Thomas and Hugg papers
Abstract
The Thomas and Hugg papers consists of about 1,500 items (filling 22 boxes) relating to the families Jacob W. Hugg, Sr., a Baltimore ship master and merchant, and John L. Thomas, Collector of the Port of Baltimore.
Dates
- 1783-1921
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
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Biographical / Historical
The Thomas family
John L. Thomas was born in Baltimore in 1835 of John L. and Matilda L. [UNK] Thomas. At an early age, the young Thomas moved to Cumberland, Maryland with his family where he received his general education in a private academy. After studying law under General Thomas J. McKaig, Thomas was admitted to the bar in 1856. Immediately afterward he was appointed councillor for the town of Cuberland. After a short tenure in this position, Thomas moved to Baltimore to pursue private practice.
Thomas held the post of Baltimore City Solicitor from 1860 to 1862 and afterwards was State's Attorney from 1863 to 1865. This was interupted upon his election to Congress in which he served one term until 1867. In 1868 Thomas was delegate to the National Republican Convention, and in 1869 he received the choice political appointment as Collector of the Port of Baltimore. He held this post until 1873 and was reappointed in 1877 after serving as chairman of the Republican State Central/Committee during Rutherford B. Hayes' campaign for President. Thomas was removed from the position again in 1882 for political reasons. Throughout his political career Thomas practiced law and was a frequent contributor, especially of travel accounts, to local newspapers.
Thomas and his wife, Azalia (nee' Hussey) had three children: John [UNK] Thomas, Jr. (1875-1961), Zaidee T. Thomas (1866-1934), and William S. Thomas (1869-1947). The latter became a prominent Baltimore attorney who achieved distinction as the recipient of the Hugg family fortune through the will of Maggie V. Hugg. Hugg relatives fought the terms of the will and probably felt Thomas deviously used his position as Miss Hugg's personal lawyer to acquire the bulk of her estate, but the intent of the will stood. By the terms William S. Thomas' will the Hugg money and its increments were to be donated to the Maryland Historical Society specifically to construct a Thomas and Hugg Memorial Building for the use of the Society.
The Hugg family
Jacob Washington Hugg Sr. was born in 1800, the youngest of six children. His parents were of German decent and were associated with the Zion Lutheran Church. Hugg's father had emigrated from Ireland to Baltimore where he operated a small grocery store until his death early in the nineteenth century.
In 1827 Hugg married Margaret Strobel. Seven children came of this marriage: John Peter (1830-37); Barbara Elizabeth (1832-95); Jacob W., Jr (1834-95); Maggie V. (1842-1908; Marion (1845-99); Isabell (1846-52); and Susan A. (1848-98).
Having started out as a sailor early in his life, Hugg rose to the position of ship's master by 1821. Soon after this date he became active in ship outfitting as well as importing and exporting. Hugg soon developed what appears to have been a flourishing commodity trade, primarily with the South American part of Rio de Janero, although trade with Hong Kong and other parts of the Orient occured as well. In the course of his business activities, Hugg acquired a sizeable fortune, part of which he used to construct a large dwelling at 1302 Eutaw street. He also served in several minor posts under the administration of Mayors Swann and Chapman before his death in 1869.
Hugg's sons, Jacob W., Jr. and Marion, themselves became actively involved with their father's business. Both followed the route the elder Hugg had by first serving and commanding vessels before handling detailed mercantile matters. Neither son, however, showed any notable business ability as the concern appears to have remained static after their father's death. Indications are that the business was liquidated by the Hugg sons in the late 1870's.
The Hugg daughters, Sue, Barbara and especially Maggie, displayed interest in managing their personal finances. All three kept various accounts and transactional details concerning their financial resources. All three apparently also never married and lived together at their Eutaw street home until their death.
Extent
20.25 Linear Feet (19 flat boxes; 3 full Hollinger boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
John L. Thomas, Incoming Correspondence
1865-1890
5 volumes.
Arranged chronologically by year.
Letters, letterpress copies, notes, telegrams. Much of the correspondence is official in nature as it relates to Thomas' position as collector of the Port of Baltimore from 1869 to 1873 and again from 1879 to 1883. Some legal correspondence, 1877 to 1884. Republican state and national politics are discussed throughout. Senders include: Frederick Douglass, Rutherford B. Hayes, Mathew J. Creswell, C.L. Chapman, Thomas Swann, Hugh L. Bond, John Sherman, R. C. McCormick, Burton N. Harrison, W.S. Hancock, James A. Garfield, James G. Blaine, S. Colfax, George S. Boutwell, Cyrus W. Field, Henry Winter Davis, Thaddeus Stevens, George H. Lamphere, W.M. Bateman, H.J. French, Ferdinand C. Latrobe, J. I. Kirkwood, William Beck, William E. Wallis, Samuel Coates, Richard Grady, and John Sims.
John L. Thomas, Outgoing Correspondence
1870-1881
1 folder and 1 volume.
Arranged chronologically by year.
