Sharp, Thomas Robinson (1834- )
Papers, 1859-1908, 1950s-1960s, n.d., 0.4 cu. ft, Ms97-019
History:
Thomas Robinson Sharp was born on February 22, 1834, in Mt. Carbon, Pennsylvania. He worked as assistant to the general superintendent of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad (1853- 54), East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad (1854), and the Petersburg Railroad (1855-56). He was assistant superintendent of the Alabama and Florida Railroad (1857-59) and superintendent of the Richmond & York River Railroad (1859-60). From June 1861 to April 1865 he was the military road superintendent of the Confederate States of America, achieving the rank of Colonel. After working as a superintendent of the Savannah & Memphis Railroad (1871-72), the New Jersey Southern Railroad (1872), he was assistant, and then master of transportation for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (1872-77). He was a receiver for the Long Island Railroad (1877-80), president of the Danville, Mocksville & Southwestern Railroad Company (1880-?), and president of the Cincinnati, Wheeling & New York Railroad Company (1883-?), as well as general manager of the Kanawha & Ohio Railroad (1886-?).
Scope and Content:
The Thomas Robinson Sharp papers consist of journals, scrapbooks, correspondence copy books, and other items created by Sharp. Also includes notes and newspaper clippings created by and collected by an unknown past owner of the papers. Railroad books were donated with the manuscript materials, and are listed below. The books are not stored with the manuscript items; they have been cataloged for the Rare Book Room of the Special Collections Department.
Provenance:
The Thomas Robinson Sharp papers and books were donated on November 8, 1997, by Gary and Kimberly Shirley of Stanley, Virginia. The collection was processed from November 1997 to January 1998 by Gina Ellis, student assistant, and Laura Katz Smith, Manuscripts Curator, Special Collections Department.
Contents List:
- Folder 1: July 26, 1859-August 31, 1863 -- Journal, briefly listing daily activities.
- Folder 2: 1859-1871 -- Notebook and scrapbook with drawings of general topics of interest to Sharp. Includes notes about bridge building and railroad expenses.
- Folder 3: 1871 -- Journal of notes made by Sharp of the history of selected American railroads. Specifically notes earnings and expenses of the railroads.
- Folder 4: 1877 -- Scrapbook of newspaper clippings from several different newspapers detailing a railroad collision on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on June 12, 1877 at Point of Rocks, Maryland.
- Folder 5: 1882-86--Ledger listing household items sold in a grocery store.
- Folder 6: 1889-91--Ledger, listing cash received and cash paid.
- Folder 7: 1895 -- Letter to Sharp from F.E. Browne.
- Folder 8: 1907-08--Two copy books of correspondence by Sharp.
- Folder 9: 1950s, 1960s -- newspaper articles and manuscript notes that accompanied diary in folder 1.
- Folder 10: n.d.--Miscellaneous printed literature. Includes an article, "How To Write the English Language Correctly," and a Washington Post article entitled, "A Pristine Anachronism, Pridefully Held."
- Folder 11: n.d. -- sketch of a locomotive, artist unknown.
Return to:
Guide to the Manusc ript Collections in the University Libraries
Manuscript sources for Civil War Research
Manuscript sources for Railroad History Research
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