1864-Dated SYLVESTER MOWRY Signed: THE MOWRY SILVER MINING COMPANY BOND, ARIZONA

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Aug 21, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-08-21 12:00:00 2021-08-21 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Autographs - Historic & Political Americana - Militaria & Guns https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/autographs---historic-political-americana---militaria-guns-7321
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  Western America
  "THE MOWRY SILVER MINING COMPANY" BOND "Few men did more for Arizona during its early history than Sylvester Mowry"
  (MORMON, BRIGHAM YOUNG & ARIZONA HISTORY) SYLVESTER MOWRY (1830-1871). 1850s Silver Miner, womanizer & early Arizona Statehood Advocate, controversial Soldier, Miner, Arizona Statehood Western America "Booster" and entrepreneur who Seduced Mormon Leader Brigham Young's Daughter-In-Law, appointed by President James Buchanan as a Commissioner to establish the Border between California and Nevada, and more.
  November 2, 1864-Dated Civil War Period, Historic "Mormon Brigham Young" Related, ARIZONA RARITY, Ornate Engraved Partially-Printed Document Signed, "Sylvester Mowry" as President of "THE MOWRY SILVER MINING COMPANY," measuring 17.25" x 13.75" (430 mm x 350 mm), 1 page, San Francisco, fresh Crisp Near Mint. A $1,000 Mortgage Bond "No. 277" containing eight original, Signed Attached Payment Coupons at bottom (only two of the coupons detached for redemption). Folded for storage, this exceedingly rare Bond is clean, bright and fresh with nice eye appeal. A spectacular item of Arizona history and representative of the colorful life of Sylvester Mowry.
  Mowry was a controversial soldier, miner, entrepreneur, Arizona State booster, and alleged "con artist." Sylvester Mowry has his own unique story. When they met, Mormon leader Brigham Young himself took a strong dislike to Mowry, who etched his reputation as a hard drinking, hard gambling. Unabashedly a womanizing troublemaker, Mowry's place was chiseled in historical "stone" when he brazenly (and successfully, according to Mowry's own personal letters) seduced Mary Young, first wife to Brigham's eldest son, Joseph Angell Young, who was in England on Mormon mission at the time.
  Mowry was best known as a pioneer and the founder of Mowry, Arizona. In 1860, Mowry was appointed by President James Buchanan a Commissioner to establish the border between California and Nevada, but he was removed in 1861 due to politics. During his time as Commissioner, Mowry became interested in mining and prospecting. In 1860 he purchased the Patagonia Silver Mine just southeast of the Santa Rita Mountains in southern Arizona. After renaming it the "Mowry Silver Mine," Mowry began constructing a mill and a smelter for extracting precious minerals. His small surrounding town was then besieged by Apache Indians and it was virtually destroyed in 1863. His angry response was that they all needed to be unmercifully killed! Mowry then served as an officer in the United States Army and was arrested as a "traitor" to the Union during the American Civil War. As no actual solid evidence could be produced he was released.
  This historic $1,000 Mortgage Bond was issued to a William Tell Coleman (1824-1893), who was a prominent early resident of San Francisco, where he became a successful shipping merchant, running a Steamship Line to New York. Unfortunately for Coleman, the Bond was ultimately proven worthless as the Mowry Silver Mine in Southern Arizona had been only intermittently been productive. From 1861 forwards, the Mine mostly ceased to function due to Mowry's arrest by the Union authorities for treason, after sending letters requesting protection for his mine from Confederate authorities!
  Always the fast operator, perhaps indeed a "con artist" as Mowry sold bonds in his mining operations to unsuspecting investors (who had no understanding of the actual state of the mine) enabling Mowry to lead a lavish lifestyle in San Francisco, New York and Arizona. It is unknown how many of these Mortgage Bonds he actually issued, but it would stand to reason that most of them were thrown out and/or destroyed in disgust following Mowry's death in 1871.
  This museum quality signed bond is a major rarity, issued by one of Arizona's most controversial early figures. It appeals to collectors and institutions interested in Southwest, Arizona, Brigham Young and Mormon History. According to the Arizona Republic newspaper: "Few men did more for Arizona during its early history than Sylvester Mowry (1833-1871)... soldier and pioneer mining man...". An extensive further explanation of this Silver Mine bonds history, and more information regarding the personal story of Lt. Sylvester Mowry is available to be read on our website at: www.EarlyAmerican.com.
  The Rhode Island-born Sylvester Mowry graduated the United States military academy at West Point in 1852 and then traveled West, under Colonel Edward Steptoe's expedition to explore routes for a Pacific Railroad. They arrived in Salt Lake City in 1854 to investigate the Gunnison Massacre, in which a 10-party expedition was slaughtered by a band of Pahvant Ute Indians in October of 1853.
  The Gunnison Massacre occurred in Millard County, Utah in 1853 when Captain John W. Gunnison's Pacific Railroad Survey party was attacked by Ute Indians.
  The railroad survey was one of several sponsored by the War Department's Corps of Topographical Engineers. Unaware that the Walker War had broken out between the Ute Indians of central Utah and the Mormons, Captain John W. Gunnison, the leader of the 38th Parallel Railroad Survey, and seven men set out on October 21, 1853, from their camp at Cedar Springs, just west of Fillmore, Utah, to explore the Sevier Lake country, in the area of Indian hostilities. Four days later a band of Ute massacred most of the party members on October 26, 1853.
