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Series I: Cataloged Correspondence and Uncataloged Miscellaneous Materials
Series II: Journalist and Publisher, 1884-1923
Series III: Public Official and Political Appointee, 1889-1921
Series IV: Attorney in Private Practice, 1890-1923
Series V: Inventor, Promoter, and Businessman, 1891-1923

William McMurtrie Speer papers, 1880-1936

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Series I: Cataloged Correspondence and Uncataloged Miscellaneous Materials

Includes cataloged correspondence, as well as miscellaneous clippings, correspondence, documents, pamphlets. Also includes photographs of Speer.

Cataloged Correspondence


Box 1 Maxwell Anderson

Box 1 Anthony Comstock

Box 1 Charles A. Dana

Box 1 Paul Dana

Box 1 Martin H. Glynn

Box 1 David Bennett Hill

Box 1 William M. Laffan

Box 1 Chester Lord

Box 1 S.S. McClure

Box 1 Walter Hines Page

Box 1 Julian Ralph

Box 1 Elihu Root

Box 1 William Sulzer

Box 1 Samuel Untermyer

Box 1 Uncataloged Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1888-1936

Including folders for Farming and Banking.

Box 1 Uncataloged Miscellaneous Documents, 1889-1923


Box 2 Photographs of W.M. Speer

Box 2 Miscellaneous Printed Pamphlets and Clippings

Including folders for Farming, Kingston NY, and William Sulzer

Series II: Journalist and Publisher, 1884-1923

The Sun (New York, NY), 1884-1915

Speer was the Albany correspondent for The Sun, 1884-1893.


Flatbox 601 The Sun (New York, NY)--Scrapbook, 1884-1915

Scrapbook of clippings of his articles (1884-1893) and some later freelance work (1889-1915).


Box 3 Miscellaneous Correspondence and Printed Materials, 1884-1893

The Argus (Albany, NY), 1888-1898

Speer was editor and part owner of The Argus, 1893-1896.

Box 3 Correspondence, 1893-1898


Box 4 Manuscripts and documents, 1893-1897

Editorial drafts; contracts and documents re: typographic and syndication arrangements, job printing, and New York State government affairs

Box 4 The New York Mail and Newspaper Transportation Company, 1893

Documents and printed materials

Box 4 Printed materials and clippings, 1888-1896


Box 5 The Law Press - Legal and Other Printing, 1896-1897

Correspondence and documents

Box 5 The Cornucopia Company - Periodicals and music publishing, 1896-1901

Correspondence, music scores, documents, and printed items.

The Buffalo Express (Buffalo, NY), 1896-1903

Speer was a correspondent.

Box 5 Scrapbook of his articles, 1896

Box 5 Scrapbook of his articles, 1897


Box 6 Scrapbook of his articles, 1898-1899

Box 6 Scrapbook of his articles, 1902-1903


Flatbox 602 Scrapbook of his articles from various newspapers, 1896-1923

The World , 1904-1913

Speer was an editorial and legislative writer for The World from 1904-1909.


Box 7 Correspondence and editorial matter, 1904-1912

Box 7 Cartoons of Speer, undated

Box 7 Clippings and other printed material, 1904-1905


Flatbox 601 Scrapbook of clippings, 1905


Box 8 Printed editorials by Speer, clippings, and other printed materials, 1906-1908


Box 9 Printed editorials by Speer, clippings, and other printed materials, 1908-1913


Box 10 Insurance investigation, 1905-1909

Correspondence, drafts and memoranda, clippings, and other printed materials


Box 11 Panama libel suit, 1907-1910

Correspondence, drafts and proofs, memoranda and documents, clippings and other printed materials


Box 12 Panama libel suit, 1907-1910

Printed briefs, transcripts, and other legal documents

Periodical articles and books by Speer, 1903-1910


Box 13 Correspondence, drafts, proofs, and printed copies of his articles, including many on insurance

Box 13 Correspondence, the typescript, and a reader's report of his novel, John Van Buren, Politician


Box 14 Periodical articles and books by Speer, 1906-1922

Drafts and printed materials for his writings on several subjects including W.R. Hearst, Theodore Roosevelt, real estate, and legal subjects

Box 14 Scenario and publicity for the Fox Film Corporation, 1919-1922

Correspondence, drafts, and printed materials for his work on a film on wounded veterans of World War I

Box 14 The Evening Mail (New York, NY), 1922-1923

Speer was an editorial writer for The Evening Mail from 1922-1923. File includes correspondence and typescript drafts.

Series III: Public Official and Political Appointee, 1889-1921


Box 15 Johnstown Flood Committee, 1889

Speer was secretary. Includes lists and accounts.

Box 15 The Committee for The International Exposition of 1892, 1889-1890

Speer was secretary. Includes correspondence, account books, lists, and printed materials.

Box 15 Secretary to Mayor of New York Hugh J. Grant, 1890-1891

Speer was secretary in 1890. Includes correspondence, documents, and printed materials.

Box 15 New York State Constitutional Convention, 1894

Speer was a delegate. Includes correspondence, documents, typescripts of articles, and printed materials.

