John H. Case and Family: Finding Aids : MNHS.ORG


	Creator:	Case, John H., 1848-1926.
	Title:	John H. Case and family papers.
	Dates:	1854-1941.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Papers span two generations of the Case family and consist of personal correspondence (1857-1922), biographical information (1860-1933), photographs (1890, 1897, 1941), miscellaneous record books, and numerous articles, reminiscences, and sketches about pioneer settlers of the Nininger and Hastings, Dakota County, Minnesota, area.
	Quantity:	1.5 cubic feet (4 boxes, including 6 volumes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

James R. (1812-1886) and Elizabeth A. (Wilkinson) Case arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota (May 7, 1856), upon the same boat as Ignatius Donnelly, eventually settling in Nininger. James operated a sawmill (1857) and general store and was assisted by his sons James A. and John H.

John H. Case (1848-1926) was born in Cumberland Township, Rhode Island, on October 26. In 1876 he married Nettie Davis of Maine (~1857-1915). They left Nininger for Minneapolis around 1890, but John moved to Hastings upon Nettie's death. John died in Minneapolis on October 6, 1926.

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The bulk of the collection consists of John H. Case's articles, reminiscent accounts, and biographies of pioneer Dakota County families. Topics include the 1862 Dakota Conflict, trading posts, Grey Cloud Island, Chief Medicine Bottle (Wa-Kan'-O-Zan-Zan), construction of the Redwood and Yellow Medicine agencies, and a history of Nininger, Minnesota. Miscellaneous record books include account, memorandum, schedule, and time books and a large scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, printed materials, and more biographical sketches.

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These documents are organized into the following sections:



		John H. Case Papers (1854-1926)
		James R. Case Papers (1857-1941)

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. John H. Case and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Provenance:

See Minnesota History, 14:438 (Dec. 1933).

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 3746; 4897; 5327; 5410; 13,725

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, August 2004; Christopher G. Welter, December 2009.

Catalog ID number: 001732023

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Bulk of the papers chronicle early settlers of the Nininger/Hastings area in Dakota County, Minnesota, but includes some correspondence and family history.

Location

Box

P2601

1

Biographical sketches:

John Case's sketches of early settlers in Nininger and Dakota County based on his interviews and questionnaires.

Folder 1:

Aird, James, undated.

Aird, born in Scotland, was an Indian trader at Prairie du Chien. Includes information on his family background, other traders, and Indians associated with him, and also a photocopied Edward D. Neill newspaper article about the American Fur Company and Ramsay Crooks.

Bassett, John (1812-1891), undated.

Farmer, lumberman, and early settler; arrived in Cottage Grove (1848), St. Anthony Falls (1851), and later Nininger. Joel B. Bassett’s brother.

Belanger, Louis, 1920.

First white man to settle in Nininger Township; was an Indian trader and owned a wood yard.

Blakeley, John (1821-1897), 1898.

Born in Ireland; immigrated to Canada (1825); came to Hastings (1852); operated a farm, growing wheat (1852-1856); and a sawmill (1856). Includes an account of the family's experiences during the Dakota Conflict and an extensive biography of his brother, Dr. Robert Blakeley.

Caleff family, undated.

Activities of Peter M. and William Henry Caleff, who came to Fort Snelling (1849); lived in St. Paul (1850-1851), and moved to Nininger (1851). Includes their activities as Indian traders, their farm in Nininger Township, and family affairs like Elizabeth Caleff's marriage to James Madison Bowler. Includes typed transcription.

Folder 2:

Countryman family, [1901?].

Four brothers, Henry D., Levi N., Peter F., and John, arrived in Minnesota between 1853-1855. Includes information on their children and early family history.

Densmore, 1900.

Brief information on the location of the Densmore home, 1857-1858.

Dyer, Virgil, undated.

Originally from Indiana, he purchased land that was later sold to John Case's mother and brother, James A. Brief mention of Dyer's brothers Hinman and Norman.

Faribault, Alexander, undated.

