Collection of 26 Stampless Letters, 1833-1851 Addressed to Ohio Banker and Promotor John Gardner, Norwalk, Ohio

Norwalk, Ohio, 1851. [Ohio] [Banking] [Stampless Letters] Collection of 26 Stampless Letters, 1833-1851 Addressed to Ohio Banker and Promotor John Gardner, Norwalk, Ohio

Collection of 26 stampless handwritten letters in very good condition. Clearly this archive has been stored properly for the past 172 years plus. About the only fault other than normal handling wear are several circular date stamps are light cancels. No manuscript cancels in the lot.

Wonderfully clean collection of stampless manuscript letters addressed to John Gardner (1816-1915) of Norwalk, Ohio. Interestingly, the history of the Ohio lands south of Lake Huron dates back to the burning of Norwalk, Connecticut in the Revolutionary War. As compensation, the federal government gave an area in the Western Reserve of Ohio. These lands were finally settled after the War of 1812 and became known as the "Firelands". The Connecticut citizens who settled the Firelands brought their customs, architecture and names with Danbury, Greenwich, Groton, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, and Ridgefield all an homage to their homeland.

From New London, Connecticut, John Gardiner moved to Norwalk, Ohio in 1832 where he helped establish the Norwalk Branch of the State Bank of Ohio. Gardiner later became the President of the Norwalk National Bank. Gardiner was also an influential lands and railroad promotor and throughout his career, he served as a director of numerous railroad companies, becoming the president of several lines.

This grouping of letters provides good insight to the activities of an early northern Ohio banker. Correspondents are from the Ohio towns of Elyria, Cleveland, Milan and Toledo. Plus, bankers in New London, CT, New York and Buffalo, NY and Detroit Michigan fill out the archive. It would be a fun research project looking into the bankers and businessmen writing these notes. A number of letters are wanting payments on goods or services or information on loans, land sales, wheat sales and other banking matters.

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums 32 miles to the west of Norwalk holds the John Gardiner papers (except these) and it is certainly conceivable the two men knew each other.

There are no rare postmarks in the set but most of the covers are so clean with red, blue or black circular date stamps plus manuscript postal rates of 5, 10 or 20 cents that it is a visual treat of stampless letters from rural Ohio.