Historical note:

            The Rhode Island Estates Corporation was incorporated under the laws of New York in 1913, with Barclay Hazard the sole stockholder. He had served as the executor of the estate of his aunt Anna Hazard (1820-1905), and had lost large sums of money in that capacity. The R.I.E.C. was formed to transfer Barclay Hazard's personal real estate into family hands; the stock was purchased by family members Rowland G. Hazard and Franklin P. Ufford, with the money used to repay part of Barclay's debt to the family. The family through ownership of the company stock then managed the land. Ufford, an attorney, devoted over thirty years to resolving the affairs of the company in his role as secretary and treasurer.

            There were three major pieces of land that the company held, in addition to securities. One was the El Capitan estate located in Santa Barbara, California; it was leased by the government to station troops during both World Wars. The land was also used for agriculture, and later for drilling oil. It was also leased by the state of California for road improvements. In 1941, the company appointed Peace Dale Offices Inc. as its agent to sell El Capitan. The land was sold to the Gila Land Company in 1947, with R.I.E.C. retaining 40% oil and gas rights.

            The R.I. Estates Company also owned several lots in Rhode Island. The "Vaucluse Estate" and several adjoining lots were on the Sakonnet River in the southeastern part of the town of Portsmouth, and had been in the hands of Barclay Hazard's family since the mid-19th century. The actual Vaucluse building was in a state of great disrepair and was eventually torn down. A tenant/caretaker named Barclay Gifford lived in a more modern building, possibly on the adjoining Rogers Farm. The property was sold in 1937, and was the last Rhode Island property owned by the Corporation.

            The 258-acre "Sachuest Estate" comprised the bulk of Sachuest Neck in Middletown, jutting out into the bay. The lot was sold to the St. George's School in 1925, and is presently a wildlife refuge. The company also owned several small lots in nearby Newport (at 27 Kay St. and a vacant lot on School St.), which were sold early on.

            The company's headquarters was in New York City. It was partially liquidated in 1941, with most of the shares sold to Peace Dale Offices, Inc. It continued to transact business until November 15, 1961, when the final payments to bond holders were made.

Presidents:

            Rowland G. Hazard 1913-1918

            Rowland Hazard 1919-1927

            Thomas P. Hazard 1928-1961

Vice-Presidents:

            Barclay Hazard 1913-1917

            John G. Hazard 1918

            I. Peace Hazard 1919-1929

            Daniel Reese 1930-1932

            I. Peace Hazard 1933-1946 

            John N. Hazard 1946-1961

Secretary/Treasurers:

            Franklin P. Ufford 1913-1949

            Earl W.G. Howard 1950-1961

Bibliography:

"Brief Account of the Financial Tragedy of Barclay Hazard", in series 4 of this collection.

Return to top

Scope and content:

            This collection includes four series of records. The correspondence series is most voluminous, and includes mostly the correspondence of Franklin Ufford from 1913 to 1948. The financial series consists of banking, tax, investment and other records. The land records series includes files on El Capitan lessees, and smaller files on the Rhode Island properties. The final series is miscellaneous, and includes the few general administrative records found in the collection. Notable by their absence are the minute books, stock share books and ledgers of the company, all of which may remain in family hands.

            The Graphics Division of the Newport Historical Society has an original drawing of the Vaucluse estate made by Peter Bergner circa 1920, when it was the property of the Rhode Island Estates Company.

Return to top

Provenance:

            These papers were donated by the Hazard family as part of the Hazard Family Papers in 1985. They had for the most part been deposited in 1975, with a few more added in 1983.

Return to top

Processing note:

            This collection is part of the Hazard Family Papers, which were processed with support from the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, the Beinecke Foundation, and the extended Hazard Family.

            During the processing of this collection, a small quantity of personal records of Barclay Hazard were removed to subgroup 10, the Barclay Hazard Papers, including banking records and records of the estate of Anna Hazard. The Barclay Hazard Papers are in a sense part of the Rhode Island Estate Company Records, as they were brought to Peace Dale from California for the purpose of sorting out his financial obligations to the company.

