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Asylum Company papers
Robert Morris, John Nicholson, and others organized the Asylum Company in April 1794 to develop and sell land in several unsettled areas of Pennsylvania. The land speculation venture was ultimately a failure and dissolved partially circa 1820 and fully in the 1830s. The Asylum Company papers include...
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| Corporate Author: | |
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| Collection: | Asylum Company Papers |
| Collection Number: | 0021 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: The papers in the collection were thought to be arranged in chronological order before processing, so the folders were labeled and numbered in that order. However, during processing, some further dates were found on materials and have been added to their folder labels. This has resulted in the arrangement not being in strict chronological order, but more of a rough chronological order. |
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| Physical Description: |
0.8 Linear feet ; 2 boxes (350 items) |
| Access: |
This collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
Robert Morris, John Nicholson, and others organized the Asylum Company in April 1794 to develop and sell land in several unsettled areas of Pennsylvania. The land speculation venture was ultimately a failure and dissolved partially circa 1820 and fully in the 1830s. The Asylum Company papers include administrative and financial records as well as correspondence, title papers, shares of the company’s stock, and published material from 1773-1851. The Asylum Company papers include administrative and financial records as well as correspondence, title papers, shares of the company’s stock, and published material from 1773-1851. The collection documents some of the functions of a late eighteenth and early nineteenth century land speculation company and also some of the challenges this type of organization faced. The papers are arranged in rough chronological order. This collection may be of interest to those researching early American land speculation operations. There are deeds, agents’ expense reports and accounts, and correspondence of the company’s presidents, shareholders, and agents, some of which pertains to title disputes with Connecticut claimants (Box 1, folders 8 and 9). Researchers interested in land ownership may find the draft map for the land tracts in Bedford County of particular appeal, and Pennsylvania historians may wish to view the correspondence regarding the properties at Azilum. For researchers interested in the Asylum Company from a business standpoint, there is correspondence that reveals irregularities within the company, as well as a translation of a letter from a Frenchman who claimed to have been a victim of the company’s methods. There is also an1819 published catalog of the company’s stock and land available for sale, which would be significant to those researching the history of the company. However, this collection does not provide a complete picture of the organization. The bulk of the correspondence and deeds is dated prior to 1800, while a large portion of the material after 1800 consist of transferred stock certificates and the financial accounts of company agents. Information regarding the disbanding of the company is limited, although there is a brief statement from 1836 regarding what happened after the sale of the Asylum Company's lands. |