Rev. Thomas Picton

first and last letter comments from America

to a Cousin in Wales

by

Owen Picton

I have seen translations of these two letters maybe fifty years ago. This is what I remember about them.

First letter:

Rev. Thomas Picton was visiting the US Congress on the day that President George Washington was stepping down as the first US President. He said that everyone bowed down to President George Washington as if he was a king to show him respect.

Last letter:

On the subject of why Rev. Thomas Picton of West Point and New Jersey came to America. Before the age of personal computers, a relative sent me a translation of a letter by Rev. Thomas Picton which he sent to Wales. The relative died a long time ago. It was on copy paper which I did not realize would fade to white and so I never was able to place it on the computer when computers came along. It was one of the last letters Rev. Thomas Picton wrote. As I remember it, he said that his son-in-law Edwin Stevens at Hoboken in New Jersey was coming to Wales for a visit. He said please do not tell him why I came to America because it would do no one any good to know why.

As I understand it, Edwin Stevens at Hoboken in New Jersey and his brothers became rich because they were the Father of all railroads. They invented how to keep a train from falling or flying off the track. They initially purchased a train engine from England and made modifications which enabled the train to stay on the track. Railroads then become successful.

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Last Modified February 2018

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