Guide to the Charles Butler Papers
1817-1908
(Bulk 1837-1882)
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Descriptive Summary
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Creator: |
Butler, Charles, 1802-1897.
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Title: |
Papers
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Dates: |
1817-1908, (Bulk 1837-1882) |
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Abstract: |
Charles Butler was born in New York in 1802. He was a lawyer whose endeavors included anti-Masonry, New York politics, western
state bond issues and speculation, canal, road and railroad construction, and philanthropy. The papers of Charles Butler span
the years 1817 to 1908, and include correspondence, business papers, legal documents, ledger books, pamphlets, and maps.
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Quantity: |
10 linear feet (22 boxes) |
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Call Phrase: |
MC 81 |
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Historical/Biographical Note
During his lifetime, Charles Butler was involved in many endeavors. For a time he was employed as an agent for the New York
Life Insurance and Trust Company, and held various positions in the transportation industry working with canals, roads, and
railroads. He was also involved in New York politics, anti-Masonry, and state bond investment and land speculation in the
antebellum west. One such interest was in the Wabash and Erie Canal, the construction of which Congress authorized in 1827.
When completed in 1853, the Wabash and Erie Canal was the longest man-made waterway in the Western Hemisphere and extended
nearly 500 miles. By 1860, however, after a short time in use, the canal was incrementally abandoned in response to the proliferation
of railroads.
Butler's other accomplishments are outlined in the following chronology
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Jan 15, 1802 |
Born, Kinderhook Landing, N.Y.
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1819 |
Employed as clerk in the law office of Martin Van Buren at Albany, N.Y.
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1822 |
Appointed deputy clerk of New York State Senate
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1824 |
Admitted to New York Bar
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1825 |
Married Eliza A. Ogden
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1826-1827 |
Prosecuted the kidnappers of William Morgan, a Freemason
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1829 |
Appointed postmaster at Geneva, N.Y.
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1830 |
Became an agent of the New York Life Insurance and Trust Co.
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1833 |
Traveled in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois
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1834 |
Moved to New York City
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1836 |
Became one of twenty founders of the Union Theological Seminary and a member of its first Board of Directors.
Became a member of the Council of the University of the City of New York
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ca. 1862 |
President of the St. Louis, Alton, and Terre Haute Railroad Co.
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1870-1897 |
President of the Board of Directors for the Union Theological Seminary
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Dec 13, 1897 |
Died, New York City
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Source: the Collection of Charles Butler, the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. Return to top
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Charles Butler span the years 1817 to 1908, the bulk of which pertain to the dealings of the American Land Company,
and the Wabash and Erie Canal. They include correspondence, business papers, legal documents, ledger books, pamphlets, and
maps.
Butler's American Land Company correspondence deals chiefly with property issues along the Mississippi River, public debts
in Indiana, and the Wabash and Erie Canal. There is also a small amount of family correspondence and a 1833 letter written
to the editor of the Albany Argus regarding travels in the western states.
The business papers include land patents for 1841, stock certificates dated 1847 and 1853, state of Michigan reports and the
Governor's message of 1849, a patent signed by the secretary of the State of Wiscons in 1856, and bound letters from J.L.
Williams, chief engineer of the Wabash and Erie Canal.
Many business letters are bound into volumes with indexes and prominent correspondents include Henry and Peter Anderson,
Walter Goodman and James G. King of Indianapolis. Also included are legal documents which refer to the case of Anderson v.
Messinger (a property case in Toledo, Ohio), correspondence, exhibits for trials in 1906 and 1908, briefs for the defendant
and plaintiff, and a petition. Other legal documents concern the Wabash and Erie Canal and include letters to law offices
and attorneys F.W. Gilley Jr., McDonald and Butler, F.F. Marbury, F.F. Marbury Jr. and others.
The financial ledgers contain bills receivable, bills payable, receipts, disbursements, expenses, balance sheets, and interest
rates. There are also scrapbooks of newspaper clippings.
Pamphlets and annual reports span the years 1827-1878, and are primarily concerned with the Wabash and Erie Canal corporation.
The maps include state maps of Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio from the 1840s and 50s; a detailed map of Toledo and its vicinity,
with details of its streets, ports, and new additions ca. 1850s. There is also a map of an Indian Reservation and an Oak Orchard.
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Related Material at the New York University Archives
New York University Council. Charles Butler papers, 1837-1899 (RG 2.0.1). Return to top
Separated Material
There is no information about materials that are associated by provenance to the described materials that have been physically
separated or removed.
