The Bliss collection contains correspondence chiefly with clients, 1851-1896; records of deeds and mortgages recorded in the La Crosse County courthouse, 1886-1897; miscellaneous material consisting of deeds, mortgages, tax receipts, data on maps, law suits, and Minnesota land transactions, estimates, bills, and miscellaneous papers, 1856-1896, in connection with Bliss' office of city surveyor; and one box of receipted bills.
Ten volumes, 1856-1896, consist of the accounts of the La Crosse surveying firm of Bliss and [Wallace M.] Spear, 1856-1860, a daybook, lists of rents received, real estate sales, notes payable and receivable, and general accounts. There are seventeen volumes of abstracts for La Crosse County, 1856-1866; fifteen volumes of surveyors' field notes of work done in La Crosse County and in Fillmore and Houston counties in Minnesota; four volumes listing grantors of land in La Crosse County, 1856-1858, 1889-1895; three volumes of La Crosse and Vernon County land plats dated about 1870; a copy of the inventory of the estate of Cadwallader C. Washburn, 1882; excerpts from the proceedings of the La Crosse Common Council in regard to opening and extending streets and alleys, 1856-1864, 1876-1877; and a sketchy diary of [Otto A. Mueller, an employee of Bliss,] describing his work as a surveyor and draftsman in 1887.
Received with the Bliss Papers were many manuscript maps of La Crosse and vicinity. These have been added to the Historical Society's map holdings under the call number D GX9029 L14 B. A list is with the paper copy of this finding aid.
