Platt Hiram Crosby Papers

The Crosby Papers, dated 1821-1869, include correspondence, legal papers, notes, and various writings, created primarily by Crosby while living in South America. The majority of the writings, letters, notes and other papers are historical writings related to Peruvian and South American history, including the Inca Empire and the colonial activities of Spain in the region. Some of the writings also cover Chile and Bolivia, but the majority are related to Peru. In addition to historical events, some the writings also describe Crosby's own travels as well the culture, politics, and people he observed. Unfortunately, most of these writings were not well organized and it is almost impossible to determine their original order because a number of the documents are fragments and poorly identified.

The collection also includes materials not directly related to Crosby's historical writing, including personal papers, correspondence, and legal papers. The letters received by Crosby from various correspondents were written primarily in New York, Lima, and Valparaiso. The collection also includes a small amount of legal papers pertaining to various cases or transactions. For example, one document pertains to the loss of W.S. Wetmore's cargo on the American frigate General Carrington, which had been seized for smuggling (a relatively common practice undertaken by Peru and Spain during that time). In addition to the letters and other papers, the collection includes a partial copy of Pedro de Peralta Barnuevo's Lima Fundada and a few photographs of Thorne family members.

The folders are arranged alphabetically. In those cases where Crosby provided titles or labels to documents, the identifying labels have been retained as folder titles (as indicated with quotation marks).