John Stevens Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
label: Creator
content: Stevens, John, 1749-1838
label: Names
content: Camden and Amboy Railroad.
label: Names
content: Danville & Pottsville Railroad Company
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.).  Division of Transportation
place: label: Place
content: Pennsylvania
label: Place
content: New Jersey
topic: label: Topic
content: Steam engineers
label: Topic
content: Steam engineering
label: Topic
content: Steam-engines
label: Topic
content: Locomotive builders
label: Topic
content: Steamboats
label: Topic
content: Railroads -- 19th century
label: Topic
content: Locomotives
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
creator: label: Creator
content: Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
label: Creator
content: Stevens, John, 1749-1838
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Stevens Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents rge career of inventor and engineer John Stevens.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: John Stevens (1749 1838) of New York, inventor and engineer, graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) in 1768.  Admitted to the New York Bar in 1771, he served as treasurer of New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.  He became interested in steam powered navigation in 1787 and for the next fifty years was active in building and promoting steam boats and trains, securing numerous patents, and inventing such important developments as the screw propellor.  He established the worlds first steam ferry, between New York City and Hoboken, New Jersey and later built the first operating steam locomotive in the United States  Stevens secured a charter from the Legislature of Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Railroad, from Philadelphia to Lancaster County.  Two of John Stevens' seven sons,    Robert and Edwin were also prominent engineers and developers of transportation equipment who collaborated with their father.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.5 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1808-1881
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: This collection was transferred from the Division of Transportation (now Division of Work and Industry) to the Archives Center in June 1989.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0333
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Don Darroch and Robert Harding, 1989.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1930-1950
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The main component of this collection is a double-spaced typewritten document of 858 pages transcribed (apparently in 1903) from original records and consisting of correspondence, newspaper articles, technical descriptions, legal documents, and other material relating to John Stevens, his professional work and career.  Some of the correspondence is between Stevens and his rival inventors, such as Robert Fulton, credited with producing the first steamboat.

Other documents in the collection are the orginal papers incorporating the Danville and Pottsville RR in 1831 and a carefully detailed survey and cost estimate of the Camden and Amboy RR in 1830.