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Title Correspondence between David Cobb and others, regarding the development of Bingham's Maine lands over recent years
Archival Reference Ms. N-1000
Sub-collection David Cobb Papers  
Author Bingham, William  Cobb, David  Parker, Isaac  
Date 1-15 Mar 1800
Document Type Correspondence
Contents Includes:
Letter from William Bingham (Philadelphia) to David Cobb enclosing a copy of a report by John Herrick, 5 Mar. 1800 [report not enclosed]
Letter from David Cobb (Gouldsboro, Me.) to William Bingham reviewing operations on Bingham's Maine lands during the previous five years, 5 Mar. 1800
Letter from Edward H. Robbins (Boston) to David Cobb requesting that Cobb take an active part in the gubernatorial election campaign of Caleb Strong and discussing the candidacy of Moses Gill, 8 Mar. 1800
Letter from Samuel Freeman (Portland, Me.) to Cobb and Richards thanking them for compensation in a lawsuit, 10 Mar. 1800
Letter from David Cobb (Gouldsboro, Me.) to Benjamin Vaughan requesting that he forward a letter to [Joseph] Wingate and commenting on the growth of "seaside peas" on Mount Desert Island, 12 Mar. 1800
Letter from David Cobb (Gouldsboro, Me.) to [Joseph] Wingate about the recruitment of people from the Merrimack Valley to settle in Maine, 12 Mar. 1800
Letter from Isaac Parker (Portland, Me.) to David Cobb informing him that Samuel Freeman is pleased with the settlement of a dispute and commenting on the upcoming marriage of [John] Richards, 13 Mar. 1800
Sub-collection Information This collection consists of the papers of David Cobb primarily documenting his position as land agent for William Bingham in Maine, including papers related to the settlement of Maine, logging and the lumber trade, roads, and other subjects. Also included are papers related to his service during the American Revolution and his career as a politician and judge.

David Cobb was a Revolutionary War soldier and aide-de-camp to General George Washington, speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and president of the Senate, physician, judge, member of Congress, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and a founder of the Society of the Cincinnati and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The collection contains letters to Charles W. Hare, Bingham's Philadelphia agent, and Alexander Baring, the future Lord Ashburton and representative of London's House of Baring. Also included are legal actions, financial accounts, maps, and inventories related to land development, fishing, lumbering, census reports, lotteries, the laying out of streets, and the construction of wharves, warehouses, and sawmills in Gouldsboro, Maine, which Cobb tried to develop as a major commercial port.

The collection also contains eight fragmentary diaries kept by Cobb, 1781-1818; a manuscript notebook with sketches; lists of British ships of the line; instructions for naval officers; letters to various members of the Cobb family; and letters from William Eustis, Henry Knox, Timothy Pickering, and Israel Thorndike concerning foreign relations, state politics, and miscellaneous financial matters related to the firm of Cobb and Richards, in which Cobb was partner.
Region American East  
Subjects Election  Lawsuit  Law and Order  Marriage and Relationships  Agriculture  Settlers and Settlement  Government and Politics  
Places Philadelphia; Pennsylvania; Portland; Maine; Gouldsboro; Boston; Massachusetts
People Cobb, David (1748-1830)  Bingham, William (1752-1804)  
Themes Land & Property; Government & Politics
Library Massachusetts Historical Society  
Copyright Massachusetts Historical Society