Summary Information
William W. Bartlett Papers
1821-1934, 1944-1962
- Bartlett, William W., 1861-1933
Eau Claire Mss BY; Eau Claire Micro 34; Micro 582
10.0 c.f. (21 archives boxes, 10 flat boxes) and 1 reel of microfilm (35mm)
UW-Eau Claire McIntyre Library / Eau Claire Area Research Ctr. (Map)Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of Bartlett, a prominent local historian in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, consisting of personal papers and his historical writings. The personal papers contain biographical and family information; correspondence, 1896-1934, with considerable information on local history topics; and files on Eau Claire activities in which Bartlett was involved, including the Eau Claire County Old Settlers' Association (1890-1929), the Prohibition Club (1885-1894), the Chippewa-Eau Claire Memorial Highway, and the local school system. The historical writings series contains published and unpublished writings, original source materials, and research notes. The bulk of this series consists of lumbering materials (1821-1932), mostly from the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company, but also from other area companies. Other topics include the Ezra Cornell/Cornell University lands in Wisconsin (1880-1892) and John Deitz and the Cameron Dam incident (1905-1919, 1945).
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ec00by ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
William Warren Bartlett was born in Presque Isle, Maine, on January 23, 1861. He lived there until 1867, when his family moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he resided for the rest of his life. He graduated from an Eau Claire high school in 1882, and in 1885 he attended the University of Wisconsin for a brief course in architecture. On August 1, 1890, Bartlett married Clara Towner and eventually they had five children: Ruth Margaret, Harry Owen, Gertrude Clara, Cora Louise, and Arthur William. Bartlett worked as a building contractor and in similar business ventures, and was also an avid collector of historical materials pertaining to Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley area. His competence as a local historian was recognized throughout Wisconsin, and he was often asked to deliver speeches or write articles for local newspapers.
The 1929 publication of his book, History, Tradition and Adventure in the Chippewa Valley, represented the culmination of his many years of work collecting documents and interviews. In the book he pulled together many ideas and interviews that he had previously published as single articles in a variety of publications. The bulk of the book consists of edited reminiscences by early Chippewa Valley residents concerning significant cultural and economic developments in the area, including the Sioux-Chippewa Indian feud and subsequent treaty in 1825, fur trading in the Valley in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and Old Abe, the Civil War eagle, which had become the unofficial Wisconsin mascot. Bartlett collected so much material on lumbering in the Chippewa Valley region that he apparently intended to publish a book on this topic; there is a lengthy, incomplete, unpublished manuscript in the collection.
Bartlett also served on the Eau Claire Public Library board for seventeen years in the early part of this century, and later became the president until 1932, when he resigned.
Bartlett died in Madison on March 31, 1933 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident; he was buried in Eau Claire.
Scope and Content Note
The William Bartlett Papers, 1821-1934, 1944-1962 consist of two series -- his Personal Papers and Historical Writings -- both of which reflect Bartlett's long-time interest in documenting the history of the Chippewa Valley region and of his own family. Researchers should be cautioned that the subject matter of the series and subseries overlap considerably; the correspondence files are particularly informative on many topics.
Bartlett's Personal Papers contain biographical information, family papers, an unidentified journal, correspondence, and files on Eau Claire organizations in which Bartlett was involved. The family papers consist primarily of genealogies and death announcements for members of Mrs. Bartlett's family, the Towners. The correspondence file, which comprises the bulk of this series, consists largely of detailed letters from local residents about numerous aspects of Chippewa Valley history since the eighteenth century. There are also letters about Bartlett's book, his involvement in state, county, and local historical societies in Wisconsin and Minnesota, his preparation during the 1920s of a slide show on lumbering, and letters to and from friends and relatives regarding family and social affairs. Also included are several letters from Bartlett to Lieutenant Governor George Comings, 1923, February-October, concerning Comings' criticism of the Wisconsin National Guard; a letter of introduction from Philip La Follette dated April 4, 1930 written for Bartlett while he was studying Wisconsin art; and a few letters written to Mrs. Bartlett after her husband's death, one from a daughter describing her experiences in an earthquake in California. The files on organizations Bartlett was involved in include materials on the Eau Claire County Old Settlers Association (1890-1927), the Prohibition Club (1885-1894), and the Eau Claire school system (1892-1926).
