George Harrington papers, 1849-1891, bulk 1862-1873

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Summary

Creators:
Harrington, George, 1815-1892
Abstract:
A collection of material related to the personal and professional life of George Harrington, American treasury official and diplomat.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. George Harrington papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 64 items which includes the personal and professional correspondence and documents of George Harrington, chiefly letters addressed to him. Correspondents include Salmon P. Chase, William Pitt Fessenden, Edward Bates, John J. Cisco, and others. The letters discuss the U. S. financial administration during the Civil War, New York and Maryland politics, and Harrington's personal and family affairs. Also included is Harrington's draft of the program of the funeral procession of Abraham Lincoln.

Collection includes James A. Garfield letter signed to George Harrington, 1874 January 6 (HM 20350).

Biographical / historical:

George Harrington (1815-1892), was an American Treasury official and diplomat. Harrington served as a clerk in the Treasury Department before being appointed chief clerk under his personal friend Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice of the United States. During the Civil War, Harrington served as assistant secretary of the treasury. After the death of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, Harrington was given the task of organizing the funeral; he also served as the Grand Marshal for the funeral procession. In 1865-1869 he served as minister-resident to Switzerland, and from 1870 until 1876 he was president of Automatic Telegraph Co., New York. Harrington died while traveling at sea in December 1892.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from William K. Bixby, 1918.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1925. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from legacy in-house summary report. In 2022, Melissa Haley enhanced description of the presidential material present in the collection as part of the American Presidential Papers Project.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. George Harrington papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

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