Series overview:

Series 1. Correspondence

            Subseries 1. Franklin Ufford                                  Box 1 to 4

            Subseries 2. Isaac Peace Hazard                            Box 4

            Subseries 3. Rowland G. Hazard II                       Box 5

            Subseries 4. Thomas P. Hazard                             Box 5

Series 2. Financial records

            Subseries 1. Banking                                              Box 5

            Subseries 2. Bondholders                                      Box 5

            Subseries 3. Ledger accounts                                Box 5

            Subseries 4. Stocks and securities                         Box 5 and 6

            Subseries 5. Taxes                                                   Box 6 and 7

            Subseries 6. Miscellaneous financial                    Box 7

Series 3. Property records

            Subseries 1. California                                            Box 7 and 8

            Subseries 2. Vaucluse estate, Portsmouth R.I.    Box 8 and 9

            Subseries 3. Sachuest estate, Middletown, R.I.   Box 9

            Subseries 4. Miscellaneous Rhode Island            Box 9

Series 4. Miscellaneous                                                      Box 9

Return to top

Inventory:

Series 1: Correspondence

This series includes correspondence files kept by R.I.E.C. officers. The file kept by longtime secretary/treasurer Franklin P. Ufford is by far the most comprehensive. There is also a significant amount of correspondence throughout the other two series, especially in the land records.

Series 1, subseries 1: Franklin P. Ufford files.

Letters to Ufford, copies of letters sent, and copies of other correspondence relating to the company. Ufford was secretary and treasurer of the company. He was married to Bertha Tierney, a granddaughter of William R. Hazard and heir to the Anna Hazard estate.

Box 1, folder 1. 1913

Box 1, folder 2. 1913

Box 1, folder 3. 1913

Box 1, folder 4. 1913

Box 1, folder 5. 1913

Box 1, folder 6. 1913

Box 1, folder 7. 1914

Box 1, folder 8. 1914

Box 1, folder 9. 1914

Box 1, folder 10. 1914

Box 1, folder 11. 1914

Box 1, folder 12. 1915

Box 1, folder 13. 1915

Box 1, folder 14. 1915

Box 1, folder 15. 1916

Box 1, folder 16. 1916

Box 1, folder 17. 1916

Box 1, folder 18. 1916

Box 1, folder 19. 1916

Box 1, folder 20. 1917

Box 1, folder 21. 1918

Box 1, folder 22. 1918

Box 1, folder 23. 1919

Box 1, folder 24. 1919

Box 1, folder 25. 1919

Box 2, folder 1. 1920

Box 2, folder 2. 1920

Box 2, folder 3. 1921

Box 2, folder 4. 1922

Box 2, folder 5. 1923

Box 2, folder 6. 1924

Box 2, folder 7. 1925

Box 2, folder 8. 1926

Box 2, folder 9. 1927

Box 2, folder 10. 1929

Box 2, folder 11. 1930

Box 2, folder 12. 1930

Box 2, folder 13. 1931

Box 2, folder 14. 1931

Box 2, folder 15. 1931

Box 2, folder 16. 1932

Box 2, folder 17. 1932

Box 2, folder 18. 1933

Box 2, folder 19. 1933

Box 2, folder 20. 1933

Box 2, folder 21. 1934

Box 2, folder 22. 1934

Box 3, folder 1. 1935

Box 3, folder 2. 1935

Box 3, folder 3. 1935

Box 3, folder 4. 1935

Box 3, folder 5. 1936

Box 3, folder 6. 1936

Box 3, folder 7. 1936

Box 3, folder 8. 1936

Box 4, folder 1. 1937

Box 4, folder 2. 1937

Box 4, folder 3. 1937

Box 4, folder 4. 1937

Box 4, folder 5. 1937

Box 4, folder 6. 1938

Box 4, folder 7. 1939

Box 4, folder 8. 1940

Box 4, folder 9. 1940

Box 4, folder 10. 1940

Box 4, folder 11. 1940

Box 4, folder 12. 1940

Box 4, folder 13. 1941

Box 4, folder 14. 1941

Box 4, folder 15. 1941

Box 4, folder 16. 1942

Box 4, folder 17. 1943

Box 4, folder 18. 1946

Box 4, folder 19. 1946

Box 4, folder 20. 1946

Box 4, folder 21. 1946

Box 4, folder 22. 1946

Box 4, folder 23. 1947

Series 1, subseries 2: Isaac Peace Hazard files

Letters received, copies of letters sent, and copies of other correspondence relating to the company. These files date from Hazard's first term as vice-president of the company.

Box 4, folder 24. 1920-1921

Box 4, folder 25. 1921-1922

Box 4, folder 26. 1922-1923

Box 4, folder 27. 1924-1925

Box 4, folder 28. 1926-1927

Box 4, folder 29. 1928

Box 4, folder 30. 1936-1941 (incomplete)

Series 1, subseries 3: Rowland G. Hazard II files

Letters received, and copies of letters sent. Hazard was the first president of the company, and its major investor. Much more of his correspondence regarding the company can be found in the Rowland G. Hazard II Papers (subgroup 7).

