Guide to the Papers of William Otis Crosby
MC.0068

Summary Information

Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute Archives and Special Collections
Creator -
Crosby, Alice Ballard
Creator
Crosby, William Otis, 1850-1925
Title
William Otis Crosby papers
ID
MC.0068
Date [inclusive]
1873-1931
Extent
9.0 cubic feet (25 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Location
Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.
Language
English

Citation

William Otis Crosby Papers, MC 68, box X. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute Archives and Special Collections, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Biography

William Otis Crosby, 1850-1925, SB 1876, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served as instructor in the Department of Geology, 1878-1883; assistant professor, 1883-1902; associate professor, 1902-1906; and professor, 1906-1907. He consulted on subways and tunnels for the Boston Transit Commission; advised on the Boston dry dock; acted as advisor to the Charles River Dam Commission for the development of the Charles River Basin Project; and conducted an investigation of the foundation conditions for the new MIT buildings in Cambridge. Crosby's research focused on engineering geology. A son, Irving B. Crosby, joined him in his consulting practice.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The bulk of the collection of the papers of William O. Crosby consists of correspondence and geological research as well as reports of consulting projects on sites in Boston, New England, Long Island, Colorado, Alaska, western United States mines, and other US locations, maps of the Massachusetts area by Crosby, bibliographies, reports, reprints, and printed material. Plans and maps of the "New Technology," the new campus for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, made by Crosby, John R. Freeman, and others are included in the collection. There is also personal material including a diary kept by his widow, Alice B. Crosby, relating to a world cruise she took from 1930 to 1931.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute Archives and Special Collections

MIT Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139-4307
617.253.5690
mithistory@mit.edu

Revision Description

  2013

Access note

The collection is open for research.

Intellectual Property Rights

Access to collections in the Institute Archives and Special Collections is not authorization to publish. Separate written application for permission to publish must be made to the Institute Archives. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection.

Source of Acquisiton

Materials were given to the Institute Archives and Special Collections in 1977 by Irving Ballard Crosby, transferred by Robert R. Shrock.

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Related Materials

Related Materials

Irving B. Crosby papers, MC 81, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute Archives and Special Collections

John R. Freeman papers, MC 51, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute Archives and Special Collections

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Diaries.

Geographic Name(s)

  • Charles River basin (Mass.)

Personal Name(s)

  • Crosby, Irving B. (Irving Ballard), 1891-1959
  • Crosby, William Otis, 1850-1925

Subject(s)

  • Civil engineering.
  • Consulting engineers.
  • Geologists--Massachusetts.
  • Geology--Field work.
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology--Faculty.
  • Water resources development.
  • Water-supply engineering.

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Collection Inventory

Box

Class notes on geology taken by W.O. Crosby under Thomas Sterry Hunt 1873-1874 

 1

Chronology of trips taken by William O. Crosby approximately 1867 to 1906 

 1

Letters of Alice B. Crosby to John R. Freeman and William C. Langdon about William O. Crosby and Thomas A. Watson 1926, 1935 

 2

Alice B. Crosby's diary of world cruise on S.S. Belgenland 1930-1931 

 1

Alice B. Crosby's Log Book of the Red Star Line S.S. Belgenland World Cruise 1930-1931 

 1

Loose photograph from Logbook, Albert Einstein on board ship between December 15 and December 31, 1930 

 1

Loose photographs from Logbook, "Batavia, Island of Java" and others 1931 

 1

Loose notes from Logbook 1931 

 1

World cruise booklet and information 1930-1931 

 1

Bibliography of William O. Crosby (2 folders) undated 

 2

Newspaper articles (2 folders) 