Special Counsel to New York City for the Ashokan Reservoir Compensation Claims, 1904-1923

Speer was appointed Special Counsel to New York City for the Ashokan Reservoir Compensation Claims in 1910. Includes Aqueduct Commissioners; Board of Water Supply; Commissioners of Appraisal; Corporation Counsel, etc.


Box 16 Correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and printed materials, 1904-1911


Box 17 Correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and printed materials, 1912-1915


Box 18 Correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and printed materials, 1916-1917


Box 19 Correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and printed materials, 1918


Box 20 Correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and printed materials, 1918-1923


Box 21 Special Counsel in New York City for the Aldermanic Police Investigation, 1912-1913

Correspondence, documents, and printed materials (including very many clippings on police corruption, on Mayor Gaynor, and about his death and funeral).

Special Assistant to the [U.S.] Attorney General re: Profiteering in Coal, 1920-1921

Speer became Special Assistant in 1920. Files include correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, etc.


Box 22 General, 1920-1921


Box 23 Brooklyn Edison Company, Inc., 1917-1920


Box 24 Complaints from the public, 1920

Box 24 Dixie Transportation Co., Inc., 1920

Box 24 Douglass Barnes Corporation, 1920-1922

Box 24 Printed materials

Series IV: Attorney in Private Practice, 1890-1923


Box 25 General correspondence, documents, and printed materials

Case Files

Arranged chronologically

Box 25 Injunction re: City Record, 1891

Box 25 New York Real Estate Improvement Co., 1896

Box 25 John Robinson and Mary Gray, 1897-1898

Box 25 Rubenfeld vs. Rabiner, 1897-1899


Box 26 Towns & McCrossin, Attorneys, 1897-1899

Box 26 Sexton vs. Ives, 1900-1903

Box 26 Brown vs. Proctor, 1903-1905

Box 26 Keystone Farm Machine Co. vs. N.Y. Agricultural Co., 1903-1909

Box 26 Platt vs. Inovation Trunk Co., 1903-1904

Box 26 Cowles bankruptcy, 1909

Box 26 The Bordon Company--Bordon's Milk, 1910

Box 26 Masten & Nichols--Food legislation, 1911-1916

Box 26 S.S. Kaplan to F.W. Brooks--Mortgages, 1912

Box 26 Stamford Water Company, 1916-1919

Box 26 Sylvia Perlson--Custody suit, 1917


Box 27 Delaware and Eastern Railway Company, 1918-1921


Box 28 Delaware and Eastern Railway Company, 1918-1923

Box 28 Dunlap vs. Star Company, 1918-1923

Box 28 Burke vs. Freundlich, 1920-1922

Box 28 Prohibition permits, 1920-1921

Box 28 Richardson vs. The Brooklyn Citizen, 1920-1922

Box 28 Jergens vs. Woodbury, 1921

Box 28 Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 1921


Box 29 Converse D. Marsh, 1921-1922

Box 29 Stern Miller Co., Inc bankruptcy, 1921-1922

Box 29 Vogue Shirt Co., Inc. bankruptcy, 1921-1922

Box 29 Drake patent, 1922

Box 29 New York Law Journal , 1922

Box 29 618 West 148th Street, 1922

Series V: Inventor, Promoter, and Businessman, 1891-1923

The Snow Melter - A Street Cleaning Machine, 1891-1911


Box 30 Correspondence, 1895-1911

Box 30 Documents and manuscripts

Box 30 Drawings and blueprints

Box 30 Photographs and photoengraving block

Box 30 Printed materials


Mapcase 14-M-6 Drawings and blueprints

New York & Brooklyn Economic Power and Construction Company, 1893-1901


Box 31 Correspondence

Box 31 Contracts & documents

Box 31 The Pneumatic Co.--Stencil cutting machines, etc., 1893-1904

Correspondence, contracts, patents, and other documents, and printed materials

Box 31 The Philippines Company--Shipping, 1899

Documents and printed materials

Hinge making machines, 1902-1912


Box 32 Correspondence

Box 32 Contracts and documents

Box 32 Patent documents

Box 32 Patent drawings

Box 32 Printed materials

Box 32 Rack cutting apparatus, 1903-1905

Correspondence, contracts, and patents

Old age pension plan--Sale of annuities (Iron & Steel Board of Trade), 1911-1917


Box 33 Correspondence

Box 33 Manuscripts and documents

Box 33 Printed materials

Food Committee - A planned co-operative purchasing company, 1912-1913

Box 33 Correspondence, 1912-1921

Box 33 Documents, manuscripts, and printed materials

Fabricated Concrete Corporation--Cinderblock houses, 1918-1923

Box 33 Correspondence, 1920-19123

Box 33 Concrete boat hulls

Box 33 Manuscripts and documents, 1918-1923

Box 33 Printed materials

Box 33 Technical drawings and blueprints

Sunlight Gas Machine Co., Inc.--Gas lighting, 1918-1923


Box 34 Correspondence, 1920-1923

Box 34 Manuscripts and documents, 1918-1922

Box 34 Printed materials

Box 34 Timber mill and timber land sales--Land in the southern states, 1919-1920

Correspondence and documents

Box 34 Public transit reorganization--New York City, 1921

Correspondence, manuscripts, and documents