing for Solvay employees, Detroit (includes photographs of houses and employees)	1913
Box 39, Folder 21	Photographs: Ensley Solvay plant construction, and people	1897
Box 39, Folders 22-24	Photographs: Detroit Solvay plant constructions, photo numbers 49-136 (incomplete)	1896
Box 39, Folders 25-27	Photographs: Detroit Solvay plant constructions, photo numbers 138-223 (incomplete)	1896
Box 39, Folders 28-30	Photographs: Detroit Solvay plant constructions, photo numbers 224-310 (incomplete)	1897
Oversize Folder 2	Solvay Process Co. charts and statistics of Syracuse and Detroit plants	1888-1924
Oversize Folder 3	Solvay Process Co. charts and statistics of foreign plants	1900-1923
Oversize Folder 4	Solvay Process Co. diagrams and blueprints of equipment	undated, 1897-1912
Oversize Folder 5	Solvay Process Co. diagrams, testing charts, and blueprints	undated, 1912-1920

Series 6. Subseries 6e. Southern Realty Company records; 1899-1925, 1899-1925
1.8 cubic feet

Southern Realty Company, originally incorporated December 7, 1900 as Southern Realty Company of Maine, was purchased by Nathaniel Bacon and F.J. Agate of Autauga, Alabama and incorporated December 19, 1908. The company was organized to buy, develop, lease, and sell working farms and agricultural properties, including ginning, pressing, grinding, sowing, and dairying. Bacon was principal stockholder in the corporation and served as its president. The corporation operated the 1500-acre Peace Plantation in Autauga County, Alabama from 1900-1921. It was farmed by tenants who were given the option to purchase the land they cultivated. Unable to find a market for its cotton crop during the post-war economy, the corporation filed for dissolution on January 21, 1921.

This subseries consists of correspondence, financial papers, legal papers, manager’s reports, and weekly plantation reports. The correspondence includes both outgoing and incoming letters, and the financial papers include balance sheets, bank statements, and audits. The legal papers in this subseries consist of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Dissolution Agreement, as well as deeds, mortgages, indentures, and materials relating to stockholders and minutes of stockholders’ meetings. The manager’s reports were filed by P.M. Greene and chronicle the daily operations of the plantation and include reports on crops, livestock, finances, and weather. A majority of the managers’ reports cover the years 1914-1918. The subseries also includes plantation maps, soil surveys, and utilization reports.

