William Kirkpatrick Edwards letter
Collection — Folder: S3158
Identifier: S3158
Scope and Contents
This collection includes one handwritten letter from William Kirkpatrick Edwards in Indiana to Colonel Thomas Dowling on June 6, 1865. Edwards states he has already written to Samuel Crawford and that Mr. Rise wants Dowling as a candidate for the legislature. Edwards states if Dowling enters his name “in the canvass”, Edwards promises that he will show an interest in railroads and canals and that he will work hard not to be defeated.
Dates
- 1856/06/06
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
William Kirkpatrick Edwards was born on December 26, 1820 in Jefferson, Kentucky to John and Esther C. (Steele) Edwards. His mother died when he was young and he wa primarly raised by "Aunt Aggie", a Black woman his father trusted. Edwards graduated from Indiana University in 1840 and earned a law degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky in 1842. He followed his sister to Terre Haute, Indiana in 1843 and he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives four times between 1846 and 1874. Edwards became Terre Haute’s first mayor and served in that capacity from 1851 to 1853. During the U.S. Civil War, he assisted Internal Revenue Service District Collector James M. Farrington and earned the honorary title of “Colonel” sometime after the war despite not serving in a military capacity.
Edwards was also the director of the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, the Terre Haute and Chicago Railway, and the First National Bank of Terre Haute. He co-founded the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Terre Haute Lodge No. 51 in 1849, was elected grand master in 1853, and raised to grand patriarch, the I.O.O.F.’s highest position, in 1877. Edwards died on September 26, 1878, with at least 2,000 people attending a two-mile funeral procession according to the Terre Haute Gazette and 20,000 people filled Woodlawn Cemetery in Terre Haute according to the Indianapolis Journal.
Sources:
McCormick, Mike. “Wabash Valley Profiles: William Kirkpatrick Edwards.” Terre Haute Tribune-Star (IN), 1998-2005. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/vchs/id/267.
Edwards was also the director of the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, the Terre Haute and Chicago Railway, and the First National Bank of Terre Haute. He co-founded the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Terre Haute Lodge No. 51 in 1849, was elected grand master in 1853, and raised to grand patriarch, the I.O.O.F.’s highest position, in 1877. Edwards died on September 26, 1878, with at least 2,000 people attending a two-mile funeral procession according to the Terre Haute Gazette and 20,000 people filled Woodlawn Cemetery in Terre Haute according to the Indianapolis Journal.
Sources:
McCormick, Mike. “Wabash Valley Profiles: William Kirkpatrick Edwards.” Terre Haute Tribune-Star (IN), 1998-2005. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/vchs/id/267.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection consists of only one item.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing and finding aid completed in 1999 by Philip N. Williams. EAD finding aid created on 2024/05/14 by Alexander Chrapliwy.
Creator
- Title
- William Kirkpatrick Edwards letter
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
