Shriver family papers

Box 1

1764-1809. Mostly papers of David Shriver, Sr. Family letters from the related families of Miller, Swope, and Schley. Many letters to David Shriver, Sr. from his wife Rebecca and sons Andrew, Abraham, David Jr., Jacob, and Isaac. These letters discuss personal and business matters and a number addressed to David Sr. seek political assistance in the Maryland Legislature. Many epistles to David Sr. seeking political favors, 1789, 1794-95, 1801, and 1805 and 1809 when David Shriver, Sr. was in the Maryland Senate. Many letters discussing road construction, the court system, banks (especially 1806-1808), elections, and national events such as the embargo of 1808. An 1802 letter from Josph H. Nicholson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, describing the activities of the recent session of Congress and particularly the relations between the Federalists and Republicans.



Box 2

1810-1824. A number of letters, mostly 1810-12, seeking David Shriver, Sr.'s assistance or advice on political matters. The letters, mostly from Abraham Shriver, continue up to his death in 1826, and comment on the military, banks, roads and schools. Many family or business letters including a large number from Samuel Frey regarding property in Baltimore City, Maryland. Most of the papers relate to James Shriver of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. A few letters in 1812 and 1814 apparently relate to James's business dealings for his father, Andrew. Papers of his upcoming marriage to Elizabeth Miller and advice from his father on his vocation, 1818-19. Letters on his work with David Shriver, Jr. on the National Road, 1820. A May 31, 1820 letter of David Shriver, Jr. to David Shriver, Sr. with the news that he has been appointed one of the three commissioners to locate the route of the National Road from Wheeling, West Virginia to the Mississippi River. Letters of James Shriver describing a visit to a man who claimed to have invented a perpetual motion machine and his attempt to be appointed a pothomotary in Pennsylvania, 1820. James's correspondence with his father, Andrew, mentions politics, business and economic climate, banks, and post offices. The main subject of his correspondence of 1822-23 is his failing financial condition and lack of steady employment. A long series of letters on his publishing of his An Account of Surveys and Examinations with Remarks and Documents, Relative to the Projected Chesapeake and Ohio, and Ohio and Lake Erie Canals (Baltimore, 1824), 1823-24. Numerous descripts of his endeavor to obtain an engineering job, many written from Washington, D.C. describing the Congressional activities on roads and canals, 1823-24. The May 17, 1824 letter of James informs Andrew of his appointment as assistant civil engineer to survey for the route between the Chesapeake and Ohio.



Box 3

1825-1867. Earliest items in this box relate to James Shriver's work on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal survey, 1825-26, with mentions of his brother's, Joseph, assistance; several letters commenting on the death of Mrs. James Shriver in early 1825. Several letters by Abraham Shriver concerning a canal connecting Frederick County with the Susquehanna River and a series of letters to Jacob Shriver, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for Frederick County, relating to politics and political appointments, roads, and the Westminister Rail Road, 1829. A run of letters, 1830-33, addressed to Abraham F. Shriver and written mainly by William Cost Johnson and John W. Pratt discussing political occurances in Frederick County. A short exchange of letters between Francis Scott Key and Abraham F. Shriver over some personal disagreement. The remainder of the material is scattered personal and business letters and a few undated items.