In 1993, correspondence of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, was discovered in the collection of USDA historian Everett Edwards. The eleven letters were to, from, and about Thomas Jefferson (1786-1819). This exhibit consists of two letters. One concerns the exchange of millet seed and Persian melon seed; the other concerns Jefferson's invention of the mould board plough.
Wall exhibits in the multi-purpose room and the staff conference room complement the Thomas Jefferson Correspondence Collection and emphasize Jefferson's strong ties to the land. A collage of photographs of Monticello, which Jefferson designed, and a model of the mould board plough which Jefferson invented--together with letters to and from Jefferson on agricultural matters--illustrate his roles as author, architect, and agriculturalist. Images from rare books depict some of the many kinds of fruits and ornamental plants he grew.