The Hazard Family Letters 1832-1950
1853 Express Mail - Roland Hazard to Margaret Rood
Love Letter with a Scott # 11 - Pen Canceled 
Peacedale, Rhode Island to New Haven, Connecticut

September 27, 1837 New York cancel - 183/4 Rate Marking


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This letter was sent from Roland Hazard, (son of Roland G. Hazard) on October 17, 1853 via Express mail. (I'm not positive, but believe this is a railroad route agent marking for the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad.) Roland is expressing his undying affection and love for Maggie and he seems quite concerned with the state of her health as he did not receive a letter from her on the day he is writing this letter. It seems that he is quite deeply smitten and more than a little worried. He even talks of traveling down to New Haven on the coming Saturday to ensure that everything is okay with his beloved. After researching Miss Rood, I found out that she became Mrs. Roland Hazard on March 29, 1853, just a little over 5 months after this letter was sent.

The stamp is pen canceled and is the Brownish/Carmine, 3 cent imperforate - Washington issue of 1851-52 - Scott #11.

Biographical Information and the complete text of the letter follow below.
     

Roland Hazard (II) was the son of Roland Gibson Hazard and grandson of Roland Hazard (I), who began the family's textile business in Peacedale, Rhode Island. He was an eighth generation descendent of  Thomas Hazard who first emigrated to America from Wales around 1630

In 1853, when this letter was sent, Roland's father; Roland Gibson Hazard was  president of the company, which at that time was known as the Peacedale Manufacturing Company. Roland became president of the company in 1892.

Roland's lineage is as follows:
Thomas Hazard - first generation; Robert Hazard - second generation; Thomas Hazard - third generation; Robert Hazard - fourth generation; Thomas Hazard - fifth generation; Roland Hazard - sixth generation; Roland Gibson Hazard - seventh generation; Roland Hazard - eighth generation.

Roland Hazard was born to Roland Gibson and Caroline Newbold Hazard in Newport, Rhode Island on August 16, 1829. The family moved to Peacedale in 1833, where Roland came of age. He attended Friends College (Quaker) in 1845 at Haverford, CT and graduated from Brown University in 1849. He was ranked in the upper third of the graduating class and was ranked first in mathematics during his first three years at Brown. He also won a prize in philosophy for his essay in that department.

Roland was quite active in local village and town affairs. In 1854 he organized a Sunday School at the schoolhouse and on February 13, 1857 in response to his invitation, 13 people met at his home and  organized the Second Congregational Church of South Kingstown. In 1872 he built a stone church, which still stands; drawing up the plans himself. The worsted mill in Peacedale was built according to his plans in 1872. The picturesque stone bridges all around Peacedale were built by Roland. One of the bridges, which had a single stone arch spanning over 40 feet was the largest single arch bridge built in the state up to that time. Roland was largely instrumental in establishing the Narragansett Library in 1855 and was involved in the organization of the High School - donating the land for the building and assisting in its maintenance. 

Roland Hazard introduced the first system of profit sharing in the United States for his employees at the Peacedale Mills. He also maintained an interest in agriculture and in the breeding of cattle. He was elected as President of the Washington County Agricultural Society in 1876. He served as a Moderator for the township of South Kingstown and in the State legislature as representative in 1863 and as a senator in 1867-68.  Roland Hazard was a candidate for governor as an independent in 1875, but was not elected.

Roland's other interests included a lead mine in La Mote, Missouri , which he took charge of in 1875. He introduced the manufacture of soda-ash into the country in 1881 and was instrumental in organizing the Solvay Process Company of Syracuse, New York becoming it's president in 1883. The first soda-ash made by ammonia process in America was produced by his company in January of 1884.

Roland Hazard married Margaret Ann Rood of Philadelphia; the daughter of Reverend Anson Rood and Alida Ogden Rood. (She was living in New Haven at the home of a relative; Mrs. M. G. Ogden while Roland was courting her.) Margaret Rood was born on September 28, 1834 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died on August 7, 1895.

Roland and Margaret had 5 children as follows:

Roland Gibson Hazard was born on January 22, 1855. He was married to Mary Pierpont on November 16, 1880. He became president of the Peacedale Manufacturing Company in 1898 on the death of his father. 

Caroline Hazard  was born June 10, 1856. She was the editor of a collected edition of her grandfather's  philosophical and economic writings under the title of "Works of Roland Gibson Hazard," (five volumes). She was also the author of a biography titled "Thomas Hazard, son of Robert, called College Tom,"  "A study of Life in Narragansett in the 18th century," and a volume of poems titled "Narragansett Ballads." She was the co-author and editor of a volume titled "A Memorial of T. Lewis Diman, of Brown University."

Frederick Roland Hazard was born June 14, 1858

Helen Hazard was born January 15, 1861

Margaret Hazard was born May 31, 1867.

SEE ALSO: The Hazard Family History for further biographical information.

    
The Complete Text of Roland's letter to Margaret follows below:

Peace Dale  Oct 17th 1853                                

My Dear Maggie
                              I am conjuring up all sorts of ills which may have befallen you but trust
they are all without foundation. I could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw there was no
letter from you tonight. Did I not know that derangements in the mails are very common
I should be very uneasy. But I throw all the blame on the P.O. Department, & hope all
is well. You are not sick are you dearest? If so I shall come on certainly Saturday if not
before. But if you are sick Helen would certainly have written, I say, so you can't be &
your letter will be here tomorrow. But tomorrow is so long to wait. I must be patient,
however. Without you have written to me today so that the letter may get here tomorrow
please let Ogden telegraph me "All Well" or "Not Well" (I trust not the latter) & 
address the message thus "R. Hazard Peace Dale R. I. Mail Providence." It should be
sent from New haven by two o'clock; half past two may possibly be in time but it should
go before if it can. I trust dearest that all is well. I think I shall come on Saturday at all
events. I find I can not do without you at all. I can not write much now. Do you not
know why? I want to hear from you & know you are well & free from this nervousness
which I can not quite shake off & then I will write calmly again. I can not now. God bless
you dearest & may Christ shelter you & protect you from every harm. I trust you with him.
Good night. Remember the telegraph
                                                          
       Your own Rowlie
    
Better telegraph me at all events as the same cause which prevented your Friday or Saturday's
letter from getting here may prevent your today's. If I hear nothing tomorrow night --- but
I must hear tomorrow night.
                                                                 Your own Rowlie
   
I hope you have not been similarly disappointed. It is the first time I have been so & I 
sympathize with you in your former disappointments more than I imagined I should.
But how blessed it is to feel as I do perfectly that it does not proceed from your neglect.
Of that, my heart acquits you without a moments hesitation.
                                                                 Your ever trusting
                                                                                              Rowlie

See Also:  

  The Hazard Family History 
   
1843 Isaac P. Hazard Letter 
   
A Full Size Multi-Invoice Form 
   
Full Text of One Invoice 
   
History of Carolina Mills 
   
Intro to "Jonny-Cake Papers"
Bio of Thomas Hazard by
Roland Gibson Hazard II - 1915
 

Postcard - Hazard Memorial Hall 
   
Postcard - Hazard's Castle 
   
Explanation of Postal Rates


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Hazard Family Letters I

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Hazard Family Letters III

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