Box 5, folder 1. American Exchange Bank, 1913-1914

Box 5, folder 2. American Exchange Bank stock sales, 1913

Box 5, folder 3. Irving Bacon, 1913-1915

Box 5, folder 4. Franklin J. Hoag, 1914

Box 5, folder 5. Frank P. Ufford, 1913-1915

Box 5, folder 6. Frank P. Ufford, 1916-1918

Series 1, subseries 4: Thomas P. Hazard files

Letters received, and copies of letters sent. Hazard served as president of the company for many years. Many of the letters are actually addressed to Hazard's assistant Earl W.G. Howard. Much more of his correspondence regarding the company can be found in the Thomas P. Hazard Papers (subgroup 9). Most of these files duplicate the Ufford files (series A).

Box 5, folder 7. Franklin P. Ufford correspondence, 1930-1935

Box 5, folder 8. Franklin P. Ufford correspondence, 1936-1937

Box 5, folder 9. Franklin P. Ufford correspondence, 1938-1944

Box 5, folder 10. Abitini Power stock sales, 1937-1939

Box 5, folder 11. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1934-1939

Box 5, folder 12. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1940-1949

Box 5, folder 13. Bond certificate correspondence, 1947-1948.

Series 2: Financial

Series 2, subseries 1: Banking

Box 5, folder 14. Cash book, 1913-1916

Box 5, folder 15. Bank book, 1913-1931.               American Exchange National Bank.

Box 5, folder 16. Check books (6), 1913-1931      American Exchange Trust

Box 5, folder 17. Checkbook, 1931-1933               Guaranty Trust of New York

Box 5, folder 18. Check book, 1931-1935              R.I. Hospital Trust

Box 5, folder 19. Check book, 1935-1941              R.I. Hospital Trust

Box 5, folder 20. Bank book, 1937-1941                Wakefield Trust Co.

Series 2, subseries 2: Bond holders

Box 5, folder 21. Report on Schedule A, 1940

Box 5, folder 22. Bond certificates and agreements, 1941-1948

Box 5, folder 23. Payments to bond holders, 1951-1961

Box 5, folder 24. Bond miscellany, 1913-1946

Box 5, folder 25. Bond miscellany, 1949

Oversized box 6, folder 1. Certificates issued to Schedule A creditors of Barclay Hazard, interfiled with correspondence and receipts regarding final payments, 1948-1961.

Series 2, subseries 3: Ledger accounts.

These loose sheets appear to have been compiled for tax purposes, but contain some debit/credit accounts, and detailed information on stock sales.

Box 5, folder 26. 1936

Box 5, folder 27. 1937

Box 5, folder 28. 1938

Box 5, folder 29. 1939-1941

Series 2, subseries 4: Stocks and securities

Box 5, folder 30. Miscellaneous lists of securities, 1913-1932

Box 5, folder 31. Lee & Higginson, 1925-1929

Box 5, folder 32. Curtis & Sanger correspondence, 1929-1931

Box 5, folder 33. Curtis & Sanger receipts, 1929

Box 5, folder 34. Curtis & Sanger receipts, 1930-1931

Oversized box 6, folder 2. Curtis & Sanger receipts, 1929-1931

Box 5, folder 35. Sturges, Chaffee & Hazard correspondence, 1931-1938

Box 5, folder 36. Sturges, Chaffee & Hazard account statements, 1931-1938

Box 6, folder 1. Sturges, Chaffee & Hazard inventory accounts, 1931-1941 and 1957

Box 6, folder 2. Sturges, Chaffee & Hazard stock appraisals, etc., 1931-1938

Series 2, subseries 5: Taxes

Box 6, folder 3. United States stock tax, 1919-1945

Box 6, folder 4. United States corporate tax, 1950-1958

Oversized box 6, folder 3. United State tax returns, 1913-1950

Oversized box 6, folder 4. United States corporation and excess profits tax, 1933

Box 6, folder 5. Rhode Island, 1919-1939

Box 6, folder 6. Rhode Island, 1941-1953

Box 6, folder 7. Rhode Island, 1954-1962

Box 6, folder 8. Rhode Island annual reports, 1933-1961

Box 6, folder 9. California franchise tax, 1913-1938

Box 6, folder 10. California franchise tax, 1939-1949

Box 6, folder 11. California franchise tax, 1950-1962

Box 6, folder 12. New York, capital stock, 1913-1934

Box 6, folder 13. New York, capital stock, 1935-1939

Box 7, folder 1. New York franchise tax, 1930-1940

Box 7, folder 2. New York City tax, 1913 and 1918

Box 7, folder 3. Santa Barbara County real estate tax, 1916-1933

Box 7, folder 4. Santa Barbara County real estate tax, 1934-1944

Box 7, folder 5. Case file, disputed U.S. taxes for 1930.