Letters and letterpress copies. This series is similar to Thomas' incoming correspondence in that official collector of the Port details and Republican politics are the predominate topics. Addressees include: D. M. Key, H. [UNK] Naill, Lewis M. Cole, George W. McCreary, J. P. DeFrees, Charles Leoffler, J. R. Buchanan, Ferdinand C. Latrobe, S. Parker Basley, Richard M. Thompson, John Sherman, W. K. Rodgers, A. N. Beard, William Moody, Rutherford B. Hayes, and John McClintock.
General Correspondence
1850-1890
2 folders and 1 volume.
Arranged chronologically by year.
Letters, letterpress copies, notes, and telegrams. The nature of this grouping of correspondence, neither sent nor received by a collection principle, is varied. Much of it is related to Thomas' position as Baltimore Port Collector and Republican Party Chieftan, but other items deal with the Civil War and mercantile affairs. Senders and receivers include: James Ennis, W. P. Aubrey, S. D. Buch, Lina Miller, Lorens Hathaway, Perlina Hathaway, R. W. Bowerman, A. H. Miller, William Albert, Samuel Hooper, George S. Boutwell John Sherman, and Peter Strobel.
John L. Thomas Scrapbooks
1866-1890
5 volumes.
Arranged topically within each volume.
Newspaper and magazine clippings, menus, programs, and invitations. Majority of the items in Thomas' scrapbooks relate to travel accounts written by himself and published in the Baltimore American. Journeys detailed include: congressional excursion through the South (1866); excursion over the Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division from Philadelphia to Fort Harker, Kansas (1857); and trip covering the southwest through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Western Maryland (1882). Clippings associated with Republican national politics were kept by Thomas for the period 1880-82. An assortment of dinner menus, programs, and invitations presumably connected with Thomas' social activities in the early 1880's are also available.
John L. Thomas Diaries
1857-1893
9 volumes.
Chronological within each volume
Thomas' diaries consist of brief daily entires relating to his personal, business, legal, political, and professional activities.
Jacob W. Hugg, Sr. Incoming Correspondence
1835-1870
Arranged chronologically by year
Letters, telegrams, notes, and letterpress copies. Items relate to Hugg's activities with the Brazilian port of Rio de Janero. Majority of those writing are commodity merchants with Mexwell, Wright and Co. of Rio de Janero being the best represented. Other senders include Peter Strobel; Charles Pitt; James Whiting; Abraham Requa; Jerome Pickett; Joshua and J. Thomas Ferrell; Robert Turner; B. J. Waterman; Conyers and Harvey Co.; John Bandel; John B. Conner; W.W. Stafford; Johnathan Gill; Hicks and Bell; Richard Hamilton; Zimmer, Frazier Co.; and Edward Auld.
Jacob W. Hugg, Sr. Outgoing Correspondence
ca. 1837-1870
1 folder and 3 volumes (partial)
Arranged chronologically by year.
Copies of letters, letterpress copies, and notes. Limited number of items in the series, with numerous date gaps. Material is similar to Hugg's incoming correspondence in that it deals mostly with import-export shipping. Addressees include: James Thornburn; Capt. Peterson; Messrs. Bromly and Co.; The Board of the Baltimore Passenger Railroad; Messrs. Drysdale and Co.; Messrs. Wright and Co.; and Peter Strobel.
Jacob W. Hugg, Jr. Incoming Correspondence
1870-1890
2 folders.
Arranged chronologically by year
Letters, letterpress copies, notes and telegrams. Most of these items are dated prior to 1877 and are associated with the shipping business begun by his father. A few personal items can be found, especially after 1877. Senders include: Wright and Co.; Marion Hugg; Wright Brown and Co. John W. Randolph; Henry Fulton; Thomas M. Bell; T.E. Stratton; Birckhead and Reeves; A.E. Fondy; G. T. Gromes; August Beck; J. E. Norwood; and George B. Jackson.
Maggie V. Hugg Incoming Correspondence
1858-1908
1/8 box.
Arranged chronologically by year
Letters and notes. Material is heavily associated with Miss Hugg's personal and family activities. Many items dated in the mid to late 1860's are from suitors, some of which were quite ardent. Later material originated mostly from friends, although some relates to her financial dealings. Family members are not extensively represented. Senders include: Amanda Neff; Sue Hugg; John Teadle; Frank A. Bates; Edwin J. Griffin; William Merriken; John Gaynor; Benziger Brothers; Mary A Hughes; P. P. Caldwell; Alice Hammond; L. E. Albert; Mrs. L. L. Hubbard; Theodore B. Gates; Whitford L. McDowell; M. Levin Hewes; George E. Taylor; and Harold Harding.
Hugg Log Books
1821-1878
3 boxes containing 14 volumes
Material is arranged chronologically within each volume.
Logs and some cargo listings for Hugg owned and chartered vessels. Most entries detail ships course, weather, and any notable events that have occurred. The Maggie V. Hugg is represented in seven logs while the Marion appears in three separate volumes. The C. L. Bevan, R. C. Wright, Plato, London Packet, Unites States, Eugenia, Virginia, Margaret Hugg, Spirit of '76, and Amazon all are represented once.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of the Estate of John L. Thomas, Jr., and William S. Thomas though the will of Maggie V. Hugg in 1908 and April 1962.