Incomplete history of the Faribault family, originally from Le Mans, France; list of family members (1669-1879) and information on Alexander Faribault and his family.

Frear, John K. (1829-?), [1896?].

Interview notes between Case and Frear. He was born in New York; married Sarah Ann Dutcher (1853); came to St. Paul (1856); homesteaded in Glencoe until 1857; and moved to Nininger (1857).

Freeborn, William S. (1817-1900), undated.

Namesake of Freeborn County and Freeborn Island, near Nininger, which was owned by Freeborn and Edwin E.A. Hatch. It was formally transferred to Freeborn in 1855.

Gillet, Harry, undated.

He came to LaCrescent, Minnesota (1851), and later to Hastings. Manuscript is incomplete.

Folder 3:

Knapp, Reuben S. (1859-?), 1896.

Reuben's father (William?) was born in Pontiac, Michigan (1829); married Emily Pettibone; moved the family to Red Wing (1852) and operated its first sawmill; moved to Hastings (1852) and operated another sawmill.

Larpenteur, F.B., circa 1901.

Was a cousin of Auguste L. Larpenteur; came to St. Paul (1849). Manuscript incomplete.

McKenny [McKenna], Patrick, undated.

Born in Ireland (1819); came to Prescott, Wisconsin (1846); cleared land in Denmark Township, Washington County. Includes information on his children and his service in the 10th Minnesota Regiment, Company H (1862-1865).

Mooers family (1614-1814), undated.

Family came from England to Boston (1688). Includes data on Edmund (b. 1614) and Benjamin (1758-1835) and a letter from C.A. Mooers, Attleboro, Massachusetts.

Nininger, John (1821-1878), undated.

Brother-in-law of Alexander Ramsey, Nininger was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His father was born in Alsace, France. Nininger came to St. Paul (1853); participated in the Sibley Expedition (1863); married Catherine Ramsey (1843); and moved to Alabama (1866). The manuscript contains a listing of the Nininger children.

Oliver, William, undated.

Brief data on Oliver, who was born in New York and came to Minnesota in 1853. He married Jane Truax.

Pettijohn, Eli (1819-1915), May 6, 1903.

Case's interview notes for Pettijohn, detailing his experiences as a fur trader at Traverse des Sioux, Shakopee, Chaska, and Lac Qui Parle and his meetings with Indian missionaries in those areas.

Poor, Albert C., April 1898.

Biography describes his arrival at Nininger from Utopia, Ohio (May 1853). His brother, William, came in 1852. Also describes family’s trip from Ohio to Minnesota; their properties in Minnesota; his service as first lieutenant in the 1st Minnesota Regiment, Company C and as a recruiting officer.

Poor, Silas, [1900?].

Widower Poor came to Nininger in 1850. Includes description of his home (1850-1854); his interests in spiritualism; and the names of his children.

Poor, William W. (1832-1904), undated.

Silas's nephew and Albert's brother, William was born in New York and came to Nininger from Utopia, Ohio, May 26, 1852. He was a cook for the Caleff trading post. Includes information on his property claims; crops grown; and details on his family and his parents, Martin and Louise Poor.

Folder 4:

Robertson, Thomas A., June 19, 1916.

Case's questionnaire contains information on Robertson's father's (Andrew) activities at the Redwood Agency (1853) and as superintendent of the Indian school there, buildings constructed at the Yellow Medicine Agency, and on Indian affairs in general.

Russell family, [1911?].

Sylvester Russell and his five children came to Nininger from Huntsburg, Ohio, in 1853-1854. His sons were Asa, the first blacksmith in Nininger (d. 1855-1856); Charles, who served in the 3rd Minnesota Regiment, Company F; and Daniel. Includes details on family's land claims in the area.

Sandborn, Abner, undated.

Originally from Indiana, Sandborn arrived in Nininger in October 1851, accompanied by Henry Caleff and Silas Poor. He returned to Indiana on May 18, 1852. Includes descriptions of his business relationships with Caleff and Poor.

Sprague, Henry (1809?-), undated.

