PUBLIC "-//University of Virginia::Library::Special Collections Dept.//TEXT (US::ViU::viu03488::Papers of James S. Easley)//EN" "viu03488.xml" A Guide to the Papers of James S. Easley, 1837-1904Easley, Papers of James S. 38-52 Special Collections, University of Virginia Library © 2003 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.

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Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word 2000, created by niyi, 5/12/2003 Description is in English Feb 20, 2004 PUBLIC "-//University of Virginia::Library::Special Collections Dept.//TEXT (US::ViU::viu03488::Papers of James S. Easley)//EN" "viu03488.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Feb 27, 2004 converted to conform to eadVIVA.dtd by vivastrict.xsl A Guide to the Papers of James S. Easley, 1837-1904 A Collection in Special Collections The University of Virginia Library 38-52

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library 2003 Processed by: Special Collections Staff Special Collections, University of Virginia Library Descriptive Summary Special Collections, University of Virginia Library Papers of James S. Easley 1837-1904 38-52 This collection consists of ca. 2600 items (4 Hollinger Boxes, 1.6 linear shelf feet) and 115 bound ledgers (18 linear shelf feet). English Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of James S. Easley, Accession #38-52, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The collection was given to the Library by James S. Easley, a grandson of James S. Easley (1802-1879), of Halifax, Virginia, in 1934.

Scope and Content Information

The James S. Easley collection consists of ca. 2600 items (4 Hollinger Boxes, 1.6 linear shelf feet) and 115 bound ledgers (18 linear shelf feet), 1837-1904, containing business records of James S. Easley and his successors of Halifax Court House [now Halifax], Virginia.

James S. Easley was born in 1802 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. With various associates, he sold general merchandise in Halifax Court House , Virginia, and speculated in mid-western lands. Mr. Easley died in 1879. Over the years James Easley's businesses were conducted by a variety of the following associates, executors and successors: Easley and Willingham; W.W. Willingham; Easley, Holt and Co.; Easley, Carrington and Co.; Samuel W. Holt; Easley and Hurt; R. Holt Easley, Wood Boudin, Jr. and Banister Mills.

The collection includes the records of merchandising business, land speculation, a milling enterprise and the settling of Easley's estate. Also included are the records of the continuation of these activities in a business operated by R. Holt Easley, son of James. Easley. The records of the general merchandising business are contained chiefly in day books/ journals, journals and ledgers. They include the names of wholesale suppliers and customers, and detail the variety of goods handled. The records of Easley's land speculations dominate the collection and include correspondence, maps, registers of various land records, receipts, bonds, deeds, tax lists and accounts. They are to be found throughout the manuscript material and the bound ledgers. The land records begin in 1853 and continue through 1904. Business was conducted with Iowa land agents such as Weare and Allison, W.J. Barney and Co., E.S. Hedges, J.P. and J.N. Casady, and Casady and Test as well as agents in Kansas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, and Nebraska. Brief references to a milling enterprise are included in a receipt (Banister Mills, 1881) and in several business letters (1903--1904).

Beginning in 1879 all records, including those of the land speculation, reflect the adjustments necessitated by Easley's death. Records of R. Holt Easley's management of the business can be found in both the manuscript material and the bound ledgers, beginning ca. 1882. The collection contains references to the existence of lead in Iowa, the influence of new railroads, and problems resulting from the Civil War in relation to the ownership of property in the north by a Virginia businessman.

Organization

The manuscript material is filed in chronological order. The material within each folder is in forward chronological order, except for some letters which had been serialized. These letters have been filed by number, and vary between being in reverse chronological order and an inconsistent forward chronological order. Some of these folders also contain an index of fair accuracy.

The ledgers are arranged in six groups: Letter books, Daybooks/ Journals, Journals, Ledgers, Land Records, and Miscellaneous. Each group is lettered (A to F, respectively), and ledgers in each group are arranged in chronological order and numbered. (See listing at the end of this guide.) Several of the journals contain two sets of records, each set separated by a number of years. The letters in some of the ledgers are letter press copies and, therefore, many are difficult to read.

