Lot 339

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

Wells Fargo Important Business Agreement Signed by Fargo & Butterfield

Manuscript Document Signed by John Butterfield, “John Butterfield”, William Fargo, “Wm. G. Fargo”, and Charles Fargo, “Chas. Fargo”, September 29, 1864, Michigan, 3 pp. on a 9” x 7.75” unfolded leaf. Horizontal and vertical folds, light toning, else Fine condition.

Important Civil War dated sales agreement between the two Fargo brothers and John Butterfield, and the Oneida Solar Salt Manufacturing Company. Entirely handwritten, this exceptional business document is signed by two of the three founders of Wells Fargo and American Express.

John Butterfield (1801-1869) was a transportation pioneer in the mid-19th century in the American Northwest and Southwest. He grew up on a farm and was mostly self-educated. At the age of 19, he became a professional stage driver and established stage routes throughout New York, as well as getting involved in other means of transportation, including steamboats on Lake Ontario, the street railroad in Utica, local plank-roads, and the Black River Railroad. Through shrewd business skills, he soon controlled most of the stage lines west of New York, and in 1849 formed the Butterfield, Wasson & Company. The following year, he merged his company with two rivals, Wells & Company and Livingston, Fargo & Company, to form the American Express Company (the same company that exists today.) In 1857, Butterfield won the government contract for the first transcontinental stage line, carrying the mail from Missouri to California. The Butterfield Overland Mail Company was the longest stage line in the world. The line operated from 1858 to 1861 on the Southern Overland Trail and established an important connection between the new state of California and the government and economy of the contiguous eastern states.

William G. Fargo (1818-1881) was a pioneer American expressman who helped found the modern day financial firms of American Express Company and Wells Fargo with his business partner, Henry Wells. He was also the 27th Mayor of Buffalo, serving from 1862 until 1866 during the Civil War. He began his career in the transportation business in 1841 as a goods receiver on the Auburn and Syracuse railroad. This is where he met Henry Wells who, in a few years’ time, offered him to become an associated partner in Wells & Company. In 1850, Henry Wells, William G. Fargo and others founded the American Express Company in New York. Only two years later, after a dispute with the board, Henry Wells and William Fargo founded a new company, Wells Fargo. It offered secure transportation and banking services. The duo set out to offer their services in California and elsewhere on the West Coast during the hectic gold rush. In 1860, the company took over operation of the western half of the Pony Express as part of taking over the Butterfield Overland Mail Company.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 19, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000