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2646
Fax: (212) 995-4070
E-mail: university.archives@library.nyu.edu
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Access Points
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Subject Names: |
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Anderson, Henry, d. 1846. |
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Anderson, Peter, 1804-1868. |
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Butler, Charles, 1802-1897. |
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Butler, Emily Ogden. |
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Croswell, Edwin, 1797-1871. |
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Dowling, Thomas, 1806-1876. |
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Goodman, Walter A. |
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Williams, J. L. (Jesse Lynch), 1807-1886. |
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Subject Organizations: |
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Albany Argus. |
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American Land Company. |
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Indiana. Board of Trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal. |
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Subject Topics: |
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Canals--Design and construction--Costs. |
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Land speculation--United States. |
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United States--Territorial expansion. |
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Wabash and Erie Canal (Ind. and Ohio). |
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Document Types: |
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Clippings. |
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Correspondence. |
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Ledgers (account books). |
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Legal documents. |
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Maps. |
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Pamphlets. |
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Administrative Information
Provenance
These papers were donated to the New York University Archives by Charles Butler's daughter, Emily Ogden Butler, in 1925.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); The Charles Butler Papers ; MC 81; box number; folder number;
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
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Container List
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
| Series I: Correspondence, Business Papers, Legal Documents, and Pamphlets
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| American Land Company
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 1
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1 |
American Land Company |
1837-1847 |
| 1
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2 |
American Land Company |
1840 |
| 1
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3 |
American Land Company |
1841 |
| 1
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4 |
American Land Company |
1842-1849 |
| 1
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5 |
American Land Company |
1853-1859 |
| 1
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6 |
American Land Company |
1860 |
| 1
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7 |
American Land Company |
1861 |
| 1
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8 |
American Land Company |
1864-1865 |
| 1
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9 |
American Land Company |
1866-1869 |
| 1
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10 |
American Land Company |
1870-1875 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 2
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1 |
American Land Company |
1877-1879 |
| 2
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2 |
American Land Company |
1880 |
| 2
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3 |
American Land Company |
1881 |
| 2
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4 |
American Land Company |
1882 |
| 2
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5 |
Charles Avery File |
1883 |
| 2
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6 |
Charles Avery File |
Jan 1883 |
| 2
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7 |
Charles Avery File |
Feb 1883-Dec 1883 |
| 2
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8 |
Charles Avery File |
1884 |
| 2
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9 |
Charles Avery File |
undated |
| Anderson v. Messinger
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 2
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10 |
Anderson v. Messinger |
1837 |
| 2
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11 |
Anderson v. Messinger |
1840-1849 |
| 2
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12 |
Anderson v. Messinger |
1850-1859 |
| 2
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13 |
Anderson v. Messinger |
1860-1869 |
| 2
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14 |
Anderson v. Messinger |
1903-1906 |
| 2
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15 |
Exhibits for trial (documents dated: 1839-1866 |
1906, Dec. |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 3
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1 |
Exhibits for trial (documents dated: 1838-1860 |
Feb 13, 1908 |
| 3
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2 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #679 |
undated |
| 3
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3 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #11,434 |
undated |
| 3
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4 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #1479 |
undated |
| 3
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5 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #1879 |
undated |
| 3
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6 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #1916 |
undated |
| 3
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7 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #10,689 |
undated |
| 3
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8 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #1679 |
undated |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 4
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1 |
Briefs for the Defendant, case #1916 |
undated |
| 4
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2 |
Petition |
undated |
| Business Correspondence
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 5
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1 |
Business Correspondence |
1841-1845 |
| 5
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2 |
Business Correspondence |
1846-1849 |
| 5
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3 |
Business Correspondence |
1867-1868 |
| 5
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4 |
Business Correspondence |
Jan 1869 |
| 5
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5 |
Business Correspondence |