Scope and Contents
The Thomas papers
The Thomas materials in this collection relate mostly to John F. Thomas Sr. (1835-1893). Papers of his include incoming and outgoing official correspondence; legal papers; certificates; personal accounts, bills and receipts; newspaper clippings; scrapbooks; and personal diaries.
Thomas' activities from his first appointment as collector of the Port of Baltimore in 1869 up to his resignation from the same position in 1882 are best represented in these papers. His correspondence, while not extensive, does reflect upon a number of subjects such as his duties, actions, and problems as Collector; Republican state and national politics; and various social activities. Also included are Thomas' Collector's account of Disbursements (1871-73), which detail various expenditures associated with his position as Collector. A series of letters bound into a scrapbook addressed to President James A. Garfield from many well-known Baltimore businessmen request Thomas be reappointed to the Collectorship after the expiration of his commission in 1882.
A significant body of bound newspaper clippings relate to travel accounts written by Thomas during several extensive trips through the United States in the 1860's. The clippings go into detail concerning modes of transportation, travel accommodations, observations on local residents and customs, as well as geographic and climatic remarks. Other scrapbooks deal with Republican National Politics (1880-82) as well as collections of menus, programs and invitations associated with Thomas' social activities. A small group of legal papers and a scrapbook of incoming correspondence (1877-84) are the only materials extensively detailing Thomas' legal activities. This aspect of his life is poorly represented here. A group of Thomas' personal diaries dating irregularly from 1857-1893 contain brief daily entries noting mainly personal activities; business, legal, political, and professional observations and remarks also occur.
Additional data contained in the Thomas papers is associated with William S. Thomas (1869-1947). Included are a mathematics exercise book (no date); a letterbook of outgoing correspondence relating to William S. Thomas' legal activities concerning the Adams Express Company (1894-99); a scrapbook of obituaries and other clippings; and two diaries relating legal activities and general observations (1890-91).
Zaidee T. Thomas is represented in the collection through a small body of incoming correspondence dating from 1915 to 1921. Those writing are for the most part friends discussing personal and family subjects.
The Thomas collection also includes a volume of minutes for the Baldwin Manufacturing Company of Baltimore City. Dating from 1890 to 1891, there is no clear association between this item and the other materials comprising the collection or with any person represented in the collection.
The Hugg papers
Items in this section of the collection relate primarily to Jacob W. Hugg, Sr. and his children Jacob W., Jr., Marion, Maggie V., and Sue A. Hugg. The elder Hugg's papers are associated nearly exclusively with his import-export shipping business. These items include accounts, ship's log books, and correspondence (both incoming and outgoing). Of these three series, the correspondence is both the greatest size and in potential research value. Subjects discussed in the correspondence frequently deal with flour, lumber, and coffee transactions in South America, especially Rio de Janero. Several bills of sale for vessels (ca. 1850-1875) are also included. Few items of a personal nature occur.
Jacob W. Hugg, Jr. was heavily and closely involved with his father's business from a young age. It is therefore difficult to separate his material from that of the senior Hugg, especially as the Jr. and Sr. designations were often not employed. Those items tentatively identified as the younger Hugg's are very similar to those of the elder Hugg in that they predominantly relate to the import-export shipping trade. These include various accounts, log books, and correspondence (incoming). The younger Hugg apparently was also in the habit of writing down assorted proverbs, witticisms, and trivial bits of information in his account books and in separate volumes. This type of material is plentiful, whereas that previously mentioned is not. Items of a personal nature are not plentiful.
A fair amount of Maggie V. Hugg items can be found in the collection. This material is varied in its nature as it includes autograph books, school exercises, correspondence, accounts, diaries, cookbooks, and random notes and figures. Much of the material dates from about 1890 up to her death in 1908, apparently a period of active financial involvement for Miss Hugg judging from the nature of her papers. Some personal items do appear in her correspondence, but these are not abundant.
The papers of Sue A. Hugg are very similar to those of her sister. They are also primarily oriented towards the operation of her personal finances, which include the solicitation and collection of ground and building rents as well as the buying and selling of securities. Materials include an autograph book, diary, and letterbook. Personal items are rare.
Marion Hugg is not well represented in the collection. A small body of correspondence (incoming) associated mainly with his involvement with his father and brother in the shipping business is available. Other items include assorted account books, essays, and several log books. Some personal items, many associated with the Hugg family, are included in his papers.
Included in the Hugg materials is also a volume of cargo inventories (1773-1782) associated with Samuel and Robert Purviance. No connection is apparent between this item and the rest of the collection.
Creator
- Hugg, Jacob Washington, Sr., 1801-1870 (Person)
- Hugg, Jacob Washington, Jr., 1834-1895 (Person)
- Hugg, Maggie V., 1842-1908 (Person)
- Thomas, John L. (John Lewis), 1835-1893 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Thomas and Hugg papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- William G. LeFurgy
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- 2019-11-13: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Mallory Herberger.
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org