Franklin Waite Law Office. Papers, 1852-1884.
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily consists of legal correspondence most of which concerns property claims and disputes in Minnesota, a dispute between Thirza Goodell and Sarah Dake, settler claims resulting from the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and disputes over money and property. There are some personal letters addressed to Waite and his law partners.
Folders are arranged by the district or county court where the case was filed. The finding aid consists of an itemized inventory of the letters in the collection, their dates and a summary of the contents in each letter.
Dates
- 1852 - 1884
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on use of this collection for research purposes. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property and libel laws as they apply.
Conditions Governing Use
There are no restrictions on use of this collection for research purposes. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property and libel laws as they apply.
Biographical / Historical
Franklin Waite was born in Vermont in 1813 and moved to New York in 1816 and then Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1852. Some of the correspondence in the collection reflects connections to these places. In 1860 Waite moved to Mankato where he owned a law office with Cramer Burt. Over time, his law partners included General John Tourtellotte, Morton S. Wilkinson, E.P. Freeman, J.E. Porter and Thomas Hughes. Waite also served as an attorney for Mankato, district court judge and the Minnesota Senate. He died March 3, 1884.
Extent
2.50 Cubic Feet (2 Newspaper Boxes 1 Hollinger Box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Franklin Waite Law Office collection consists primarily of legal correspondence to Waite and his partners from clients and other attorneys.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials were found during a collections inventory in 2024. It is possible the Franklin Waite material was donated in 2004 to the Blue Earth County Historical Society and then the SMHC with additional papers found from Thomas Hughes’s law office.
- Title
- SMHC Collection 0296. Franklin Waite Law Office. Papers, 1852-1884.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Adam Smith and Saba Khan processed this collection
- Date
- 2024-12
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Southern Minnesota Historical Center Repository
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Memorial Library
PO Box 8419
Mankato MN 56002-8419 US
507-389-1029
archives@mnsu.edu
