Hugo Seaberg Papers
Collection
Identifier: MSS-165-BC
Scope and Content
This collection consists of five volumes of letterpress books (1889-1896), three folders with English translations of select letters from the letterpress books, and 2 folders with other correspondence (1905-1917). The letterpress books contain private and business correspondence, accounting information, and legal documents of Hugo Seaberg, M.W. Mills, Seaberg's partner, and father-in-law, and the Mills-Seaberg Company. Personal correspondence to Seaberg's mother, brothers and sister are in Swedish. In his letters, Seaberg compares life in New Mexico and America to life in Sweden. He writes about women's rights, the cost of living, his business deals, religion, holidays, etc. English translations, which were done by Kathleen Carlson in 1990, have been added to the collection in folders following the letterpress book containing the original.
The collection also includes a folder with correspondence, dated 1905-1917, to and from A.D. Powers and F.B. Bannister, both auctioneers, concerning real estate deals with Hugo Seaberg, including clippings and programs for notice of public auction of property in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, including the Raynolds addition in Albuquerque, The last folder contains correspondence about railroad scrip sales, including letters from Howel Jones of the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Company Land Department.
The collection also includes a folder with correspondence, dated 1905-1917, to and from A.D. Powers and F.B. Bannister, both auctioneers, concerning real estate deals with Hugo Seaberg, including clippings and programs for notice of public auction of property in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, including the Raynolds addition in Albuquerque, The last folder contains correspondence about railroad scrip sales, including letters from Howel Jones of the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Company Land Department.
Dates
- 1889-1990 (bulk 1889-1917)
Language of Materials
English Swedish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Biographical Information
Hugo Seaberg was born in Borgholm, Sweden on December 15, 1869. He came to America in 1887 and settled in Springer, New Mexico. He was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 1893, and developed a special interest in land law. That same year, he married Lottie V. Mills, daughter of his partner, Melvin W. Mills. In 1899 he entered the scrip business becoming an extensive investor in railroad land scrip. In 1903 Seaberg moved to Raton, New Mexico where he had opened a law office. He was largely involved in commercial enterprises such as the Mills-Seaberg Company, the Seaberg-Crampton Company, Seaberg & Taylor, the Seaberg Hotel Company, and the Coliseum Garden Theatre in Raton. During his career he served as U.S. Commissioner in northern New Mexico, president of the New Mexico Reform School at Springer for four years, and was an attorney for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In 1937 the Seaberg Hotel went bankrupt. That next year Seaberg and his wife moved to Trinidad, Colorado where he died on August 6, 1945.
Extent
1 box (1 cu. ft.)
Relevant Secondary Sources
- Preusser, Meldon J. Hugh Seaberg: New Mexico capitalist, 1869-1945. MA Thesis, University of Denver, 1968.
- Mills, M. W. (Melvin W.)
- Mills-Seaberg Company -- Correspondence
- Public land sales -- New Mexico
- Railroad land grants -- New Mexico
- Raton (N.M.) -- Business -- History
- Real estate agents
- Real property -- New Mexico
- Real property -- Texas
- Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Company
- Springer (N.M.) -- Business -- History
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Hugo Seaberg Papers, 1889-1990 (bulk 1889-1917)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by T.S. Reinig
- Date
- ©2000
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 165 BC::Hugo Seaberg Papers)//EN" "nmu1mss165bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451