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Guide to the Hendricks-Tobias Business Correspondence, undated, 1802-1889
 
*P-704

Processed by Abigail H. Schoolman (January 1999). Re-processed with additions by Susan Malbin (Fall 2012).

American Jewish Historical Society

Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street

New York, N.Y. 10011

Phone: (212) 294-6160

Fax: (212) 294-6161

Email: reference@ajhs.org

URL: http://www.ajhs.org

© 2013, American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Finding aid was encoded by Marvin Rusinek on November 30, 2006. EAD updated with additions by Christine McEvilly on January 14, 2013. Description is in English.

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Hendricks-Tobias family
Title: Hendricks-Tobias business correspondence
Dates: undated, 1802-1889
Abstract: The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence to Hendricks & Brothers, 1833[?]-1851. Also included are business cards from various Hendricks-Tobias family enterprises, correspondence to Harmon Hendricks, and correspondence to several members of the Tobias family.
Languages: The collection is predominantly in English, with some French.
Quantity: 0.75 linear feet (2 manuscript boxes) and 1 oversized folder
Identification: P-704
Repository: American Jewish Historical Society
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Historical Note

The firm that eventually came to be known as Hendricks & Brothers (and later, Hendricks Brothers) was founded by Uriah Hendricks (1737-1798). Uriah Hendricks was born in Amsterdam and emigrated from London to New York in 1755. Once in New York, he opened a dry goods store and became an active member (and, in 1791, president) of Congregation Shearith Israel. In 1764, Uriah established a metals business. Upon Uriah's death in 1798, Uriah's only son Harmon (1771-1838), who had gone into business for himself, took over and expanded his father's company. In 1812, Harmon established one of the first copper-rolling mills in the United States. The mill, which was located in Soho, New Jersey, was managed by his partner and brother-in-law, Solomon I. Isaacs. Clients included the United States War Department and Paul Revere and Son. Harmon followed in his father's footsteps, serving as president of Congregation Shearith Israel from 1824 to 1827. Each of Harmon's four sons, Uriah (1802-1869), Henry (1804-1861), Washington (1807-1841), and Montague (1811-1884), joined the family cooper business. In 1830, the partnership between Harmon and Solomon Isaacs was dissolved. The firm was reorganized. Harmon retired and his sons, with Uriah in charge, took over the business, which was then renamed Hendricks & Brothers.

The Hendricks family was closely associated with the Tobias family. Both Uriah (1802-1869) and Henry (1804-1861) married Tobias women. Two of Harmon's (1771-1838) daughters, Roselane and Hermoine, married Tobias men. Another Tobias family became associated with the Hendrickses when, in 1853, Uriah's (1802-1869) daughter Adelaide (1829-1902) married Thomas Jefferson Tobias (1830-1878) of Charleston. Adelaide's younger brother Francis (1836-1912) later went into business with T.J. Tobias, creating the firm of commission merchants Tobias, Hendricks and Company.

In 1861, after the death of Henry (1804-1861), Uriah and Montague changed the name of the firm to Hendricks Brothers, and Uriah's son Joshua (1832-1893) became more active in the business. During the Civil War, Uriah's son Edmund (1834-1909) joined the firm, an injury having forced him to leave the Union Army. After the Civil War, Uriah resumed the Hendricks family's relationship with Hartford Bank, which began with Harmon (1771-1838). When Uriah's youngest son, Harmon Washington (1846-1928), came of age he also joined the family copper business. After the death of Uriah in 1869, Francis dissolved his partnership with T.J. Tobias, and joined his brothers Edmund and Harmon Washington at Hendricks Brothers, with Uriah's eldest son Joshua at the helm. Joshua eventually passed Hendricks Brothers, the oldest firm in the American copper industry, on to his three sons Edgar (1857-1895), Henry Harmon (1859-1904), and Clifford Brandon (1862-1901), with their uncles Edmund (1834-1909), Francis (1836-1912), and Harmon Washington (1846-1928) as senior partners.

After the death of Francis in 1912, Harmon W. Hendricks was the only family member still involved in the copper trade. After his death in 1928, the output of the family copper rolling mill was gradually reduced. The mill closed in December 1938.

For further information on Hendricks & Brothers, the Hendricks family and the Tobias family, see Copper for America: The Hendricks Family and a National Industry, 1755-1939, by Maxwell Whiteman, published by Rutgers University Press, 1971 (AJHS call number HD9539.C7U5817).

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Scope and Content Note

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence to Harmon Hendricks, 1802-38, and Hendricks & Brothers, 1833 [?] to 1851, Tobias family individuals, associates and various business related documents. The collection was acquired as a single unit with no original order. Series V. contains Tobias and Hendricks business records.

While most of the correspondence in the collection relates solely to business matters, there is a particularly interesting letter from Washington Hendricks (1807-1841) in Kingston, Jamaica to his brothers at home in New York (Series I. Hendricks Family: To Hendricks & Brothers, 1837). In addition, throughout Series II. Tobias Family there is correspondence between Henry and Charles Tobias that touches on personal matters, as well as their business.

Series IV contains business documents and papers from various Hendricks and Tobias enterprises, donated by Eleanor and Morris Soble, former I-263.

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Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into four series as follows:

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: info@ajhs.org

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Related Material

Hendricks Family Papers. American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, Mass. and New York, N.Y.

Hendricks Family Papers. New York Historical Society, New York, N.Y.

Tobias Family Papers. American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, Mass. and New York, N.Y.

Hendricks & Brothers Papers. New York Historical Society, New York, N.Y.

Harmon Hendricks Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tobias I. Tobias Letter Book. New York Historical Society, New York, N.Y.

