This is a fantastic 1857 letter and enclosure from the renowned Rev. Anson Rood to his future son-in-law, Rowland Hazard in Peacedale, Rhode Island. See bios below. First, the letter...Rood writes Hazard to inform him he has become affiliated with the Philadelphia Morning Times and is providing him with a daily subscription. He highly promotes the newspaper and ends his letter with a suggestion that Hazard place an advertisement in the paper. Second is the fact that he used a preprinted appeal from his church soliciting aid for Kansas; asking the citizens of Philadelphia to respond again with bread, clothing, etc., for "the suffering men, women and children in Kansas." The appeal is similar to the response "when the wail of famishing multitudes in Ireland reached us, every heart was in sympathy with the movement, which sent back a large supply of the necessaries of life." The bios below show that Rood was a pillar of his church and involved in raising funds and goods in response to catastrophic situations. Both the letter and the flyer it was written on are significant historical items.

The cover has a Scott 11A with a soc on the nose January 19 Philadelphia postmark. BONUS!!! Stamp has no inner line and frame line is close to design at left (70, 80, 90, 100L, Plate 3.

Rev. Anson Rood was pastor of the Temple Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.  He was a renowned religious leader involved in providing assistance to the suffering and the abolition of slavery.  “The Discussion Between Joel Parker and A. Rood: On the Question, What are the Evils Inseparable from Slavery” written in 1852 is still available.

The following is from Presbyterian Church records: From this time Mr. Rood was unable to resume the pastoral work. As much as lay in his power, however, he tried to work for his Master. The people of this church continued to hold him in affectionate remembrance, and their regard for him was embodied in the following preamble and resolutions, which arc recorded in the minutes of Session February 22d, 1858: Whereas, The Rev. Anson Rood departed this life November 27th, 1857 ; and Whereas, from December 15th, 1837, to March 5th, 1849, Mr. Rood was the beloved pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, X. L.; and Whereas, we consider it alike the duty and the privilege of the Church of Christ to glorify God in those who have been faithful unto death; therefore, Resolved, That in our deceased friend and pastor we recognize one who, with no ordinary zeal and self-denial, faithfully served his day and generation, aiming, to the full extent of his powers, alike by the pulpit and the press, to promote the welfare of the cause of Christ, of his country, and the world. Resolved, That during the time that he went out and in among us as our pastor, there is but one testimony to be given by us to his love for souls, his zeal for the honor of Christ, his sympathy with the destitute and the ignorant, and his steadfast imitation of the example of Him who went about doing good. Foremost in every good word and work, whether of a local or a general character, eminently sagacious, far-seeing and public-spirited, his meat and his drink it was to do the will of his Father in heaven. Resolved,, That while we thus bear our cordial and united testimony as to his official character, we also remember him as the honest and upright man, the warm-hearted and sincere friend. The sympathy and respect already manifested for him by his brethren in the ministry, we fully respond to and reciprocate, as the people of his charge. During the 11 years and three months that Mr. Rood was pastor of this church, there were added to the membership 430 persons.

Roland Hazard was born to Roland Gibson and Caroline Newbold Hazard in Newport, Rhode Island on August 16, 1829. The family moved to Peacedale in 1833, where Roland came of age. He attended Friends College (Quaker) in 1845 at Haverford, CT and graduated from Brown University in 1849. He was ranked in the upper third of the graduating class and was ranked first in mathematics during his first three years at Brown. He also won a prize in philosophy for his essay in that department.

Roland was quite active in local village and town affairs. In 1854 he organized a Sunday School at the schoolhouse and on February 13, 1857 in response to his invitation, 13 people met at his home and organized the Second Congregational Church of South Kingstown. In 1872 he built a stone church, which still stands; drawing up the plans himself. The worsted mill in Peacedale was built according to his plans in 1872. The picturesque stone bridges all around Peacedale were built by Roland. One of the bridges, which had a single stone arch spanning over 40 feet was the largest single arch bridge built in the state up to that time. Roland was largely instrumental in establishing the Narragansett Library in 1855 and was involved in the organization of the High School - donating the land for the building and assisting in its maintenance.

Roland Hazard introduced the first system of profit sharing in the United States for his employees at the Peacedale Mills. He also maintained an interest in agriculture and in the breeding of cattle. He was elected as President of the Washington County Agricultural Society in 1876. He served as a Moderator for the township of South Kingstown and in the State legislature as representative in 1863 and as a senator in 1867-68. Roland Hazard was a candidate for governor as an independent in 1875, but was not elected.

Roland's other interests included a lead mine in La Mote, Missouri , which he took charge of in 1875. He introduced the manufacture of soda-ash into the country in 1881 and was instrumental in organizing the Solvay Process Company of Syracuse, New York becoming it's president in 1883. The first soda-ash made by ammonia process in America was produced by his company in January of 1884.

Roland Hazard married Margaret Ann Rood of Philadelphia; the daughter of Reverend Anson Rood and Alida Ogden Rood. (She was living in New Haven at the home of a relative; Mrs. M. G. Ogden while Roland was courting her.) Margaret Rood was born on September 28, 1834 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died on August 7, 1895. Roland and Margaret had 5 children.