Finding aid for the Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Connecticut Western Reserve


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Western Reserve Historical Society
Title: Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Connecticut Western Reserve
Dates: 1764-1874
Extent: 2.60 linear feet (7 containers)
Abstract: The Connecticut Western Reserve was the area of northeast Ohio that Connecticut had reserved for her citizens in 1786 in exchange for ceding all western land claims to the U.S. government. The area comprised all land south of Lake Erie to 41' latitude and within 120 miles of Pennsylvania's western border. The Connecticut Land Company (1795-1809) was authorized by Connecticut to purchase and resell most of the Western Reserve, and received title to all Reserve land except for the 500,000-acre Firelands on the extreme west which was reserved for Connecticut victims whose lands were burned by the British in the Revolution. Gen. Moses Cleaveland, a company director and its general agent, led the first company survey party to the Reserve in 1796 and founded the settlement of Cleveland at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The collection consists of records of the Connecticut Land Company, including articles of association, proceedings, reports, minutes, accounts, records of drafts, and other papers, 1795-1827; land surveys, field notes, and plats of early Western Reserve surveyors, 1796-1815; journals and diaries of early residents, 1765-1807; correspondence; newspaper clippings; statements in response to John Barr and others soliciting information on the early history of Cleveland and the Western Reserve; writings of Charles Whittlesey on topics such as the 1797 surveying party, local town histories, history of the Northwest Territory; biographical sketches of early settlers, including Lorenzo Carter, Simon Perkins, Abraham and Benjamin Tappan, and John Walworth; and miscellaneous papers relating to the early history of Cleveland and the Western Reserve, including John Heckewelder's description of northeast Ohio, 1796. Many of the documents in the collection are transcripts of items collected by John Barr and Charles Whittlesey 1840-1860. Also included in the register are two appendices. Appendix I is an alphabetical list by township of land surveys and plats contained in the collection. Appendix II is a conversion chart listing old and new citations to containers and folder numbers within the collection.
MS Number MS 0001
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Connecticut Western Reserve

Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Western Reserve, 1795-1869, was the first collection of manuscripts to be assembled by the Western Reserve Historical Society, and its provenance is closely intertwined with the circumstances of the institution's founding. Chiefly responsible for the acquisition of the materials comprising the collection was Charles W. Whittlesey, the Society's first president. According to the Society's second annual report (1869), Whittlesey assembled the collection from a variety of different sources and by several means: he purchased the papers of the Connecticut Land Company under the authority of the Cuyahoga County commissioners, solicited accounts and original manuscripts from early settlers and their descendants, and added documents that he and some earlier enthusiasts had gathered as their own personal collections. Prominent among these latter additions were the materials collected by John Barr and Leonard Case for an earlier, failed historical society. Both Whittlesey and Barr used the materials which came to comprise this collection to write their accounts of the history of Cleveland, Ohio, which were published in 1867 and 1846, respectively. The documents appear to have been bound together in the order they were received, and by 1870, numbered fifteen volumes. The remaining eight volumes were certainly collected before Whittlesey's death in 1886. Much later, the bound volumes were cut apart and the individual documents were placed in folders and boxes, but kept in their original order. The current arrangement of the documents into more rational series based on material type and subject has thus altered the collection's original sequence. Appendix II is a summary of the relations between the current and earlier modes of arrangement.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Connecticut Land Company

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Western Reserve Historical Society

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles W. Whittlesey


Scope and Content

Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Western Reserve, 1764-1874 and undated, consist of business records, government documents, land surveys and field notes, journals and diaries, correspondence, writings, statements, addresses, newspaper clippings, court proceedings, and notes. Many of the documents in the collection are not originals but transcripts collected by John Barr and Charles Whittlesey during the period 1840-1860.

This collection is a remarkably rich resource for the study of the administration, exploration, surveying, and settlement of Northeastern Ohio. Of particular interest are the records of the Connecticut Land Company, which was formed in 1795 to distribute the lands of Connecticut's former western claim, the Western Reserve. An unsuccessful venture, the Connecticut Land Company was dissolved in 1809. The researcher should also note the assortment of land surveys and field notes produced between 1796 and 1808 by the surveyors working for the Connecticut Land Company. Dividing the land into towns (running north/south) and ranges (running east/west), these surveyors mapped and described the territory for prospective buyers. Appendix I provides a key to the sixty-five surveys of the forty-six area townships represented in the collection. An impression of daily life in the Western Reserve can be found in the diaries of surveyors and settlers in Series III, and in the early correspondence in Series IV. More detailed biographical information on settlers like Samuel Huntington, Alfred Kelly, John Walworth, and Lorenzo Carter can be found in Series V (Sub-series D). Especially interesting are the accounts of relations between settlers and Native Americans in the area, as in Quintus Atkins' diaries, and in several of the writings found in Series V (Sub-series A and B). The development of politics, civil institutions, infrastructure, and local communities is also well documented in the collection. Relating specifically to these issues are George Tod's letters concerning Ohio's pending statehood found in Series IV, Gaius Burk's description of early postal routes in Series V (Sub-series A), and the accounts of Alfred Kelly and the Ohio Canal in Series V (Sub-Series B). As for the towns themselves, the researcher will find precise descriptions of life in early Cleveland in Series V (Sub-Series B), and also in Series VII. This miscellaneous material includes land tax records for Cleveland (1807), the records of the first library (1811-1813), abstracts regarding the laying out of Public Square (1814-1857), and the constitution of the Cuyahoga County Historical Society (1858). Information on other nearby towns, such as Newburgh and Tallmadge, are in Series V, Sub-Series C. Finally, extensive information regarding warfare in the area is present in the collection, particularly the War of 1812.

