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Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryP.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
URL: https://small.library.virginia.edu/
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
There are no use restrictions.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Randolph Huntington papers, MSS 15564, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection, MSS 15564, was purchased by the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, from Tomberg Rare Books, Old Greenwich, Connecticut on April, 8, 2013. An additional letter, MSS 15564-a, was given to the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, by William W. Sihler, on October 28, 2014.
Biographical / Historical
Randolph Huntington (1828-1916), born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1828, was a New York City pharmaceutical manufacturer. After the Civil War, Huntington moved to a farm in Ontario County, New York, belonging to his wife, to breed and sell fine saddle and coach horses and became a leading American authority on the Arabian horse. Later he moved to Oyster Bay, Long Island, in 1891, before returning to central New York at Rochester, in 1905.
In 1854, Huntington married Louise Elizabeth Hayes (1833-1917) and they had several children, including: 1)Isabella Lord (1861-1932) who married (1892) the Reverend James Winthrop Hegeman; 2) Allie Louise (1863-1908) who married (1884) 1st Willis Fred Gove [died 1892?] and 2nd Frank N. Kondolf in 1893; 3) Nathaniel Wheeler (1865-1891); 4) Henry Gaylord Norton (1868-1876); and 5) Albert William (1870-1876).
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of correspondence and ephemera from the estate of Randolph Huntington. Much of the correspondence pertains in some way to the history, breeding, raising, racing, or showing of the Arabian horse in the United States.
The papers contain letters from breeders and owners of Arabian horses, editors and writers for sporting periodicals of the period, and correspondents with others interested in horses; printed ephemera; financial and legal papers; pedigrees and breeding records, some printed and some hand-written; hand-written manuscripts by Avedis G. Asdikian and Randolph Huntington on horse breeding; news clippings; and several photographs.
Huntington became interested in using the two stallions given to former President U.S. Grant in 1877 by the Sultan of Turkey to breed a national horse for the United States. His breeding project, based on the Grant stallions and mares bred from the trotting horse "Henry Clay," was not successful but it did bring the value of Arabian blood to the attention of other American horsemen, most notably Homer Davenport. This collection contains one letter from Homer Davenport to Randolph Huntington (July 15, 1902).
The depression of 1893 forced Huntington's breeding operations into receivership and his stock was sold by Peter C. Kellogg and Company, auctioneers according to "The New York Times" February 18, 1894. Correspondence with Collis P. Huntington, railroad magnate, discusses his requests for loans to alleviate his financial difficulties and save his work. Huntington and several other backers had formed a company in 1891 for the breeding of "Americo-Arab" horses, but in 1893 the treasurer, Francis H. Weeks, embezzled most of the company's assets and fled to Costa Rica. This embezzlement also contributed to Huntington's financial troubles which plagued him the rest of his life.
This collection also contains about sixty letters or copies of letters written by Huntington himself, though about fifteen are incomplete. There are also several hand-written manuscripts by Huntington in his papers, many of them also incomplete. An eight page letter from Randolph Huntington, August 31, 1899, to George V. Cresson, was added to the collection in 2014 as MSS 15564-a.
Arrangement
These letters are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the correspondent, with more frequent correspondents placed in their own folders. The financial papers, news clippings, pedigrees, manuscripts, and other miscellaneous material have been placed after the correspondence in the last box.
Related Material
The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections has an earlier and larger group of Randolph Huntington Correspondence and Ephemera, MSS 11844, with many of the same correspondents.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Arabian Horse--United States
- Authors and publishers
- Correspondence
- Horse breeders
- Horses -- Breeding
- Horses--Pedigrees
- Show horses
Container List
Correspondents include: Arthur Ardagh and Armstrong, Shaw and Macauley
Asdikian, chiefly while employed by the Bureau of Animal Husbandry, writes about his work on his paper on the history of the horse for Dr. Salmon (June 21, 1890) and discusses his attempts to have the Department of Agriculture fund his research on horses in Turkey (July 12, 1890).
Correspondents include: Clinton Babbitt, Charles Backman, Bailey Manufacturing Co., Spencer Baird (Smithsonian), Dr. S. Baller, James E. Bathgate, Joseph Battell, Isaac A. Baxter, the Rev. J. Baxter, A.W. Beach, General E.F. Beale, W.E. Beames, and Charles A. Benton.
Correspondents include: Charles Blackmer, J.P. Blackmer, M.H. Blackmer, Jerry Bolles, C.F. Bouthillier, John Bradburn, John T. Bramhall, "Breeder and Sportsman" John Cairn Simpson, editor, William A. Brodie, W.I. Buchanan, and F.M. Buzzell.
Baker expresses his enthusiasm for young "Clay Pilot" and urges the creation of a society "devoted to the pure breeding of the Anglo-Arabian incorporated by law" (April 22, 1890).
