Collection Guide
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Pacific Mail Steamship Company Collection
mssPacmail
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Pacific Mail Steamship Company collection
Creator:
Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
Identifier/Call Number: mssPacmail
Physical Description:
298 Linear Feet
(534 boxes, 643 volumes, 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1851-1929
Abstract: The collection consists of the business
records of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, dating from 1851-1929. The collection also
contains some records of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company.
Language of Material: English.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department.
For more information, contact Reader Services.
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.
[Identification of item]. Pacific Mail Steamship Company collection, The Huntington
Library, San Marino, California.
Gift of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, 1937-1938.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company was incorporated in 1848 to engage in the steamship
business after receiving a contract from the Unite States government to provide mail service
between Panama and the Oregon coast. The organizer and first president of the company was
William H. Aspinwall. The company prospered, expanded its fleet, and began service to Asia
in 1867. By the mid-1880s they were sailing to 47 ports across the Pacific Ocean, including
ports in Central America and Mexico. The Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company, formed
in 1874 by western railroad interests, merged with Pacific Mail Steamship Company in 1900.
The company controlling stock was acquired in 1915 by W.R. Grace & Co., and in 1925 the
company's house flag, name, and goodwill were sold to the Dollar Line.
The collection consists of the business records of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. The
records are made up ships' logs, waybills, manifests, personnel records, financial records,
notes of protest, freight claims and other business papers. The collection also contains
some records of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company.
Former call number: mssPacificmail.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Mail steamers -- United States -- History -- Sources.
Pacific Coast -- Commerce.
Postal service -- United States -- History -- 19th century --
Sources.
Shipping -- Pacific Coast -- History -- Sources.
Steamboat lines -- United States -- History -- Sources.
Voyages to the Pacific coast.
Articles of incorporation United States.
Business records United States.
Ledgers (account books) United States.
Minutes United States.
Personnel records United States.
Ships' logs United States.
Ships' manifests United States.
Waybills United States.
Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company.