Jacob Cist-

Summary Information
Repository Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
Creator Cist, Jacob, 1782-1825
Title Jacob Cist correspondence and documents
Call number Coll.152
Date [inclusive] 1794-1829
Extent 1.5 cubic feet
Language English
Abstract Jacob Cist (1782-1825) was an American naturalist, artist, inventor,
businessman, author, treasurer and United States Postmaster. He was also
one of the most important pioneers in the marketing of anthracite coal and
a leading authority on its economic potential. This collection includes
personal and business letters, documents, agreements, memorabilia,
clippings and records of Cist's service as United States Postmaster of
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. His accounts as treasurer of the Wilkes-Barre
Bridge Co. are included, as are records of his activities as a co-founder
and officer of the Luzerne County Agricultural Society and his service as a
Commissioner from his county to the Pennsylvania Commission for
Internal Improvement. His tax accounts as County Treasurer, with
supplementary letters give details of the procedures in vogue during that
era. The collection also includes some typescript and some facsimile
copies.
Jacob Cist correspondence and documents
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Cite as:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Coll.152, Jacob Cist correspondence and
documents, 1794-1829, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia.
Biography/History
Jacob Cist was born on March 13, 1783 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He obtained his education at the
Nazareth Boys’ School of the Moravian Church from 1794 to 1797. He lived in Philadelphia until 1808
when he was appointed United States Postmaster, serving that position until his death in 1925. Cist’s
interests and skills were diverse and he worked as a merchant in Wilkes-Barre, as the treasurer of Luzerne
County in 1816, as a business partner with his father-in-law Judge Matthias Hollenback (a merchant and
landlord in northeastern Pennsylvania), and a co-founder of the first company for mining and marketing
anthracite coal with Jacob Weiss. He was described as a “young, ambitious, and clever entrepreneur who
… devote[d] his energies to the fostering of the Pennsylvania anthracite trade in order to supply the city
of Philadelphia with fuel at a handsome profit,” (Binder), particularly during fuel shortages during the
War of 1812. Because coal was not used in homes and businesses, at the time, he worked hard to
convince people that Lehigh coal was easy to burn and a viable fuel source. He consistently wrote about
the value of using coal as a fuel source, sent samples to American and European cities, created pamphlets,
gathered endorsements from successful users of the fuel, and performed demonstrations.
In addition to his professional work, Cist was also deeply involved in many other aspects of his world. As
a naturalist, he stressed field observations and biology of insects, illustrating the stages seen, while
studying their classification. He studied under French artist, M. A. Benade, and became a skilled artist,
sketching waterfalls and plants and insects of Wyoming Valley. Further using his artistic skills, he
designed bank notes for the Susquehanna Bank of Wilkes-Barre. He was also an inventor and patented a
mill for grinding pigment from coal in 1803. Finally, he was a co-founder of the Luzerne County
Agricultural Society.
Cist died on December 30, 1823
Bibliography:
Binder, Frederick M. “Review: Philadelphia’s First Fuel Crisis: Jacab Cist and the Developing Market
for Pennsylvania Anthracite by H. Benjamin Powell” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography,
Volume 103, No. 3 (Jul. 1979), pp. 402-404.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes personal and business letters, documents, agreements, memorabilia, clippings and
Jacob Cist