Biographical Note 

Marcus Lucius Filley moved from his home in Bloomfied, CT to Lansingburgh, NY where his uncle Augustus had also relocated. Marcus opened a law practice in Lansingburgh in 1832 and became partners with Jacob Lansing in 1834. Marcus was active in the formation of the Republican Party in Rensselaer County during the 1850s. His brother Oliver Dwight and cousin Chauncey Ives were also active Republican Party organizers. Both men served as mayors of St. Louis and leaders in the Missouri State Republican Committee.

Marcus married Caroline Amelia Filley, a cousin, in 1835. They were the parents of six children. Their son Mark Lester, born in 1850, attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1868. He married Julia Child, daughter of Perley A. Child, in 1873. They had three children: Oliver Dwight, Mark L. and Frederick Child.

Marcus gave up his law practice in 1854 and purchased the Green Island Stove Works on George St. in Green Island. He partnered with L. Newberry forming Newberry, Filley & Co., which was in existence through 1858. In addition to the foundry, the company operated a store on River St. in Troy, NY . Newberry and Filley also set up business in Chicago, IL . During the 1860s, Albert Lyman took on the New York City market and opened a store on Water St . Perley A. Child would later manage the New York business. Giles Filley, a cousin, sold Filley stoves out of his store in St. Louis and George Meriwether managed the Dallas, Texas store of Meriwether & Filley. The Filley Company employed several traveling salesmen including John Knight and Ira Wood. Marcus' son Mark was also involved in sales trips. Troy stoves and Filley stoves in particular, became nationally and internationally known. Filley stoves were shipped as far as California, Canada, Cuba and England . 

Marcus L. Filley died January 16, 1892.

Scope and Content 

The main body of material in the Marcus L. Filley Papers comprises business correspondence related to the sale of stoves manufactured by the Filley foundry located in Green Island, NY . Marcus L. Filley's partnerships and the expansion of his business to New York , NY , Chicago , IL , Dallas, TX and St. Louis, MO. are reflected in the concentrations of correspondence. The original order of material by geographic region was maintained in a sub-series arrangement. Correspondence has been arranged in general alphabetical files with major correspondents separated alphabetically. Letters of report from business partners Albert Lyman, Perley A. Child and George K. Meriwether, have been further organized into sub-series within geographic regions. A file of documents and correspondence regarding stove design patent litigation and an annual catalog of Filley stoves are also included in the business material.

A small amount of personal papers consists of a variety of documents, letters, diaries and photographs belonging to several Filley family members and kept by future generations of Filley family members. The bulk of this material was donated by Judge M. L. Filley IV in 1984. A diary kept by Caroline A. Filley following the death of her husband Marcus L. Filley in 1892 and correspondence from Chauncey Ives Filley to Frederick C. Filley during the early 1900's represents the most notable material in this series.

Series List

Series I. – Business Papers

1. Connecticut & Massachusetts
2. New York
   1. General
   2. A. Lyman
   3. P. A. Child
3. Pennsylvania
4. Ohio
5. Chicago , Illinois
6. Michigan & Wisconsin
7. South
8. Texas
   1. General
   2. George K. Meriwether
9. California & Oregon
10. Foreign Countries
11. Other Documents

Series II. – Personal Papers

1. Legal Documents
2. Family Correspondence
3. Diaries
4. Photographs

Inventory