Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Depew, Chauncey M. (Chauncey Mitchell), 1834-1928.
Title:	Chauncey M. Depew Letters
Inclusive Dates:	1864-1927
Quantity:	42 items (SC)
Abstract:	Papers of the American lawyer and politician. U.S. Senator from New York; President of the New York Central Railroad. Outgoing business and personal correspondence. The correspondence also contains items of a more personal nature, including acceptances and refusals of speaking invitations, requests for meetings, arrangements for social engagements, and personal notes. There are also a number of items associated with Depew's retirement years during which he was frequently approached for reminiscences about various individuals.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Chauncey Mitchell Depew (1834-1928) was an American lawyer, politician, and railroad man. He served as a United States Senator from New York State from 1899 to 1911.

Depew was born April 23, 1834 in Peekskill, New York to Isaac and Martha (Mitchell) Depew. His mother was the great-niece of Roger Sherman, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Depew went to a classically-based private school before attending the Peekskill Academy for high school. In 1852, Depew enrolled at Yale University. When he graduated in 1856, Depew was asked to be an orator at the Commencement Day activities.

The future senator went on to have a successful career. He began by studying as a lawyer under the direction of Edward Wells in Peekskill. An active Republican, Depew attended the New York state convention in 1858 as a delegate, served on the New York State Assembly in 1862 and 1863, and filled the role of New York Secretary of State from 1863 to 1865. While in this position, Depew had the honor of escorting President Lincoln's body from the New York State border to Buffalo, New York on its way to Springfield, Illinois to be interred. In 1866, Depew was appointed minister to Japan by President Andrew Johnson. However, Depew shortly left the position in favor of an offer to be attorney for the Hudson River and Harlem railroad lines. In 1882, Depew began serving on the executive board of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad lines. Three years later he served as president of the railroad, before taking a position as chairman of the board of directors in 1898. Remaining involved in politics, Depew was elected U.S. Senator for the state of New York, serving from 1899-1911.

Depew married Elise A. Hegeman in 1871, with whom he had one son, Chauncey Mitchell Depew, Jr. After being widowed in 1893, Depew was remarried to May Palmer. He died on April 5, 1928 at 27 West 54th Street, New York.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Chauncey M. Depew Letters consist of correspondence and memorabilia.

The correspondence contains 40 outgoing items written between 1864 and 1927. The letters reflect Depew's careers as a U.S. Senator from New York and the President of the New York Central Railroad. There are a few items to constituents (Ernest R. Ackerman, George W. Kittredge) reporting on the status of legislation and the procedure for obtaining passports. The correspondence relating to the New York Central Railroad (A. C. Brown, Benjamin P. Fairchild) concerns property appraisals and the renewal of leases. In his career as both Senator and New York Central Railroad president, Depew recommended individuals for various appointments, writing letters to New York Governor Benjamin B. Odell on behalf of Ashley W. Cole's reappointment as Railroad Commissioner, and to Abraham Lincoln seeking consideration of Colonel James Ryden as Provost-Marshall of the 10th district of New York. Depew also recommended Charles W. Kohlsaat for an appointment in the diplomatic service.

The correspondence also contains items of a more social nature, including acceptances and refusals of speaking invitations (Clarence W. Bowen, Edward Hagaman Hall, Gilbert H. Scribner, Francis Hopkinson Smith) as well as requests for meetings, arrangements for social engagements, and personal notes (Warren Church, John P. Clarke, George G. Frelinghuysen, Gerry W. Hazelton, Samuel Koenig, Mary Patten, Francis Beatty Thurber). There are also a number of items associated with Depew's retirement years, during which he was frequently approached for reminiscences about various individuals (James Waldo Fawcett, Raymond Fellows, Julius Strouse).

There is also one item of memorabilia, a program for a dinner commemorating Depew's 80th birthday.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Chauncey M. Depew Letters
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: KM
Date: Oct 1987
Revision history: 23 Oct 2008 - converted to EAD (LDC); 29 Jun 2012 - added folders 1-10 (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
SC 37		Ackerman, Ernest R. 1902, 1909 (2 items)
SC 37		Bannard, Otto Tremont 30 Oct 1908; 5 May 1919 (2 items)
SC 37		Bowen, Clarence Winthrop 26 Apr 1925 (1 item)
SC 37		Brown, A.C. 9 Oct 1879 (1 item)
SC 37		Church, Warren D. 13 May 1927 (1 item)
SC 37		Clarke, John Proctor 1901 (2 items)
SC 37		Fairchild, Benjamin P. 1 May 1871 (1 item)
SC 37		Fawcett, James Waldo 29 Apr 1925 (1 item)
SC 37		Fellows, Raymond 3 Oct 1919 (1 item)
SC 37		Frelinghuysen, George G. 9 May 1919 (1 item)
SC 37		Hall, Edward Hagaman 20 Mar 1903 (1 item)
SC 37		Harding, Earl Aug 1923 (1 item)
SC 37		Hazelton, Gerry Whiting 07 May 1919 (1 item)
SC 37		Kittredge, George Watson 14 Mar 1910 (1 item)
SC 37		Koenig, Samuel S. 1913, 24 Sep 1914, undated (3 items)
SC 37		Kohlsaat, Charles W. 1905 - includes letter from Kohlsaat to William H. Michael (2 items)
SC 37		Lincoln, Abraham 11 Feb 1864 (1 item)
SC 37		Miller, John DeWitt 12 Feb 1891 (1 item)
SC 37		Odell, Benjamin Barker 26 Nov 1901 (1 item)
SC 37		Patten, Mary 1922, 1924 (3 items)
SC 37		Scribner, Gilbert Hilton 23 Dec 1899 (1 item)
SC 37		Smith, Francis Hopkinson 09 Feb 1911 (1 item)
SC 37		Strouse, Julius 19 Apr 1901 (1 item)
SC 37		Thurber, Francis Beatty 1891, 1892 (2 items)
SC 37		Wakeman, Wilbur Fisk 1898 (1 item)
SC 37		Miscellaneous 1880-1905 (7 items)

	Memorabilia
SC 37		Program - from a dinner commemorating Depew's 80th birthday

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