Box 7, folder 6. Miscellaneous income tax correspondence, 1947-1964

Box 7, folder 7. Miscellaneous tax memoranda, 1914-1948

Box 7, folder 8. Miscellaneous tax memoranda, 1951-1957

Series 2, subseries 6: Miscellaneous financial

Box 7, folder 9. Cumulative profit/loss statement, 1913-1940

Box 7, folder 10. Cash accounts, 1913-1925 (complete)

Box 7, folder 11. Petty cash envelopes, 1933-1940 inclusive

Box 7, folder 12. Roup estate sale, 1915-1916

Box 7, folder 13. Miscellaneous receipts, 1913-1949

Box 7, folder 14. Miscellaneous statements, 1933-1940

Series 3: Property records.

Includes correspondence files, deeds and other records relating to specific properties owned by the Rhode Island Estates Company. There may be other correspondence on specific properties in series 1.

Series 3, subseries 1: El Capitan, Santa Barbara, California

Correspondence.

Comprehensive correspondence files on El Capitan were apparently kept only from 1935 to 1941. Correspondence for all years can also be found in the files on individual leases.

Box 7, folder 15. 1913 - 1916

Box 7, folder 16. 1921, 1930, 1932

Box 7, folder 17. 1935 - 1936

Box 7, folder 18. 1937

Box 7, folder 19. 1938, January - June

Box 7, folder 20. 1938, July - December

Box 7, folder 21. 1939, January - April

Box 7, folder 22. 1939, May - August

Box 7, folder 23. 1939, September - December

Box 7, folder 24. 1940

Box 7, folder 25. 1941 - 1943

Box 7, folder 26. 1945 - 1947

Box 7, folder 27. Bills paid re sale, 1947

Box 7, folder 28. 1950 - 1951

Box 7, folder 29. 1952 - 1960

Lease and deed files.

These files include correspondence, legal documents, memoranda, and other papers. They have been augmented by other loose papers; drafts and second copies were not retained.

Box 7, folder 30. Abbott, F.L. (oil lease)                                                                               1937

Box 7, folder 31. California, State of (highway right of way)                                1913 - 1915

Box 7, folder 32. California, State of (highway right of way)                                1939 - 1944

Box 7, folder 33. California, State of (highway right of way)                                           1948

Box 7, folder 34. California, State of (sale of land for park)                                  1952 - 1953

Box 7, folder 35. California, State of (sale of land for park)                                              1953

Box 7, folder 36. Costello and Ham (oil lease)                                                                    1941

Box 7, folder 37. Clark, Robert / Martin, Hugh (oil lease)                                    1928 - 1929

Box 7, folder 38. Damalas, Sam (oil lease)                                                                           1940

Box 7, folder 39. Gila Land Company (conditional sale of land)                         1946 - 1954

Box 7, folder 40. Gila Land Company (conditional sale of land)                                     1948

Box 7, folder 41. Gila Land Company (Hugh Martin suit)                                    1955 - 1957

Box 8, folder 1. Green Petroleum Co. / D.B. Grable (oil lease)                            1953 - 1954

Box 8, folder 2. Hazard, Barclay (early deeds)                                                                   1913

Box 8, folder 3. Hazard family (deeds and grants)                                                 1929 - 1930

Box 8, folder 4. Kelco (marine vegetable products)                                                           1939

Box 8, folder 5. McAdams, Ed (oil lease)                                                                 1934 - 1935

Box 8, folder 6. McMillan Petroleum Co. (oil lease)                                               1951 - 1952

Box 8, folder 7. Morse, C.M. (oil lease)                                                                                1943

Box 8, folder 8. Parks, I.B. (lease)                                                                              1913 - 1930

Box 8, folder 9. Parks, I.B. (lease)                                                                              1932 - 1933

Box 8, folder 10. Pauly Petroleum Inc. (oil lease)                                                   1959 - 1960

Box 8, folder 11. Peace Dale Offices Inc. (agreement)                                                        1937

Box 8, folder 12. Rich, E.R. (prospecting application)                                                       1928

Box 8, folder 13. San Diego Fruit & Produce (lease)                                                          1932

Box 8, folder 14. San Diego Fruit & Produce (lease)                                               1933 - 1934

Box 8, folder 15. San Diego Fruit & Produce (lease)                                               1935 - 1941

Box 8, folder 16. San Diego Fruit & Produce (lease)                                               1942 - 1946

Box 8, folder 17. Shephard / Refugio Oil Co. (oil lease)                                                   1935