 3

Boston Basin lectures for Teacher's School of Sciences (2 folders) undated 

 3

Boston Basin rock descriptions by Dr. F. Bascom 

 3

Boston Borings (2 folders) 1934 

 3

Boston Basin geology (2 folders) 1901-1911 

 3

B. F. Smith and Brothers 1901 

 4

Correspondence 1871-1902 

 4

Correspondence: A-C 1902-1904 

 4

Correspondence: D-F 1902-1904 

 4

Correspondence: G-J 1902-1904 

 4

Correspondence: K-N 1902-1904 

 4

Correspondence: O-V 1902-1904 

 4

Correspondence: W-Z 1902-1904 

 4

Arrowrock Dam, accounts and correspondence 1911 

 5

Correspondence 1916-1927 

 5

Correspondence: Board of Water Supply of New York City (2 folders) 1906-1914 

 5

Geology of Brighton, H.G. Woodward's manuscript 1888-1889 

 6

Correspondence: Henry S. Pritchett 1902-1913 

 6

Correspondence: Scientific, A-E 1891-1925 

 6

Correspondence: Scientific, F-H 1891-1925 

 6

Correspondence: Scientific, I-L 1891-1925 

 6

Correspondence: Scientific, M-V 1891-1925 

 6

Correspondence: Scientific, W-Z 1891-1925 

 6

Correspondence: U.S. Geological Survey, A-F 1903 

 6

Correspondence: U.S. Geological Survey, G-Z 1903 

 7

Correspondence: Waterhouse and Tibbetts (5 folders) 1903-1906 

 7

Correspondence: Watson, Thomas A. 1900-1903 

 7

Correspondence: Watson, Thomas A. 1903-1921 

 7

Geological notes, vicinity of Boston 1878 

 7

Geological notes 1902-1904 

 7

Long Island notes (2 folders) 1908 

 8

Long Island boring records (8 folders) 1917 

 8

Long Island boring records 1933 

 9

Long Island maps and notes (2 folders) 1908-1911 

 9

Notebook of Colorado field trip 1871 

 9

Notes on Boston area (2 folders) 1888-1902 

 9

Notes on Boston area (3 folders) 1888-1902 

 10

Notes on geology of Trinidad 1897 

 10

Notes on Sankaty Head, Nantucket 1898 

 10

Notes on the geology of Rocky Mountains undated 

 10

Notes on theses (3 folders) 1883-1921 

 10

Notes on theses (3 folders) 1883-1921 

 11

Photographs of Wachusett Dam 1899 

 11

Reports: Calaveras Group undated 

 11

Reports: Centennial Mine, Georgetown, Colorado undated 

 11

Reports: Certain gold bearing veins on the Southeast Side of Wawa Lake (Ontario) undated 

 11

Reports: Charles River Estuary and formation of Boston Harbor undated 

 11

Reports: Marble deposits of Shaws Park, Colorado undated 

 11

Reports: Present and prospective water works at Williamsport, Pennsylvania undated 

 11

Reports: Proposed dry dock at Commonwealth flats, South Boston undated 

 11

Reports: Uncle Sam Group of Gold Claims near Nogales, Arizona undated 

 11

Reports: Property of the Boston and Cape Breton Coal Mining Company 1891 

 11

Reports: Deposit of Tripolite near St. John, New Brunswick 1894 

 12

Reports: Somerset and Johnsonburg Manufacturing Company 1894 

 12

Reports: Ballardville Lithia Spring in Andover, Massachusetts 1895 

 12

Reports: Nashua Tunnel 1896-1897 

 12

Reports: Deposit of iron ore on Iron Mountain 1898 

 12

Reports: Liberty Bell Mine, Colorado 1898 

 12

Reports: Oro Grande Placer, Dillon, Colorado 1898 

 12

Reports: Golden Fleece Mine, Colorado 1900 

 12

Reports: Red Clouds Mines, Montana 1900 

 12

Reports: Strickler Tunnel, Pikes Peak, Colorado 1900 

 12

Notes on various locations (index cards) undated 

 13

Reports: Reservoir and aqueduct of the Metropolitan Water Works, Weston, Massachusetts 1900-1903 

 14

Reports: Copper deposits at Vintah County, Utah 1901 

 14

Reports: Features of the water supply of the city of Franklin, Massachusetts 1901 

 14

Reports: Franklin, New Hampshire, water supply 1901 

 14

Reports: Gold mining property of Micmac Mining Company 1901 

 14

Reports: Copper Century Mining Company 1901-1902 

 14

Reports: Copper deposits of the La Cananea, Sonora 1902 

 14

Reports: Fay School Spring, Massachusetts 1902 

 14

Reports: Geological conditions of the Driven Wells at Hood Rubber Works, Massachusetts 1902 

 14

Reports: Geology of the tunnels of the new aquaduct in Southboro, Framingham, and Weston (Massachusetts) 1902 

 14

Reports: Graphite mines of the Amalgamated Graphite Company 1902 

 14

Reports: La Mina Henrietta, Sonora, Mexico 1902 

 14

Reports: Organita Mining Company 1902 

 14

Reports: Sulphur in Mexico 1902 

 14

Reports: East Boston Flats 1903 

 14

Reports: Gold property of the Pictou Development Company, Renfrew district, Nova Scotia 1903 

