Title: William F. Vilas Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1827-1961

Creator:

• Vilas, William F. (William Freeman), 1840-1908

Call Number: Wis Mss HY; PH 2276 (3)

Quantity: 27.4 c.f. (97 archives boxes, 5 card boxes, and 1 flat box) and 4 photographs (1 oversize folder)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers, 1827-1961, of William Freeman Vilas, a cabinet officer during the first administration of President Grover Cleveland (1885-1889), and Democratic senator from Wisconsin (1891-1897), together with papers of his father, Levi B. Vilas (1811-1879), and his daughter, Mary Esther Vilas Hanks (1873-1959). The bulk of the collection relates to state and national politics and consists of correspondence, legal papers, and cabinet papers.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-wis000hy

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

The Vilas Papers are organized in six series: CORRESPONDENCE, LEGAL PAPERS, CABINET PAPERS, GENERAL PAPERS, FAMILY PAPERS, and PHOTOGRAPHS.

The CORRESPONDENCE consists of incoming correspondence arranged under two headings: the materials accessioned in 1928 and the materials accessioned in 1960. The first accession covers the years 1827-1914 and is indexed by name. The second accession covers the years of Vilas' cabinet appointments, but it is not indexed. The cabinet era is also covered by personal outgoing correspondence in the letterbooks, each of which is individually indexed.

The correspondence pertains to routine administrative and political matters and policy level contacts with the President and his advisers; several congressional leaders such as James B. Beck, James H. Blount, Francis M. Cockrell, and Samuel J. Randall; and several Wisconsin politicians such as Wendell A. Anderson, Edward S. Bragg, Edwin E. Bryant, Lucius W. Nieman, George H. Paul, David S. Rose, John C. Spooner, Breese J. Stevens, Ellis B. Usher, and Edward C. Wall. National topics of interest include the payment of fees by H.K. Thurber of the United States and Brazil Mail Steamship Company, speculation in agricultural commodities, a railroad bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota, controversies before the General Land Office, and the gold standard.

Other noted correspondents include James B. Angell and Frank A. Flower (about the Deep Waterways Commission), Wade Hampton (about the Farmers' Alliance), and David A. Wells (on Connecticut politics and economics); as well as William H. Barnum, Thomas F. Bayard, William T. Sherman, and John C. Spooner. Documented Wisconsin issues include the Bennett Law, the State Treasurer cases, the University of Wisconsin, a new building for the State Historical Society, and the Wisconsin memorial at Vicksburg. Few papers concern his service during the Civil War.

Papers concerning personal investments are scattered throughout, but are most extensive after 1890. They include exchanges with John H. Knight, his partner in the Superior Lumber Company; Thomas E. Nash, his partner in the Nekoosa-Edwards Papers Company; and officers of the Northern Electric Manufacturing Company and the Wisconsin Central Railroad. Other papers concern development of a cranberry marsh in Babcock, Wisconsin, the Cornelia Vilas Memorial Guild Hall of the Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, the Madison Hotel Company, and formation of the Madison Gas and Electric Company.

The LEGAL PAPERS pertain to Vilas' career primarily from the latter part of his life, and include correspondence and court records for his clients and for cases in which he or a member of his family was involved. The CABINET PAPERS consist of private letterbooks and files relating to the Post Office Department and the Interior Department. The GENERAL PAPERS and the FAMILY PAPERS are more personal and consist of family correspondence; a diary of a Lake Superior trip in August 1873; compositions and orations prepared by Vilas while a student at the University of Wisconsin; and Henry Vilas' Civil War letters as a member of the 23rd Wisconsin Infantry. Later correspondence concerns the family of Mary Esther Vilas Hanks.

The PHOTOGRAPHS are images of a standing portrait figure of William Freeman Vilas as a Civil War officer modeled in clay by A.A. Weinman, circa 1908; front, back and side views.

PH 2276, which was originally catalogued as part of this collection has been separated to the name file.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Lucien Hanks, Madison, Wisconsin, 1928 and December 23, 1953; William F. Vilas; C.R. Van Hise, Department of Public Service, University of Wisconsin, January 22, 1949; and Horace S. Merrill.

Processing Information

Re-processed by Carolyn Mattern, 2009.

