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Page 1 of 4, showing 10 records out of 32 total, starting on record 1, ending on 10

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Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None

Leavenworth Constitutional Convention journal

Tappan, S. F. (Samuel Forster), d. 1913

The Leavenworth constitution was the third of four constitutions proposed for Kansas statehood and the second free-state constitution (after the Topeka and before the Wyandotte constitutions). Delegates for the territory's third constitutional convention were elected on March 9 and assembled in Leavenworth on March 25, 1858. The delegates considered the "Homestead Exemption" during the morning session, April 1, 1858. The provision was amended so as to make the basic exemption 160 acres or not over $2,000. The vote on this was recorded and the yeas and nays are followed by numerous explanations--many delegates who voted nay did so not because they opposed the concept.

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G. W. Paddock diary

Paddock, G. W.

G. W. Paddock was a minister and free-state supporter who came to Kansas Territory in 1857. He describes his daily activities and his religious work, as well as his impressions of the city of Wyandotte while the constitutional convention was meeting there. His entries for this time period indicate he visited the convention, although he does not discuss the substance of the proceedings. The 1857 portion describes some of the free state controversies. He also mentions working with American Indians; however, his descriptions are often stereotypical and uncomplimentary. A number of entries from this diary were selected, but the entire diary is not included.

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John S. Brown to Edward Everett Hale

Brown, John S.

John S. Brown wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory to Edward Everett Hale, a member of the New England Emigrant Aid Company's Executive Committee. Brown informed Hale that he had substituted for Rev. Ephraim Nute, minister of the Lawrence Unitarian Church, for the previous six months while Nute lectured in the East. Brown stated that he wanted to serve in Kansas as a missionary but lacked financial resources. He asked Hale for funds to support his missionary efforts.

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Ephraim Nute to Edward Everett Hale

Nute, Ephraim

Rev. Ephraim Nute, minister of the Lawrence Unitarian Church, wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory to Edward Everett Hale, a member of the New England Emigrant Aid Company's Executive Committee. Nute inquired about the possibility of Hale arranging a loan of $2000 at reasonable interest for the completion of the Unitarian Church in Lawrence. He reported on the high rates of interest being charged for loans in Kansas Territory and on the general effects of the panic of 1857 on the territorial economy. Nute also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Buchanan administration's handling of the Lecompton Constitution and his hope that a change in presidential administration in 1860 would result in Kansas' admission as a free state.

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Anna Margaret Watson Randolph, diary

Randolph, Anna Margaret Watson, 1838-1917

This brief diary, kept by Anna Margaret (Watson) Randolph, begins with her move to Kansas in an entry dated August 17, 1858. These six entries at the beginning of her diary provide details about her family's journey from Ohio to Kansas Territory, included a number of interesting accounts of their journey on a riverboat. Their boat ran aground several times and, interspersed among her descriptions of these difficulties, Anna wrote about her sister Mary Jane, the weather, and her personal observances of other passengers. She also filled her diary with her frustrations and concerns during their arduous journey west.

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Osawatomie Town Company, Share Certificate

This blank share in the Osawatomie Town Company was signed by the secretary and by O. C. Brown, President. The document states that the town was chartered in January 1858, and on the side is a note declaring that Osawatomie was burned in 1856 and rebuilt in 1857.

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Cyrus Kurtz Holliday to Alfred and Edgar Huidekoper

Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900

Cyrus K. Holliday, founder and prominent citizen of Topeka, Kansas Territory, wrote to Alfred Huidekoper and Edgar Huidekoper, old associates from Meadville, Pennsylvania, to tell them of investment opportunities. He described rural claims, Town Act investments, and loans. He gave examples of large returns, including those gained by former governor Andrew H. Reeder. The time was ripe since Kansas' free statehood seemed certain, the land was titled, securities were assured, and financial difficulties had left some land and property owners with no option but to sell sacrificially. Holliday also confirmed the discovery of gold in western Kansas Territory (now Colorado).

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John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

Much of this interesting letter, dated November 21, 1858, from Sumner, Kansas Territory, describes the Ingalls law practice and the nature of a "frontier" court proceedings that often attracted "nearly all the population." According to Ingalls, "the chief difficulty arising [in the courts came] from the conflict of the two Codes, adopted by two hostile legislatures, each of which had adherents who call the other 'bogus.'" Ingalls also discussed the business of land sales, as something many others successfully combined with the practice of law.

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R.C. Brant to Hiram Hill

Brant, R.C.

R.C. Brant, a Baptist missionary who had settled in Lawrence, Kansas Territory, wrote to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, regarding the use of Hill's land. Brant owned a town lot next to Hill's, and wished to make improvements to his land, which would require that he use Hill's lot. Brant explained that he had many visitors coming and going who would see the beauty of the area and might be inclined to settle in the area if he be allowed to improve his own lot. A note at the end of the letter supports Brant's credibility as a permanent citizen of Lawrence who had already made improvements to the town.

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Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill

Morton, Albert C.

Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton predicted a good property market for the coming spring, despite the "hard money matters" which had been the situation during the winter. He reported that the Shawnee lands would open soon, to have them paid for by the end of the summer, and that Hill's land investments in Manhattan were "in good standing". Morton added that Samuel Simpson has been busy lately, traveling back and forth from Quindaro to Lawrence.

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