The Historical Writings series contains published and unpublished writings, original unpublished source materials collected by Bartlett, and research notes used in the preparation of his book and of various articles about the history of Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley regions. Some topics included are: the Cornell University lands in Wisconsin (1880-1922), John Deitz of the Cameron Dam (1905-1910 and 1945), the Red River Dam incident during the Civil War (1864-1904), and lumbering in the Chippewa Valley area (1821-1932). The lumbering materials constitute the bulk of this series and are arranged in an alphabetical subject file. Most of the papers are from the Daniel Shaw Lumber Co. but there are also some from the North Western Lumber Co., Porter and Moon, and the Montreal River Logging Co.; D.R. Moon was an officer in the latter three companies. While the majority of these papers concern routine business, there are also several subject files on such topics as the purchase and sale of land, relevant legislation, court cases, lumber dealers, contracts and articles of agreement, and logging camp humor. The documents include ledgers, letterpress copybooks, journals, account books, log mark books, tally books, scale books, and section map books. There is only a small amount of material illustrating the operations of the interlocking directorates that characterized Wisconsin's lumbering industry at this time.
Additional material on Eau Claire activities during World War I and on Old Abe, the Civil War eagle, have been separated from these papers and cataloged as individual collections. Both Bartlett and Marshall Cousins kept files on these topics and exchanged their resources and ideas freely. The World War I material has been organized as Eau Claire Mss BN and the Old Abe collection has been cataloged as Eau Claire Mss BL.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by the Eau Claire Public Library, 1991. A few items were presented directly to the Society by Mr. Bartlett, and one item was presented by Professor Henry A. Schuette, September 25, 1933.
Initial papers processed for the Eau Claire Public Library by the State Historical Society, 1975-1976; additional items interfiled, 1991.
Contents List
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Eau Claire Mss BY
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Series: Bartlett Personal Papers
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Biographical information, 1929; before 1933; 1953
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Miscellany - personal, 1888-1932; undated (scattered)
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Journal, 1926-1927
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Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
4
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1896, March - 1912, November
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Box
1
Folder
5
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1913, February - 1915, December
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Box
1
Folder
6
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1916, January - 1918, April
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Box
1
Folder
7
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1918, May - 1920, December
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Box
1
Folder
8
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1921, January - 1923, April
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Box
1
Folder
9
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1923, May - 1924
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Box
2
Folder
1
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1925, January - 1926, July
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Box
2
Folder
2
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1926, August - 1927, December
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Box
2
Folder
3
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1928, January - 1929, April
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Box
2
Folder
4
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1929, May - 1930, February
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Box
2
Folder
5
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1930, March - 1931, June
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Box
2
Folder
6
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1931, July - 1934, May; undated
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Organizations in which Bartlett was involved
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Chippewa-Eau Claire Memorial Highway
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Committee records, 1921, March - 1929, January; undated
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Committee correspondence, 1920, June - 1924, April; 1926-1927
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Clippings and newsletters, 1921, March - 1924; 1928; undated
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Eau Claire County Old Settlers Association
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Records, 1896; 1920-1923
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Membership Applications, undated
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Correspondence, 1890-1927; undated (scattered)
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Annual banquet programs, 1887, March - 1920, October (scattered)
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Clippings, pictures, 1895-1926 (scattered)
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Box
3
Folder
8
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Eau Claire Historical Society, 1915, April - 1927, June; undated (scattered)
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Box
3
Folder
9
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Performing Arts - programs and other materials, 1886-1928, May; undated (scattered)
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Box
3
Folder
10
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Prohibition Club, 1885, March; before 1892; after 1894
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Box
3
Folder
11
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Schools - material about elementary and high schools, also University of Wisconsin, 1889, June - 1915; undated (scattered)
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Series: Historical Writings
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Local History
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Writings and miscellany
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Box
4
Folder
1
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History, Tradition and Adventure in the Chippewa Valley, 1929; 1930
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Box
4
Folder
2-3
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Manuscripts and Articles, 1921-1926; undated (scattered)
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Box
4
Folder
4
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Notebook by Bartlett, undated
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Box
4
Folder
5-6
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Local and State history - general, 1836-1931; undated (scattered)
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Alphabetical subject files
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Box
4
Folder
7
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Chippewa-Sioux feud, the 1825 treaty and boundary, 1832-1836, July; before 1921; 1921; 1931
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Civil War, 1860-1864; 1898-1926; 1948; 1962; undated (scattered)
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Box
4
Folder
9
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Cornell University's land in Wisconsin, 1880-1922 (scattered)
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Box
4
Folder
10
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Deitz, John, 1905, April - 1910; 1945
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Box
4
Folder
11
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Ermatinger, Warren, England, and Johnson Families, 1841; 1852; 1898; 1924-1929; undated (scattered)
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Box
20
Folder
1
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Patents, 1855-1909 (scattered)
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Lumbering
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Writings and Miscellany
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Box
5
Folder
1-2
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Bartlett's writings, undated
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Box
5
Folder
3
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Incomplete manuscript about lumbering, 1930
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Box
5
Folder
4
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General, 1821-1932; 1944: undated (scattered)
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Alphabetical subject files
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Box
6
Folder
1
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Account book, 1850-1875
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Box
6
Folder
2
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Chippewa rafts book, 1865-1867
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Contracts and articles of agreement
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Box
6
Folder
3
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1854-1873 (scattered)
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Box
6
Folder
4
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1874, January - 1882, November
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Box
6
Folder
5
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1883-1891 (scattered)
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Box
6
Folder
6
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1892-1898 (1899, January - 1900, December)
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Box
6
Folder
7
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1901, January - 1911 (scattered)
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Correspondence - general
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Box
7
Folder
1
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1868-1899 (scattered)
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Box
7
Folder
2
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1902
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Box
7
Folder
3
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1903-1923 (scattered)
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Correspondence - lumber companies in which D.R. Moon was involved
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Box
7
Folder
4
