Original 1904 George W. Casey Leadville, Colorado Ephemera Archive
Offered here is a fascinating small group of 21 original 1904 Leadville, Colorado documents associated with George W. Casey, preserved together in their original period envelope.
The group provides an unusually nice snapshot of Casey’s activities and expenses in Leadville during the summer and fall of 1904, with material relating to assaying/mining, mine and smelter supplies, transportation, insurance/real estate and other local business transactions.
The lot contains 21 original documents:
9 Howard E. Burton – Assayer and Chemist cards
All are made out to Mr. Geo. Casey and date from approximately July through September 1904. Burton’s printed address is 111 E. Fourth St., Leadville, Colorado.
The cards record individual assays/samples and contain entries under printed headings for gold, silver, lead, copper, iron, manganese, silica, zinc, etc. Several show handwritten assay results and Burton’s signature/notation.
These are particularly interesting pieces of Leadville mining history because they document Casey’s repeated dealings with a local assayer rather than being isolated assay paperwork.
12 additional receipts/documents, including:
The Western Hardware Co. – Leadville, Colorado
Three substantial receipts covering July, August and September 1904. The firm’s letterhead specifically advertises:
“Hardware – Mine and Smelter Supplies”
The receipts are made out to George W. Casey & Co. and contain extensive handwritten purchases. Visible entries include powder, fuse, candles, caps and other supplies consistent with mining-related operations.
Howard E. Burton – Assayer and Chemist
Additional larger account/receipt documents made out to George Casey, showing multiple assay entries and payments.
L. G. Gove – Express, Transfer and Moving Van
Leadville receipts documenting transportation/hauling activity, including a trip involving rails and a car of air pipe and tools.
Stickley & Shaw – Underwriters / Real Estate, Loans and Rentals
Period Leadville letterhead bearing Geo. W. Casey among the firm’s printed names. The documents contain handwritten accounting involving such entries as the Iron Burn, New Chester, Western Hardware Co. and Howard E. Burton.
The John Harvey Fuel & Feed Co.
1904 Leadville receipt made out to George Casey for coal.
Other associated period paperwork is included as shown in the photographs.
An intact group
What makes this lot especially appealing is that these papers were found and retained together rather than assembled individually.
The original envelope in which the documents were stored is included. It is heavily worn and damaged, but is being retained with the collection because it helps document the association of the material. The 21 documents will be separately protected for shipment rather than placed back inside the fragile envelope.
The group provides connections between several Leadville businesses and individuals during 1904 and offers an interesting primary-source look at the commercial side of the city’s mining economy.
George W. Casey is also a name associated with Leadville’s theatrical history, including the Elks Opera House. I have not represented every document in this group as theater-related; the papers themselves primarily document Casey’s business, assay, supply and related transactions.
Everything pictured is included.
Total: 21 original documents + original storage envelope
These are genuine period pieces, not reproductions.
Please enlarge and examine the photographs, which are an important part of the description. Additional photographs are available upon request.
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