Acquisition Information

Twenty-four items purchased prior to 1930 (Inv. 6242, old File 747); major collection presented by the Chicago Historical Society via Archie Motley, February 25, 1977. Accession Number: M77-89

Custodial History

The bulk of the Vincent Roberts papers were given to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin by the Chicago Historical Society. A covering letter from the Chicago Historical Society stated that in March 1975 that Society had purchased a large collection of Bowen family papers at the public auction sale of the estate of Mary Ann Dicke. Mrs. Dicke had been a Chicago collector and dealer in historical materials for many years. At the time of purchase, the Vincent Roberts papers, along with many other unrelated materials, were mixed in with the Bowen materials. In separating what appeared to be the Roberts papers from the Bowen papers, the Chicago Historical Society included with them other unrelated papers, which have been found to form a self-contained collection of their own, the Briggs-Mitchell Papers (Mss 398). The notebook kept by Roberts as justice of the peace, 1846-1847; three account books, 1843-1844 and 1853, and some correspondence, 1846-1876, twenty-four items in all, had been purchased previously by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and were transferred from File 1843, January 29.

Processing Information

Processed by Ralph A. Pugh and Joanne Hohler, May 12, 1977.