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1869, July - 1871, October
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Box
7
Folder
5
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1883, June - 1887, September
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Box
7
Folder
6
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1888, February - 1890, November
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Box
7
Folder
7
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1891, January - September
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Box
8
Folder
1
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1891, October - December
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Box
8
Folder
2
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1892, January - 1896, October
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Box
8
Folder
3
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1898, January - 1899, December; 1901; undated
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Box
8
Folder
4
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Cost of Logging and Lumbering Operations, 1866-1910; undated (scattered)
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Box
8
Folder
5
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Del Norte Company, 1902, March - 1903; 1905; 1909; 1929; undated
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Box
8
Folder
6
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Dole, Ingram, and Kennedy, 1860, June - 1862, December; 1866, June
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Box
8
Folder
7
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Eau Claire Board of Trade, 1881: undated
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Box
8
Folder
8
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Eau Claire City Railway Co., 1879, October; 1881; 189?; undated
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Box
8
Folder
9
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Edson Assessment book, 1882
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Box
8
Folder
10
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Directories - Lumber Industry, 1905; 1908
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Box
17
Folder
1
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Flambeau Farm - Journal Daybook, 1878-1879
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Box
8
Folder
11
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Half Moon Lake Canal Co., 1855-1912 (scattered)
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Legislative Materials
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Box
9
Folder
1
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1871-1878 (scattered)
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Box
9
Folder
2
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Undated
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Ledgers
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Box
17
Folder
2
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1857-1861
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Box
21
Folder
1
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1860-1862
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Box
9
Folder
3
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Log Driving, 1860-1911; undated (scattered)
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Log Mark Books
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Box
9
Folder
4
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Undated
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
1-60
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
Box
9
Folder
5
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Charles Bailey, undated
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
61-88
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
Box
9
Folder
6
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Stanley Campbell, 1889-1890
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
169-197
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
Box
9
Folder
7
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Fred Smith (Fred A. Schmidt), 1935; undated
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
89-168
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
Box
9
Folder
8
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Surveyors book for District 3, 1861-1897
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
198-267
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
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Log Tally Books
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Box
9
Folder
9
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1910-1911; 1912
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Box
10
Folder
1
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Undated
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Box
10
Folder
2
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Basswood, 1910-1911
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Box
10
Folder
3
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Elm and ash, undated
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Box
10
Folder
4
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Elm-McDougall, undated
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Box
10
Folder
5
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Pine, undated
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Box
10
Folder
6
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Pine and Bass, undated
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Box
10
Folder
7
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Pine, ash, basswood, and elm - John Curran Camp, 1904-1905
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Box
10
Folder
8
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Spruce and Pine-Proue Camp, 1912
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Box
10
Folder
9
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Logging Camp Songs, Myths - Paul Bunyan, humor, 1915-1931; undated (scattered)
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Box
10
Folder
10
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Logging Camp Supply Book, undated
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Box
10
Folder
11
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Logs, 1862-1903; undated (scattered)
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Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro 582
Reel
1
Frame
268-end
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Microfilm copy
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Eau Claire Mss BY
Box
11
Folder
1
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Logs Banked Book, 1886-1889
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Lumber Dealers
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Box
11
Folder
2
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1863-1875 (scattered)
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Box
11
Folder
3
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1876-1899 (scattered)
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Box
11
Folder
4
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1900, January - 1910, November
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Box
11
Folder
5
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1902, February - 1912, April
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Box
17
Folder
3
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Petit Ledger, 1863-1865
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Box
11
Folder
6
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Pond and Allen - Accounts, 1859, November - 1860, April
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Box
18
Folder
1
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Randall Cash Book, 1857-1866
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Box
22
Folder
1
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Randall - Howard Daybook, 1861-1862
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Box
22
Folder
2
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S & C Collection Register, 1866-1868
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Sale of Farm and Timberland
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Box
11
Folder
7
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1860-1899; 1900, January - 1902, December
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Box
11
Folder
8
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1903, January - 1904, December; 1905-1923; undated
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Box
12
Folder
1
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Sawyer County Taxpayers Fund, 1908, February - 1909, February
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Scale Books
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Box
12
Folder
2
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Henry Bartlett, 1904
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Box
12
Folder
3
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Bryce Fuller & Co., 1871
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Box
12
Folder
4
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Hunter & Smith, 1866; 1867
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Box
12
Folder
5
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McShaffery, 1904; 1905
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Box
12
Folder
6
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Morseman & Smith, undated
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Box
12
Folder
7
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Murray's Camp, 1910; 1911
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Box
12
Folder
8
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Second Flambeau Drive Payroll Ledger, 1905
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Section Map Books
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Box
12
Folder
9
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1909-1910
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Box
12
Folder
10
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Moon, 1914; 1915
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Showing timber land cut over
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Box
12
Folder
11-12
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Undated
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Box
13
Folder
1-2
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Undated
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Box
13
Folder
3
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Cosgrove, P.J., 1882, June
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Box
13
Folder
4
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Ellis, A.C., undated
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Moon, S.G.
