William Barker Letter to Thomas Rotch Regarding Sheep

In this letter, William Barker of New York explains to Thomas Rotch that commercial pursuits in New York have been difficult and states his intention to settle in the Kendal area (now Massillon) and raise Merino sheep. Barker asks Thomas Rotch for his advice regarding prospects for success, the price of purchase and sale of sheep, and the availability of a qualified person in the area to assist him, since his knowledge of farming was limited. The three-page letter measures 8" x 10" (20.32 cm x 25.4 cm). Thomas Rotch (1767-1823), a Quaker and early settler of Kendal, was active in the abolition movement and conducted slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. He also served as a correspondent for the Committee on Indian Concerns. The Rotch-Wales Collection comprises several thousand items, including Quaker and abolitionist materials, household remedies and recipes, weather reports and machinery plans, and personal letters of Thomas and Charity Rotch and their family. It contains personal and business correspondence, diaries, documents, accounts, ledgers, and daybooks. A large portion of the collection consists of the personal and business correspondence, documents, and business papers of Arvine Wales I (1785-1854), who accompanied Rotch from Hartford to Ohio in 1811, worked for him, and carried on Rotch's business interests after his death. The papers of his son, Arvine C. Wales (1827-1882), a lawyer and civic leader in Massillon, are also part of the collection