Baker's letters concern making photographs of Randolph Huntington's horses.
Includes one letter from him written on a printed pedigree for his horse, "Randolph H. Clay" (January 12, 1890).
Correspondents include: F.F. Carr, William J. Carter, J.I. Case, Chicago Horseman Newspaper Company, William N. Clark, F.D. Coburn, Leonard W. Colby, Harlow Colegrove, and A.G. Collins.
Correspondents include Henry W. Conklin, Henry N. Copp, Ben Cooper, Erastus Corning, Parker Corning, Robert S. Critchell, J. Reid Crowell, S.A. Cruikshank, William W. Crump, D.F. Currie, and J.A.C.
One letter includes a mention of the Corning farm (August 3 and 6, 1900).
Correspondents include: J.S. Darnell, Homer Davenport, C.C. Davison, [H.W. De Forest], Richard H. Derby, J. Dewing, John S. Deye, Charles S. Dole, H.T. Dollard, A.B. Donelson, G.D. Dooer, D.W. Dox, Samuel Dunham, E.C. Dunton, and C.N. Dyson.
One letter includes printed pedigrees for "Joe Baird" and "Clay Pilot" as enclosures (June 26, 1885).
Dunton solicits material from Huntington for his publication.
Correspondents include: Walter G. Earl, Eastman Kodak Company, William Easton, Empire Furniture Company, and A.S. Estabrook.
Correspondents include: A. Failor, G.S. Fanning, William B. Fasig, Lester B. Faulkner, D.C. Feely, W.J. Fletcher, H.V. Flickinger, B.W. Ford, Charles E. Ford, O.R. Ford, W.C. France, Horace B. Fry of The Union League Club, and P.H. Fry.
Letters are chiefly from Randolph Huntington's children, Isabella, Nathaniel, and Allie, but also include cousins and other relatives, and sons-in-law, Willis Fred Gove and Frank N. Kondolf.
Letters are chiefly from Randolph Huntington's children, Isabella and Allie, and son-in-law, Frank N. Kondolf.
Correspondents include: A.B. Gauss, T.H. Geddy, Charles Goodwin, O.B. Gould, S. Edward Grant, Alex Gregory, and P. Grover.
Correspondents include: George S. Hall, Henry J.S. Hall, C.A. Halsted, John S. Hamlin, P.A. Hargous, T.W. Harvey (with list of horses sold to him), S. Hayward, James H. Hazard, Thomas A. Hendrick, H.J. Hill, and Thomas M. Hilliard.
Correspondents include: Edward G. Holden, George W. Holdridge, William E. Holworthy, A.O. Hooker, Hooker Nurseries, A.G. Hooley, David Hopkins, Wheeler Hoppough, Horace Hotchkiss, J.M. Hough, Colonel W.A. Houghton, L.T. Howland, W.G. Hughes, Dr. Rush Shippen Huidekoper, H.J. Drum Hunt, Archer M. Huntington, J.B. Huntington, and R.G.H. Huntington.
C.P. Huntington discusses Huntington's requests for various loans to save his horse breeding operations.
Includes copies of his letters to: Erastus Corning, [H.S.] Kittredge, M.B. Anderson, Ira Peck, The Century Company, Miss Midy Morgan, Charles Goodwin, General E.F. Beale, and Frank O. Homer (arranged chronologically).
Includes copies of his letters to: [W.T. Chester?], twelve long letters to General L.W. Colby, and William R. Kramer.
Includes copies of his letters to: the Reverend Baker, F.C. Warren, James W. Cox, Jr., O.H. Stevens, C.V. Hall, General L.W. Colby, Mr. Vidal (incomplete), and Mr. Patterson.
Includes copies of his letters to: S.W. Parlin, Colonel Spencer Borden, H.E. Huntington, Henry F. Osborne, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Hyler, and Messrs. Luther Tucker and Son.
Correspondents include: Lorenzo Ingraham, G.H. Jack, Henry C. Jewett, D.L. Kase, Peter C. Kellogg, Madison Kimball, W.R. Kimball, B.F. Kingsley, H.S. Kittredge, Animal Painter and Engraver), and C.W. Koons.
Correspondents include: James D. Ladd, R.P. Lake, M.G. Lampkins, John Landers, F.J. Lang, Adderson L. Langdon, W.A. LaRue, Ariel Lathrop, Launder and Harter, James A. Lawrence, Edward Learned, Frank Learned, W.J. Leonard, G.W. Lefler, and S.C. Lewis.
Correspondents include: J.B. Lippincott Company per A.J. Borie (concerning estimates for the publication of his book), H.M. Littel, Francis G. Lloyd, George G. Lobdell, M.E. Longfella, W.A. Lottimer, Charles H. Loucks, Atherton Loving, Phoebe H. Lum, Luther Tucker and Son, A.M. Lyman, and Joseph M.V. Lytle.
