Developed & Supported by Mark Scheuer. Based on the work of Thomas J. Alexander. Dedicated to the memory of Creighton Hart and Susan McDonald. Feedback, additions, and corrections most welcome. Please send to: mscheue1@rochester.rr.com
√ Click here for the census user’s guide as a PDF
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| Scott Number | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date | March 29, 1851 |
| From City | Cincinnati |
| From State | OH |
| To City | Indianapolis |
| To State | IN |
| Addressee | Thos. H. Sharpe |
| Cert Author | |
| Cert # | |
| Fake | |
| Quantity 1 | 1 |
| Quantity 2 | 0 |
| Bisect | |
| Others |
Notes
Folded banking letter from J W. King & Co. in Cincinnati, O. datelined March 27, 1851 and mailed on March 29, 1851 to Indianapolis, In. The 5c Franklin stamp has clear margins on both sides and bottom, but the frameline has been cut into at top. Two vertical file folds well away from the stamp and cds.
Endorsed on the reverse J W King & Co, Mar 25/51.
Image courtesy of Dennis King who states he bought this cover at a local Cincinnati stamp show back in 2006.
Not listed in Alexander
The 1850 edition of Williams’ Cincinnati City Directory list J. W. King & Co. as wholesale dry goods dealers at 10 Pearl Street. The company was operated by Joseph Warren King (1814-1885), who built a substantial fortune from his mercantile pursuits on Pearl Street. His sprawling personal estate in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati was later acquired by the city and turned into what is known today as Mount Storm Park.
King eventually pivoted from dry goods into the industrial manufacturing sector. In the late 1870s, he moved into the blasting and gunpowder industry, founding the King Powder Company and helping establish the Peters Cartridge Company. This expansion led to the creation of the historic company town of Kings Mills, Ohio.
Beyond his business footprint, King was a trustee of Denison University, where King Hall was named in his honor.
Letter to Thomas Harper Sharpe (1808-1892), cashier of the Indianapolis branch of the State Bank of Indiana (President - Calvin Fletcher). The letter requests the transfer of funds from the bank to King in Cincinnati, consisting of either personal checks paid to King or banknotes issued by Sharpe’s bank.
Endorsed on the reverse J W King & Co, Mar 25/51.
Image courtesy of Dennis King who states he bought this cover at a local Cincinnati stamp show back in 2006.
Not listed in Alexander
The 1850 edition of Williams’ Cincinnati City Directory list J. W. King & Co. as wholesale dry goods dealers at 10 Pearl Street. The company was operated by Joseph Warren King (1814-1885), who built a substantial fortune from his mercantile pursuits on Pearl Street. His sprawling personal estate in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati was later acquired by the city and turned into what is known today as Mount Storm Park.
King eventually pivoted from dry goods into the industrial manufacturing sector. In the late 1870s, he moved into the blasting and gunpowder industry, founding the King Powder Company and helping establish the Peters Cartridge Company. This expansion led to the creation of the historic company town of Kings Mills, Ohio.
Beyond his business footprint, King was a trustee of Denison University, where King Hall was named in his honor.
Letter to Thomas Harper Sharpe (1808-1892), cashier of the Indianapolis branch of the State Bank of Indiana (President - Calvin Fletcher). The letter requests the transfer of funds from the bank to King in Cincinnati, consisting of either personal checks paid to King or banknotes issued by Sharpe’s bank.
