Scope and Contents:
This collection is comprised of transcriptions (1 folder) and copies of correspondence and records (4 folders) documenting the activities of Joseph Henry McChesney from 1859-1875. The transcriptions in this collection are primarily related to McChesney’s purchase of a Roman tablet which was unearthed in Scotland in 1866. The bulk of the copies of correspondence and documents relate to McChesney’s work as U.S. Consul at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England from 1862-1869. The correspondence from this time includes references to the Civil War; political events in the U.S. and England; the creation of a scientific exchange program between the United State Department of Agriculture and various agencies and groups in England and Germany; and Secretary of State William H. Seward’s request for aid in finding information about a missing U.S. sailor. The collection also contains materials related to McChesney’s work as an Illinois state geologist before the war; items documenting the wartime activities of O.M. Dorman, a unionist from St. Augustine, Florida; a description of oil properties in Washington County, Ohio; a letter from Cyrus H. McCormick to the Trustees of Lake Forest University concerning the creation of a college named after himself; and several letters requesting out-of-print Smithsonian Institution Reports.
Biographical/Historical Context:
Joseph Henry McChesney (1828-1895) was trained professionally as a geologist, serving as a member of the Illinois Geological Survey. He was an early member of the Illinois Natural History Society and held a professorship at the University of Chicago. He was appointed as U.S. Consul in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, in 1862, a position he held until 1869. As consul, McChesney would have been in a diplomatic role, tasked with protecting U.S. commerce abroad.
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