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Asa Packer Estate Accounts and Other Financial Documents, 1879-1924

 Collection
Identifier: SC MS 0005

Scope and Contents

A collection of receipts, bills, statements, etc., in four separate Estate Accounts, administered by the trustees of the estate of Asa Packer, covering the period May 1879 through December 1889. Included are lists of property owned and taxes paid, statements of repairs made on buildings owned by the estate, expenses of a trial in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, salaries paid to the trustees and to other employees, and many receipts, statements, etc. concerning stocks and bonds, and loans made on them. Also included are receipts for interest and principal paid to persons named in Asa Packer's will. A collection of letters dealing with the coal royalties due to Lehigh University well into the twentieth century explains the intricate nature of the Asa Packer Estate. It is evident that the collection of letters are not complete as items mentioned in some letters are not included in the collection that was given to Special Collections.

Other material found includes correspondence, some deeds, legal documents, and financial material relating to the disposition of his estate, dating from an 1854 property transfer to dispersal statements in 1914.

Also included are 28 Financial Record Books, including the Trustees' Minute Books, Cash Books, Ledger Books, Journals, Trial Balance Books and Record Books.

Dates

  • Creation: 1854 - 1972

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is housed remotely. Users need to contact 24 hours in advance.

Conditions Governing Use

Collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Born in Mystic, Connecticut, on December 29, 1805, Asa Packer was an American businessman who pioneered railroad construction in the Lehigh Valley, and financed the construction of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. During his later life he was considered the second wealthiest man in the United States. He was also active in Pennsylvania politics, and founded Lehigh University. Packer remained president of the Lehigh Valley Railroad until his death on May 17, 1879.

Extent

12 Linear Feet

28 Volumes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

A collection of financial records, including receipts, bills, statements, etc., in four separate Estate Accounts, administered by the trustees of the estate of Asa Packer, and Lehigh University covering the period May 1879 through 1972.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by date.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Unknown. (Box 7 – mostly Coal Mine Leases) Advancement Office, October 16, 2015. (Box 7, Folder 28, Union Trust, Girard Trust, Orphan's Court documents)Lorraine Wiedorn, Development office, August 2016.

Related Materials

SC LVF P119e Estate of Asa Packer (Lehigh Collection Vertical File) SC LVF P119 Packer, Asa (Lehigh Collection Vertical File)

Copyright Notice

Please inquire about copyright information.

Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Lehigh University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Lehigh University
Linderman Library
30 Library Drive
Bethlehem PA 18045 USA
610-758-4506
610-758-6091 (Fax)