Browse By Collection Title | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Manuscript Collections Beginning With "D"

968 Dalbey, Teresa. Composition Book and Family Biography, 1859-1864 (1.0 volume)

This collection consists of a composition book written by Teresa Dalbey, a student at the Morgan School, Emerald Point, Morgan County, Ill., in 1859. The book contains notes on grammar, mathematics, geography, and physical sciences. Dalbey was probably in her early teens at the time she kept the book. The book ...

1111 Danville Chapter of Hadassah. Records, 1957-1994 (3.4 cubic feet)

The Danville Chapter of Hadassah was a social and political organization for Jewish women that operated in Danville, Illinois, from approximately 1946 to 1994. This collection consists of materials that document the chapter's members, events, and charitable giving. The Danville Chapter of Hadassah was founded in 1946, two years before the ...

1123 Danville Fire Department. Composite photograph, 1907 (1.0 folder)

This collection contains a composite photograph of portraits of firefighters collected from the Fire Department of Danville, Illinois in 1907. Danville, Illinois, was one of the earliest cities to include firefighters of color in the 19th century. Black firefighters in Danville worked for Fire Company No. 2, established in 1903, on ...

1112 Danville Jewish Community Chest. Records, 1968-1979 and 1994-2003 (0.4 cubic feet)

Danville Jewish Community Chest is a not-for-profit corporation that originated in Danville, Illinois, in 1969. This collection includes materials that reflect the charitable organization's administrative function and contributions to the Jewish community in Danville and beyond. The Danville Jewish Community Chest was founded by Robert Platzer, Max Sperling, Jerry Fiman, Sol ...

812 Darby Family. Papers, 1820-1920 (0.2 cubic feet; 1 oversize folder)

This collection documents four generations of the Darby family, along with its allied families of Hale, Heard, Tillotson, Mann, and Smith. Pioneers from New England, the Darbys migrated to Genesee Co., N.Y., in 1825, then westward to Peoria Co., Ill., in 1850, and to Champaign Co., Ill., in the 1880s. ...

579 Darnall, M. D. Letter, 1847 (1.0 item)

This Aug. 17, 1847 letter from M. D. Darnall of Maysville, Clay Co., Ill., to Lindsay and Blakiston, publishers in Philadelphia, Pa., concerns the remittance of money owed for a subscription to the [i]Medical Examiner[/i].

580 Darrow, Clarence S. (1857-1938). Interview, Correspondence, and Papers, 1877-1937 (1.0 folder; and 1 reel of microfilm)

This transcript of an interview with Clarence S. Darrow was conducted by Agnes Wright Dennis of the Illinois Historical Survey in 1918. Having been a law partner of John P. Altgeld, Darrow discusses the Haymarket anarchist trial and pardon, and Altgeld's work as a Democratic governor. In addition, there is a ...

994 Daugherty, Clayton F., collector. Lincoln and Champaign County, 1960-1980 (0.8 cubic feet)

This collection consists of the research notes of Clayton F. Daugherty regarding Abraham Lincoln's legal career in Champaign County. Clayton F. Daugherty (1899-1990) was a Lincoln collector and researcher who lived most of his life in Champaign County, Illinois. He spent many years studying the law career of Abraham Lincoln, focusing ...

813 Daughters of the American Revolution, Alliance Chapter 642. Records and Scrapbooks, 1923-1956 (3.0 cubic feet)

This collection consists of records of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Alliance Chapter 642. These records include genealogies of prospective members as well as yearly scrapbooks from 1923, 1937, and 1940-1956. Kate Baker Busey (1855-1934) established the Alliance Chapter 642 of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Champaign, Illinois, ...

582 Daughters of the American Revolution, Illinois Chapter, Historic Sites of Illinois. Records, 1926-1936 (0.7 cubic feet)

This collection consists of records from the Illinois Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Records include reports, correspondence, photographs, and other materials. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Illinois Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution initiated a project to publish a guide to historic sites around ...

583 Davenport, Eugene. Correspondence, 1913-1914 (1.0 folder; 35 items)

Eugene Davenport, Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois from 1895 to 1922, collected descriptions of the characteristic features of pioneer life in Illinois. Davenport's correspondence reflects his attempts to gather accounts of early Illinois superstitions and remedies. Professor Elmer Roberts donated this correspondence to the Survey in ...