Contents List Accounts, bonds, business letters, deeds and land lists 1850-1882 1 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham (with index for period 1855 Oct. 13- 1855 Dec 1) 1855 Oct. 13-Dec.1 1 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham (for index see folder for 1855 Oct. 13- 1855 Dec. 1) 1855 Nov.21-1856 Feb 16 1 Accounts, business letters, receipts and tax lists 1858-1862 1 Accounts, business letters, land lists and receipts 1861-1870 1 List of Western Lands 1856 1 Accounts, business letters, deeds and receipt 1870-1880 1 Business Letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W. W. Willingham (contains map- "Township No. 28 Range 32") 1870 Nov 28-1871 Jan 19 1 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham 1871 Jan 16-Feb 24 1 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W. W. Willingham 1871 Feb 15- Apr 17 2 Accounts, Business letters and Deeds 1873-1880 2 Newspaper clipping re crop prospects [ca 1874] 2 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham 1874 Feb 14-Apr 30 2 Business letters to James S. Easley and W.W. Willingham 1874 Aug 11- Oct 3 2 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and W. W. Willingham 1874 May- Aug 10 2 Accounts, business letters, deeds, land lists and receipts 1875-1880 2 Business letters to James S. Easley (with index for period 1876 Jan 3- 1876 May 16) 1876 Jan 3- Feb 12 2 Business letters to James S. Easley (for index see folder for 1876 Jan 3-1876 Feb12), 2 folders 1876 Feb 10- May 16 2 Business letters to James S. Easley, Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham (with index for period 1876 Sep 30- 1877 Mar 12) 1876 Sep 30- Jan 12 3 Business letters to James S. Easley and W.W. Willingham (for index see folder for 1876 Sep 30- 1877 Jan 12) 1877 Jan 12- Mar 12 3 Business letters to James S. Easley and W. W. Willingham 1878 Dec 11- 1879 Feb 25 3 Accounts, business letters, deeds, and receipts 1879-1883 3 Business letters to James S. Easley and Easley and Willingham 1879 Feb 26- May 3 3 Business letters to James S. Easley and Easley and Willingham and W.W. Willingham 1879 Apr 30- Aug 28 3 Accounts, business letters, receipts and statements 1880-1887 3 Business letters to Wood Bouldin, Jr., R. Holt Easley, Samuel W. Holt and other executors of James S. Easley's estate 1881 Dec 16- 1882 May 9 3 Accounts, receipts and statements 1882 Jan 7- Apr 29 4 Accounts and receipts 1882 May 4- 1884 Jul 12 4 Accounts, business letters, land lists, receipts, and statements 1883-1886 4 Accounts, business letters, land lists, receipts, and statements 1886 4 Business letters and receipts 1887-1895 4 Pamphlet 1886 4 Advertisements, catalogs and circulars 1900-1901 4 Zeta Psi fraternity- Biographical catalog blank 1900 Jan 2 4 Accounts book: J. S. Easley in A/C with V.M.I. 1901-1904 4 Telegram: Elizabeth Easley to R. Holt Easley 1901 May 16 4 Sales of warrants 1853 Jun 23-1885 Oversize Accounts- Easley and Willingham W/ Cook, Sargent and Downey 1853-1855 Oversize Sales of land Warrants 1854 Oct 17 1885 Dec 29 Oversize "Abstract of Warrants sold for Easlet and Willingham" 1855 Oct 22- 1856 Feb 27 Oversize "Easley and Willingham time entries" 1855 Nov 26- 1856 Apr 23 Oversize "List of locations scrip for Easley and Willingham" 1855 Dec 25- 1857 Feb 11 Oversize Account- James S. Easley w/ Cook, Sargent and Downey 1856 Jan 1- Mar 21 Oversize "List of warrants sold for Easley and Willingham" 1856 Mar 4- Apr 14 Oversize "List of warrants located for James Easley" 1856 Mar 18- Apr 16 Oversize Account- Cook, Sargent and Downey w/ James S. Easley. 1856 Mar 21- Apr 24 Oversize "Abstract of warrant and scrip locations for James S. Easley" 1856 Aug 14- 1857 Nov 6 Oversize List of properties Post 1856 Nov 1 Oversize Account- Bennet and Maxon w/ Easley and Willingham 1858 May 29- 1859 May 2 Oversize Accounts- James S. Easley w/ Casady and test 1858 Jaul 1- 1859 Dec 2 Oversize "Map of Fort Dodge and a part of the Sioux City and Osage Land Districts Iowa 1858" 1858 Oversize "Statement of homesteads, Council Bluffs [Iowa] Land District for James S. Easley" [ca 1858-1859] Oversize Account- Easley and Willingham w/ Weare and Allison 1866 [Jan 3?] -Oct 12 Oversize "List of Easley and Willingham's lands sold by Weare and Allison 1866" 1866 Oversize 24 Treasurer's Tax Deeds to James S. Easley 1872 Nov 27- 1876 Jan 31 Oversize Business letter - Chas. A. Wallace to James S. Easley 1876 Feb 8 Oversize Map- "Topographical map of Hancock county, Iowa" 1876-1879 Oversize Map- "Map of Woodbury County, Iowa" 1882 Oversize Account- R. Holt Easley w/ L. Faulkner 1884 Feb 5- 1886 Feb 2 Oversize Map- "Map of Sioux City, Iowa" 1887 Oversize Map- "Highland Park, Sioux City, Iowa" n.d. Oversize Map- "Plat of Sioux City, Iowa" (two copies) n.d. Oversize "Map of Sioux City, Iowa" (Blueprint) n.d. Oversize Letter Books 1853-1904 48 Volumes 1853 Jun 11- 1855 Sep 11

