American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Land Sale. Agreeable to the directions of the President of the United States, a Public Sale will be held at Palestine, commencing on the 2d Monday in August next, for the disposal of the following Lands belonging to the United States...." Signed in type by Joseph Kitchell, Register, and G.W. Smith, Receiver. [1831]. Verso with handwritten notations including tracts of land, township, range, and acres. 2pp, 7 3/4 x 12 1/4 in. (scattered marks, toning, tears along folds, adhesive remnants).

The town of Palestine, Illinois, was platted in 1818 by Joseph Kitchell and Edward Cullom. The Palestine Land Office was established in 1820, and served as a place for settlers to file land claims on property including those identified on this broadside as "relinquished to the United States under the Act of March 21, 1828" and those "lands referred to the United States for non-payment." The Palestine office held the deed for the land that is now downtown Chicago.

[With:] Notice. Sale at Auction. The subscriber will actually sell to the highest bidder, on the 6th day of March next, on the premises, his farm (formerly owned and now occupied by Amos Andrews), situated on the State and Rail Roads, 1-2 mile east of Clayton, Adams county. Signed un typed by Nathan Clark. Griggsville [Illinois], 10 February 1840. 1p, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (small hole at top center and top corners, creasing along bottom edge, small losses at right corners).

References included at the bottom of the broadside include two men from Quincy, indicating that the Nathan Clark whose farm was to be sold is possibly the same one who purchased multiple tracts of land from the General Land Office in Quincy, Il, in the early 1840s. Griggsville experienced its first permanent European settlement in the 1820s though it was in the early 1830s that settlement boomed and the cornerstones of community life such as the meeting house, school, blacksmith shop, store, bank, post office, and hotel were constructed.

[With:] Land Office, Danville, Ills., October 5th, 1855. Broadside indicating "In pursuance of instructions from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, we, the undersigned, make known to the public that the vacant lands in this District will be subject to entry at the periods hereinafter designated...." Signed in type by John N. Drake, Register, and William E. Russell, Receiver. 1p, 7 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. (toning, creasing at folds, light black soil on verso). -- Danville, Illinois, broadside presenting facts of a case John P. Mitchell , Vs. Peter F. Elliott. "Before the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Springfield, Jan. 11 1859." Signed in type by "C.H. Moore / For Mitchell." 1p, 8 x 18 in. (scattered ink marks, heavily toned, light chipping at edges).

[Also with:] Circular from the "Office of Green & Sewell, Bankers. No. 29 Wall Street." New York, NY. 2 June 1856. Green & Sewell provide an assessment of various aspects of the financial markets including as relate to land warrants. A notable final statement concludes the analysis: "Our quotes are nominal; we cannot ask for confidence in them, as we ourselves do not feel it. We will, however, give any orders to buy or sell our best attention, and answer any questions on the subject our may friends may have to ask."