Letters sent

Summary: Letters received and sent by John A. Roebling partly while living in his native Germany and later throughout his life in America. Letters concern all aspects of Roebling's life, especially his wire rope business, various engineering projects and family relationships. Also included in this series are letter books, telegrams, memoranda and circular flyers.

Many of the early letters sent or received are written in German, all of which are accompanied by English translations or summaries.

Among the documents in this series are letters received from: rival bridge builder Charles Ellet, Jr., dated February 8, 1840, concerning the use of suspension bridges in America; William A. Morris, dated January 12, 1841, concerning Roebling's idea to use wire rope cables on inclined planes used for canal boats; Washington A. Roebling, dated August 24, 1862, concerning his participation in the Second Battle of Bull Run; and the U.S. Patent Office, dated March 30, 1841, concerning Roebling's specifications for wire rope. Roebling's engineering projects represented in the correspondence include the Allegheny Aqueduct, Niagara Falls Railway Suspension Bridge, Covington and Cincinnati Bridge, Kentucky River Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge.

Also includes three bound books of letters to Ferdinand Baehr (1831-1832), fellow Saxonburg colonist, and one oversize item, which is stored separately.