with index 1

1855 Sep 17- 1856 Nov 1

with index 2

1856 Nov 2- 1858 Oct 5

with index 3

1858 Oct 5- 1860 Jun 18

with index 4

1859 Nov 14- 1860 Jul 11

with index 5

1860 Jun 18 1865 Oct 16

with index 6

1861 Feb 13- 1866 Jul 24

with index 7

1865 Oct 16- 1867 Feb 20

with index 8

1867 Feb. 20- 1868 Apr 11

with index 9

1867 Oct 3- 1868 Jul 25

with index 10

1868 Apr 14- 1869 Apr 9

with index 11

1868 Jul 28- Dec 21

with index 12

1869 Apr 19- 1870 Mar 31

with index 13

1870 Jun 1- 1871 Aug 14

with index 14

1871 Aug 16- 1872 Sep 4

with index 15

1872 Sep 11- 1873 Dec 31

with index 16

1874 Jan 1- 1875 Feb 25

with index 17

1874 Oct 20- 1874 Feb 10

with index 18

1875 Feb 25- 1876 Feb 18

with index 19

1875 May 26- 1876 Jan 1

with index 20

1876 Feb 19- 1877 May 15

with index 21

1877 May 17- 1878 Sep 17

with index 22

1878 Arp 8- Dec 10

with index 23

1878 Sep 17- 1881 Jan 21

with index 24

1879 Aug 2- 1880 Feb 2

with index 25

1879 Dec 29- 1880 Dec 10

with index 26

1880 Dec 8- 1882 Apr 21

with index 27

1880 Dec 9- 1881 Dec 26

1881 Jan 7- 1882 Aug 25

1881 Oct 26- 1883 Jun 3

1882 Apr 27- 1883 Nov 3

with index 31

1883 Jun 1- 1884 Mar 17

with index 32

1883 Nov 5- 1885 Jul 10

with index 33

1884 Apr 1- 1885 Apr 8

with index 34

1885 May 23 -1888 Jun 20

with index 35

1885 Jul 11- 1889 Mar 12

with index 36

1887 Oct 11- 1890 Apr 9

with index 37

1889 Mar 15- 1891 Aug 11

with index 38

1889 Apr 24- 1891 Jan 20

with index 39

1889 Apr 27- 1890 Jul 24

with index 40

1890 Jul 1- Dec 11

with index 41

1891 Apr 6- 1892 Mar 1

with index 42

1892 Jan 12- Aug 19

with index 43

1892 Mar 2- Oct 27

with index 44

1894 May 24- 1896 Feb 22

with index 45

1901 Nov 5- 1902 May 15

with index 46

1902 Jul 17- 1903 Jun 12

with index 47

1903 Jun 16- 1904 Sep 16

with index 48

Daybooks/Journals 1837-1838, 1873-1878 2 Vols. 1837 Jul 23- 1838 Sep 29 1

