Ninian Wirt Edwards Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-BC187

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Papers of Ninian Wirt Edwards, concerning his career as Attorney General of Illinois, his time as a State Representative and State Center, his tenure as Superintended of Public Instruction, and his term as Captain and Commissary of Supplies during the Civil War. Included in the collection are letters, conveyances, legal papers, and his diploma. The letters, 1791-1900, include about fifty items and deal primarily with family or the sale of property. Acopy of a letter from Levi Todd, Mary Lincolnâs grandfather, to Henry Innes, June 14, 1791 re difficultyraising troops for local militia in Kentucky. July 2, 1809-letter to Ninian Edwards from D. Oliverregarding the French Catholics obeying territorial law. An 1866 letter from Ninian Wirt Edwards toOrville H. Browning re Lincolnâs choice between David Davis and Browning for the appointment ofJustice to the Supreme Court. Several letters from R.S. Todd in the 1840âs deal specifically with landtransactions. Four letters to Albert Edwards, 1894 & 1899, from Todd family members in Kentuckydiscuss Todd family history. Five letters of the Black family in Vandalia, Illinois, where James Black hadcome from New York in 1820 and was elected to the legislature in 1828, from family in New York andKentucky. Seven letters from Albert D. Hager, Secretary of the Chicago Historical Society, re gift ofNinian Edwards Papers and one concerning the death of Isaac N. Arnold, President of the ChicagoHistorical Society.The majority of the collection consists of conveyances of Edwardsâ land transactions1819 transaction ofNinian Edwards with Pierre and Angelique Menard for land around Kaskaskia 1819 transaction withFrancois Menard for land in Kaskaskia that was confirmed by an act of Congress to St. Geme Beauvaisin right of the Jesuits and in 1830 Ely Mintoyne to James Mason, lot of ground in Alton on whichMintonyeâs steam mill stood. Other individuals named in deeds, in addition to the Edwards family,include Elijah C. Berry, Edward A. Choutear, Lemuel Combs, Henry Conner, Joseph Duncan, GeorgeForquer, John Hay, Archer Herndon, Elijah Iles, Stephen T Logan, Etienne Pensonneau, John Reynolds,James Shields, James T. Stapp, Jesse B. Thomas, Samuel Treat, and Erastus Wright.Also includes commissions and miscellaneous items including a plat of Edwardsâ Addition to LowerAlton agreement, July 7, 1834, of heirs on settlement of estate of Ninian Edwards in St. Clair CountyNinian Wirt Edwardsâs commission, 1853, as trustee of Jacksonville Institute for the Blind and hisappointment, August 8, 1861, as Captain of the Commissary of Subsistence.