Wilson, James, 1835-1920

Letter from James Wilson to Ethan Allen Hitchcock

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson sends Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock copies of three reports regarding the proposed Lassen Peak National Park. While a satisfactory examination of all the points was not possible, the reports show the importance of the various sites and describe the major areas of interest. The Forest Officer who made these reports, Louis A. Barrett, recommended that these sites be made individually into National Monuments, rather than declaring the entire region a National Park due to the scattered nature of the sites, and the possible complications of declaring a National Park within a National Forest. Wilson therefore recommends that they be designated National Monuments as quickly be possible, which will protect the sites while also not precluding the creation of a National Park at a later date.

Collection

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Creation Date

1907-04-01

Letter from James Wilson to Ethan Allen Hitchcock

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson acknowledges receipt of Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock’s previous letter concerning the proposed Lassen Peak National Park. As Hitchcock requested, he has requested Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot to examine the region and make a report, which Wilson will forward to Hitchcock. Wilson is somewhat doubtful whether a national park should be created inside a forest reserve, and believes the goal of protecting the area could more economically be accomplished if President Roosevelt were to designate the area a national monument using the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Collection

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Creation Date

1906-11-21

Agriculture in our industries

Transcript of a speech given by Secretary of Agriculture Wilson before the Americus Club of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wilson examines the many ways that the United States is supporting agriculture. Both federal and state governments are conducting and supporting research to improve agricultural production and quality. They will also conduct research on promoting livestock health.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-27

Letter from James Wilson to Richard Achilles Ballinger

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson recommends to Secretary of the Interior Ballinger the creation of Pinnacles National Monument within the Pinnacles National Forest. The proposed monument totals approximately 2,080 acres.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-01-08

Letter from James Wilson to Richard Achilles Ballinger

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson writes to Secretary of the Interior Ballinger, notifying him that, following a proclamation by President Taft, Pinnacles National Monument has been removed from the National Forest, and is therefore under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior rather than the Department of Agriculture.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-12-16

Letter from James Wilson to Richard Ballinger

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson informs Secretary of the Interior Ballinger that, due to changes in the boundaries of the Monterey National Forest and the elimination of the Pinnacles Division of the forest, Pinnacles National Monument is now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, rather than the Department of Agriculture.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-12-16

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson reports to President Roosevelt on his campaign activities in Indiana. Most people are calling the state for Roosevelt, but Mayor Taggart of Indianapolis might pay for the Negro vote in major cities. Wilson has heard of Judge Parker’s allegations against Roosevelt and Chairman Cortelyou and he is speaking out against them in Indiana.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-02

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

James Wilson writes to President Roosevelt to discuss politics in South Dakota, focusing on railroad legislation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-19

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

As per Theodore Roosevelt’s conversation with Seth Bulloch, Secretary of Agriculture Wilson will organize the transportation of a Morgan stallion to one of the Department of Agriculture’s farms. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-20

Letter from James Wilson to William Loeb

Agriculture Secretary Wilson asks William Loeb to send him statistical tables and other materials from 1903 for use in the trial of Edwin Sanford Holmes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-07

Letter from James Wilson to William Loeb

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson asks William Loeb for a letter Wilson sent to Theodore Roosevelt regarding Edwin Sanford Holmes’s allegations that the Bureau of Statistics manipulated cotton statistics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-25

Report from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson reports to President Roosevelt on the appropriations of the 57th Congress for the Department of Agriculture. Wilson also presents a breakdown of how these funds will be divided among the various different bureaus and projects managed by the department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04

Letter from James Wilson to William Loeb

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson reports to William Loeb on President Roosevelt’s standing in Ohio, based on the opinion of W. I. Chamberlain, a farm journal editor who has visited every county. Wilson asks Loeb to inform the Roosevelt that he will be visiting whiskey distilleries and will be gone for a week.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-02

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson refutes criticism made by Sir Horace Curzon Plunkett against the United States Department of Agriculture. The topics include research efforts, education, and communication in the field of agriculture.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-06

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

James Wilson recommends nominating the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry A. D. Melvin in order to regulate and improve the image of the meat packing industry in the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-29

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

James Wilson states Upton Sinclair’s staff gave out many dispatches related to the meat packing industry in order to promote Sinclair’s book.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-12

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson regrets that information about the department’s investigation of beef packers in Chicago seems to have been leaked to the press. Wilson assures President Roosevelt that he will ascertain whether any of his employees had anything to do with it, although he also notes that the Chicago Tribune article contains errors and large portions of it may have been based on guess work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-11

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

James Wilson outlines the last six months of advertising costs for the Department of Agriculture.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-06

Letter from James Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson reports to President Roosevelt on grazing fee policies in National Forest reserves, especially in light of cattlemen protests. Wilson informs Roosevelt that grazing fees are only a third of their value, and that there is a fee reduction this year from home-builders and small stock owners. Wilson notes that Department of Agriculture will allocate the limited number of reduced fee permits to small stock owners, reserve range occupants, and transient cattle owners, in that order. Wilson also touches on policies related to reserve land division, improvements, and law enforcement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-20

Letter from James Wilson to William Loeb

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson encloses a letter from E. E. Knott that he feels is full of misstatements regarding the cotton crop report. Wilson also encloses a report to explain the complaints.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-15