Special Collections and Archives Finding Aids

Scope and Content Note

The papers associated with the statue erected in honor of Daniel S. Dickinson, prominent lawyer and politician (1800-1866), cover the years 1922-1924. They include correspondence which reflects on his life in general, and the more minute details about the development of the statue itself, as seen by the participants.

The correspondence between the Secretaries of the Exempt Firemen's Association, mainly by Charles F. Tupper to John H. Duncan, an architect in New York City, who was also born in Binghamton, New York, in 1854, form the major part of the papers. The sculptor, Allen G. Newman, also corresponded directly with Mr. Tupper.

The technical aspects of making the statue and negotiating the agreements necessary to complete the project are brought out in detail. Some of the social and political life in Binghamton is reflected in the local letters. Charles M. Dickinson, who studied law under Daniel S. Dickinson and later became famous as a newspaperman and diplomat in Turkey and the Middle East from 1897-1908, gave the Statue Dedication Address in 1924. Daniel S. Dickinson, Jr. (1917-), who served in the New York Assembly from 1955-1965, and is presently a Broome County Judge, is a distant relative.

There are several photographs and newspaper clippings adding background. A letter from Dickinson to Daniel Webster affirms their differing political opinion but continued friendship over the years.