Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan. Papers, 1757-1799 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

This collection relates to the activities in the Illinois Country of the Philadelphia mercantile firm of Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan. It also documents the subsequent career of George Morgan. The collection consists of 6 reels of microfilmed papers and 10 transcripts of correspondence not on film. In addition, there are 14 photostats and transcriptions of items that are available on the film.

The letters discuss political events and trade in Illinois and the West during the British regime, the governing of frontier areas, the establishment of boundaries, and disputes with Native Americans. Among the correspondents are Gen. Thomas Gage, George Morgan (writing from Kaskaskia), James Rumsey, and Lord Dunmore.

The microfilm and typescripts were made from the originals in the Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers in the Pennsylvania Division of Public Records in 1964. Please note this is not a copy of the full collection, which was later distributed as a set of 10 reels. See Guide to the Microfilm of the Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers in the Pennsylvania State Archives (1967) for more on the full collection. As of 2018, the 10-reel set produced in 1967 can be found at the Center for Research Libraries (http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1986199~S35) as well as other libraries throughout the United States. This collection is closely linked to the Survey's George Morgan Papers.