click here to view the digitized documents contained in MS 1 Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Western Reserve on Digital Case


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in seven series. Arrangement of documents within each series and sub-series is alphabetical, with the exception of some documents in Series I that are better understood in chronological order.
Series I: Connecticut Land Company Records is arranged in five sub-series.
Sub-series A: Articles of Association, Minutes, and Proceedings
Sub-series B: Reports of Committees
Sub-series C: Drafts
Sub-series D: Financial Records
Sub-series E: Miscellaneous
Series II: Land Surveys, Field Notes, and Plats
Series III: Journals and Diaries
Series IV: Correspondence
Series V: Writings is arranged in five sub-series.
Sub-series A: Western Reserve
Sub-series B: Cleveland
Sub-series C: Other Towns
Sub-series D: Biographical Sketches
Sub-series E: Miscellaneous
Series VI: Court Cases
Series VII: Miscellaneous

Restrictions on Access

While there are no access restrictions on this collection, researchers will be asked to use the digitized documents or microfilm of this collection.

To view the digitized documents on Digital Case, click here.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Carter, Lorenzo, 1767-1814.
Clarke, James S.
Cleveland (Ohio) -- History.
Connecticut Land Company.
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ohio.
Northwest, Old -- History.
Perkins, Simon, 1771-1844.
Pioneers -- Ohio -- Western Reserve.
Real property -- Ohio -- Western Reserve.
Surveyors -- Ohio -- Western Reserve.
Tappan, Abraham, 1779-1855.
Tappan, Benjamin, 1773-1857.
United States -- Description and travel -- 1783-1848.
Walworth, John, 1765-1812.
Western Reserve (Ohio) -- Description and travel.
Western Reserve (Ohio) -- History.
Western Reserve (Ohio) -- Surveys.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 1 Manuscripts Relating to the Early History of the Connecticut Western Reserve, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

This collection consists of original and copied documents given to the Western Reserve Historical Society or purchased with funds provided by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, 1867-1871.

Processing Information

Processed by Deborah R. Shell and Todd M. Michney in 1993. This current order represents the second processing of this collection. Finding aids that represent the previous order of this collection are available at the Reference Desk of the Western Reserve Historical Society Research Center. The processing and microfilming of this collection was made possible by a grant from the Cleveland Foundation

Other Finding Aid

The majority of this collection has been digitized.

These images are available here on Digital Case.


Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: Connecticut Land Company Records 1795-1867

Sub-series A: Articles of Association, Minutes, and Proceedings 1795-1809

Box Folder
1 1 Robert, Earl of Warwick, transcript of the deed including the Western Reserve March 19, 1632
1 2 Connecticut General Assembly, Committee of Sale, minutes June 5-September 8, 1795
1 2 General Assembly, Committee of Sale, report October 14, 1795
1 3 Connecticut General Assembly, proceedings September 2, 1795
1 3 Connecticut General Assembly, minutes October 6, 1795-May 14, 1800
1 3 Connecticut General Assembly, draft of the sixth township December 28, 1802
1 3 Connecticut General Assembly, transcript (September 11, 1855) of deeds March 18, 1802 December 16, 1803
1 4 Connecticut Land Company, Articles of Association September 5, 1795
1 5 Connecticut Land Company, minutes 1795-1800
1 6 Connecticut Land Company, minutes from the Draft Book January 27, 1798 December 14, 1798 ctober 8, 1799
1 7 Connecticut Land Company, various papers bound together, minutes October 7, 1800-January 5, 1809
1 7 Connecticut Land Company, various papers bound together, drafts 1802
1 7 Connecticut Land Company, various papers bound together, report of the Equalizing Committee on lands west of the Cuyahoga River, including drafts 1807
1 7 Connecticut Land Company, various papers bound together, transcript (November 1, 1855) of drafts 1809
1 8 Connecticut Land Company, Articles of Agreement with William Hull as successor to the Excess Company, and absorption of the rights of the Excess Company by the Connecticut Land Company August 12, 1795
1 9 Connecticut Land Company, mode of making partition of the Western Reserve determined upon by the Connecticut Land Company April 5, 1796
1 10 Connecticut Land Company, transcript (October 6, 1850) of the Articles empowering Moses Cleaveland to dispose of land by sale to Seth Pease and other surveyors employed by the Connecticut Land Company September 30, 1796

Sub-series B: Reports of Committees 1796-1809

Box Folder
1 11 Committee on amendments to the constitution of the Connecticut Land Company, report April 8, 1796
1 12 Committee on annexation of debts, report ca. 1802
1 13 Classing Committee, report of the Committee appointed to class the proprietors April 4, 1807
1 14 Classing Committee, report January 5, 1809
1 15 Classing Committee, copy of report and drafts January 5, 1809
1 15 Classing Committee, Warren, Ohio June 21, 1809
1 16 Committee on Drafts, report January 29, 1798
1 17 Committee on Drafts, report December 30, 1802
1 18 Equalizing Committee, report January 30, 1798
1 19 Equalizing Committee, report December 21, 1802
1 20 Committee on Partition, report December 13, 1797
1 21 Committee on Partition, directions December 15, 1801
1 22 Committee on Partition, exploring notes of the land west of the Cuyahoga River September 4-October 8, 1806
1 23 Committee on Partition, Book of the Drafts of the Lands West of the Cuyahoga River February 7, 1807

