Scope and Contents:
This collection contains materials that document the later work of David Prickett, an Illinois public servant during the mid-19th century. The collection primarily consists of letters and legal documents.
David Prickett was born in 1800 in Franklin County, Georgia. In 1809, he and his family migrated to the Illinois Territory and settled in Edwardsville. Prickett graduated with a law degree from Transylvania University in 1821 and was admitted to the bar the same year. He married Charlotte Griffith (b. 1806) in 1834, with whom he had five children. In 1835, the young family moved to Springfield, Illinois. As a practicing attorney, Prickett was elected Clerk of the House [of the State of Illinois] for four general assemblies (1830-1840), State’s Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit (1837), and Treasurer of the Board of Canal Commissioners (1839-1841). In 1842, Prickett was appointed Commissioner of the State Bank of Illinois, a role he maintained until 1844. As the Assistant Clerk of the Fifteenth General Assembly (1846-1847), David Prickett died in 1847.
The bulk of this collection consists of letters addressed to David Prickett that represent his involvement with the Illinois state government, as well as his dealings as an attorney. The collection also includes receipts, promissory notes, and notices of overdue payment that shed light on Prickett’s monetary dealings, as well as illustrations depicting the likeness of Prickett and A.T. Bledsoe.
The Library purchased this collection in 2022 with the support of the Bruce C. Creamer Fund.
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