Daybook

1838 Jun 15- Sep 19

Journal

1837 Jul 19- 1838 Jul 28 1873 Sep 16- 1877 Jul 14 2

Daybook

1873 Sep 15- 1878 Mar 3

Journal

Journals 1837- 1895 42 Vols. 1837 Jul 1- Nov 20

1838 Jan 1 -Sep 29

1838 Nov 1- 1839 Aug 31

1838 Oct 16- 1839 Aug 4

1839 Sep 2- 1840 May 30

1869 Oct 1- 1840 Jun 23

1840 Jun 22- 1841 Feb 20

1840 Jul 1- 1841 Jan 30

1841 Feb 22- Oct 23

1841 Mar 1- Sep 30

1841 Oct 25- 1880 Jul 17

1842 Mar 21- Nov 8

1842 Apr 1- Oct 31

1842 Nov 9- 1843 Jul 29

1842 Dec 1- 1843 Aug 31

1843 Sep 1- 1884 May 31

1843 Oct 2- 1884 Oct 30

1844 May 13- 1845 Jan 31

1845 Apr 1- Dec 31

1845 Dec 1- 1847 Oct 15

1846 Jan 1- Nov 17

1846 Feb 2- Oct 31

1846 Nov 18- 1847 Sep 30

1847 Oct 15- 1877 Apr 6

1863 Oct 15- 1864 Jan 25 1847 Nov 1- 1848 Jan 31

1862 Nov 24- 1863 Oct 14 1854 Mar 1- Nov 30

1854 Apr 1- Nov 30

1855 Jan 1- Jul 30

1855 Jul 31- 1856 Jan 31

1856 Mar 1- 1857 Mar 31

1856 Apr 1- 1857 Apr 30

1857 Jun 1- 1858 Feb 26

1858 Mar 1- 1859 Fan 31

1858 Apr 1- 1861 Feb 28

1859 Mar 1- 1860 Jan 16

1859 Apr 1- Dec 31

1860 Jan 16- 1860 Jan 30

1860 Feb 1- 1861 Feb 12

1861 Mar 1- 1862 Sep 23

1861 Apr 1- 1862 Nov 23

1873 Fan 20- Feb 8

1883 Nov 1- 1895 Mar

Ledgers 1837-1883 12 vols. 1837- 1839

1842-1846

with index 2

1844-1833

with index 3

1851-1852

1853-1860

1855-1874

with index 6

1855-1856

1858-1859

1861-1864

1864-1881

with index 10

1870-1873

with index 11

Land Records Register of Land Warrants 1852-1855

with index 1

Ledger/ Register of Land Records 1853-1858

with index 2

Ledger/ Register of land records 1853-1881

Ledger/ Register of land records 1854-1879

with index 4

with index 5

Land tracts maps ca. 1857

with index 7

Miscellaneous Register of debt, court judgments and land records 1837-1886 Register of balances 1874-1879

with index

Miscellaneous Financial records 1866-1876 Invoice book 1869-1871