Hamilton Ross' papers pertain mainly to his book La Pointe - Village Outpost, but are an incomplete record of that project. The collection has been divided into correspondence, research materials, successive drafts of the book, speeches and articles, and miscellaneous printed materials.
The Correspondence, 1874-1969, which is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and chronologically thereunder, consists mainly of inquiries by and to Ross concerning details of the history of the La Pointe area. Included in the general file are limited correspondence with each of about thirty people, and letters relating to a controversy over the Madeline Island deer population. The correspondence of Ross' wife, Dorothy Stickney Ross, consists mainly of inquiries concerning La Pointe - Village Outpost addressed to her after her husband's death. Of special interest are an 1874 request for information on the natural features of Douglas County, Wisconsin and an 1875 letter concerning proposed legislation from then Wisconsin state assemblyman and later lieutenant governor, Sam S. Fifield, to Judge Thomas Clark of Superior. These are enclosed in Leigh P. Jerrard's letter of February 15, 1953.
The Research Materials, circa 1950-1958, include notes; statistics; census data, genealogical information, and family logs; and an alphabetical reference file of three by five cards. There are also handwritten and typed copies of articles, portions of books, and letters transcribed by Ross and his wife from originals in private collections and research libraries throughout the United States. Also included are drafts and other information relating to the maps printed in Ross' book, and copies of United States Geological Survey quadrangles for the Chequamegon Bay area annotated to show early mines, roads, and other features.
The Drafts of La Pointe - Village Outpost are arranged in an order reflecting the development of the book. They include a “First Attempt,” 1950, a “First Magnum Opus,” 1952, and three annotated revisions, 1953, 1957, and 1958. Also included are three versions of an extensive appendix, which was never published. The 1952 draft of the book was extensively corrected by Lucile Kane of the Minnesota Historical Society.
The folder of Speeches and Articles includes Ross's speech on “La Pointe and Its Relationship to Minnesota,” given before the St. Louis County (Minnesota) Historical Society; three versions of an article, “Way Station West”; and a series of short articles on local history written for a newsletter, the Madeline Lighthouse, 1952-1958, arranged chronologically.
The Miscellaneous Printed Materials are clippings related to the history of the La Pointe region, and souvenirs.
