Ambrose W. Thompson Papers
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Ambrose W. Thompson span the years 1847-1960, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1860-1882. The collection focuses on his business undertakings in railroads, canals, steamships and land speculations. The papers are fairly evenly distributed from 1860 until Thompson's death in 1882, with a slight concentration during the years from 1865 to 1875. The collection is organized into nine series: Memoranda Book , Family Correspondence , General Correspondence , Letterbooks , Business Papers , Chiriqui Improvement Company File , Financial Papers , Miscellany , and Oversize .
The first part of the Chiriqui Company File , 1851-1882, contains the company's papers until Thompson's death, and the second portion, dated 1883-1960, relates to various attempts to revive the firm in the 1940s. Correspondence has been removed from the first portion of the company papers and filed in the General Correspondence series together with Thompson's other business-related communications.
Included in the Family Correspondence are letters to and from Ambrose's son, Ambrose, Jr., who was also involved in his father's enterprises and did a considerable amount of traveling and negotiating to promote them.
Prominent correspondents include James Mitchell Ashley, Edward Fitzgerald Beale, Simon Cameron, John A. Dix, William Maxwell Evarts, Lucius Fairchild, Gustavus Vasa Fox, William H. Hulbert, Thomas Francis Meagher, Francis B. Pierpont, S. C. Pomeroy, David D. Porter, Fitz-John Porter, Samuel Shellabarger, Franz Sigel, Caleb B. Smith, Richard W. Thompson, John Palmer Usher, and Henry A. Wise.
Dates
- Creation: 1847-1960
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1860-1882
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Ambrose W. Thompson are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Ambrose W. Thompson is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Biographical Note
Biographical Note
- 1811, May 23
- Born, Lewes, Del.
- 1851
- Petitioned Congress for federal aid for the establishment of Atlantic and Pacific lines for carrying mail
- 1854
- Received land and road grant from the province of Chiriquí government, Panama
- Incorporated the Central American Mining Co. in Pennsylvania; changed the name to the Chiriqui [sic] Improvement Co. with himself as president
- Attempted to interest the U.S. Government in naval coaling stations and mail service across the Isthmus at Chiriquí
- 1859
- Incorporated National Steamship Co. in New Jersey with himself as president
- 1860 - 1863
- Promoted the Metropolitan Railroad scheme for a line between Point of Rocks, Md., and the District of Columbia
- 1861 - 1864
- Proposed to Congress and President Abraham Lincoln the resettlement of formerly enslaved people in Chiriquí
- 1864 - 1866
- Traveled in England and on the Continent in search of financial backing for a proposed steamship line from New York to California via the isthmus, and development of coal mines in Chiriquí 1868 Elected member, Board of Directors, West Shore Hudson River Railroad Co.
- 1869
- Incorporated the International Steamship Co. in New Jersey with himself as president
- 1876 - 1882
- Revived efforts to establish naval and coaling stations at Chiriquí as well as service through the region to the West Coast of the U.S.
- 1877
- Elected President, Brooklyn, Coney Island & Rockaway Railroad Co.
- 1882, May 27
- Died, Washington, D.C.
Extent
12,000 items
53 containers
2 oversize
26 linear feet
Abstract
Businessman. Business and family correspondence, letterbooks, memoranda, reports, statistical tables, patent papers, stocks and bonds, drawings, maps, and printed matter and miscellaneous material relating to Thompson's career as a businessman.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection is arranged in nine series:
Additional Guides
The collection was described in the Library's Information Bulletin 19, no. 28 (July 11, 1960), and in the Library of Congress Journal of Current Acquisitions 17, no. 3 (May 1960) 186-87.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Ambrose W. Thompson, businessman, were given to the Library of Congress in 1959 by his son, John A. Thompson. Small additions were donated by Paul J. Scheips in 1960.
Processing History
The papers of Ambrose W. Thompson were arranged and described in 1960. The finding aid was revised in 2012. The finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Source
- Thompson, Ambrose W. (Creator, Person)
Subject
- Ashley, James Mitchell, 1824-1896--Correspondence. (Person)
- Beale, Edward Fitzgerald, 1822-1893--Correspondence. (Person)
- Cameron, Simon, 1799-1889--Correspondence. (Person)
- Dix, John A. (John Adams), 1798-1879--Correspondence. (Person)
- Evarts, William Maxwell, 1818-1901--Correspondence. (Person)
- Fairchild, Lucius, 1831-1896--Correspondence. (Person)
- Fox, Gustavus Vasa, 1821-1883--Correspondence. (Person)
- Hurlbert, William Henry, 1827-1895--Correspondence. (Person)
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Correspondence. (Person)
- Meagher, Thomas Francis, 1823-1867--Correspondence. (Person)
- Pattison, Juan--Correspondence. (Person)
- Pierpont, Francis Harrison, 1814-1899--Correspondence. (Person)
- Pomeroy, S. C. (Samuel Clarke), 1816-1891--Correspondence. (Person)
- Porter, David D. (David Dixon), 1813-1891--Correspondence. (Person)
- Porter, Fitz-John, 1822-1901--Correspondence. (Person)
- Shellabarger, Samuel, 1888-1954--Correspondence. (Person)
- Sigel, Franz, 1824-1902--Correspondence. (Person)
- Smith, Caleb B. (Caleb Blood), 1808-1864--Correspondence. (Person)
- Thompson family--Correspondence. (Family)
- Thompson, Ambrose W. (Person)
- Thompson, Ambrose, Jr.--Correspondence. (Person)
- Thompson, Richard W. (Richard Wigginton), 1809-1900--Correspondence. (Person)
- Usher, John Palmer, 1816-1889--Correspondence. (Person)
- Wise, Henry A. (Henry Alexander), 1806-1876--Correspondence. (Person)
- Chiriqui Improvement Company. (Organization)
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Ambrose W. Thompson Papers
- Subtitle
- A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
- Author
- Prepared by Manuscript Division staff
- Date
- 2025
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Manuscript Division Repository
Manuscript Reading Room
101 Independence Ave, SE
James Madison Building, LM 101
Washington, DC 20540-4683
(202) 707-5387