Papers, 1797-1905.

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Papers, 1797-1905.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51297866

Letters, financial papers, deeds, legal documents, bills and receipts, notes, invitations, maps and news clippings. Letters to Thornton regarding his service in the military, business of the Illinois Michigan canal, politics and his property and banking business include letters from Governor Joseph Duncan, John A. McClernand, Orlando Ficklin, Charles Lanphier, Edward B. Talcott, John Fry and Judge Anthony Thornton. Two letters Thornton wrote to his wife, one on returning from England discussing his activities there and another from Chicago where he discusses the amount of sickness and death among the canal workers. An 1836 letter from Henry Clay about a bull Thornton had bought. An 1866 letter from J.P. Vaughn from France discusses the arrangements for "hiding T." there during his "temporary banishment" also gives vivid description of his trip through Italy. Family letters include many from relatives in Kentucky and Virginia including the Holloway, McClanahan, Wedderburn, Bayse and Clay families that discuss relatives, family news, travels, politics and business. Many letters to Ann and the Thornton daughters letters. Numerous deeds to property, promissory notes to Thornton, tax information on his bank and some legal documents. Notes for political speeches, probably written by Thornton. Copies of speeches by Thornton, Stephen Douglas and others. Newsclippings on politics.

.84 linear feet (2 boxes)

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

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SNAC Resource ID: 7637521

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

Related Entities

There are 15 Entities related to this resource.

Illinois and Michigan Canal (Ill.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b38m7k (corporateBody)

After the U.S. Congress granted nearly a hundred miles of public lands (between Lake Michigan and Illinois River headwaters) to the state of Illinois for canal construction (March 30, 1822), the General Assembly passed a canal bill (Feb. 14, 1923) establishing the Illinois and Michigan Canal Company. Following this company's failure, Congress donated Illinois land (March 2, 1827) "equal to one-half of five sections in width, on each side of the canal, reserving each alternate sectio...

Clay, Henry, 1777-1852

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gc2thc (person)

Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777 – June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the Senate and House. He was the seventh House speaker and the ninth secretary of state. He received electoral votes for president in the 1824, 1832, and 1844 presidential elections. He also helped found both the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. For his role in defusing sectional crises, he earned the appellation of the "Great Compromiser" and was part of the "Grea...

Thornton, William F. (William Fitzhugh), 1789-1873.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66q5cqs (person)

Early settler of Shelbyville, Illinois, founder of the first bank in that city, Illinois legislator and president of the board of Canal Commissioners overseeing the building of the Illinois-Michigan Canal. Born in Hanover, Virginia, the son of Reuben, a lawyer, and Mildred Grywes Thornton. He was a Captain in the cavalry company of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812 and was rewarded for his success in that with promotion to Major and in 1827 a commission from John Q. Adams to Brigadier Gene...

Whig party (Ill.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6743227 (corporateBody)

McClanahan family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nt01sq (family)

Holloway family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69d647t (family)

Wedderburn family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p07fj7 (family)

Democratic Party (Ill.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gb6c2b (corporateBody)

Illinois branch of U.S Democratic Party. From the description of Speech notes, 1860 July 25. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 34608028 ...

Bayse family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v50221 (family)

McClernand, John A. (John Alexander), 1812-1900

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fj2fn1 (person)

Illinois politician and soldier. From the description of Report, 1861 Nov. 12. (Filson Historical Society, The). WorldCat record id: 49252333 Prior to his appointment as Brigadier General of the volunteers by Abraham Lincoln, McClernand had served in the Black Hawk War, studied law and passed the bar, been elected to the Illinois legislature and to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served under Grant at Belmont, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Arkansas Post, until ...

Thornton family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kt5zd7 (family)

Clay family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pd28bq (family)

Duncan, Joseph, 1794-1844

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ww7qzr (person)

From Jacksonville, Illinois, sixth governor of the state, had previously served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the state legislature, and U.S. Congress. Born in Paris, Kentucky, came to Illinois, where his brother Matthew was the publisher of the Kaskaskia "Herald", after the War of 1812. He married Elizabeth Caldwell Smith in 1828 and the couple moved to Jacksonville, Ill. Duncan had been quite wealthy, but due to financial problems within the state and a corrupt relative, he died leav...

Ficklin, Orlando B. (Orlando Bell), 1808-1886

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67m125n (person)

Lawyer, Mount Carmel and Charleston, Illinois; quartermaster, Black Hawk War; state's attorney, Wabash Circuit, 1835; member, Illinois House of Representatives, 1838-1840, 1842-1843, 1879-1880; member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1843-1849, 1851-1853. From the description of Letter: Charleston, [Ill.], [18]62 Dec. 7. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 30463383 From the description of Legal documents, 1835-1857. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Librar...

Minor, Lucian, 1802-1858

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j10fvq (person)