Feb 1869 |
| 5
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6 |
Business Correspondence |
Mar 1869-Apr 1869 |
| 5
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7 |
Business Correspondence |
May 1869-Jun 1869 |
| 5
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8 |
Business Correspondence |
Jul 1869-Aug 1869 |
| 5
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9 |
Business Correspondence |
Sep 1869-Oct 1869 |
| 5
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10 |
Business Correspondence |
Nov 1869-Dec 1869 |
| 5
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11 |
Business Correspondence |
undated |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 6
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1 |
Business Correspondence. [Walter Goodman from Holly Springs, MS (bound)] |
1849-1854 |
| 6
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2 |
Business Correspondence (bound) [Various canal related] |
1850-1851 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 7
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1 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1849-1852 |
| 7
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2 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1856-1865 |
| 7
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3 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1857-1860 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 8
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1 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1860-1867 |
| 8
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2 |
Business Correspondence received (removed from bound vol.) |
1876, 1901 |
| 8
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3 |
Business Correspondence received (removed from bound vol.) |
ca. 1828 |
| 8
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4 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1833-1842 |
| 8
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5 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
Dec 1845-May 1846 |
| 8
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6 |
Business Correspondence (bound) |
1849 |
| Indiana Debt
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 9
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1 |
Indiana Debt |
1843 |
| 9
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2 |
Indiana Debt |
Dec 1844-Jul 1845 |
| 9
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3 |
Legal Documents |
Jul 1845-Dec 1845 |
| 9
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4 |
Legal Documents |
Feb 1845 |
| 9
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5 |
Indiana Debt |
Feb 20, 1846 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 10
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1 |
Indiana Debt |
Mar 1846 |
| 10
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2 |
Indiana Debt |
Nov 1846 |
| 10
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3 |
Indiana Debt |
Dec 1846 |
| 10
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4 |
Indiana Debt |
1847-1849 |
| 10
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5 |
St. Joseph Valley Register |
Jan 16, 1851 |
| 10
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6 |
St. Joseph Valley Register |
1868 |
| 10
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7 |
St. Joseph Valley Register |
1873 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 11
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1 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
1854-1856 |
| 11
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2 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
Mar 21, 1854, -Jun. 29, 1854 |
| 11
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3 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
Jul 10, 1854-Dec 29, 1854, |
| 11
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4 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
Jan 1, 1855-Jun 30, 1855 |
| 11
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5 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
Jul 1, 1855-Dec 25, 1855 |
| 11
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6 |
Index to bound volume of letters |
Jan 2, 1856-Jun 23, 1856 |
| Mississippi,Indiana
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 12
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1 |
Booklet on properties surrounding the river |
ca.1835-1836 |
| 12
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2 |
State of Michigan reports and Governor's Message |
1849 |
| 12
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3 |
Letters, declarations, and miscellaneous. Includes letter to the Albany Argus editor column about travels through several
western states
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1833-1853 |
| 12
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4 |
Patents (land) |
Jan 5, 1841 |
| 12
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5 |
Patents (land) from the Secretary of the State of Wisconsin |
Oct 3, 1856 |
| Wabashand Erie Canal
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 13
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1 |
Circular Statement |
1848-1861 |
| 13
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2 |
Correspondence |
1849-1858 |
| 13
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3 |
Correspondence |
1862-1869 |
| 13
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3 |
Correspondence |
1871-1877 |
| 13
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4 |
Family Correspondence |
undated |
| 13
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6 |
E.B. Allen Correspondence |
1876-1877 |
| 13
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7 |
James Anderson Correspondence |
1873 |
| 13
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8 |
A.L. Backus Correspondence |
1871-1876 |
| 13
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9 |
J.M. Butler Correspondence |
1852-1878 |
| 13
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10 |
Charles J. Canda Correspondence |
1876-1877 |
| 13
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11 |
Edwin Croswell Correspondence |
1849-ca.1853 |
| 13
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12 |
John Dowling Correspondence |
1876 |
| 13
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13 |
Thomas Dowling Correspondence |
1860-1874 |
| 13
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14 |
Thomas Dowling Correspondence |
1875-1876 |
| 13
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15 |
(?) Fleetwood Correspondence |
1851-1852 |
| 13
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16 |
Jonathan K. Gapen Correspondence |
1868-1875 |
| 13
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17 |
Office of F.W. Gilley Jr. Correspondence |
1893 |
| 13
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18 |
S.B. Gookins and Geo. C. Duy Correspondence |
1875-1877 |
| 13
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19 |
J.H. Hager Correspondence |
1853-1877 |
| 13
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20 |
J.S. Hinton Correspondence |
1875-1876 |
| 13
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21 |