Sub-series C: Drafts 1798-1809

Box Folder
1 24 Draft of Lots January 1798
1 25 Draft of tracts in the Western Reserve December 28, 1802
1 26 Draft December 1802
1 27 Draft of Townships of land west of the River Cuyahoga April 4, 1807
1 28 Draft April 1807
1 29 Draft January 5, 1809

Sub-series D: Financial Records 1795-1827

Box Folder
2 30 Connecticut School Fund, created by sale of Western Reserve land in September 1795 1795-1818
2 31 Connecticut Land Company, Ephraim Root, clerk, account book and notes on sales 1795-1803
2 32 Connecticut Land Company, Account Book 1796-1798
2 33 Connecticut Land Company, Assessments 1798-1799
2 34 Connecticut Land Company, notes and contracts, Turhand Kirtland, agent July 1803
2 35 Western Reserve, lists of lands mortgaged to the State of Connecticut November 12, 1816 November 1, 1822 May 1827

Sub-series E: Miscellaneous 1796-1867

Box Folder
2 36 Connecticut Land Company, transcript of account for work done by Elijah Gunn 1796
2 37 Connecticut Land Company, transcript (September 5, 1867) of petition made by settlers of Mentor, Ohio, to the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Land Company 1797
2 38 Connecticut Land Company, quantity of land surveyed and the average of towns sold January 23, 1798
2 39 Trustees of the Connecticut Land Company, transcript (June 11, 1867) of the deed for sale of lands in Cleveland to Samuel Huntington March 18, 1802
2 40 Trustees of the Connecticut Land Company, transcripts (July 21, 1858 and June 11, 1867) of the deed of conveyance for sale of lands in Cleveland to Samuel P. Lord September 28, 1802
2 41 Agents of the Connecticut Land Company and of the Sufferers Land, establishing a partition line between them, report and land survey January 20, 1807
2 42 State of Connecticut, Treasury Office, List of proprietors holding land in the Connecticut Western Reserve September 14, 1810
2 43 State of Connecticut, Secretary of State's Office, list of books and papers belonging to the Connecticut Land Company September 5, 1867

