Box 4, Folder 4: Typewritten Letters 1871-1875

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 1285; illegible handwritten inscription in pencil, u.l.]

-1445- / 1871. [align right] Milwaukee July 6,1871. [align left] James Campbell Esq. Dear Sir,-

Having [Having] carefully perused the foregoing letter of Judge J.G.Knapp relating to the region of country bordering upon the Upper Wisconsin river, and thence to Lake Superior, and having had my attention called to the general character of that portion of the state by personal examination( to a limited extent) and from the accounts of others as well as from specimens brought to me at various times since 1836.I am glad to be able to state that he is undoubtedly correct in representing it as one which is likely hereafter to be found certain to contain mineral deposits of great value. The very brief explorations heretofore made disclose the existence of iron ores of very great extent, especially at the Penokee Iron Range, and upon Rib river. The numerous beds of "trap" with their associated conglomerate slates &c.are [&c. are] so nearly like those of Lake Superior as to lend to the probability of the existence of veins of native copper, traces of which have already been found. Kaolin and Plumbago have also been found. Gold, silver and lead may be looked for with very strong probabilities in favor of their discovery. Building stone of great beauty and durability will be found at many localities. Some specimens in my possession are equal in these respectes [respects; "e" crossed out] to the famous Scotch Granite used in the construction of the North American ["American" crossed out] Western Life Insurance Company's building in this city. At present it would be more expensive to supply this Wisconsin stone than to import the Scotch! owing chiefly to the want of adequate means of transportation. [transportation]

For these reasons I look very confidently forward to the

1286 -1446-

1871.

time when the construction of railroads into this almost unknown region shall induce its more thorough exploration, fully believing that it will soon be found to contain mineral products of great value.

Very truly yours,

I.A. Lapham.

----------

Milwaukee July 28, 1871.

My dear Son,-

I send you by express a quantity of the Maps of the Lakes and Drives around Oconomowoc. Please take one hundred to each of the hotels.*** [Any person wishing them for distribution can have special rates.***]

I wish you and Julia to distribute fifty of them.

Yours truly,

I.A. Lapham.

Henry Lapham.

----------

Milwaukee Aug. 11th, 1871.

Dear Julia,--

We have your letter, also the shells Unio cariosus of Say and the water plant Utricularia. I should have been happy to have met Mrs. Atwater again and at your house.***

We, Mary and I are to leave for Indianapolis at 1 P.M. on Monday. Dr. and Mrs. Hoy, Dr. and Mrs. Day and perhaps Uncle Samuel and Elizabeth will also go. We expect to be absent two weeks. Charles will make his home at Mr. Russells during our stay from home. Tell Henry also that I want to know about the bids for building the barn and whether there are some quarries nearer than [a] the one we visited. Take good care of mother:

Yours truly,

I.A. Lapham.

Julia A. Lapham.

-----------

1287 -1447-

1871.

Aug. 14. Left home with daughter Mary to attend the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at Indianapolis.

Aug. 15 to 22. At Indianapolis--guests of Mr. Nicholas McCarty. Heard a twenty minute paper by Prof. Henry in regard to the "Rainfall in the United States." Saw John W. Spencer's Geol. Map.

-------------

Geographical Society Munich Sept. 1, 1871.

Dr. I.A. Lapham,

Dear Sir,--

You have had the kindness to remit through the accommodation of the Smithsonian Institution a copy of your Geological Map of Wisconsin. I send herewith our best thanks and in return I send you a copy of first years report.****

The following report (of the second year) will contain your name in catalogue.

With Greatest respect,

C. Arendts, Secretary.

-------------

Chicago Sept. 8th, 1871.

Dr. I.A. Lapham,

My Dear Sir,-

Many thanks for your prompt reply to my telegram. I am not well enough to go on the dredging excursion on Lake Michigan myself, but have given (with Mr. Blatchford's aid) a full outfit to Messrs. Milner and Bannister, who will be in Milwaukee on Monday morning. I trust you will be able to accompany them as I think you

1288 -1448-

1871.

will be interested in the work. They will take Mr. Blatchford's travel net (30 feet long) for operating on sandy bottoms and will doubtless find fish which are not to be got by other means.

Very sincerely yours,

Wm. Stimpson.

-------------

Cambridge Mass. Sept. 13, 1871.

I.A. Lapham, Esq. Milwaukee, Wis.

Dear Sir,-

Foreign and civil wars have driven me away from my home in Paris and now I am again this time for good in the United States. I am determined to be an American citizen and have already purchased a house and grounds close by Harvard College on account of my sons who will soon be of age for college.

I have not yet seen any publication of yours since I left in 1864. In 1867 during the great exhibition in Paris, I saw one of your friends and told him that I had you[r] appointed a corresponding member of the International Society of Anthropology and Antiquity of Man. I do not know if you are aware of it, but your name is on the list since 1867 and is printed as such in the meetings of Paris, London, and Copenhagen. I did it because I know your interest in antiquities and my friends Larbebe and de Mobillet having consulted me for the appointment of a corresponding member in the United States I have given your name.

I suppose your book on Wisconsin is out now, if so I shall be glad to have a copy of it if you can spare one.

If you come to Boston please call at my house, I shall be very glad to receive you.

Very truly yours,

Jules Marcou.

------------

1289 -1449-

1871.

Chicago Oct. 12, 1871 (Thursday)

Brother Lapham,

Dear Sir,-

Burnt out; saved some [some?] clothing and furniture; suffered some, slept outside of city limits; extreme N.W. Now at 152 Sophia street, going 1 mile north after clothing. Aunst Sarah is half a mile west.

You probably know more of present Chicago than we. I have not seen a newspaper since Sunday morning. Thousand reports of the fire, not all credited. Many are probably burned. I was the last person in the Hist. Soc. building, thought I should be burned up.

All burnt from Harrison (from center Sec. 16) between S. branch to main river north, crossed the river and burnt nearly 3 miles north (1 1/2 miles north of my old residence) and from N. branch to Lake shore. One great field burnt blackened trees, brick and stone walls, the eye can see the whole terrible field at one view by turning round. Mr. D. Phelps telegraphed to you last Monday. I am out of money, may get some out of Marine Bank. Now do not know what bank will do. They open new this week down near University.

I have not time to say more.

Sam'l Stone.

----------

Burnt Chicago Oct. 13, 1871.

Brother Lapham,--

We are all tumbled together--sleep, eat, sit, any way and always without swearing! Part of our remaining clothing and furniture heaped together in great confusion, some here, the balance nearly two miles north out of the city. Not time now to find in