A. Gracie King Correspondence |
ca.1853-1876 |
| 13
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22 |
McDonald and Butler, Attorneys-at-Law, Office of, Correspondence |
1877-1899 |
| 13
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23 |
W.R. McKeen Correspondence |
1877-1899 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 14
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1 |
Office of F.F. Marbury and F.F. Marbury Jr. (Counselors at law) Correspondence |
1873-1887 |
| 14
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2 |
D.D. Pratt Correspondence |
1869-1872 |
| 14
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3 |
J.L. Williams Correspondence |
1863-1874 |
| 14
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4 |
J.L. Williams Correspondence |
1875-1881 |
| 14
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5 |
Financial Papers |
1856-1877 |
| 14
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6 |
Legal Documents |
1841-1853 |
| 14
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7 |
Legal Documents |
1854-1872 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 15
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1 |
Legal Documents |
1873-1876, undated |
| 15
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2 |
Legal Documents: Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Indiana-in Chancery Jonathan K. Gapen vs. The Trustees
of the Wabash and Erie Canal
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1875 |
| 15
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3 |
Legal Documents: John W. Garrett vs. Board of Trustees of Wabash and Erie Canal |
Nov 11, 1872 |
| 15
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4 |
Memos |
ca.1845-1877, undated |
| 15
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5 |
Newspapers |
1876 |
| 15
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6 |
Newspapers Clippings |
undated |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 16
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1 |
Pamphlets: Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees |
1860-1874 |
| 16
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2 |
Pamphlets: Memorial of the Holders of Certificates of Stock |
1857-1870 |
| 16
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3 |
Pamphlets: Message of... |
1865-1871 |
| 16
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4 |
Pamphlets: Relating to the Wabash and Erie Canal |
1827-1878 |
| 16
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5 |
Pamphlets: Report of the Board of Trustees |
1869-1872 |
| 16
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6 |
Pamphlets: Speech |
1870-1871 |
| 16
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7 |
Pamphlets: Miscellaneous Printed Materials |
undated |
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| Series II
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| Wabash and Erie Canal
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 17
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1 |
Bound Correspondence "from Dowling, Nofsinger, Puet and others" |
1849-1854 |
| 17
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2 |
Bound Correspondence |
1852-1856 |
| 17
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3 |
Stock Certificates |
18471853 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 18
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1 |
Bound Correspondence "from J.L. Williams, Chief Engineer and others" |
1854-1859 |
| 18
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2 |
Bound Correspondence |
1870-1874 |
| Ledger Books
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| Box |
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Title |
Date |
| 19
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American Land Company (detailed description) |
1835-1892 |
| Box |
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Title |
Date |
| 20
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Financial Volume, includes bills receivable, bills payable; with index of names |
ca.1854-1861 |
| Box |
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Title |
Date |
| 21
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Financial Volume, includes receipts and disbursements, expenses, balance sheet |
1831-1840 |
| 21
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Wabash and Erie canal Financial volume, includes interest rates, names, who received, date, amount, when paid |
1857-1862 |
| Box |
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Title |
Date |
| 22
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Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings |
1833-1880 |
| 22
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Three indexed volumes |
undated |
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| Series III
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| Maps (located in mapcase at rear of archives, drawer #10)
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| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Northwestern Ohio, showing area of Indian reservation; inscribed "Greenville
12th Reservation mark by Gen'l Morgan (?) in 1795. Laws of 1817 for sale of 12 miles square
sold in Minster, Ohio 1817
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[not before 1847] |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Port Lawrence and Vistula/Toledo |
Aug 1834 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Oak Orchard (properties of American Life Insurance and Trust Company |
Aug 8, 1840 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Toledo and Port Lawrence Township |
1844 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Toledo and Port Lawrence Township |
1844 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Lucas Company |
Feb 24, 1845 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Indiana |
1846-1847, 1856-1857 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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River Tracts 5&6 T.III. V.S.R. in Toledo, Ohio |
Mar 1852 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Toledo showing new addition |
1872 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Evansville, Map of Indiana and part of Ohio |
undated |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Maumee River and its surroundings with Vistula Plot and Port Lawrence Plot |
undated |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Mulberry, Chestnut, Elm, Lagrange, Champlain, Michigan, Ontario, Erie Streets. (Toledo) |
undated |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Map of Ohio |
undated |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Toledo |
undated |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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Indiana (duplicates) |
1846-18471856-1857 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 1
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The oil district Venango, Crawford and Warren Counties, Pennsylvania |
1864 |
| Folder |
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Title |
Date |
| 2
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Orleans County Property |
undated |
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