Scope and Content Note:

Correspondence, diary, geological papers, and meteorological data of William Dunbar (1749–1810) of Adams County, Fifteen of the letters, principally correspondence between Dunbar and Thomas Jefferson, are photostats. The volumes are as follows:

  1. Geological papers, n.d., pp. 37–150, 20 x 32.5 cm.
  2. Journal, "Transactions on the Plantation of William Dunbar," May 27, 1776–September 24, 1780, pp. 78, 20 x 32 cm.
  3. Journal of an exploring expedition on the Red River, December 10, 1804–January 26, 1805– pp. 101–190, 16 x 19.5 cm.
  4. Letterbook (mutilated), April 1, 1802–October 10, 1805, pp. 76, 20 x 33 cm.
  5. Letterbook, October 20, 1805–October 20, 1812, pp. 117, 20 x 36.5 cm.
  6. Meteorological observations (daily), February 1, 1799–March 15, 1810, pp. 135, 20 x 32.5 cm.

The geological papers contain items on the following subjects: "Geological Remarks upon the Gold Region of the Blue Ridge," pp. 12; "Geological Remarks upon the Group of Mountains which are to be found within the Territory of Arkansaw," pp. 9; "Geological Remarks upon the River Arkansaw," pp. 17; "Hail Storm," pp. 4; "Geological Remarks upon the Red River of Louisiana," pp. 18; "Geological Remarks upon the Valley of the Red River," pp. 16; "Geological Remarks upon the clay formation of the low land plains, bordering on the Mississippi River and extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the mouth of the Arkansaw River," pp. 27; "A Description of the Ouisnitti (Washita) River," pp. 2; "Remarks upon the Origin of the Prairies," pp. 24; "An Enquiry into the Object for which Mounds have been raised by the Aborigines of North America," pp. 19; "Further Enquiries into the Geological History of the River Mississippi,'" pp. 34; "Thoughts on the Origin, Extent and Operation of the Gulf Stream," pp. 6; and "The Indian Nations within the Limits of Louisiana," pp. 6. One interesting item is "Monthly & annual results of meteorological observations made at the Forest 4 miles east of the river Mississippi in "Latitude 31 [degrees] 28' North; and Longitude 91 [degrees] 30' West of Greenwich," for the years 1800–1804. Many of these papers were published in Mrs. Dunbar Rowland, Life, Letters and Papers of William Dunbar…(Jackson, 1930).