Scope and Contents:
Samuel Wharton was active in the Philadelphia firm of Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan. After the Seven Years War, the firm engaged in trade with the Indians in the West, especially in Illinois. However, as a result of a series of reverses, beginning with losses from Pontiac's Uprising, the firm turned to land speculation and promotion. Its projects, which ultimately failed, included the Indiana Land Company and the Grand Ohio or Walpole Company.
This collection, drawn from originals in several repositories, contains photostats and transcript of pamphlets, maps, and a memorial by Samuel Wharton and Benjamin Franklin. The pamphlets, by Wharton, support the land claim for the formation of a colony while the five maps illustrate, in part, the boundaries of the claimants' interests in Ameica. See also the Thomas Wharton collection.