L.L. Whitman correspondence, 1903-1911

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Summary

Creators:
Whitman, Lester L. (Lester Lee), 1861-1932
Abstract:
This collection consists of letters from L.L. Whitman and his wife to his mother R.J. Whitman, in South Paris, Maine.
Extent:
121 items in 3 boxes
Language:
The records are in English .

Background

Scope and content:

The Whitman correspondence begins on May 28, 1903 in Pasadena, California. Whitman writes to his mother about a potential automobile trip from San Francisco, California to New York and introduces her to his driving partner, E.I. Hammond. The duo will be trailing several hundred miles behind E.T. Fetch and M.C. Krarup, another pair on their way to New York. Whitman writes that he has more faith in his 4.5-horsepower Oldsmobile than the 1903 Packard, which Fetch is driving. Postcards and letters concerning his trip east are sent from various locations including Lovelock and Elko, Nevada, Ogden, Utah, Rawlins, Wyoming, and Elwood, Nebraska. On the road, Whitman and Hammond face mechanical issues, rugged roads, and harsh weather conditions. In one letter, Whitman writes about frightening a lone Indian to death when they approached him in their "machine." In another event, they recruited the help of two cowboys, who used "their lassos to pull us up a bank some 15ft high..." (July 20, 1903). When driving through the country side, the undeveloped roads prove to be difficult: "The country is all mud, terrible. We can make but little progress. This mud is the black adobe like lard and dries hard as flint" (Aug. 13, 1903). In Detroit, Michigan, Whitman meets Ransom E. Olds and appears to be an honored guest at an automobile race with 10,000 people in attendance. Whitman speaks too soon when he writes "I don't want any more endurance runs..." because he dashes across the continent again in 1904, 1906, and 1910 at record-setting rates, which include breaking Fetch's record. Whitman reflects that his automobile trip "helps to season and spice the short life we stay on this earth" (Oct. 18, 1903).

The correspondence resumes in June 1904 in Syracuse, New York. Whitman appears to be preparing for his next transcontinental trip with Charles S. Carris. Whitman and Carris left San Francisco, Californ ia on August 1, 1904 and arrived in New York City 33 days later on September 3, 1904. Whitman writes, "I am well and hearty- and have in my pocket a check for $1,200 – for my labor, pretty good eh?" (September 3, 1904).

After a brief vacation on the east coast, Whitman and his wife arrive home in Pasadena, California on November 13, 1904. At this point in time, the letters mainly concern family, friends, social life, and updates on Whitman's business as a car manufacturer with his partner W.G. Hansen. Concerning car sales, Whitman jokes: "If I can't sell them we can run them into the ocean" (July 11, 1909). There are a number of letters from Syracuse, New York as Whitman was offered a position with H.H. Franklin Mfg. Co. after his trip; however, he did not remain with the company for very long. In late 1910 and early 1911, Whitman and W.T. Harrington opened a garage selling automobiles and supplies in Pasadena, California. Unfortunately, business was "rotten" and the garage was bought out in late February. Besides occupying himself in the automobile industry, Whitman writes often about his vegetable garden, trapping gophers, and his health. He suffered from asthma, frequent headaches, and rheumatism. Thus, there are several letters from hot springs in San Jacinto, California, which he calls a "stinking place."

Much of the correspondence from Pasadena, California consists of letters from Whitman and his wife Sophia in the same envelope. Occasionally, there are letters addressed to an "Elizabeth," possibly a relative in South Paris, Maine. Some of the letters include dried pressed flowers. There are also clippings related to Whitman's travels from the Lewiston Saturday Journal and Pacific Automobiling in 1904. There are two pamphlets that Whitman wrote about his cross country trips: From Coast to Coast in a Motor-Car (1905) and Coast to Coast in a REO (1910). Note: Coast to Coast in a REO was transferred to the Rare Books Department in May 2015. The call number is RB 645458. Lastly, there is one photograph from Whitman's transcontinental trip in 1910.

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Biographical / historical:

Lester L. (Lester Lee) Whitman was born in 1861. He was a well-known transcontinentalist. Whitman made several cross country automobile trips in a Franklin, a Reo, and an Oldsmobile. In Pasadena, California, he owned an automobile manufacturing shop. He held several automobile records including San Francisco, California to New York City in 15 days 2 hours and 12 minutes in 1906. He also made the ascent to Mount Wilson in his 1907 Franklin and said, "Not for five hundred dollars would I make the trip again."

Acquisition information:
Purchased from DeWolfe and Wood, February 2015.
Rules or conventions:
Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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