1030 Davis Family. Papers, 1815-1983 (0.4 cubic feet)

The collection documents the Davis family from Anderson Township, Clark County, Illinois, through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. William J. Davis (1822-1908) was born in Kentucky and moved to Clark County, Illinois, in the 1850s. The Davis family lived and farmed in Anderson Township for several decades. This collection contains documents ...

209 Davis, Rodney O. Papers (0.9 cubic feet)

772 Davis, David. Correspondence, 1862-1884 (1.0 folder; 44 items (see chronological card file))

The collection consists of transcriptions of David Davis correspondence from various sources, most likely collected by Harry E. Pratt for his University of Illinois doctoral dissertation, "David Davis, 1815-1886," submitted in 1930. David Davis of Bloomington, Illinois, served as Eighth Circuit Court Judge from 1848-1862, U.S. Supreme Court Justice from 1862-1877, ...

584 Davis, George T. M. Correspondence, 1833-1843 (1.0 folder; 9 items)

This collection consists of professional correspondence concerning the business of George T. M. Davis, who ran the law firm Davis & Krum in Alton, Illinois, with his partner John M. Krum from about 1832 to 1837. Born in Malta, George T. M. Davis (1810-1888) moved to Illinois in 1832, where he ...

585 Dayton, William C. Letters And Papers, 1887-1894 (1.0 folder; 23 items)

William C. Dayton, who previously lived in Elizabeth, N. J., was an active layman in the Ascension Parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Chicago Diocese, during the 1880s-90s. Rev. Larrabee was the parish rector, and Rev. R. R. Upjohn, who wrote nine of the letters in the collection, was the ...

880 De Blois, Austen Kennedy. Collection, 1852-1857, 1909 (5.0 items)

Austen Kennedy De Blois was a Baptist preacher and the author of [i]John Mason Peck and One Hundred Years of Home Missions, 1817-1917[/i] (New York: American Baptist Home Mission Society, 1917). This collection consists of five items De Blois used as source material for that book, including [i]Circular Address. To ...

586 Delano, Columbus (1809-96). Correspondence, 1869-1873 (5.0 volumes; 0.6 cu.ft)

This collection consists of five letterpress books dating from 1869 to 1873. The volumes contain reproductions of Columbus Delano's correspondence, which were made directly from the originals using a transfer process. As a Whig and then as a Republican, Columbus Delano represented the Ohio districts in Congress from 1845-1847 and ...

587 Deliette, Sieur Pierre. Paper, 1721 (1.0 item)

The Sieur Pierre Deliette, who arrived in the Illinois country in 1687, wrote this narrative known as the DeGannes Memoir. An early account of the Illinois country and the Illinois Native Americans, it is published in[i] The French Foundations, 1680-1693[/i], ed. Theodore Calvin Pease and Raymond C. Werner, Collections of ...

944 Deming, Minor and Abigail. Correspondence, 1826-1849 (0.2 cubic feet)

Minor R. Deming and his wife Abigail moved to Illinois in 1838. Minor Deming served as a brigadier general of the state militia under Governor Thomas Ford and was later elected sheriff of Hancock County in 1844 during a time of significant conflict between Mormon and anti-Mormon citizenry in the ...

588 Democratic Party, 18th Congressional District. Record Book, 1876-78 (0.2 cubic feet)

The records of the Democratic Central Committee of the 18th Congressional District were compiled at Cairo, Ill., and other southern Illinois towns, and concern the activities of Southern Illinois Democrats. Included are lists of committee and party members, voting statistics, fund raising notes, nominations, reports on the state of the ...

589 Denison, George Stanton. Letters, 1860-1865 (1.0 folder; 37 items)

George Stanton Denison served as acting collector of Internal Revenue in New Orleans during the Civil War. This collection includes photocopies of Denison's correspondence with various politicians, family, and friends from 1860-1865. George Stanton Denison (1833-1866) was a Unionist abolitionist serving as an official in the United States Treasury during the ...

590 Denlinger, Henry K. Reminiscence, 1905, 1905 (1.0 item)

Rev. Henry K. Denlinger, of the Second Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, Ill., wrote "The Second Church as I Knew It," a history of his work at the church. The work, of which the Survey has a typescript, is primarily an account of Denlinger's relations with his congregation, 1899-1905.

920 Dennis, Stephen. Letter, 1850 (1.0 folder)

This collection contains a letter written in 1850 by Stephen Dennis, a farmer in Greenville, Bond County, Illinois, to his grandfather in Virginia. In the letter Stephen describes the challenges the family faced over the past three crop seasons. He writes about the impact weather has had on their crops, ...