 14

Reports: Larimer County Sandstone, Hale & Brunton, Denver, Colorado 1903 

 14

Reports: Commerical Mine of the Bingham Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company 1904 

 14

Reports: Tintic District, Utah 1904 

 14

Reports: Water resources of Boston Basin 1904 

 14

Reports: Crown Deep Gold Mine 1905 

 14

Reports: The Mackay Ranch and other properties near Camptonville, Yuba County, California 1905 

 14

Reports: Property of the Royal Oak Mining Co., 1905 

 14

Reports: Reynolds Alaska Development Company 1905 

 14

Reports: Gold Hill Mine 1906 

 14

Reports: Picton Island and Thousand Islands, New York 1906 

 14

Reports: Reynolds Alaska Development Company 1906 

 15

Reports: Proposed Dam in Cavendish Gorge, Vermont 1907 

 15

Reports: Well prospects at the factory of L.H. Daloz 1907 

 15

Reports: Foundation material at Conklingville Dam on the Sacandaga River, New York 1908 

 15

Reports: Site for a well on the Barnard property (Massachusetts) 1909 

 15

Reports: New site of the Pittsfield Water Works, Massachusetts 1910 

 15

Reports: Asphalt, Oil, and Gas, Bitumen Prospects, Alabama 1910-1911 

 15

Reports: Groundwater of the Kendall Reservoir Basin, Massachusetts 1911 

 15

Reports: Lake Purdy Dam, Birmingham, Alabama 1911 

 15

Reports: Main storage dam of the Boise, Idaho, Irrigation Project 1911 

 15

Reports: Proposed dam and reservoir of the Medina River Irrigation Project 1911 

 15

Reports: Proposed dam sites of the Aluminum Company of America on the Little Tennessee River 1911 

 15

Reports: Big Meadows and Butt Valley dam sites 1912 

 15

Reports: Freeman's report on New Technology 1912 

 15

Reports: La Boquilla Dam and Reservoir 1912 

 16

Reports: Marble lands and quarries of the Georgia Marble Company 1912 

 16

Reports: Cottonwood Mine (Nevada) 1913 

 16

Reports: New site of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2 folders) 1913 July 

 16

Reports: New Technology (report by Freeman) 1913 

 16

Reports: New Technology site in Cambridge (maps and plans) 1913 

 16

Reports: North Adams, Massachusetts water supply 1913 

 16

Reports: Proposed Beaman Basin Reservoir, North Adams, Massachusetts 1913 

 16

Reports: Bloomington, Indiana Water Works 1914 

 16

Reports: Marbles under consideration for use in memorial to women of the Civil War 1914 

 16

Reports: Mattapoisett Well, Williamstown, Massachusetts 1914 

 16

Reports: Proposed Dam Site D of the Arkansas Water Company 1914 

 16

Reports: Proposed extensions of the Water Works at Westfield, Massachusetts 1914 

 17

Reports: Water resources and well prospects of Mount Hope Farm, Massachusetts 1914 

 17

Reports: Westfield Water Works extension, Westfield, Massachusetts 1914 

 17

Reports: Deposit of gravel and sand in the towns of Lynnfield and Peabody, Massachusetts 1915 

 17

Reports: Geological investigation at Spur Ranch, Texas 1915 

 17

Reports: Granite from the quarries of the Rockport Granite Company, Rockport, Massachusetts 1915 

 17

Reports: Leakage of Lake Conchos 1915 

 17

Reports: New Hamphire, White Mountain notes 1915 

 17

Reports: Geology of the igneous complex of Quincy and the Blue Hills, Massachusetts 1916 

 17

Reports: Providence, Rhode Island Water Works 1916 

 17

Reports: Aluminum Company of America (Tennessee) 1917 

 17

Reports: Aluminum Company of America (North Carolina) 1918 

 17

Reports: Site of the proposed dam at the Des Forges Rapids on the St. Maurice River, Quebec 1918 

 17

Reports: Mining reports, Gold Park, Nevada 1919 

 17

Reports: Venus and Jupiter mining claims (Nevada) 1915 

 18

Reports: Scituate aquaduct tunnel, Massachusetts 1916 

 18

Reports: The red rocks of Red Rock Hill and other locations with regard to their use as roofing surface (Massachusetts) 1916 