Information on Sprague and his children: Addison, Cassius M. , Willard, and Hester; on the family's claim at Spring Lake; Henry and Willard's move to Sauk Centre (1863); and steamboats on the Mississippi River.

Stone, Edward D. (1827-1895) and family, [1898?].

Detailed information on the activities of the Edward D. Stone (1827-1895) family, who came to Nininger from New York in June 1852. Edward was the son of Bela (b.1796) and Sarah (Heacock) (1796-1867) Stone. The family lived in Illinois and Wisconsin before coming to Minnesota. Includes details on family property; relationships with other settlers; and biographical information.

Folder 5:

Truax, Abraham (1824-1900), [1894?].

The son of Caleb and Eliza (Kendrick) Truax, he came from New York to Point Douglas, Minnesota, with other family members (1849). Includes reminiscences on the Bailly family; Joseph R. Brown; their claim in Nininiger; and the resettlement of three Indian tribes to the Redwood Agency. At the same time he was sent by Henry H. Sibley to the Pipestone quarry to procure two blocks of pipestone to be used in the Washington Monument, he also describes his meeting with Governor Willis A. Gorman, Norman W. Kittson, and Martin McLeod at the Redwood Agency.

Truax, Daniel W. (1830-1916), 1898.

Abraham's brother, Daniel was born in Montreal, Canada (1830), while his father was an agent for a line of boats. The family came to Minnesota in 1849. Contains biographical information on the families of Caleb and Daniel Truax, with information on Daniel' s sawmill in Nininger, which he operated with John Blakeley.

Warsop, Andrew (1823-1902), undated.

Born in England, Warsop came to the United States in 1847, settling first in New York City, then in Detroit, where he was an iron worker. Came to Vermillion, Dakota County, in 1854 and installed machinery in Peter and Henry Caleff's and other mills in the area. Also describes the 1895 Dakota County tornado.

Wilson, Elijah D. (1831-1901), 1900.

Informantion on his birth in Maine; his arrival in St. Paul (1853), and Nininger (1854); his marriage to Demila Felton, and the names of his children.

Other topics: his claim in Nininger and mention of his career as a pilot on the Mississippi River; his marriage and children; John Case's letter to the Minneapolis Journal (undated) describing the first wheat crop planted in Minnesota, by Alexander Huggins; reminiscences with more information on Wilson's life and a description of the 1853 Dakota County tornado; schools in Nininger with lists of students and their residences in 1900; lists of students in James Madison Bowler's school (1859-1860) and of teachers (1856-1869); copy of the Anderson Guard muster roll, Nininger; and some information on Indian chiefs, including Medicine Bottle.

Location

Box

P2601

1

Articles and reminiscences, undated and 1911-1915, 1921. 4 folders.

Topics include the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, trading posts, Grey Cloud Island, Chief Medicine Bottle, construction of the Redwood and Yellow Medicine agencies, Minnesota pioneers, and a history of Nininger, Minnesota.

Location

Box

P2601

1

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, undated and 1857-1896. 3 folders.

Correspondents include Case family members James A. (John's brother) and Willard E. (1882-1894), Alexis Bailly (1895-1922), Ignatius Donnelly (1857-1861), Mooers family (1922), and Thomas A. Robertson (1920-1922). Topics include Boyd Farm (1914), family genealogies, local history, and the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War.

Location

Box

P2601

2

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1901-1922. 3 folders.

Location

Box

P2601

2

Biographical information, undated and 1860-1933.

Includes obituaries, death certificates, census records, and genealogies for the Case and Mussey families.

Location

Box

P2601

2

Photographs and postcards, undated and 1890, 1897. 3 folders.

Includes winter scene, Vermillion Falls; Quaker meeting house, Cumberland, Rhode Island, with a list of family members; James Angellis’s milk wagon, Ashton, Rhode Island (1890); Edward Libby and wife, Minneapolis (?) (1897); and postcards.

Location

Box

P2601

3

Miscellaneous record books:

Volume 1, account book, 1855.

Many pages are in pencil and illegible; accounts include J.R. Case (John H. Case's father); John More; and John A. Merrick and Co.

