U.S. Lighthouse Establishment, Mississippi, Missouri, & Ohio River System, Archive of Documents 

Lot of 60+ documents related the U.S. Light-House Establishment, dated at Cincinnati, July to September, 1877.

One group of 18 documents (Form 28) is noted as "Appropriation for Lighting and Buoyage of Miss., Mo. & Ohio Rivers." Issued at Cincinnati, Albert Fautz, USN, Comdr. These appear to be for items such as linens, lanterns, cans, carpets, room rentals and wharfage fees. A group of three documents (Form 7) are payroll forms, for six people on board the tender Lily and one person in the Office of the Inspector of the 14th District, and a group of eight are disbursement forms (Forms 3 and 6).  Another group consists of 41 account sheets of the amounts owed various vendors (Form 4). The items ordered include everything from foodstuffs - meat, ice, butter, eggs, milk, baking powder, etc. - to scrub brushes, sponges, pitchers, plates, and much more.

The United States Lighthouse Establishment was formed under the Department of the Treasury in 1789. Existing lighthouses were transferred to the establishment. It built Cape Henry LH in 1792. In 1910 the Bureau of Lighthouses was created and all types of navigation were included. Lighthouses were going from oils and kerosene to electricity and then to radiobeacon. After the coastal waters, these major rivers - Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio - were the most important water transportation routes in the nation.

Expected folds and wear.