591 Dewey Collection. Family and Business Papers, 1818-1923 (1.7 cubic feet)

The Dewey Collection is divided into three major sections: personal family papers, business papers, and genealogical papers. Personal papers in the Dewey collection include correspondence from 1848 to 1911, along with several letters from the 1920s. In addition, there are photographs; several obituary notices; letters of recommendation; writings of Dewey ...

1140 DeWitt County. Real estate documents, 1869-1871 (1.0 folder)

This collection consists of one land deed and two real estate mortgages for adjoining parcels of land in DeWitt County, Illinois, from 1869, 1870, and 1871. DeWitt County, located in central Illinois, is part of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. The city of Clinton is the county seat. This collection consists of three ...

950 Dickerson, Joshua. Letters, 1861-1865 (0.2 cubic feet; 60 items)

Joshua Dickerson was born in Washington County, Pa. on Dec. 17, 1819. He married Lucinda W. Beck in the fall of 1849, and moved to Champaign County, Ill. in 1851. His wife died in 1856, and on June 7, 1857, he married Elmira Fagan. After the Civil War, Dickerson was ...

592 Episcopal Diocese Of Springfield. Letters, 1919-1920 (1.0 folder; 2 items)

This collection consists of correspondence relating to the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield. In a letter of Mar. 24, 1919, Granville H. Sherwood, Bishop of Springfield, wrote to the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Springfield requesting its consent to the sale and purchase of Church property in Centralia, Illinois. A ...

1163 Dixon, Evelyn. Letters, 1942-1944 (0.2 cubic feet)

This collection consists of letters written to Evelyn Dixon between 1942 and 1944. A majority of the letters are from soldiers in the Army Air Corps that she met during their training at the Chanute Air Force Base in Champaign County, Illinois. Evelyn Dixon (1914-2008) was born and raised in Champaign, ...

1135 Dodge, John C. Letter, 1845 (1.0 folder)

This collection contains a letter written by John C. Dodge of Chicago to his cousin, Samuel Johnson of Salem, Massachusetts, on July 16, 1845. In the letter, Dodge provides Johnson with genealogical information on their family and offers his impressions of the newly settled West. John Crowninshield Dodge (1809-1889) was born ...

593 Dohrman, Arnold Henry (1749-1813). Papers, 1777-1833 (0.7 cubic feet)

The Dohrman brothers were merchants who operated two offices of their mercantile house-- Jacob Dohrman in Lisbon and Arnold Henry Dohrman in New York. Their correspondence reports on arrivals of vessels, cargoes, prices of commodities, and general information concerning trade conditions in Europe, especially in Portugal and Spain during the ...

1167 Dorris, William Henderson. Papers, 1858-1898 (0.4 cubic feet)

The William Henderson Dorris Papers consist of family correspondence, diaries, and personal papers, much of which was created while Dorris served in the 83rd Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Dorris, whose unit was mainly stationed in Tennessee during the war, was a passionate Democrat. The collection also includes family ...

908 Douglas, George H. Photograph collection, 1848-1979 (0.7 cubic feet)

This collection contains photographs and other visual materials that George H. Douglas collected for his history of Chicago and the railroad, [i]Rail City: Chicago, U.S.A[/i]. (1981). The collection is filed in two boxes. Box 1 contains images used in the book, arranged by chapter in the order in which they appear. ...

594 Downs, William R. Diary And Notes, 1845-65 (3.0 items; 1 volume)

In 1845, William R. Downs, a missionary of the American Home Missionary Society, moved to Illinois from New York, and established a ministry in Jefferson, McHenry Co. Downs' diary covers two periods, Sep.-June 1845-46, and Feb.-Mar. 1847. In addition to describing his daily experiences, the diary includes drafts of one annual ...

814 Draper Collection, 1735-1858 (0.2 cubic feet; 69 microfilm reels)

The Draper Manuscripts, collected by Lyman C. Draper (1815-1891), constitute the largest early collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society. For an overview, see Josephine L. Harper's [i]Guide to the Draper Manuscripts[/i] (1983) [016.97802 H232g]. The Draper collection was microfilmed in 1949 (133 reels, in most sets) and again in 1980 ...

596 Dreer Collection. Letters, 1765-1771 (2.0 items; 1 folder)

This collection includes a copy of a letter and abstract from Gen. Thomas Gage and a letter from Col. John Wilkins concerning Native Americans and military affairs in the Illinois Country. Specific references are made to the occupation of Fort Chartres by the British, the nature of different tribes after ...