Linard was the author of articles and books about horses, using the pseudonym Dinah Sharpe. See her letters about her work, February 17, June 9 and 15, 1892, and a letter about her son returning alive from being a political prisoner in Chile while her daughter's husband was dead in Guatemala (March 31, 1892).
Look discusses the National Association of Breeders.
Correspondents include: John D. McCarthy, Charles P. McClelland, W.P. McCreary, S.W. McKibben, H.D. McKinney, and Henry McMillan.
Correspondents include: J.W. Madara, M.D., George A. Martin, R.F. Mayhew, Jack Meara, H.C. Merwin, C.W. Mihills, J.H. Miller, Thomas K. Miller, Charles W. Mitchell, George E. Molleson, Samuel J. Morgan, Theodore M. Morgan, A. Moseley, George A. Moody, and J.P. Munn.
Correspondents include: National Horse Show Association of America, Alexander Neave, C.A. Nelson, New York State Agricultural Society, and A.B. Norton.
Correspondents include: S.E. Olivier and Harrison G. Otis.
Correspondents include: C.G. Palmer, W.L. Palmer, Charles S. Parke, S.W. Parlin, Patchen Stock Farm (Dr. J.W. Day), E.S. Payson, George W. Pearce , Sanderson Pearcy, B.R. Peltz, George Penston, E.M. Phelon, Henry Phillips, Photo-Electrotype Engraving Company, J.E. Pierpont, C.S. Plumb, D.W. Prime, Porter and Coates, Stewart L. Purdy and C.F. Pynchon.
Correspondence includes a printed description of a horse "Clara P." (January 1, 1890).
Correspondents include: R.S. Peale and Co., J.A.P. Ramsdell, N.A. Randall, N.C.F. Randolph, H.P. Ray (editor of Whip and Spur Publishing Co.), Asa L. Reed, M.F. Reynolds, The Riding Club [of New York City], George H. Ripley, S.J. Rogers, J.I. Row, and Benjamin S. Runyan.
Correspondents include: Schaffer Bros., E.H. Schley, A.J. Schultz, S.H. Seamans, Robert Sewell, James H. Shears, Joseph Cairn Simpson, William Sinnot, F.G. Smith, H.M. Smith, L.G. Spillman, John Splan, Sarah H. Spratt, S.H. Stafford, H.G. Steele, Samuel Stewart, William H. Stith, Mrs. E. Stoddard, and L.T. Stoneburner.
Correspondents include: Joseph Tague, S.J. Tallmadge, A.R. Tatum, John J. Taylor, W.B. Thorpe, Allen W. Thomson, Emma A. Tompkins, J.D. Tompkins, Ida N. Thompson, Thompson Bros., Howard H. Tozer, C.L. Townsend, P. Traynor, Treasury Department (concerning the address of Charlemagne Tower, U.S. Ambassador to Russia), W.W. Tucker, Cameron J. Turnbull, John Tynar, and Ed Tyler.
Correspondents include: Thomas K. Van Zandt, Nelson Varney, R.L. Veech, and William N. Vest.
Correspondents include: W.A. Walker, C.H. [Wanger?], Fred C. Warren, William R. Watson, Fred Webster, Francis H. Weeks, L.A. Wendell, R.C. Wetmore, Robert Whaley, James E. Wheeler, Walter R. Willets, J.D. Willis, Hiram Wilson, W. Wodell, I.S. Wolfing, C.D. Worden, E.S. Wood, E.L. Woodside, and W.W. Wright (includes an article about Ely Parker and "Captain" Grant, August 4, 1887).
One Wilder letter includes a photograph of the sire of his horse (December 19, 1903).
Correspondents include: S.A. Young, Thomas F. Youngs, and an unidentified "Y."
This consists chiefly of receipts and accounts; but also includes notes on a horse sale [1879]; a copy of a letter by Corning and a paper sent to Huntington by gentlemen of Rochester during his legal troubles (1886); note about Welling buying stock in the Arab Stock Farm Company [circa 1890-1891]; and a certificate of incorporation of the Arab, Anglo-Arab and Clay Stock Farm.
Items include two separate drafts of articles of incorporation for the "Arab, Anglo-Arab and Clay Stock Farm" [ca. 1891] and the Americo-Arab Horse Association (1901) and an undated list of horses sold and their buyers.
The manuscripts are all incomplete (usually missing at least page one) and undated, except for one manuscript dated February 24, 1905, describing his experiences after leaving Fleetwood, Oyster Bay, Long Island, on December 2, 1904, and moving to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
These include an article by Dinah Sharpe, pen name of Sara Buckman Linard (January 24, 1892).
Photographs include horses and portraits of horses from the Mrs. Harry A. Bullis Collections, and one tintype of an unidentified man, possibly Randolph Huntington.