Series II: Land Surveys, Field Notes, and Plats 1796-1815 undated

Box Folder
2 44 Barker, Phineas, field notes for Town 10, Range 8 (Concord) October 8-30, 1797
2 45 Bissell, John P., field notes for Town 8, Range 2 (Wayne) October 6, 1800
2 46 Boardman, David S., plat of Boardman (Town 1, Range 2) July 23, 1802
2 47 Dawson, Benjamin (Justice of the Peace), transcript (May 31, 1867) of a plat of Canfield (Town 1, Range 3), with survey text May 19, 1802
2 48 Ensign, Seth I., field notes for Tract 1, Town 6, Range 8 (Auburn) August 1808
2 49 Foot, Levi, field minutes for 12,000 acres of land in Hambdon (Town 9, Range 7) October 1801
2 50 Freese, Abram, survey bill for Town 4, Range 15 (Liverpool) undated
2 51 Freese, John, survey bill for the western half of Town 4, Range 14 (Brunswick) July 5, 1815
2 52 Harper, James A., field notes for Chapin (Town 11, Range 6, later Madison) November 1802
2 53 Hawley, T. B., survey bill and field notes for Town 3, Range 13 (Granger) October 7, 1813
2 54 Holley, John Milton, various field notes bound together: survey of 1st meridian, surveys of 9th and 10th parallels, traverse of the Chagrin River, surveys of 8th parallel, portion of 7th parallel, and 11th parallel, survey of portion of 6th meridian, and notes on variation of the compass July 23-September 15, 1796
2 55 Holley, John Milton, field notes for one hundred lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12) September 18-October 17, 1796
2 56 Hover, Ezekiel, transcript (July 5, 1845) of survey and map of Brooklyn (Town 7, Range 13), and a plat of Rockport (Town 7, Range 14). Includes Whittlesey's notes on early surveys in the Great Lakes region undated
2 57 Landon, Joseph, portions of field notes for Town 12, Range 5 (Geneva) and Town 13, Range 3 (Ashtabula) September-October 1797
2 58 Landon, Joseph, field notes for Town 11, Range 7 (Perry); Town 12, Range 5 (Geneva); and Town 14, Range 1 (Conneaut) October 1797
2 59 Palmer, Caleb, transcript (May 31, 1867) of field notes for survey of town plat of Warren (Town 4, Range 4) December 1801
2 60 Palmer, Caleb, survey of lots 1-15 in Town 13, Range 3 (Ashtabula) undated
2 61 Palmer, Caleb, survey of Town 11, Range 3 (Jefferson) undated
2 62 Parker, Charles, field notes for Town 10, Range 9 (Mentor). Includes a map of Town 9, Range 10 (Charlton, later Willoughby) October 22, 1802
Box Folder
3 63 Pease, Seth, and others, various surveys and notes bound into one volume: field notes by Seth Pease, 1796; survey by Moses Warren of the 6th parallel; survey by Spafford and Stoddard of the 8th parallel, August 15, 1796; survey by John Milton Holley of the 9th parallel, August 16, 1796; survey by Spafford and Stoddard of the 7th and 4th parallels, September 1796; survey of the 11th parallel, September 11-29, 1796; survey by John Milton Holley of the 100 acre lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), October 1796; survey by Amos Spafford of city lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), September 1796; and survey by Stoddard on city lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), September 1796 1796
3 64 Pease, Seth, various surveys and field notes bound into one volume: survey of 1st parallel, August 1796; traverse of the Chagrin River and survey of 8th meridian, August 1796; survey of 5th parallel, September 1796; illustrated plat of Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), undated; description of lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), undated; and minutes of surveys of streets in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12), undated 1796 undated
3 65 Pease, Seth, list of contents of the several townships of the Western Reserve east of the Cuyahoga September 1798
3 66 Redfield, Nathan, and others, various surveys and field notes bound into one volume: surveys by Nathan Redfield of 10th meridian, June 1797; surveys by Pease of south line of Western Reserve from 20th to 51st mile, July 1797; field notes by Shepard and Atwater for 9th and 5th meridians, July 1797; field notes by Redfield for 2nd parallel, June 20, 1797; field notes by Shepard and Atwater for 5th meridian, July - August 1797; field notes by Richard M. Stoddard and Amzi Atwater for 6th meridian, July 1797; field notes by Holley, Pease, Stoddard, and Redfield for 8th meridian, July - September 1797; field notes by Amos Spafford for 12th, 4th, and 1st parallels, 11th meridian, and of Town 5, Range 11 (Northfield), 1797; surveys by Redfield of Town 6, Range 12 (Independence), September 1797; surveys by Moses Warren of 5th and 2nd parallels, June 1797; surveys by Stoddard and Redfield of Town 7, Range 10 (Orange), of Town 7, Range 9 (Russell), of Town 7, Range 8 (Newbury), of Town 8, Range 8 (Munson), and of Town 9, Range 8 (Chardon), September - October 1797; surveys by Stoddard of Town 1, Range 10 (Springfield), August 1797; surveys by Redfield, Town 12, Range 5 (Geneva), October 1797; surveys by Landon, Town 12, Range 5 (Geneva), October 1797; and surveys by Stoddard of Town 13, Range 4 (Saybrook), of Town 13, Range 3 (Ashtabula), of Town 12, Range 6 (Madison), and of Town 11, Range 8 (Painesville), October 1797 1797
3 67 Shepard, Warham and Atwater, field notes for Town 7, Range 11 (Warrensville) August 8-September 6, 1797
3 68 Shepard, Warham, field notes for Town 8, Range 10 (Mayfield) October 2-5, 1797
3 69 Spafford, Amos, and others, various surveys and field notes bound into one volume: surveys by Spafford and Stoddard of 2nd meridian, July 1, 1796; survey by John M. Holley of 1st meridian, July - August 1796; surveys by Moses Warren of 3rd and portions of 9th meridians, July - August 1796; surveys by Warren of 9th meridian running south and comparing variations, August - September 1796; surveys by Holley on 8th meridian and portions of 11th parallel, and of Town 10, Range 9 (Mentor), September - October 1796; survey of portion of 12th parallel, May 9, 1797; and survey by Shepard and Atwater of Town 6, Range 11 (Bedford), September 1797 1796-1797
3 70 Stoddard, Richard M., surveys of the 100 acre lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12) June 23-July 5, 1797
3 71 Stoddard, Richard M., field notes: Town 11, Range 8 (Painesville); Town 12, Range 6 (Madison); Town 12, Range 4 (Saybrook; and Town 13, Range 3 (Ashtabula) October 13-30, 1797
3 72 Tappan, Abraham, surveys of lots 2-15 in Town 11, Range 6 (Chapin, later Madison) November 1801
3 73 Warren, Moses, survey of the 2nd parallel July 4-17, 1797
3 74 Warren, Moses, transcript (August 16, 1845) of field notes: traverse of the Portage from Cuyahoga to Tuskarawas; survey of part of the 2nd parallel; and survey of the 10 acre lots in Cleveland (Town 8, Range 12) July 17-August 24, 1797
3 75 Warren, Moses, field notes for Town 1, Range 10 (Springfield) August 6-September 9, 1797
3 76 Wolcott, Alfred, field notes for part of Great Lot Number 3, Town 6, Range 9 (Bainbridge), includes map July 1801
3 77 Wolcott, Alfred, survey of part of Bristol (Town 6, Range 4) September 11, 1801
3 78 Wolcott, Alfred, survey of Town 2, Ranges 3 (Austintown) and 4 (Jackson) undated
3 79 Young, John S., transcript (May 31, 1867) of the survey of the streets and public highways in Youngstown (Town 2, Range 2) August 19, 1802
3 80 Unknown surveyor, field notes of surveys done in the Firelands: Town 5, Range 22 (Milan); Towns 5 and 6, Range 21 (Berlin); Town 5, Range 20 (Florence); includes a map of the Firelands 1808
3 81 Unknown surveyor, numbers of lots (with acreage) in Rootstown (Town 2, Range 8), Northampton (Town 3, Range 11), Vienna (Town 4, Range 2), and minimal notes on lots in eight other towns undated
3 82 Unknown surveyor, transcript of survey of Town 4, Range 12 (Richfield) undated

