Temporary record

The Martin L. Ryan Papers consists of business correspondence written by Ryan to William J. Robinson, concentrated mainly on two business ventures, a tannery in Pennsylvania and land speculation in Illinois. Robinson was a wealthy resident of Dauphin (Pa.). The origins of his fortune are unclear, although from the late 1860s onward he was involved in the tannery trade and in the manufacture of high quality leather belts. These documents suggest that he had two sons, James W. and Edwin P. James assisted in running the tannery in the 1880s, while Edwin was at college during the 1870s. Robinson's wife, whose name is unknown, died suddenly in 1873.

In 1860, Robinson and Martin L. Ryan, the main correspondent represented in the collection, formed a partnership to purchase land from the Illinois Central Railroad near Niantic, Ill. Robinson provided most of the money for the purchase, while Ryan managed the farming of the land and handled on-the-spot business transactions. The pair originally intended to clear the land and sell or rent parcels to individual farmers. When the Civil War and subsequent hard times foiled this plan, Ryan turned, rather unsuccessfully, to farming the land himself. Ryan perpetually misjudged the amount of money he could earn from his crops and livestock and Robinson was forced to pour large sums of money into the venture to avoid losing the land. Nonetheless, Ryan resented the hiring of a man to assist in managing the farm. As the 1860s come to a close, so does Ryan's correspondence, though the reasons for the cessation are unclear.

Scope and contents:

The Ryan Papers collection has a number of strong points. Ryan's correspondence offers a rare wealth of detail on the financial aspects of farming and land transactions. His letters also cover an interesting lawsuit involving a contractual dispute. Robinson's negotiations for the purchase of steer hides are well documented. Although the Civil War receives little mention, there are a few interesting tidbits: Ryan delays taking cattle to Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863 because of Lee's invasion; fear of the draft causes young men in Illinois to move further west; Ryan accuses a man of selling blind horses to the government during the war; one letter describes the effects on the North of its early military defeats. There is also an interesting letter discussing U.S. Indian policy in the 1870s.

M-2085

Subjects

Contract law
Farming--Illinois
Indians of North America
Leather industry and trade--Pennsylvania
Real property--Illinois
Robinson, William J.
Speculation
Tanning--Pennsylvania
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Economic aspects

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