John Stevens Collection
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Creator
- Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
- Stevens, John, 1749-1838
- Names
- Camden and Amboy Railroad.
- Danville & Pottsville Railroad Company
- Former owner
- National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Transportation
- Place
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Topic
- Steam engineers
- Steam engineering
- Steam-engines
- Locomotive builders
- Steamboats
- Railroads -- 19th century
- Locomotives
- Provenance
- Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
- Creator
- Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
- Stevens, John, 1749-1838
- See more items in
- John Stevens Collection
- Biographical / Historical
- John Stevens (1749 1838) of New York, inventor and engineer, graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) in 1768. Admitted to the New York Bar in 1771, he served as treasurer of New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. He became interested in steam powered navigation in 1787 and for the next fifty years was active in building and promoting steam boats and trains, securing numerous patents, and inventing such important developments as the screw propellor. He established the worlds first steam ferry, between New York City and Hoboken, New Jersey and later built the first operating steam locomotive in the United States Stevens secured a charter from the Legislature of Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Railroad, from Philadelphia to Lancaster County. Two of John Stevens' seven sons, Robert and Edwin were also prominent engineers and developers of transportation equipment who collaborated with their father.
- Extent
- 0.5 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
- Date
- 1808-1881
- Custodial History
- This collection was transferred from the Division of Transportation (now Division of Work and Industry) to the Archives Center in June 1989.
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0333
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Correspondence
- Citation
- John Stevens Collection, 1808-1881, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
- Processing Information
- Collection processed by Don Darroch and Robert Harding, 1989.
- Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Genre/Form
- Correspondence -- 1930-1950
- Scope and Contents
- The main component of this collection is a double-spaced typewritten document of 858 pages transcribed (apparently in 1903) from original records and consisting of correspondence, newspaper articles, technical descriptions, legal documents, and other material relating to John Stevens, his professional work and career. Some of the correspondence is between Stevens and his rival inventors, such as Robert Fulton, credited with producing the first steamboat. Other documents in the collection are the orginal papers incorporating the Danville and Pottsville RR in 1831 and a carefully detailed survey and cost estimate of the Camden and Amboy RR in 1830.
- Restrictions
- Collection is open for research.
- Record ID
- ebl-1503513398019-1503513398022-0
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
In the Collection
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.