Series III: Journals and Diaries 1782-1807

Box Folder
4 83 Atkins, Quintus Flaminius, autograph diaries, the second concerning his mission among the Wyandot Indians July 20, 1804-May 14, 1805 April 1-August 4, 1807
4 84 Heart, Captain Jonathan, transcript (October 1869) of his journal, describing his service in the Connecticut Army of the Revolution. Includes biographical notes taken by Whittlesey August 2-November 14, 1782
4 85 Holley, John Milton, autograph journals April 28-November 5, 1796
4 86 Holley, John Milton, transcript (July 28, 1858) of the previous journal April 28-November 5, 1796
4 87 Hudson, David, transcript (May 11, 1867) of his journal April 22-October 31, 1799
4 88 Pease, Seth, transcripts of his diaries May 12 - November 15, 1795 May 9 - November 13, 1796 April 3 - June 5, 1797 November 12, 1797 - February 24, 1798 July 23 - October 16, 1798 January 1 - December 21, 1799
4 89 Pease, Seth, autograph journals bound into one volume, including field notes of of surveys in Painesville May 9 - September 29, 1796 November 2-13, 1796 March 4 - August 19, 1797 August 28, 1798 - January 8, 1799 August 17 - December 21, 1799 July 23, 1798 - January 24, 1799
4 90 Pease, Seth, autograph journal and field book. Includes extracts from the National Almanac, notes on magnetic variations, field notes for southern line of the Western Reserve, survey of the Portage path by Moses Warren, and notes on meridians and parallels June 6-October 24, 1797
4 91 Pease, Seth, transcribed excerpts from the previous journal June 21-July 6, 1797
4 92 Pease, Seth, transcript of his journal Octobber 25-December 23, 1797
4 93 Robbins, Thomas, transcribed (September 1857) excerpts from his diary November 24, 1803-May 22, 1805
4 94 Rogers, Major Robert, transcribed (September 29, 1844) excerpts from his journal. Concerns his passing the Cuyahoga River on his way to Detroit, and includes a clipping and some notes concerning this incident and the Cuyahoga River in general 1765

Series IV: Correspondence 1764-1817

Box Folder
4 95 Edwards, John S. to Samuel Huntington, transcript of three letters concerning Republicans in Connecticut February 24-July 15, 1803
4 96 Gage, Thomas to the Earl of Halifax, transcripts (August 12, 1869) of two letters reporting on General Bradstreet's expedition against the Indians 1764
4 97 Granger, Gideon to Jonathan Law, letter with instructions regarding the land of Sam Ogden October 21, 1817
4 98 Jefferson, Thomas to Governor Tiffin, transcript of letter regarding a port of delivery at the mouth of the Cuyahoga April 3, 1805
4 99 Kingsbury, A. to John S. Edwards, letter listing the lands lying in the Western Reserve mortgaged to the State of Connecticut September 14, 1810
4 100 St. Clair, Arthur to Samuel Huntington, transcript of letter concerning Ohio's admittance as a state July 15, 1802
4 101 Spafford, Amos to Samuel Huntington, transcript of three letters August 1801
4 102 Tod, George to Samuel Huntington, transcript of letter concerning the boundaries of the future states January 14, 1802
4 103 Tod, George to Samuel Huntington, transcript of letter concerning his commission as judge February 10, 1802
4 104 Tod, George to Samuel Huntington, transcript of letter concerning local politics November 2, 1802
4 105 Tracy, Elisha to Samuel Huntington, transcript of two letters, the second concerning political standards of the time September 1, 1800 May 15, 1802
4 106 Walworth, John to his parents, transcript of letter concerning his progress in the Western Reserve July 20, 1800

