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This collection is made up of 120 incoming business letters addressed to Benjamin Franklin of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1865 and 1866, concerning the oil industry in Kentucky and Tennessee. The letters relate to the discovery of new wells and deposits, the purchase of oil fields, the cost and delivery of equipment, and other subjects.

This collection is made up of 120 incoming business letters addressed to Benjamin Franklin of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1865 and 1866, concerning the oil industry in Kentucky and Tennessee. The letters relate to the discovery of new wells and deposits, the purchase of oil fields, the cost and delivery of equipment, and other subjects.

Though Franklin lived in New Jersey, he occasionally traveled south to look after his business affairs. He primarily received letters from business partners in Louisville and Glasgow, Kentucky, who provided him with detailed descriptions of local oil lands, including physical characteristics, anticipated yields, and the interests of other prospectors. Writers frequently encouraged Franklin to consider purchasing various properties. Other correspondence pertains to the progress of Franklin's wells and to the delivery of machinery, such as steam engines. Most letters directly or indirectly concern Franklin's finances, including content about his stock holdings and costs associated with his oil interests. Partial copies of his draft responses accompany a portion of his incoming letters.

The John E. Merritt letters contain correspondence from Merritt to his uncle, Lewis Merritt, pertaining to his work for the Rocky Mountain Oil and Development Company in Duluth, Minnesota, and Elko, Nevada, in the early 20th century.

This collection (32 items) is made up of letters that John E. Merritt wrote to his uncle, Lewis Merritt, about his work for the Rocky Mountain Oil and Development Company in Duluth, Minnesota, and Elko, Nevada, from 1901-1905. Merritt, who served as the company's vice president and, later, as its general manager, frequently discussed oil drilling and finances, particularly regarding company stock. In his letter of March 19, 1903, he described a legal dispute with a contractor. His letters also contain news of the Minnesota branch of the family. Merritt generally used the company's stationery for his letters.

This collection is made up of incoming letters and legal memorandums to William F. Joy of Boston, Massachusetts. His correspondents primarily discussed oil and real estate in and near Stryker, Ohio.

This collection is made up of incoming letters and legal memorandums to William F. Joy of Boston, Massachusetts. His correspondents primarily discussed oil and real estate in and near Stryker, Ohio. William F. Joy received around 34 letters from January 4, 1865-July 27, 1866, primarily related to the area around Stryker, Ohio. Joy's correspondents, who included Converse L. Chase, C. Blinn, and C. S. Tuttle, reported on the progress of oil wells in the area and on competing prospectors. Chase, a lumber dealer, also commented on the cost of lumber. Some correspondents mentioned a mineral spring in the area, and the collection includes 3 small printed reports about an analysis of the spring by University of Michigan professor Silas H. Douglas (February 1870). Other letters, and 2 memorandums related to legal agreements, concern the ownership of property in Williams County, Ohio, and Crawford County, Ohio. One undated document is an inventory of mill machinery, and another is a printed prospectus for the Rocky River Oil Company in eastern Ohio.