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Box
13
Folder
5
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1911-1913
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Box
13
Folder
6
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1914-1916
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Sectional Field Books
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Box
13
Folder
7
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Undated
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Box
13
Folder
8
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Mann, Geo., undated
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Box
13
Folder
9
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Sargent, Mr., 1910
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Box
13
Folder
10
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Scammon, Dan, 1887
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Daniel Shaw Lumbering Co.
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Box
14
Folder
1
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General, 1857-1911; undated (scattered)
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Box
14
Folder
2
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Account Book - miscellany, 1869-1870
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Correspondence
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Box
14
Folder
3
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1862-1865; 1867, September - 1873, November
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Box
14
Folder
4
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1874, January - 1877, November
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Box
14
Folder
5
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1878, January - 1891, November (scattered)
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Box
14
Folder
6
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1892, January - 1899, December (scattered)
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Box
14
Folder
7
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1900, January - 1901, December
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Box
15
Folder
1
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1902
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Box
15
Folder
2
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1903
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Box
15
Folder
3
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1904, January - 1905, December
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Box
15
Folder
4
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1906
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Box
15
Folder
5
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1907, January - 1912, April; 1916; undated
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E.M. Ferguson vs. Daniel Shaw Lumber Co.
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Box
15
Folder
6
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1899, February - 1900, February
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Box
15
Folder
7
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Testimonials for Eugene Shaw, 1899, December - 1900, January
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Box
23
Folder
1
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Journal, 1860-1864
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Ledgers
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Box
19
Folder
1
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1870
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Box
18
Folder
2
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1875-1879
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Legation - miscellaneous
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Box
15A
Folder
1
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1900; undated
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Box
15A
Folder
2
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Undated
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Box
15A
Folder
3
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Log Book, 1865
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Log Tally Books
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Box
15A
Folder
4
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Anderson, 1878-1879
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Box
16
Folder
1
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Hemlock, undated
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Box
18
Folder
3
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Merchandise Ledger, 1870
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Merchandise sales books
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Box
24
Folder
1
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1872
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Box
24
Folder
2
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1873
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Box
25
Folder
1
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1874
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Box
26
Folder
1
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1876
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Box
26
Folder
2
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1880
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Box
27
Folder
1
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1881
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Payroll
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Box
27
Folder
2
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1890-1892
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Box
27
Folder
3
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1899-1901
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Scale books
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Box
16
Folder
2
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Bullen, C.A., undated
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Box
16
Folder
3
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Camp 2, 1886
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Box
16
Folder
4
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Shaw, Daniel, 1868-1869
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Box
16
Folder
5
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“Shaw hemlock” - Edminster, A.J., 1903-1904
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Box
16
Folder
6
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Shaw, Daniel - personal correspondence, 1857; 1866; 1868-1869
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Shaw, Eugene
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Letterpress books
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Box
19
Folder
2
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1883-1884
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Box
28
Folder
1
|
1890-1892
|
|
|
Box
28
Folder
2
|
1892-1894
|
|
|
Box
29
Folder
1
|
1894-1896
|
|
|
Box
29
Folder
2
|
1897
|
|
|
Box
18
Folder
4
|
Unbound, 1897, September - November
|
|
|
Box
30
Folder
1
|
1897-1989
|
|
|
Box
30
Folder
2
|
1907-1910
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
7
|
Notebooks, 1892; 1894
|
|
|
Shaw, George
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
8
|
Correspondence, 1890; undated
|
|
|
Box
19
Folder
3
|
Letterpress book, 1877
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
9
|
Shaw, M.G. lands - estimate and evaluations of lumber and land, 1882; 1887
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
10
|
Stockholders and directors meetings; articles of association, 1874-1898 (scattered)
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
11
|
Survey Book - North Western Lumber Co., 1858, July
|
|
|
Box
16
Folder
12
|
Trespassing, 1866-1911 (scattered)
|
|
|
