NEWBURYPORT — A piece of Newburyport's history — and the nation's — will go on the auction block this weekend.
The author's copy of the first mathematics book published in America will be among the items offered for sale Sunday by John McInnis Auctioneers of Amesbury.
"A New and Complete System of Arithmetic" was published in 1786 by Nicholas Pike, a Newburyport schoolmaster. The book that is for sale is the author's corrected copy that later went to a printer for distribution to the public, McInnis said.
"Pike's Arithmetic," as it was known, was the dominant math text for 50 years in the schoolhouses of the fledgling nation.
In addition to Nicholas Pike's own copy of the book with handwritten notes, other Pike items will also be auctioned.
The collection consists of a three-page letter from George Washington to Pike, dated 1788; Nicholas Pike's personal journal, which he kept from 1764 to 1796; a detailed Pike family tree watercolor on paper drawing; and an original printed broadside on Pike's book on arithmetic.
In his letter, sent June 20, 1788, from Mount Vernon, Washington writes:
"The handsome manner in which that Work is printed and the elegant manner in which it is bound, are pleasing proofs of the progress which the Arts are making in this Country."
Washington's letter to Pike also commended him on his accomplishments and the importance of his work.
The items will be sold as a single lot, McInnis said. McInnis estimated the collection will fetch a price of between $20,000 and $50,000.
"They've always been together, and we're going to keep them together," he said.
The personal journal contains notes, drawings and calculations on various subjects, including mathematics, navigation and astronomy.
"This is an important and historic collection from the descendants of Nicholas Pike of Newburyport," McInnis said in a statement.
The Pike Collection will be part of a larger estate auction on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the auction house at 76 Main St., Amesbury.
Exhibitions to view the estate items will be held tomorrow and Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m.
Police: Gunman Has Hostages in Realty Office
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
Raw Video: Passed Out Man Robbed