Container	Description	Date
Box 40, Folder 1	Outgoing correspondence	undated, 1912-1924
Box 40, Folder 2	Correspondence: A – Alabama	1915-1925
Box 40, Folder 3	Correspondence: Alma – Au	1915-1925
Box 40, Folder 4	Correspondence: B – Be	1909-1925
Box 40, Folder 5	Correspondence: Bi – Bu	1901-1921
Box 40, Folder 6	Correspondence: C	1919-1925
Box 40, Folder 7	Correspondence: D – F	1918-1925
Box 40, Folder 8	Correspondence: G	1912-1925
Box 40, Folder 9	Correspondence: H – He	1913-1925
Box 40, Folder 10	Correspondence: Ho – Hz	1909-1924
Box 40, Folder 11	Correspondence: I – International Life	1912-1925
Box 40, Folder 12	Correspondence: International Life – Iz	1915-1921
Box 40, Folder 13	Correspondence: J (includes materials in French)	1913-1925
Box 40, Folder 14	Correspondence: Kea – Kei	1915-1923
Box 40, Folder 15	Correspondence: Kel – Ko	1913-1925
Box 40, Folder 16	Correspondence: L – M (includes materials in French)	1909-1925
Box 40, Folder 17	Correspondence: N	1917-1925
Box 40, Folder 18	Correspondence: O – R	1914-1925
Box 40, Folder 19	Correspondence: S (includes materials in French)	1910-1925
Box 40, Folder 20	Correspondence: T	1915-1925
Box 40, Folder 21	Correspondence: U	1914-1925
Box 40, Folder 22	Correspondence: Wa – Whe	1914-1922
Box 40, Folder 23	Correspondence: Whi	1914-1925
Box 40, Folder 24	Correspondence: Wilcox	1914-1915
Box 40, Folder 25	Correspondence: Wilcox – Wo	1914-1922
Box 40, Folder 26	Correspondence: Y	1924
Box 40, Folders 27-36	Manager’s Reports (arranged chronologically)	1914-1925
Box 40, Folder 37	Weekly Plantation Reports	1917 January 11-1921 March 12
Box 40, Folder 38	Audit Reports	1907, 1909
Box 40, Folder 39	Audit Reports	1911-1912
Box 40, Folders 40-41	Checkbooks	1907-1913
Box 40, Folder 42	Checks and bank statements	1912-1913
Box 41, Folder 1	Financial records: Loss and gains, assets and liabilities, financial statements, cash account records	circa 1911-1921
Box 41, Folder 2	Financial records: Promise of payments, checks	1901-1914
Box 41, Folder 3	Financial records: Trial balances	1912
Box 41, Folder 4	Financial records: Trial balances	1913, 1922
Box 41, Folder 5	Certificates of Incorporation	undated, 1909
Box 41, Folder 6-7	Deeds, mortgages, indentures	1894-1906
Box 41, Folder 8	Dissolution Agreement	1920
Box 41, Folder 9	Labor and timber contracts	1909-1919
Box 41, Folder 10	Stockholders’ meeting minutes	undated, 1908-1920
Box 41, Folder 11	Stockholders’ meeting minutes	1909-1919
Box 41, Folder 12	Stock book	1909-1913
Box 41, Folder 13	Stock book	1909-1912
Box 41, Folder 14	Stock book	1909-1913
Box 41, Folder 15	Stock book	1913-1914
Box 43, Folder 4	Stock books	1916-1918
Box 41, Folder 16	Stockholder lists, proxies	1909-1923
Box 41, Folder 17	Complaints before the I.C.C. Southern Pine Association vs Akron Canton and Youngstown Railroad Company	1925
Box 41, Folder 18	Surveys, soil analyses, market reports	1899-1925
Box 41, Folder 19	Telephone book of Autauga County and Prattville; Autauga County brochure	1922, 1925
Oversize Folder 6	Soil and plantation maps	1904-1918

Series 6. Subseries 6f. Ward Lumber Syndicate records, circa 1919-1925
0.6 cubic feet

The Ward Lumber Syndicate was formed December 29, 1920, to manufacture and retail lumber from timber growing on lands owned by the Southern Realty Company. The syndicate operated a small saw mill on plantation property and had a small fleet of barges to transport the lumber to market. Bacon was Syndicate Manager, and in this capacity, he oversaw all operations of the company.

This subseries consists of financial papers, legal papers, manger’s reports, surveyor’s notes, lumber inventories, and statistics relating to the Ward Lumber Syndicate. (The correspondence concerning this firm is included in the correspondence of the Southern Realty Company). The financial papers consist of weekly account statements, forecasts and expenditures, and other statements and account sheets. The legal papers include the Syndication Agreement, as well as timber contracts and indentures with Southern Realty Company. Information on daily sawmill operations and market activities is recorded in the manager’s reports.

Container	Description	Date
Box 41, Folders 20-28	Manager’s Reports (arranged chronologically)	1919 May-1925 May
Box 41, Folder 29	Bank statements	1920
Box 41, Folder 30	Checks	1920 January-July
Box 41, Folder 31	Checks	1920 August-1921 January
Box 42, Folder 1	Financial forecasts	1920-1923
Box 42, Folders 2-6	Financial statements	1920 January-1924 February
Box 42, Folder 7	Trial balance sheets, cost statements	1920-1923
Box 42, Folder 8	Contracts, deeds, indentures	1919-1924
Box 42, Folder 9	Surveyor’s notes, stock inventories, lumber statistics	undated, 1921-1925
Oversize Folder 7	Blueprint, timber maps, and distribution tables	undated, 1925

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