 18

Reports: Ground water resources of the environs of Lawrence, Massachusetts 1916-1917 

 18

Reports: Prospective dam site on the Yadkin River, North Carolina 1916-1917 

 18

Reports: Cheoah dam site on the Little Tennessee River 1917 

 18

Reports: Methuen Water Supply in Methuen, Massachusetts 1917 

 18

Reports: New site of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1918 

 18

Reports: Proposed dam site of the Georgia-Alabama Power Company 1919 

 18

Reports: Salida Granite, Colorado 1919 

 18

Reports: Proposed dam sites on the Swift River Watershed of Central Massachusetts 1921 

 18

Reports: Hales Bar Dam, Tennessee 1922 

 18

Reports: Cheat River Development, West Virginia 1923 

 18

Reports: Site of the proposed hydroelectric power development at Soft Maple Dam on the Beaver River, Lewis County, New York 1924 

 18

Reprints 1876-1879 

 18

Reprints 1880 

 18

Reprints 1881-1886 

 19

Reprints 1887-1889 

 19

Reprints 1890-1892 

 19

Reprints 1894-1899 

 19

Reprint: Notes on Chemical Geology 1897 

 19

Reprints (3 folders) 1900 

 20

Reprints 1901-1903 

 20

Reprints 1904-1908 

 20

Reprints 1912-1914 

 20

Reprints 1916-1925 

 20

"A Classification of Economic Geological Deposits Based on Origin and Original Structure," by W. O. Crosby 1894 

 21

"Origin and Relations of Continents and Ocean-Basins," by W. O. Crosby 1883 November 

 21

"Keystone Faults," by W. O. Crosby and Irving B. Crosby 1925 December 

 21

"Report on the Geological Map of Massachusetts" , by W. O. Crosby after 1844 

 21

"A Sketch of Professor Crosby's Work, Thirty-Five Years Associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology," by William H. Niles 1907 

 21

Geology of the Boston Basin (parts 1, 2, and 3), by W. O. Crosby 1900 

 21

Scientific Papers of W. O. Crosby (parts 1, 2, and 3) approximately 1876 to 1917 

 22

Reprints of other authors (4 folders) approximately 1888 to 1919 

 23

Lists of maps 

 24

Maps: Brookline, Massachusetts undated 

 24

Maps: Middlesex Fells (Massachusetts) undated 

 24

Maps: Woburn, Arlington, Belmont, Winchester, Stoneham, and Reading (Massachusetts) 

 24

Maps: Natick, Weston, Needham, Framingham, Sudbury River Watershed, Weston, Wellesley, and Newton (Massachusetts) circa 1876 

 24

Maps: Hyde Park, Massachusetts 1894-1896 

 24

Maps: Milton, Massachusetts 1887-1893 

 24

Maps: Blue Hills (Massachusetts) approximately 1893 to 1896 

 24

Maps: Hingham, Massachusetts approximately 1878 to 1882 

 24

Maps: Newton, Watertown, and Waltham, Massachusetts circa 1890 

 24

Maps: Dorchester, Massachusetts undated 

 24

Maps: Mattapan, Massachusetts undated 

 24

Maps: Eastern Massachusetts and Boston and its vicinity 1877 

 24

Maps: Dedham, Dover, and Norwood, Massachusetts approximately 1901 to 1903 

 24

Maps: West Roxbury, Massachusetts circa 1896 

 24

Maps: Boston, Brighton, and Roxbury, Massachusetts circa 1888 

 24

Maps: Weymouth and Braintree, Massachusetts circa 1893 

 24

Maps: Quincy, Massachusetts approximately 1891 to 1898 

 24

Maps: Boston, Mt. Hope Cemetery, Lexington, Milton, South Shore, and other Massachusetts vicinities approximately 1870 to 1899 

 24

Maps: Newton, Hingham, and Cohasset, Massachusetts circa 1906 

 24

Maps: Hyde Park and Rock Island (Quincy), Massachusetts approximately 1884 to 1904 

 24

Geological Map of the District about Newton undated 

 25

Map of Hyde Park 1884 

 25

Geological Map of Rock Island, Quincy, Massachusetts 

 25

Tables for the Determination of Common Minerals Chiefly by their Physical Properties, with Confirmatory Chemical Texts, by W. O. Crosby 1887 

 26

"Record of Geological Observations made in Nova Scotia by Students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 1894" , prepared by W.O. Crosby & A.W. Grabau 1894 July 

 26