The following link has some interesting history on the developement of the steam engine; for those of us who enjoy reading about the history of steam power and its contribution to economic growth. This article is written by William Rosen author of THE MOST POWERFUL IDEA IN THE WORLD: A STORY OF STEAM, INDUSTRY AND INVENTION.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/how-matthew-murray-s-sliding-d-valve-made-us-prosper.html
http://www.historic-memphis.com/ This link is definitely worth visiting for anyone interest in Memphis History. Thank you David French for including the history of the James Lee House in the above web link.
http://blog.memphisdailynews.com/?p=5789 tells the latest on the upcoming renovation of the James Lee House.
Coming soon is the renovation of the historic James Lee Home. The following link tells of the plans for this historic Memphis home, http://www.jamesleehouse.com/ Jose Velazquez a Memphian and former head of Latino Memphis is seeking to restore this old Memphis landmark and operate an upscale Bed and Breakfast once the renovation is completed. The Memphis Business Journal had this to say about his effort.
This postcard entered my collection of Lee Line Steamer postcards thanks to an EBay seller. The reverse, has a line with the caption ON BOARD LEE LINE STEAMER where the writer of the card can name the Lee Line boat on which they are traveling. Having watched EBay for a number of years in search of different family boat postcards, I had not seen this card until recently when I was able to purchase it for a nominal price.
On January 20, 1912, the Lee Line became a New Jersey incorporated business. Walter Teagle married my great aunt Rowena Lee after meeting her on a transatlantic cruise sometime in the early 1900’s. Walter Teagle served as President of Standard Oil of New Jersey as well as being involved at a corporate level with the Lee Line. Walter Edge was married to Lady Lee Phillips the daughter of my great aunt Sadie Lee Phillips. Lady Lee Phillips Edge died several days after giving birth to their first child. Walter Edge served as governor of New Jersey and ambassador to France as well as a corporate officer of the Lee Line.
This old certificate is part of the collection of papers my brother George salvaged from the Lee Building in the early 1980’s.
July 28, 1914 is the day Austria-Hungry attacked Serbia. On June 28, 1914 a Serbia nationalist assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife after their driver turned down the wrong street as he drove the couple to an appointment in Sarajevo Serbia. Orthodox Serbia appealed to Orthodox Russia for help while Britain and France allies of Russia looked on with grave concern. Following mobilization by the Russian army facing Austrian territory, the much better prepared German army which was allied with Austria-Hungry attacked Serbia drawing a much less prepared Russian army into the war. Britain and France were forced to come to the aid of their Russian ally. In response, the German army swept into Belgium drawing France and Britain into the war. The excellent book George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I by Mirianda Carter tells the story of how these three cousins two of whom were the grand-sons of Queen Victoria who also was grand-mother-in-law of the other were swept into the War to End All Wars.
How does this concern Lee Line Steamers? Several years ago, my friend Ed Provine let me borrow his copy of the Atlanta Journal Constitution dated March 30, 1899 which reported on the sinking of the ROWENA LEE at Tyler Missouri on the front page center column. A much bigger story on the front page reported to following headlines and story dated March 23, 1899 Apia Somonian Islands via Auckland New Zealand:
AMERICAN AND BRITISH WARSHIPS SHELL APIA;
GERMAN CRUISER STANDS BY IN SULLEN SILENCE
Admiral Kautz, of the Philadelphia, Calls on Followers of Mataafa To Disperse and Appoints Hour of Bombardment
German Cousul Still Continues to Uphold Mataafa
Fire from Philadelphia and English Ships, Porpoise and Royalist, Sets Villages Aflame and Slaughters Many Native.
The book George, Nicholas and Wilhelm records their interactions as England, Russia and Germany sought to expand their colonial outreach. England clearly was by far the leader in capturing and controlling colonial trading outpost since it had consistently built its navy into a world power. Russia had attempted to gain colonial territory resulting in a disastrous and costly war with Japan. Kaiser Wilhelm pushed the German government into a costly naval building program in an attempt to counter the superiority of the British navy which allowed Britain to establish and control an empire that the “sun never sat on”. Germany attempted to meddle in British colonies in an attempt to break off pieces of the British Empire and convert them into German controlled colonies. By and large, Germany’s attempts to become a world power were thwarted by Britain and to a degree America as American naval power increased. The above headlines are a subtle hint of the frictions developing between the Royal Cousins George V and Wilhelm.
While America went about its business in the 1880’s, 1890’s and early 1900’s, Britain, France, Russia and Germany were slowly grinding their way to the most massive slaughter and destruction the world had seen until June 28, 1914 when the short fuse of war was lite.
Nicholas whose army was completely unprepared to face the thoroughly professional German army was diposed and executed with his family by the Bolsheviks near the end of this terrible war. Kaiser Wilhelm was forced into exile in Holland. Allied demands for compensation from Germany for their costly war efforts led to economic disaster for Germany resulting in the seeds of the Third Reich being planted and germinated. George V put aside the trappings of his position in the royal family for the duration of the war and sought to show solidarity with his citizens. Britain’s devastating lost of young men began the slow unravelling of its once great empire.
Way’s Packet Directory records the CITY OF SAVANNAH as chartered to the Lee Line in September 1895. The above charter agreement shows the charter occuring October 11, 1894. Robert E Lee became general manager of the Lee Line in 1894 taking over from his father James Lee Jr. In 1894 the JAMES LEE (first) was retired from service which leads me to believe that the CITY OF SAVANNAH was chartered to fill in for the JAMES LEE until a similar size boat could be purchased. Way’s mentions the CITY OF SAVANNAH was chartered to run out of Memphis. The St. Louis & Tennessee River Packet Co. was a competitor to the Lee Line.
Of interest is the lettering on the stationary “THE BEST WAY TO THE WORLD’S FAIR.”
This document was salvaged from the Lee Building downtown Memphis by my brother George in the early 1980’s.
This envelope contained a letter dated November 1, 1912. Engraved detailed vignettes were common on company stationary during that era. From time to time EBay sellers list steamboat way bills and other business forms from a variety of steamboat lines. Under the above tab Lee Line ephemera, I have various Lee Line freight slips showing items shipped on different company boats to the Anderson Tully Company during the early 1900’s. Interestingly, Anderson Tully is still operating as a land and timber company just as it operated in the late 1800’s. These shipping papers were purchased from several EBay sellers. However, I have not seen a Lee Line envelope or letter head for sale on EBay. This envelope along with a large number of Lee Line financial records were salvaged by my brother George from the former Lee Building downtown Memphis in the 1980’s.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal Mid South Memories for July 16, 1912:
“The Bohlen-Huse Ice Co. has started an ice-price war among local dealers. The average price of ice in Memphis for family consumption until yesterday was 35 cents per 100 pounds. But Bayliss G. Lee Bohlen-Huse president, said that until price is stabilized at 20 cents per 100 pounds to dealers and 30 cents to families, his firm will sell ice for 10 cents.”