Manuscript Collection: Pond and Steedman Report
Collection Overview
Collection summary derived from "Guidebook to Manuscripts", 1969: Entitled "Peter Pond and William Steedman's communications to the Secretary of War, 1792," this is a report of their journey to Niagara, their experiences among the New York Indians, principally the Onondagas, Senecas, and Oneidas, and their account of a council meeting at Buffalo. Attached to this report is a communication from the Governor of the Western Territory made in 1788 regarding settlement of the Indian Tribes north of the Ohio River. Peter Pond (1740-1807) was born at Milford, Connecticut. He was a soldier, fur trader, and explorer. This journey with Steedman occurred during the latter part of his life and career. Little is known about his last years, but it was reported that he died in poverty at Boston. William Steedman is not as well-known as Pond, but Pond calls him "a land jobber, a politician, & a Historian."
Access Restrictions
Available by appointment only at the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR) with the exception of materials with donor restrictions. Contact Library staff in advance to inquire if materials exist pertaining to your research interests.
Use Restrictions
Please contact the Rights and Reproduction Department for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Gilcrease Museum as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.
Provenance
The Gilcrease Foundation acquired these materials before 1964 and is housed in the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR). The library currently receives most materials through community donation, board members, artists and the acquisition of manuscript collections.
Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the collection passed to the City of Tulsa in the 1950s.