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Samuel H. Ashbridge letters
The letters in the collection date from April 4, 1899 to December 26, 1900. Only the first two years of Ashbridge’s administration are represented. There are over two dozen undated letters. The letters and notes range from the entertaining (“For Gods [sic] sake take the flag pole down from Billy P...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Collection: | Samuel H. Ashbridge Letters |
| Collection Number: | 3168 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Physical Description: |
0.4 Linear feet 1 box |
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| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
The letters in the collection date from April 4, 1899 to December 26, 1900. Only the first two years of Ashbridge’s administration are represented. There are over two dozen undated letters.
The letters and notes range from the entertaining (“For Gods [sic] sake take the flag pole down from Billy Penns [sic] hat…”) to heart-rending requests to the mayor for help in escaping from inhumane treatment in a jail or insane asylum. Some writers give the mayor political advice on topics such as corruption in eliciting election votes and a politicized police department. One apparent fan transcribed a speech the mayor gave in April 1899 at the unveiling of the Ulysses S. Grant monument that still stands on Kelly Drive today. Fellow Republican President McKinley attended this ceremony. At times, correspondents identify themselves as Republican in an effort to have the mayor become sympathetic to their point of view.
Some letters are meant to be taken personally, telling the mayor what they think of him: As in a letter from “Mugsy,” which reads, “I am a burglar and pickpocket and I want to meet you some time to get points on my business…”
One letter informs the mayor that eating celery is the cause of typhoid fever. This letter, ostensibly from a doctor (he signs the letter with “Dr.” before his initials) is apparently written in all seriousness. Some letters are obvious “crank” letters -- they are illegible, redundant or discuss witches in the midst of Philadelphia’s citizenry.
Aspects of the immigrant experience in Philadelphia can be gleaned from the letters. Two letters written in 1899 give voice to anti-Irish and anti-Catholic feeling among some Philadelphians.
A letter of particular interest was written by Doctor William H. May, M.D. He took issue with the mayor's 1900 Memorial Day speech. The author found “contemptible” and “uncalled for” remarks that indicated that Confederate veterans of the Civil War were especially cruel and committed acts contrary to the rules of warfare. The author, a Confederate veteran himself, thought the talk should have emphasized the country’s shared destiny.
A letter and a pamphlet let the reader know that not all were enthralled with the transition from Mom and Pop stores to the large department stores fostered by the John Wanamaker dynasty. A flyer, by Uncle Billy Penn, called Wanamaker a man who, “recognizes not the Moral Law of Humanity (God’s Law) in Business…” apparently for Wanamaker’s restraint in trade and monopoly of the retail business.
There are several comments on the major undertaking to build a new water filtration system in Philadelphia. Writers also give their view of local politics, primarily in the form of support or criticism of the mayor. The majority of the letters, however, are written by citizens who request help in difficult situations or have complaints about city services. These too serve as a window into the social and economic conditions of the city.
In addition to the letters, there are meeting notices, a political cartoon that implies the mayor won his election by stuffing the ballot box, invitations to social events, and the front page of The Call newspaper from the day Ashbridge was inaugurated which includes his inaugural address. Items in the collection give us some insight into the labor situation in Philadelphia and the rest of the country. One is an indictment of John Wanamaker and his “cuss’d Department Stores.” Another is a newspaper article reporting on the conviction of factory owners who allowed women to work past the legal twelve hours a day. Samuel H. Ashbridge was born December 5, 1849 in North Philadelphia and died March 1, 1906. He was mayor of Philadelphia from April 3, 1899 to April 5, 1903. The letters in this collection are of a time when Philadelphia was “the workshop of the world.” During Ashbridge’s mayoralty, the industrial districts within the city contained mills and plants of striking diversity. It was the heyday of John Wanamaker’s “new kind of store.” The letters, which include the years 1899 and 1900, in many respects serve as a window into the commerce and politics of the city during the turn of the twentieth century. Most of the letters are from inhabitants of the city, although there are a few from other states. Letters from Mexico, France, Russia and Germany, written in those countries’ respective languages, make up a small part of the collection. Several letters discuss the issues of the day. The correspondence ranges from April 4, 1899 to December 26, 1900. Only the first two years of Ashbridge’s administration are represented. There is no indication of whether Mr. Ashbridge answered any of the letters in this collection. |