Tobias Scrapbook. Winterthur Library: Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur, Del.

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Provenance

The Society purchased the collection in October 1998 (accession number 1998.020). Also included are Hendricks business letters donated by Eleanor and Morris Soble, [former I-263] and a business letter donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution-Golden Nugget Chapter, Paradise CA.

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Hendricks-Tobias business correspondence; P-704; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Access Points

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Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

 

Series I: Hendricks Family, 1802-1871.
Box 1, Folders 1-36. (36 folders)
Arrangement:

Arranged by addressee and chronologically therein.
Scope and Content:

Correspondence to Harmon Hendricks, Hendricks & Brothers, and Hendricks Brothers. Also includes invoices, Copper Manufacturer’s meeting minutes, and a telegram.
Box Folder Title Date
1 1 To Harmon Hendricks 1802
1 2 To Harmon Hendricks 1804
1 3 To Harmon Hendricks 1805
1 4 To Harmon Hendricks 1808
1 5 To Harmon Hendricks 1815
1 6 To Harmon Hendricks 1816
1 7 To Harmon Hendricks 1817
1 8 To Harmon Hendricks 1819
1 9 To Harmon Hendricks 1820
1 10 To Harmon Hendricks 1822
1 11 To Harmon Hendricks 1823
1 12 To Harmon Hendricks 1825
1 13 To Harmon Hendricks 1826
1 14 To Harmon Hendricks 1827
1 15 To Harmon Hendricks 1828
1 16 To Harmon Hendricks 1829
1 17 To Harmon Hendricks 1830
1 18 To Hendricks & Brothers 1833 [?]
1 19 To Hendricks & Brothers 1836
1 20 To Hendricks & Brothers 1837
1 21 To Hendricks & Brothers 1838
1 22 To Hendricks & Brothers 1839
1 23 To Hendricks & Brothers 1840
1 24 To Hendricks & Brothers 1841
1 25 To Hendricks & Brothers 1842
1 26 To Hendricks & Brothers 1843
1 27 To Hendricks & Brothers 1844
1 28 To Hendricks & Brothers 1845
1 29 To Hendricks & Brothers 1846
1 30 To Hendricks & Brothers 1847
1 31 To Hendricks & Brothers 1848
1 32 To Hendricks & Brothers 1850
1 33 To Hendricks & Brothers 1851
1 34 To Hendricks Brothers: Shipping Invoices 1865
1 35 To Hendricks Brothers: Telegram 1869
1 36 To Hendricks Brothers: Copper Manufacturers' Meeting Minutes 1870-1871
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Series II: Tobias Family, undated, 1819-1860.
Box 1-2, Folders 37-58 and one OS1 folder. (22 Folders)
Arrangement:

Arranged by addressee and chronologically therein.
Scope and Content:

Correspondence to various members of the Tobias family. Also includes invoices.
Box Folder Title Date
1 37 To Tobias I. Tobias undated, 1819
1 38 To Tobias I. Tobias 1823, 1824, 1826
1 39 To Tobias I. Tobias from David Judah 1824-1825
1 40 To Tobias & Co. 1832
1 41 To Henry Tobias 1837
1 42 To Henry and Charles Tobias & Co. 1838
1 43 To Henry and Charles Tobias & Co. 1839
1 44 To Henry and Charles Tobias & Co. 1840
1 45 To Henry and Charles Tobias & Co. 1841
1 46 To Henry and Charles Tobias & Co. 1842
1 47 To Henry Tobias 1843
1 48 To Henry Tobias 1844
Box Folder Title Date
2 49 To Henry Tobias 1845
2 50 To Henry Tobias 1846
2 51 To Charles Tobias 1847
2 52 To T.J. Tobias 1844, 1845
2 53 To T.J. Tobias 1846
2 54 To T.J. Tobias 1848
2 55 To T.J. Tobias 1853
2 56 To T.J. Tobias 1856
2 57 To T.J. Tobias 1858
2 58 To T.J. Tobias 1860
Box Folder Title Date
OS1 Consolidated Box OS1 1 To T.J. Tobias from I. S. Cohen 1848
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Series III: Hendricks and Tobias Family Associates, 1820-1826, 1840.
Box 2, Folders 59-63. (5 folders)
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by addressee and chronologically therein.
Scope and Content:

Correspondence.
Box Folder Title Date
2 59 To Solomon Isaacs 1820-1826
2 60 To David Judah 1825, 1826
2 61 To Edward Pollack 1821-1822
2 62 To Shepard & Farquar 1840
2 63 Offer to T.J. Waters to buy stock- From Harmon Hendricks 1835
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Series IV: Shipping and business records from Harmon Hendricks, Henry Hendricks, Tobias, I. Tobias, Hendricks Brothers, 1824-1836, 1840-1870.
Box 2, Folders 64-65. (2 folders)
Arrangement:

Arranged by date of invoice.
Scope and Content:

Shipping and business records.
Box Folder Title Date
2 64 Business and shipping records 1824-1836
   

Selection of business and shipping records, 1834

 
2 65 Business and shipping records 1840-1870
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Series V: Business Cards some with messages, undated, 1882, 1889, 1850s and 1860s.
Box 2, Folders 66-67. (2 folders)
Arrangement:

Arranged in two groups.
Scope and Content:

Business cards from companies bearing the Hendricks and Tobias family names or operated by either family. Also includes business cards from companies doing business with Hendricks & Brothers.
Box Folder Title Date
2 66 Hendricks-Tobias Family Companies undated, 1882, 1889
   

Selection of business cards, undated, 1882, 1889

 
2 67 Business Cards from outside companies 1850s and 1860s
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