United States. President (Thomas Jefferson)

[EARLY WORK ON MISSOURI & MINING IN THE WEST]. Message of the President of the United States to Both Houses of Congress. 8th November, 1804. Read, and Ordered to be Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union

Washington DC: Printed by William Duane & Son, 1804. First Edition. 8vo. (213 x 135 mm). [2], [1]-8, [11]-13 [1], [3]-22 pp., 1 blank f. (pagination irregular but the text is complete). Modern sympathetic wrappers. Sig. A with pronounced foxing, considerably less so in sigs. B and C. Stab holes in gutter margin; first eight pages with contemporary ink notations shaved (some still readable), unimportant ink stain on final blank. With ink signature of Connecticut Congressman Samuel W. Dana on title page, as well as Eberstadt pricing notes ($50 in 1929) and codes in pencil on title and final blank. Overall, a crisp copy with an interesting provenance. Very good. Item #3386

Moses Austin's report on the lead mines in Missouri is one of the earliest selections in Becker’s fourth edition of Wagner-Camp’s Plains & Rockies: no. 2d (!) -- Our copy was owned by Congressman Samuel W. Dana (1760-1830), who was almost certainly in attendance when Jefferson read THIS State of the Union Address "to Both Houses of the Congress." Dana's annotations appear on the first seven pages of the text.

Moses Austin’s report on mining in Missouri appears as the third item in the present volume. Howes calls it the “First United States’ book on Missouri,” even though it was never separately issued. The bespoke report is likely the first publication concerning mining west of the Mississippi River. It certainly precedes Henry R. Schoolcraft’s 1819 "A View of the Lead Mines of Missouri," sometimes considered the first book on the subject of Western mines. Austin reported to Jefferson that area he was then mining would be a choice acquisition for the United States. Austin utilized ingenious mining techniques of his own creation, and became extremely successful. However, in the end he had to declare bankruptcy, a setback which caused him to turn to Texas for a land grant. Thus, in one of the odd twists of history, a failed mining venture in Missouri eventually led to the Republic and State of Texas, a cause that was of course championed successfully by his son: Stephen F. Austin.

The other two documents in Jefferson's State of the Union message are of interest: the first expresses Spain’s abandonment of opposition to the Louisiana Purchase -- a welcome development. The second is a proclamation by the President establishing a Customs District and Port of Entry at Mobile, Alabama on the Gulf Coast. Other topics include the organization of the Louisiana Territory and measures taken against the Barbary pirates. Jefferson also reports that he is hoping to deal peacefully and productively with the area’s Native Americans, a policy that would be abandoned later in the century by other presidents.

PROVENANCE: Samuel W. Dana, Connecticut member of the U.S. House. -- Eberstadt Collection, with pricing on title-page ($50 in 1929) and code on final blank -- Dorothy Sloan (1943-2021), great Texas bookseller and auctioneer who specialized in Western Americana, Texana, and Latin Americana, purchased by her after Auction 22 (12/11/2009) lot 547, $2400. This copy was offered at Heritage Dallas in 2012 as a contribution to the TSHA (est. $2000 - $4000, unsold). It is the ONLY copy that has appeared at auction since 1925 according to Rare Book Hub, which lists the 1/19/1925 sale at Anderson Galleries (lot 274).

American Imprints (1804) 7551. Graff 4405. Howes A401 (listed under Austin). Plains & Rockies IV:2d. Sabin 2419. Streeter Sale 1580. Tompkins, Bibliotheca Jeffersoniana p. 97 (W151).

Price: $2,000.00