- Item 1: Power of Attorney, Henry Clay to John Hart of Lexington., 9 Oct 1818
ADS.
I do hereby nominate and constitute John Hart of Lexington my true and lawful attorney with full powers to collect from time to time any rents that are now due or may hereafter accrue to me upon any houses or other property which I own in the town of Lexington or elsewhere in the State of Kentucky; and to rent out, from time to time, any of the said property for any term of years that he may think proper, and on such occasions as he may approve. Hereby ratifying and confirming whatever my said attorney may do in the premises. Witness my hand and seal this 9th Oct. 1818.
H. Clay (Seal)
- Acquisition Method: Found in Townsend Room Collections
- Item 2: Correspondence Henry Clay to Sidney P. Clay, 9 Jan 1820
ALS. Discusses the fact that the debate on the Missouri question will be taking place in Congress and will probably last for several weeks.
Dr Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 7th. I have to say that the discussion of the Missouri question will probably begin tomorrow or next day; and unless some unexpected turn should arise in the affair; the debate as it will probably last six days or a fortnight. If your object in coming here should be to attend the two houses of Congress there is every reason to believe that you shall have opportunities enough to attend the debates.
I transmit you enclosed a check on the Bank of the U. States at Philadelphia for $200.
Yrs.
H. Clay
S.P. Clay. Esq.
- Acquisition Method: Found in Townsend Room Collections
- Item 3: Check to Sidney P. Clay, 29 Jan 1820
- ADS Henry Clay. Check for $59 to Sidney P. Clay drawn on the Bank of the U.S., Philadelphia, PA.
- Acquisition Method: Found in Townsend Room collections
- Item 4: Check to Gates & Seaton, 13 Mar 1833
- ADS Henry Clay. Check for $32.81 to Gates & Seaton drawn on the Bank of the United States, Washington, DC.
- Acquisition Method: Found in Townsend Room collections
- Item 5: Correspondence Samuel C. Wead from Henry Clay, 31 May 1833
ALS Henry Clay. Reply to Wead regarding the possible purchase of a "hemp and flax breaker." He is not interested in buying the machine but goes on to discuss the hemp growing industry in that part of Kentucky.
Ashland 31st May 1833
Sir,
I have rec'd. Your favor of the 20th inst. and am obliged by your kind offer to sell Mess. Hines and Bains Hemp and flax breaker. At present I have no wish to purchase it. Nor could you sell it in this State, without a practical demonstration here of it being capable of answering its purpose, and of materially saving labor. We have met with such repeated disappointments in all the substitutes which have been heretofore tried for manual labor that no body wd. Buy on representations or certificates, however strong.
This part of K. is a fine hemp country. The article is more extensively grown here than any other part of the U.S. and a machine for breaking which should be really successful could not fail to do well. But one farmer must see it and judge for themselves, and must see it in operation for a considerable. So great is their want of confidence.
We almost invariably dew rot hemp; hence probably is the cause of the difference in price noticed by you. Hemp so prepared answers all the purposes of Cotton Bagging and Bale ropes, the principal objects to which it is applied with us.
If the machine is too expensive for one farm, or is too heavy to admit of its easy transportation from farm to farm, it would be a great objection to it. For the hauling of Hemp to be broken would be a serious labor.
A Mr. Tebbetts of Cincinnati says he has invented a perfect hemp breaker; but no one will purchase until satisfied fully that it will answer.
I am respectfully
Your ob. Servnt.
H. Clay
Saml. C. Wead, Esq.
- Acquisition Method: Found in University Archives collections
- Item 6: Mourning Envelope with a Lock of Anne Clay's Erwin's Hair, Dec 1935
- Anne Brown Clay, daughter of Henry Clay and Lucretia Hart, was born in Lexington, KY on April 15, 1807 and she died December 10, 1835 Lexington, KY. She is buried in Lexington Cemetery. She married James Erwin in Fayette Co., KY on October 21, 1823. James was born in Wilkesboro, NC on October 21, 1796, the son of Andrew Erwin and Jane Patton. James died on June 1, 1851 in Lexington, KY, at 54 years of age and he is also buried in Lexington Cemetery.
- Acquisition Method: This item was originally located in the Autograph Collection.
- Item 7: Correspondence Henry Clay to Jacob Strattan, 13 Sep 1842
- Facsimile of a letter discussing his views on the purpose of the Whig Party.
- Acquisition Method: Found in Townsend Room collections
- Item 8: Correspondence Henry Clay to Milton Brown, 22 Apr 1843
- Clay mentions the "Corrupt Bargain" story being revived and talks about pamphlets he has published to refute it and who they were distributed to.
- Item 9: Correspondence Henry Clay from John Newton Muffitt, 26 Jun 1844
- Rev. Muffitt writes of his admiration for Clay and that he prays that Clay will be our next president.
- Item 10: Ink on Paper Print, 1852
- W.H. Dougal lithograph from a bust by H.K. Brown.
- Item 11: Photograph, undated
- of Henry Clay monument and tomb, located in the Lexington Cemetery.