Series V: Writings 1796-1874 undated

Sub-series A: Western Reserve 1796-1874 undated

Box Folder
5 107 Agents, account of the principal land agents on the Western Reserve and the proposed foundation of the Erie Land Company in 1797 undated
5 108 Courts, account by Warren Young of the early courts of Trumbull County March 22, 1848
5 109 Courts, transcript of the previous account March 22, 1848
5 110 Description, account by John Heckewelder concerning the lands depicted on his map January 12, 1796
5 111 Exploration, essay by Charles Whittlesey on the exploration of the Northwestern Territory by the Spanish, French, English, and Americans 1844
5 112 Exploration, text of an address by Charles Whittlesey on the early exploration and settlement of the Great Lakes area and the Western Reserve, and of the shipwreck of Captain Thorn in 1786 June 13, 1860
5 113 General, account of John Barr of early settlers in the Western Reserve, including biographical sketches, a chronology, and notes on the towns of Mayfield, Brecksville, Solon, and Rockport 1843?
5 114 General, transcribed account of Edward Paine concerning the survey and settlement of the Western Reserve, includes printed version 1843
5 115 General, another transcript of the previous account 1843
5 116 General, essay by Abraham Tappan on the history of the surveys west of the Cuyahoga River, including an account of the signing of a treaty with the Native Americans in 1805, and biographical sketches of Henry Champion, Turhand Kirtland, Eliphalet Austin, General Martin Smith, Anson Sessions, and Captain James A. Harper October 24, 1850
5 117 General, transcript of the previous essay, without the biographical sketches undated
5 118 Indians, essay by John Bradstreet concerning Native Americans, including an account of the expulsion of the Eries undated
5 119 Indians, account concerning the shooting of Daniel Diver by John Mohawk during the winter 1806-1807 1867?
5 120 Indians, transcript of the previous account 1867?
5 121 Indians, account by Julius C. Huntington of his personal experiences with Native Americans July 10, 1857
5 122 Indians, letter from Edward Paine to John Barr regarding Native Americans in the Western Reserve September 14, 1843
5 123 Indians, transcript of the previous letter September 14, 1843
5 124 Indians, supplement written by Charles Whittlesey to Bradstreet's essay in folder 118 undated
5 125 Marriages, account of a mistake at a wedding at Doan's Corners in 1809 undated
5 126 Mormons, essay on jerks, fallings, bodily exercises, and other religious manifestations, and an account by Judge John Barr on early Mormonism September 10, 1874
5 127 Postal routes, letter from Gaius Burk to John Barr [?] regarding his father's contract to carry the mail from 1809-1810 March 19, 1848
5 128 Shipwrecks, transcribed letter from D. C. Doan to John Barr concerning Judge Spafford's account of the drowning of his son and several others in a boating accident in 1808 December 17, 1843
5 129 Surveys and Surveyors, transcript of letter from Amzi Atwater to John Barr concerning the landing place of the first surveying party at Conneaut Creek in 1796; includes illustration January 5, 1846
5 130 Surveys and Surveyors, two letters from Alanson Penfield [U. S. Department of Interior?] to Charles Whittlesey regarding Seth Pease and the boundaries of the Western Reserve in 1805-1807; from correspondence filed in the Land Office December 18, 1867-June 30, 1868
5 131 Surveys and Surveyors, letter from Augustus Porter to John Barr regarding the first surveying party of 1796 January 10, 1843
5 132 Surveys and Surveyors, essay by Charles Whittlesey on the Indian trails and surveyors of the Western Reserve undated
5 133 Various, account of Captain Allen Gaylord concerning Captain Thorn's shipwreck, Native Americans, the War of 1812, and other topics June 19, 1858
5 134 Various, four letters from Abraham Tappan to Judge Barr, bound together, regarding: early courts of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, March 10, 1848; 1805 Indian title to the Western Reserve, March 14, 1848; Judge Walworth, March 15, 1848; and several early settlers, March 16, 1848 1848
5 135 Various, transcripts of the previous letters March 1857
5 136 Various, transcribed letter from Frederick Wadsworth to John Barr concerning the collection of manuscript sources, the formation of historical societies in the Western Reserve, some of the early settlers, and the formation of the Ohio militia in 1803 July 19, 1858
5 137 War of 1812, account by Quintus Flaminius Atkins regarding Fort Avery on the Huron River in 1812 June 10, 1857

Sub-series B: Cleveland 1815-1868 undated

Box Folder
5 138 Buildings, transcribed account of John Blair regarding the buildings of early Cleveland September 6, 1866
5 139 Columbus Street Bridge, accounts by H. L. Whitman, Seth A. Abby, and Mr. Chapman of the Columbus Street Bridge fight in 1836 September 20-21, 1866
5 140 Description, account of Gilman Bryant regarding Cleveland's businesses and streets in 1802, plus an excerpt from the Reverend Joseph Badger's diary concerning malaria in Cleveland undated
5 141 Description, account of Orlando Cutter regarding Cleveland's streets, businesses, and buildings in 1818 August 30, 1866
5 142 Description, transcripts (February 1869) of the previous account and Blair's account in folder 138 .
5 143 Description, transcribed account of Levi Johnson regarding Cleveland's early settlers, businesses, buildings, and shipping September 1866
5 144 Description, transcript (September 1867) of the previous account September 1867
5 145 Description, celebratory account by Elias Murray regarding Cleveland's weather and commercial development after his arrival in 1809 April 28, 1852
5 146 General, detailed account by John Barr of Cleveland's history 1843?
5 147 General, account of Cleveland's history by John Barr 1842?
5 148 General, copy of the previous account 1843?
5 149 General, account made by Seth Doan to James S. Clarke regarding Cleveland's first settlers, its incorporation as a village, its buildings, and the reorganization of Trumbull County July 19, 1841
5 150 General, transcribed (June 8, 1878) account of Samuel C. Jennings regarding Cleveland in 1823, including its settlers, streets, businesses, and religious and educational institutions (including the college at Burton) July 29, 1868
5 151 Maps, essay by Leonard Case regarding the discrepancies between the Pease and Spafford maps of Cleveland undated
5 152 Millerism, three copies of an account made by Josiah Harris in 1845 to Daniel Haskell concerning Millerism in Cleveland, and an account of Millerism in Cincinnati undated
5 153 Ohio Canal, letter from David H. Beardsley to Charles Whittlesey regarding his early life in Cleveland, the opening of the Ohio Canal in 1827, and his experience as the first canal collector November 30, 1868
5 154 War of 1812, transcribed letter from Captain Stanton Sholes to John Barr regarding his experiences while stationed in Cleveland in 1813. Includes his account of the construction of a war hospital July 1858
5 155 War of 1812, letter from Frederick Wadsworth to Charles Whittlesey regarding his father, Elijah Wadsworth, who commanded the 4th division of Ohio Militia. Signature has been cut out January 2, 1851
5 156 War of 1812, account of the jollification upon the news of peace in 1815 1815
5 157 War of 1812, transcript of the previous account undated