Location

142.G.15.4F-1

Volume 2, scrapbook-cash book, circa 1869-1926.

Originally a cash book (1871-1874), Case used it as a scrapbook for newspaper clippings (1912-1926), printed materials, photographs (1891-1915), some correspondence (1856-1910), and biographies of Minnesota pioneers (surnames include Bailly, Belland, Bottomly, Brown, Caldwell, Chamberlain, Hosford, LeDuc, McCoy, Madison, Martin, Mosier, Myers, Parker, Reed, Shafer, and Strathern).

Location

Box

P2601

3

Volume 3, memorandum book, 1874.

J. R. Case, Montevideo, miscellaneous information, including trip expenses (April 21, 1874); real estate transactions; farm property; milk output.

Volume 4, account book, 1882-1883, 1877-1878.

Contains real estate information for James R. and John H. Case.

Volume 5, time book, July 1909-November 1916.

May relate to John H. Case's farm in Lac Qui Parle County.

Volume 6, schedule book, undated.

John H.'s daughter Jeannette Case's, who was a teacher of music and elocution at 2714 Polk Street NE, Minneapolis.

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Location

Box

P2601

2

Miscellaneous, 1860, 1862, 1941.

Includes a page from account book (1860), a copy of abstract of title (1862), and photographs of Case's Nininger home (October 6, 1941).

Time book, 1857-1887. 1 volume.

Volume contains workers' names, hours worked, and wages paid for the Eagle steam sawmill (September 1857-October 1861) and for seasonal harvests (1870?-1887).

Daybook, 1860-1869. 1 volume.

Receipts and expenditures for a general store in Nininger, Minnesota; possibly belonged to James's son James A. Case.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Agriculture -- Economic aspects.; Dakota Indians -- Wars, 1862-1865.; Land titles -- Registration and transfer -- Minnesota -- Dakota County.; Pioneers -- Minnesota -- Dakota County.; Sawmills -- Minnesota -- Dakota County.

Persons:: Aird, James.; Belanger, Louis.; Bailly, Alexis, 1798-1861.; Bassett, John, 1812-1891.; Belland, Henry, Mrs., 1813-1913.; Blakeley, John, 1821-1897.; Caleff, Peter M., 1818-; Caleff, William H., (William Henry) 1822-; Caleff family.; Case, James A., 1838-1903.; Case, James R., 1812-1886.; Case family.; Countryman, Peter F., 1829-1906.; Countryman family.; Donnelly, Ignatius, 1831-1901.; Faribault, Alexander, 1806-1882.; Frear, John K., 1829-; Freeborn, William S., 1817-1900.; Knapp, Reuben S., 1860-1903.; Larpenteur, Auguste Louis, 1823-1919.; McKenna, Patrick.; Mooers, Hazen, 1789-1858.; Nininger, John, 1821-1878.; Oliver, William.; Pettijohn, Eli, 1819-1915.; Poor, William W., 1832-1904.; Poor family.; Prescott, Philander, 1801-1862.; Reed, William B.; Robertson, Andrew, 1791-1859.; Robertson, Thomas A. (Thomas Andrew), 1839-1924.; Russell, Sylvester.; Sprague, Henry, 1809?-; Stone, Edward D., 1827-1895.; Truax, Abraham, 1824-1900.; Truax, Daniel W., 1830-1916.; Wa-Kan'-O-Zan-Zan, d. 1865.; Warsop, Andrew, 1823-1902.; Wilson, Elijah D., 1831-1901.

Organizations:: United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 1st (1861-1864). Company C.; United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 10th (1862-1865). Company H.

Places:: Dakota County (Minn.) -- Biography.; Grey Cloud Island (Minn.); Hastings (Minn.) -- Biography.; Nininger (Minn. : Township) -- Biography.

Document Types:: Account books.; Photographs; Reminiscences

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JOHN H. CASE AND FAMILY:

OVERVIEW

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ARRANGEMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

JOHN H. CASE PAPERS

JAMES R. CASE PAPERS

CATALOG HEADINGS