Correspondence Letters
The letters archived here represent approximately eleven years of correspondence between Felch and Marsh. Writing almost weekly during the duration of the dig, Felch used the letters to update Marsh on the latest fossil discoveries, discuss business matters, and relate any current events in his life affecting his progress at the Quarry. Marsh wrote less often, usually offering advice to Felch on how he might improve his progress at the Quarry.
By reading these letters, one gains an immediate respect for Felch and his dedication to Marsh despite setbacks such as lack of funding, extreme weather conditions, absence of proper training, and other personal hardships.
These letters depict events in Felch's life, both professional and personal, between 1881 and 1892. Not only do they provide a framework of insight into who Felch was but also offer a glimpse of what life was like during the nineteenth century on the western frontier.
These letters are summarized by year and have been further summarized by one person out of only a handful of people who has read the letters. The synopses may be biased at times, but as this is as much a story as it is a fact, it is hard not to judge the situations that surfaced those long ago years with "outside" eyes. The reader will quickly find people living in these letters and will probably find their own interpretation of the events which transpired throughout them. We want you to enjoy this story most as it is written by those who lived it.
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Year |
Synopsis |
Full Documents (PDF) |
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1881 to 1883 |
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1881 |
Felch to Marsh (9 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (8 kb) |
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1882 |
Felch to Marsh (30 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (8 kb) |
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1883 |
Felch to Marsh (3.5 mb) |
Marsh to Felch (129 kb) |
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1884 |
Felch to Marsh (3.4 mb) |
Marsh to Felch (136 kb) |
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1885 |
Felch to Marsh (1.8 mb) |
Marsh to Felch (10 kb) |
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1886 |
Felch to Marsh (2.2 mb) |
Marsh to Felch (122 kb) |
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1887 |
Felch to Marsh (476 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (63 kb) |
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1888 |
Felch to Marsh (417 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (28 kb) |
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1889 to 1892 |
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1889 |
Felch to Marsh (8 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (8 kb) |
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1891 |
Felch to Marsh (28 kb) |
Marsh to Felch (11 kb) |
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1892 |
Felch to Marsh (12 kb) |
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Miscelaneous Documents |
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Story of Marsh to Felch Letters |
PDF Document (14 kb) |
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Felch at National Museum of Natural History |
PDF Document (98 kb) |
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Lucas Letters |
PDF Document (25 kb) |
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Othniel Charles Marsh Papers, Yale University |
PDF Document (9 kb) |
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Collection Directions to Felch from Yale University |
PDF Document (470 kb) |
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Smith Interview |
PDF Document (1 mb) |
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"What are you going to do this summer? Do you want to collect "fossils" in your region if there is a good chance?"
O.C. Marsh
March 30, 1882