Sub-series C: Other Towns 1817-1869 undated

Box Folder
6 158 Brecksville, account of its history undated
6 159 Deerfield, account of its history by Thomas C. Shreve, prefaced by a letter from him to John Barr August 21, 1843
6 160 East Cleveland, account of its history by Andrew Cozad undated
6 161 Euclid, account of its history undated
6 162 Mantua, memorandum from John Harmon to Charles Whittlesey regarding an article on its early history January 22, 1869
6 163 Mayfield, report of the committee on its early settlement, prefaced by a letter from L. M. Gates to John Barr February 13, 1858
6 164 Newburgh, report of the committee appointed to gather statistics of its early settlement February 15, 1858
6 165 Newburgh, letter from John Harmon to Charles Whittlesey describing the village in 1806 October 18, 1858
6 166 Orange, report on its first settlers 1837?
6 167 Palmyra, account of its history undated
6 168 Royalton, account of its history by John D. Taylor 1817?
6 169 Tallmadge, account of some counterfeiters working there entitled "The Boston Bankers" 1857
6 170 Tallmadge, letter from John Harmon to Charles Whittlesey regarding its early history; Harmon also mentions his disatisfaction with the Cleveland Plain Dealer November 21, 1858
6 171 Tallmadge, various documents bound together: account of its history by Charles Whittlesey, December 1859; letter from Elisha Whittlesey to Charles Whittlesey regarding the early history of Tallmadge, September 2, 1859; letter from Captain Rial McArthur to Charles Whittlesey and a transcripted muster roll of the company of riflemen he commanded in the War of 1812, July 15, 1851; Includes a death notice for McArthur clipped from a newspaper 1851 1859

Sub-series D: Biographical Sketches 1800-1866 undated

Box Folder
6 172 Carter, Lorenzo, account of his life by John Barr undated
6 173 Champion, Henry and others, biographical sketches by Abraham Tappan of General Henry Champion, Turhand Kirtland, Eliphalet Austin, General Martin Smith, Anson Sessions, and Captain James A. Harper October 24, 1850
6 174 Clarke, James S., account of his life by John Barr undated
6 175 Edwards, Rudolphus, notes on his life by Charles Whittlesey May 28, 1858
6 176 Gaylord, Allen, notes on his life by Charles Whittlesey May 25, 1858
6 177 Griswold, Stanley and others, letter from Frederick Wadsworth to Charles Whittlesey, regarding the lives of Stanley Griswold, Solomon Griswold, and General Perkins; some routes in the vicinity of Youngstown are also mentioned April 6, 1858
6 178 Griswold, Stanley, notes on his life by Charles Whittlesey undated
6 179 Huntington, Samuel, notes regarding him by Charles Whittlesey, including transcripted extracts from his letters and a sample of his handwriting 1800-1860
6 180 Huntington, Samuel, transcribed letter concerning him from his son Julian C. Huntington to John Barr March 15, 1848
6 181 Kelly, Alfred, transcribed letter concerning him from David H. Beardsley to John Barr; Beardsley sees Kelly as chiefly responsible for the designation of Cleveland as the northern terminus for Ohio Canal September 30, 1858
6 182 Kelly, Alfred, transcript of the previous letter September 30, 1858
6 183 Kelly family, account of David Abbott regarding Daniel, Alfred, and Datus Kelly, and various other individuals July 21, 1866
6 184 Kingsbury, James, notes regarding his life by Charles Whittlesey May 25, 1858
6 185 Kingsbury, James, account by his daughter Diana Stedman regarding him, his family and neighbors, and life in early Cleveland; the hanging of John O'Mic on Public Square is described June 15, 1866
6 186 Perkins, Simon, account of his life by Elisha Whittlesey undated
6 187 St. Clair, Arthur, account of his life undated
6 188 Tappan, Benjamin, account of his life by Frederick Wadsworth 1857
6 189 Walworth, John, account of his life by John Barr undated
6 190 Walworth, John, transcripts of the account concerning his life by Ashabel Walworth in folder 191, and of the previous account undated
6 191 Walworth, John and Lorenzo Carter, account by Ashabel W. Walworth; includes a clipping concerning John Walworth's papers undated