Box 8, folder 18. Signal Oil Company      (oil lease)                                               1948 - 1954

Box 8, folder 19. Stabeck, Vincent (oil lease)                                                                       1938

Box 8, folder 20. Taylor / Holliman / Vinmont / Lockhart (oil lease)                          1930

Box 8, folder 21. Tideland (oil lease)                                                                                    1930

Box 8, folder 22. Union Commission Co. (stumpage agreement)                                    1920

Box 8, folder 23. Union Oil Company (oil lease)                                                    1953 - 1955

Box 8, folder 24. United States (federal sublease)                                                   1942 - 1944

Box 8, folder 25. Wilshire Oil Company (oil lease)                                                            1945

Box 8, folder 26. Misc. gas, rail, electric line agreements                                       1928 - 1939

Box 8, folder 27. Misc. quitclaim deeds                                                                               1938

Box 8, folder 28. Misc. unidentified partial deeds.

Reports and memoranda.

Box 8, folder 29. Geological reports, 1928 - 1936

Box 8, folder 30. Report on forestry possibilities by F.F. Moon, ca. 1919

Box 8, folder 31. Tax study, 1948

Box 8, folder 32.      List of leases, 1939 - 1940

                                    List of deeds, 1887 - 1947

                                    Notes on accounting, ca. 1942 (discusses Barclay Hazard Papers)

Box 8, folder 33. Profit-loss summaries, 1913-1940 and 1940-1947

Box 8, folder 34. Miscellaneous receipts, 1913-1941

Series 3, subseries 2: Vaucluse estate, Portsmouth. Also known as the Rogers Estate.

Box 8, folder 35. Correspondence, 1914 - 1916

Box 8, folder 36. Correspondence, 1930 - 1932

Box 8, folder 37. Correspondence, 1930 - 1932

Box 8, folder 38. Correspondence, 1937, re Historic American Buildings Survey

Box 8, folder 39. Correspondence, 1935 - 1938

Box 8, folder 40. Deeds, descriptions, maps, 1913 - 1937

Box 9, folder 1. Receipts, 1915-1938

Series 3, subseries 3: Sachuest estate, Middletown

Box 9, folder 2. Correspondence, 1914 - 1919

Box 9, folder 3. Correspondence, 1925

Box 9, folder 4. Deeds, descriptions, maps, 1914 - 1919

Box 9, folder 5. Auction accounts, 1914

Box 9, folder 6. Receipts, 1914-1919

Series 3, subseries 4: Miscellaneous Rhode Island properties

Box 9, folder 7. 27 Kay St., Newport - 1913-1919

Box 9, folder 8. School St. lot, Newport - 1915-1917

Box 9, folder 9. Green Inn, Narragansett Pier - Report, 1919

Series 4: Miscellaneous

Box 9, folder 10. Anna Hazard Estate court cases, 1913-1914

Box 9, folder 11. Barclay Hazard agreements, 1937

Box 9, folder 12. "Brief Account of the Financial Tragedy of Barclay Hazard", ca.1947

Box 9, folder 13. Declaration of trust from Barclay Hazard, 1913; offer, 1913

Box 9, folder 14. Estate of Anna Hazard report, 1937 (after review of Barclay Hazard records)

Box 9, folder 15. General agreements, 1913-1941

Box 9, folder 16. History of company, 1918

Box 9, folder 17. Incorporation and by-laws, 1913

Box 9, folder 18. Isaac P. Hazard vs. Franklin Hoag, 1916

Box 9, folder 19. Memoranda, 1937-1941 and undated

Box 9, folder 20. Minutes, 1925-1949. Scattered copies and drafts. Minute books not found.

Box 9, folder 21. R.I.E.C. vs. the State of California, 1938 (back taxes)

Box 9, folder 22. Redwood Library shares, from estate of Isaac P. Hazard

Box 9, folder 23. Reports on conferences with Barclay Hazard, 1936-1937

Box 9, folder 24. William Wilbur Hazard will, 1909

Return to top

Subjects:

California - Buildings, structures, etc.

Hazard, Barclay (1852-1938)

Hazard, Isaac P. "Peace" (1883- )

Hazard, Rowland III (1881-1945?)

Hazard, Rowland G. II (1855-1918)

Hazard, Thomas P. (1892-1968)

Middletown, R.I. - Buildings, structures, etc.

Newport, R.I. - Buildings, structures, etc. 

Portsmouth, R.I. - Buildings, structures, etc.

Sachuest Estate (Middletown, R.I.)

Ufford, Franklin P. (1874-1954)

Vaucluse Estate (Portsmouth, R.I.)

End of finding aid - return to top

RIHS1822