597 Droit School, Sugar Loaf Township, St Clair Co. School Records and Class Photographs, 1872-1925 (0.2 cubic feet; 12 items)

Included in this collection is the "District School Record Book" for the Droit School (primary school), District No. 4, Township No. 1, Range No. 10 and 11 W., St. Clair County, for the years 1872-99. The book compiled printed forms and special ledgers, including forms used to record annual and ...

598 Dudgeon, Edwin. Collection of Satiric Poems, 1873 (2.0 volumes)

This collection contains two volumes of handwritten satiric poems by an anonymous author, but evidently given to Edwin Dudgeon around 1873. The larger volume, entitled "The Stale Trout, 1873," contains a story about mailing several smelly fish to various people in Chicago. Allusions in the story suggest that the author ...

943 Dugué de Boisbriand, Pierre. Legal document, 1721 (1.0 item)

This collection is comprised of a legal document transferring ownership of the belongings of Pierre Dugué de Boisbriand to his sister, Marie-Therese Dugué Piot de Langloiserie. Pierre Dugué de Boisbriand (1675-1736) was a French military officer who served as commander of outposts at Mobile, Natchez, Louisiana, and the Illinois Country. In ...

372 Dunaway, William E. Papers, 1862-1865 (38.0 items)

This collection contains typescripts of William E. Dunaway's letters to his second wife, Henriette Boone, between Aug. 14, 1862, when he enlisted from Shelbyville, Illinois, and Feb. 26, 1865, when he died of chronic diarrhea at the general hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Dunnaway (as his name was first spelled in ...

600 Duncan Family. Correspondence, 1849-1882 (1.0 folder; 24 items)

This collection consists of transcripts of correspondence between Elizabeth Caldwell Duncan and members of her family. Elizabeth Caldwell Duncan (1808-1876) was the wife of Joseph Duncan, who served as Governor of Illinois from 1834 to 1838. The collection contains transcripts of correspondence between Elizabeth Caldwell Duncan and members of her family, including ...

599 Duncan, Joseph. Record Book, 1834-1841 (1.0 volume)

This volume contains personal records of Joseph Duncan, Governor of Illinois, 1834-38. Included are a series of ten sketch maps of townships where Duncan had land holdings; 165 indexed pages where Duncan pasted newspaper clippings about his administration, with notes and some extended diary entries; pages from the Journals of ...

601 Dunlap, Matthias Lane (1814-75). Collection, 1842-1862 (2.0 volumes)

This collection consists of two volumes by Matthias Lane Dunlap, a surveyor, horticulturist, and editor, including a book of surveys of Cook County, Illinois, and a copy of volume 7 of [i]The Illinois Farmer[/i]. Matthias Lane Dunlap (1814-1875) was born in Cherry Valley, New York. Around 1856, Dunlap moved to Troy ...

602 Dunne, Edward Fitzsimons. Collection, 1873-1937 (3.0 cubic feet)

Edward F. Dunne was a leading progressive Democrat who served as mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois. This collection consists of newspaper accounts of Dunne's public career, mounted in eleven scrapbooks. Throughout the scrapbooks, Dunne's initials appear beside selected articles. These accounts served as the basis for William L. ...

1102 Durell, William M. Letter, 1865-1865 (1.0 folder)

This collection contains a letter from William M. Durell in Vermont, Illinois, January 22, 1865. Durell’s letter includes commentary on the draft for the United States Civil War and taxes in Vermont Township. William M. Durell (1810-1891) was a carpenter in Vermont, a small town in northwestern Illinois. He married Margaret ...

603 Durfee, George. Correspondence and Papers, 1861-1901 (0.7 cubic feet)

This collection consists of the correspondence of George S. Durfee, a soldier and captain during the United States Civil War and a member of the Illinois Vicksburg Commission. George S. Durfee (1840-1907) was born in Marshall, Michigan. The Durfee family moved to Decatur, Illinois, when George Durfee was seventeen. In ...

604 Dwight, John Sullivan. Correspondence, 1840-1850 (1.0 microfilm reel)

The Rev. John Sullivan Dwight, later famous as a music critic, was a prominent member of the Brook Farm Community, West Roxbury, Mass., 1841-1847, and one of the editors of its journal, the Harbinger. The letters in this collection were written to him by various persons during the period of ...