Jump to Navigation

Facet Browse

Places (Remove)
Places -- Cities and towns (Remove)
Home and Family (Remove)
Government and Politics (Remove)
Date (Remove)
Business and Industry -- Occupations/Professions (Remove)
Page 8 of 22, showing 10 records out of 217 total, starting on record 71, ending on 80

| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12|

Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None

Cyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday

Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900

Cyrus K. Holliday, soon to return to Topeka after a productive territorial legislative session in Lawrence, wrote to his wife, Mary Holliday, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He wrote about a festival held at the Eldridge House, and reported on several other incidents of note: the arrest of John W. Doy, captured by Missourians while helping former slaves travel to Iowa; John Brown's avoidance of capture by [John P.] Woods (at the Battle of the Spurs on January 31, 1859); and Charles Fischer's escape after being twice arrested as "a fugitive slave." Holliday also wrote that the legislature had passed and Governor Samuel Medary would approve a bill granting Josephine Branscomb a divorce. Despite Holliday's efforts, the constitutional convention would be held at Wyandotte in July. He had refused [Alfred L.] Winans' request for a recommendation.

previewthumb

Cyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday

Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900

Cyrus K. Holliday wrote from Topeka, Kansas Territory to his wife, Mary Holliday, who had returned to Meadville, Pennsylvania to give birth to their second child, Charles. Cyrus had been joined in Kansas Territory by his mother and two brothers, James T. and George K. Holliday. Cyrus sadly told of his mother's death at George's home in Wakarusa, Kansas Territory. He suggested that Mary wait to return to Topeka until May 1st, when Alfred Huidekoper of Meadville would issue him a loan. Cyrus also mentioned his political aspirations and two upcoming elections, the first at the Osawatomie Republican Convention, the second for delegates to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention.

previewthumb

Cyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday

Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900

Cyrus K. Holliday wrote from the Wyandotte Convention to his wife, Mary Holliday, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. His efforts to ensure that Topeka would be the capital of Kansas Territory had set back his personal political career (territorially and nationally, that is; he had recently been elected mayor of Topeka). Cyrus anxiously awaited the return of Mary and their children, Lillie and newborn Charles.

previewthumb

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.

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

From Lawrence, K.T., where he went to lobby the territorial legislature on behalf of Sumner's city charter and a "Pikes Peak Express Company," John J. Ingalls wrote to tell his father about the journey that took him through Leavenworth. He made some interesting observations about the condition of the roads and the general discomfort involved in overland travel ("The coaches are constructed with special reference to safety in passing over corduroy roads, through sloughs and ravines, having no regard whatever to the comfort of the passengers."), as well as nice descriptions of both cities, Leavenworth and Lawrence.

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

From Lawrence, January 26, 1859, Ingalls began this letter with a description of the territory's pleasant weather, but focused on the activities of the legislature and the status of slavery in Kansas. He was serving as clerk of the "Senate," while looking after Sumner affairs.

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

In this brief letter from the Senate Chamber, Lawrence, Kansas, February 11, 1859, Ingalls writes about the bill abolishing slavery in Kansas Territory; it was passed too late to give the legislature a chance to override an almost certain veto by Governor Medary. The bill only passed after a "spirited and angry debate."

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

From Sumner on June 10, 1859, just days after the election for delegates to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, Ingalls wrote his father about the "well fought" contest in a county (Atchison) that was "an old stronghold of pro-slavery democracy." Ingalls won, of course, even though he at first "regarded the contest as a hopeless one," but still feared that the Democrats could control the convention; if so, "Kansas may be a Slave State after all. . . . It is Estimated that there are five hundred slaves in the territory today by virtue of the Dred Scott decision. A family recently came to this place from Kentucky with five."

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

On the first day of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, Ingalls wrote from Wyandotte, Kansas, with observation on the city and the nature of the convention, which he considered "not a very superior one." Nevertheless, the Republicans had a big majority, and Ingalls was "on some of the most important committees in the convention and shall be obliged to do some hard work."

previewthumb

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls

Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900

Back in Sumer on August 14, 1859, Ingalls wrote regarding the convention's recently completed work and the prospects for the Wyandotte Constitution, now "before the people." The Democrats were "taking strong ground against it" because of the state boundaries set by the delegates (excluded "Southern Nebraska & Pike's Peak"), there was to be no exclusion of "free negroes" from Kansas, and of the "apportionment," which gave the Republicans, and thus their proposed constitution, a big advantage. "The democracy are furious about it [the apportionment] of course and some temporizing Republicans are inclined to smooth the matter over by explanations and euphimisms. I adopt a different ground . . . ." Ingalls argued that he "was not aware of any extreme favors or kindnesses extended to the people of Kansas in the last four years by the democratic party which warranted any very delicate considerations form the party in power today."

previewthumb
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12|

Places

Places -- Cities and towns

Home and Family

Government and Politics

Date

Business and Industry -- Occupations/Professions

Agriculture

Built Environment

Business and Industry

Collections

Community Life

Curriculum

Education

Environment

Military

Objects and Artifacts

People

Thematic Time Period

Transportation

Type of Material