  Killed with Gunnison were Richard H. Kern, a topographer and artist; F. Creufeldt, a botanist; William Potter, a Mormon guide; Private Caulfield, Private Liptoote, Private Mehreens, and John Bellows, a camp roustabout. Four members of the survey party escaped. Searchers found the bodies and buried them at the site.
  The massacre halted surveying activities in Utah until the following year when Ute hostilities ended. Lieutenant Edward G. Beckwith resumed the survey and completed it to the Pacific Ocean. Today, a monument marks the massacre site on an unimproved road, about six miles southwest of Hinckley on the Sevier River.
  As mentioned the "Walker War" had broken out between the Ute Indians of central Utah and the Mormons. The Walker War took place in 1853 in the area around Payson, Utah when tensions between the Mormon settlers and the Ute Indians increased.
  When the Mormons began to settle on the hunting grounds of the Ute Indians, the natives were at first friendly, working out accommodations with the immigrants and even inviting Brigham Young to send Mormon colonists to the Sanpitch (now Sanpete) Valley. Relations between the two groups were helpful and cooperative when they first began to settle in 1849. However, when the Mormons began to attempt to suppress New Mexican trade, tensions developed with the Ute, who had long depended on the trade, especially that of Native Slaves, to which the Mormons strongly objected.
  When they met, Brigham Young himself took a strong dislike to Mowry, who etched his reputation as a hard drinking, hard gambling. Unabashedly a womanizing troublemaker, Mowry's place was chiseled in historical "stone" when he brazenly (and successfully, according to Mowry's own personal letters) seduced Mary Young, first wife to Brigham's eldest son, Joseph Angell Young, who was in England on mission at the time! The ensuing scandal convinced Colonel Steptoe to order Mowry from leave Salt Lake, transferring him to Rush Valley, Utah.
  Mowry was later stationed in Benecia, California and then Fort Yuma, which made such an indelible impression upon him that in 1857, he resigned his commission from the Army to peruse prospecting opportunities in the Arizona Territory, purchasing the Patagonia Mine that same year. In 1858, Mowry had himself elected as the "Official" Territorial Delegate to Washington, DC in order to lobby for Territorial recognition for Arizona, which was then part of the New Mexico Territory.
  From 1857 to 1860 Mowry was, "... Arizona's most active champion of Territorial organization." However, on the eve of the Civil War, he departed the world of Territorial politics and devoted himself to mining activities. During the Civil War, Mowry played off both sides in order to obtain security against the Apaches, and his letters to Confederate officers tipping them off to Union troop movements landed him in trouble. Mowry lost control of his mine and was jailed in Yuma during his trial for Treason. He was released in August of 1862 after Union military authorities granted a general amnesty for Confederate sympathizers in Arizona.
  His mining operations in total disarray, Mowry went to San Francisco to raise funds in order to fund his mine by issuing Mortgage Bonds. Just a month before he issued the present Bond, Mowry the mine for $2.5 million to Sam F. Butterworth and Milton S. Latham of San Francisco. However, the purchaser was Mowry Silver Mining Company which named Butterworh and Latham as the company's trustees. The company was still controlled by Mowry. This device placed the property out of reach of his wife, Laura A. Mowry, who had sued for divorce only a few days before.
  Because Mowrey had sold his mine to his own mining company (no actually money was exchanged), he was still forced to purchase $2,400 in Official Goverment Revenue Stamps to affix to the deed of sale, demonstrating the "Proof' of the mine's supposed and claimed value. This allowed Mowry to inflate the value of any stock he sold in the mining company, enabling him to continue living a lavish lifestyle.
  In particular the present bond was "...for part of the sum of Three hundred Thousand Dollars, authorized to be borrowed by the Board of Trustees of the Company and is one of the Three Hundred Bonds for One Thousand Dollars each, secured by the certain Mortgage of all the lands, mines, minerals, rights of property, improvements, franchises and estate of said Company acquired, or which may hereafter be acquired, bearing even date herewith, made and executed by the said Company and by Sam F. Butterworth and Milton S. Latham, Trustees of the said 'Mowry Silver Mining Company,' to William T. Coleman of San Francisco, and Samuel L. M. Barlow of New York, Trustees and Mortgages for the security of the holders of the said Three Hundred Bonds of One Thousand Dollars each.
  Mowry returned to Arizona in late 1864 and stayed until 1866 taking one more stab at running the mine. After this point, the mine was, but Mowry continued to live high on the hog, likely selling bonds like these to unsuspecting investors. In 1871 Mowry became quite ill and travelled to London to consult a specialist. He died on 17 October 1871. The Mowry mine sold at auction in 1874 for $14,000 to Nathan B.Appel.
  According to historians, Apple did not die a rich man. Constance Altshuler concluded: "Apparently no one acquired wealth from that mine except Sylvester Mowry, but his scale of living could not have been maintained by profits from the irregular periods of mining operation. He was, to put it blunt, aconfidence man, unscrupulous and totally self-centered."
  References used include:
  B. Sacks "The Creation of the Territory of Arizona," Journal of the Southwest (Spring, 1963), pages 32-34;
  Constance Wynn Altshuler "The Case of Sylvester Mowry: The Charge of Treason," Journal of the Southwest (Spring, 1973), pages 63-82;
  Constance Wynn Altshuler "The Case of Sylvester Mowry: The Mowry Mine," Journal of the Southwest (Summer, 1973, pages 149-174 and Ibid., page 173).
  
  
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