Series 30: Estate Property Documents, 1852-1892
Scope and Contents
The Walter L. Newberry estate consisted of personal property and real estate in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, and in Wisconsin (Appleton Outagamie County, Green Bay Brown County, Milwaukee Milwaukee County). From 1868 to the final distribution of the properties to the Newberry Library (1892) and Newberry's heirs, the estate trustees, Blatchford and Bradley, were responsible for the daily administration of the property, including the leasing, subdivision, improvement, and sale of the Newberry lands.
Property documents organized, where possible, according to distribution schedule (Record Group 02/09/20) number, include loan and lease agreements; land contracts, purchase agreements, and deeds; examinations of title; building bids and contracts; and Wisconsin property records (correspondence with land agents, inventories, deeds, agreements, and newspapers). Of particular interest are documents regarding the Lincoln Park Commissioners and the extension of Lake Shore Drive, specifications for Near North Side buildings constructed after the 1871 fire, and plat maps showing the subdivision of Chicago (including the stockyard area) and Wisconsin properties.
Dates
- Creation: 1852-1892
Creator
- From the Collection: Newberry Library (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
The Newberry Library Archives are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Unprocessed records are available by appointment only. Advance notice is necessary, particularly for administrative files, so that files may be screened for personnel records that are removed when records are processed.
Files containing personal or confidential information about individuals (including individual files on members of the Board of Trustees, individual donor files and records reporting the donations of an individual, personnel records, payroll records, and individual accepted fellows files) are closed for 30 years.
Extent
11.5 Linear Feet (22 boxes, 1 record carton, and 1 oversize box)
Arrangement
Arranged by type of document.
Separated Materials
Plat maps of estate properties have been removed to the Newberry Library Map Collection.
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org