Sub-series E: Miscellaneous 1843-1871 undated

Box Folder
6 192 Detroit, newspaper clipping (Cleveland Herald, December 16, 1871) of the text of the speech regarding Indian affairs around Detroit given by the Ottawa chief Miskouaki to the Marquis Vandreuil de Cavagnat, Governor General of Canada, and his reply, September 1706 December 16, 1871
6 193 Detroit, transcript of a translation of the Cass manuscripts, relating to Detroit and the Northwestern Tribes, 1726, and of a narrative of the siege of Detroit by Maxwell Thompson, 1763 December 15, 1851
6 194 Detroit, transcribed extracts of letters published in the New Port Mercury (Newport, Rhode Island) relating to the siege of Detroit, 1763. From files in the library of Peter Force February 1851
6 195 French forts, sketches of the old French fort at Venango, Pennsylvania, and an account by Charles Whittlesey of the forts at Presque Isle, Les Beauf, and Venango 1859
6 196 Great Lakes shipping, letter from Daniel Dobbins to John Barr, regarding early lake craft January 30, 1843
6 197 Great Lakes shipping, transcript of the previous letter undated
6 198 Western Reserve manuscripts, letter from Amzi Atwater to Charles Whittlesey describing manuscripts in his possession relating to the early history of the Western Reserve. Signature has been cut out July 17, 1845

Series VI: Court Cases 1803-1867 undated

Box Folder
6 199 Bath Street Case (William B. Lloyd vs. City of Cleveland), transcripts of deeds and contracts 1813-1829
6 200 Bath Street Case, transcript of the testimony and proceedings March 1848
6 201 Bath Street Case, deposition of Leonard Case, describes events in the early history of Cleveland February 25, 1856
6 202 Bath Street Case, deposition of Samuel Williamson May 4, 1858
6 203 Bath Street Case, deposition of Madison Kelly April 13, 1860
6 204 Bath Street Case, deposition of James Root September 26, 1856
6 205 Carter, Lorenzo, transcribed indictment against him for his assault on James Hambleton April 13, 1803
6 206 Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, notes on its activities from June 5, 1810 - September 18, 1819 undated
6 207 Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, copy of the previous notes May 1867?

Series VII: Miscellaneous 1800-1868 undated

Box Folder
7 208 Brockway, Titus, book of his accounts with Ephraim Root and Uriel Holmes July 18, 1800-December 11, 1806
7 209 Brockway, Titus, transcript of the above account book, but extending through April 20, 1808
7 210 Cleaveland, Moses, list of his papers in the possession of his son-in-law Samuel C. Morgan, husband of Francis Cleaveland Morgan September 1867
7 211 Cleaveland, Moses, some genealogical data about him compiled from his family bible by Samuel C. Morgan September 1, 1867
7 212 Cleveland, Ohio, list of those present at a town meeting April 5, 1802
7 213 Cleveland, Ohio, volume listing the amount of taxes paid on city lots December 1807
7 214 Cleveland, Ohio, list of the inhabitants of Cleveland village in 1810, according to Levi Johnson undated
7 215 Cleveland, Ohio, account book of the first library 1811-1813
7 216 Cleveland, Ohio, membership and record book of the first library 1811-1813
7 217 Cleveland, Ohio, transcribed abstracts from the Proceedings of the City Council relating to the laying out of Public Square 1814-1857
7 218 Cleveland, Ohio, notes on the organization of its churches from 1816-1856, taken by Charles Whittlesey July 19, 1867
7 219 Cleveland, Ohio, notes on its newspapers and periodicals from 1818-1869, taken by Charles Whittlesey undated
7 220 Cleveland, Ohio, list of the Mayors of the City Corporation, 1836-1865 undated
7 221 Cleveland, Ohio, two copies of the form of the banknote used by the Merchant's Bank of Cleveland ca. 1840
7 222 Cleveland, Ohio, notes on some early Cleveland newspapers, the splitting of Trumbull County, and early elections in the Western Reserve, including three clippings March 28, 1850 undated
7 223 Cuyahoga County Historical Society, transcript of constitution, some correspondence, and a history of Brecksville September 1858
7 224 Force, Peter, notes on his library taken by Charles Whittlesey January 26, 1850
7 225 Holbrook, Daniel, deed transferring his lands west of the Cuyahoga to Joshua Stowe April 3, 1807
7 226 Indian Wars, list of prisoners, dead, and wounded, 1750-1795, made by Charles Whittlesey undated
7 227 Indians, notes regarding those of the Western Reserve as given Seth Abby by Ebenezer Merry 1844
7 228 Ohio Militia (4th Division), list of the officers elected in the Trumbull County brigade June 1804
7 229 Root, Ephraim, account and notebook including notes on Vienna (No. 4 in 2nd Range) May 5, 1802 - November 28, 1803 July 1 - September 20, 1801 1817 May 28 - August 18, 1800 undated
7 230 Suffield, Ohio, division of Town 1, Range 9 (Suffield) among the proprietors January 20, 1802
7 231 Surveys and Surveyors, notes on Amzi Atwater's description of the personal appearances of the agents and surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company, and biographical notes concerning some early settlers 1846?
7 232 United States Auditor's Office (Treasury Department), transcript of the muster roll of Captain Harvey Murray's Company of Ohio Militia, War of 1812 August 5, 1868
7 233 Walworth, Judge, list of his letters and papers sent by express to F. D. Parish, made by Charles Whittlesey April 27, 1858
7 234 Whig Party, State Central Committee (Ohio), fundraising circular with some annotation June 6, 1836
7 235 Williams, Reverend Eleazer, list of works in his possession relating to the early history of the West November 1859
7 235 Force, Peter, list of works in his possession relating to the early history of the West, made by Charles Whittlesey February 21, 1851