Wis Mss HY	Series: Correspondence
	First Accession (indexed) to Correspondence
	Index
Box   84	A-C
Box   85	D-H
Box   86	I-M
Box   87	N-S
Box   88	T-Z
Box   1 Folder   1-3	1827-1862
Box   2 Folder   1-4	1863-1876
Box   3 Folder   1-4	1877-1880
Box   4 Folder   1-3	1881-1882
Box   5 Folder   1-3	1883-1884 July
Box   6 Folder   1-3	1884 July-October
Box   7 Folder   1-3	1884 November-1885 February
Box   8 Folder   1-5	1885 March-1886
Box   9 Folder   1-4	1887-1888
Box   10 Folder   1-3	1889-1890 June
Box   11 Folder   1-3	1890 July-1891 June
Box   12 Folder   1-4	1891 July-December
Box   13 Folder   1-3	1892 January-April
Box   14 Folder   1-4	1892 May-November
Box   15 Folder   1-3	1892 December-1893 January
Box   16 Folder   1-3	1893 February-March
Box   17 Folder   1-3	1893 March-May
Box   18 Folder   1-3	1893 May-June
Box   19 Folder   1-3	1893 July-September
Box   20 Folder   1-3	1893 October-1894 January
Box   21 Folder   1-3	1894 February-April
Box   22 Folder   1-3	1894 May-July
Box   23 Folder   1-3	1894 August-November
Box   24 Folder   1-3	1894 December-1895 April
Box   25 Folder   1-3	1895 May-November
Box   26 Folder   1-3	1895 December-1896 January
Box   27 Folder   1-3	1896 February-March
Box   28 Folder   1-3	1896 March-April
Box   29 Folder   1-3	1896 April-May
Box   30 Folder   1-3	1896 May-June
Box   31 Folder   1-4	1896 July-August
Box   32 Folder   1-3	1896 September-November
Box   33 Folder   1-3	1896 November-1897 January
Box   34 Folder   1-3	1897 January-February
Box   35 Folder   1-4	1897 February-September
Box   36 Folder   1-3	1897 October-1898 February
Box   37 Folder   1-3	1898 March-1899 June
Box   38 Folder   1-3	1899 July-1900 November
Box   39 Folder   1-4	1900 December-1902 March
Box   40 Folder   1-4	1902 April-1904 April
Box   41 Folder   1-4	1904 September-1907 April
Box   42 Folder   1-2	1907 May-1908
Box   43 Folder   1-2	1909-1914
	Second Accession (not indexed)
Box   58 Folder   1-4	1878 January 1-1885 March 19
Box   59 Folder   1-4	1885 March 20-April 24
Box   60 Folder   1-4	1885 April 25-May 30
Box   61 Folder   1-4	1885 June 1-July 9
Box   62 Folder   1-4	1885 July 10-August 31
Box   63 Folder   1-4	1885 September 1-October 31
Box   64 Folder   1-4	1885 November-December
Box   65 Folder   1-5	1886 January-March 12
Box   66 Folder   1-4	1886 March 13-June 4
Box   67 Folder   1-4	1886 June 5-September 21
Box   68 Folder   1-4	1886 September 22-November
Box   69 Folder   1-4	1886 December-1887 February 13
Box   70 Folder   1-4	1887 February 14-April 26
Box   71 Folder   1-4	1887 April 27-July 22
Box   72 Folder   1-4	1997 July 23-December
Box   73 Folder   1-4	1888 January-April 14
Box   74 Folder   1-4	1888 April 15-August
Box   75 Folder   1-4	1888 September-1889 February 20
Box   76 Folder   1-5	1889 February 21-1891 January 27
Box   77 Folder   1-6	1891 January 28-1904 September 11
Box   78 Folder   1-5	1904 September 14-1959
Box   78 Folder   5-6	undated
	Series: Legal Papers	⇧
	Case files
Box   43 Folder   3	List of cases
	County Circuit Court cases (Dane, unless noted)
Box   43 Folder   4	Baker v. Baker
Box   43 Folder   5	Bradbury v. Richardson
Box   43 Folder   6	Buffalo Agricultural v. Powers & Sherman
Box   43 Folder   7	Divorce cases
Box   43 Folder   8	Dreher v. Fitchburg
Box   43 Folder   9	Durfee v. Wright
Box   43 Folder   10	Fallon v. Fallon
Box   43 Folder   11	Fox v. Blackman
Box   43 Folder   12	Hildreth v. Page
Box   43 Folder   13	Holton cases
Box   44 Folder   1	Jacobs v. Queen Insurance Company, 1902
Box   44 Folder   2	Kavanaugh cases
Box   44 Folder   3	Kesting v. Appleton Insurance (Outagamie)
Box   44 Folder   4	Kurt v. Hein
Box   44 Folder   5	Lockwood v. Cook
Box   44 Folder   6	Marshall v. Burrows
Box   44 Folder   7	Mather v. Van Slyke
Box   44 Folder   8	Moran v. McIntee (slander)
Box   44 Folder   9	Murphy v. Barry
Box   44 Folder   10	O'Bannon v. Bathgate
Box   44 Folder   11	Riphahn v. Riphahn
Box   46 Folder   3	Simonds v. Town of Superior (Douglas)
Box   44 Folder   12	Stevens v. Knight
Box   44 Folder   13	Stombaugh v. Litch
	Swift v. State Lumber
Box   44 Folder   14	Pleadings
Box   45 Folder   1	Argument
Box   45 Folder   2	Tracy v. Clark
Box   45 Folder   3	Wilson v. Botkin
Box   45 Folder   4	Wisconsin v. Belden
Box   45 Folder   5	Wisconsin v. Farley
Box   45 Folder   6-7	Wisconsin v. Ingersoll (poison)
Box   46 Folder   1	Wisconsin v. Regan
Box   46 Folder   2	Wisconsin v. Shanley (police court)
	Wisconsin Supreme Court cases
Box   46 Folder   4	Kingsley v. City of Merrill, circa 1902
Box   55 Folder   1	Ellis v. Northern Pacific, Briefs
	Federal Circuit Court, Western District cases
Box   46 Folder   5	Cadman v. Peter, circa 1881-1882
Box   46 Folder   6-7	Cameron v. La Crosse, 1898
Box   46 Folder   8	John R. Davis Lumber Company v. Mississippi River Logging Company
	Gunnison, et al. v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, 1902
Box   46 Folder   9-10	Memoranda and minutes
Box   47 Folder   1	Vilas arguments, 1902
Box   47 Folder   2	General papers, 1900
Box   47 Folder   3	Answer and complaint
	Lake Superior Ship Canal Railroad cases
	Lake Superior v. Sutherland, 1875
Box   47 Folder   4	Michigan case
Box   47 Folder   5	Davis, Theodore, testimony
Box   48 Folder   1	Avery, William, testimony
Box   48 Folder   7-8	Exhibits
	Lake Superior v. Sutherland
Box   48 Folder   2	Michigan case
Box   48 Folder   3	Calendar
Box   48 Folder   4-5	Exhibits
	United States v. Lake Superior
Box   48 Folder   6	Case statement
Box   49 Folder   1	Argument
	Depositions
Box   49 Folder   2-7	1897-1898
Box   50 Folder   1	1900
Box   50 Folder   2	Exhibits, Complainant
Box   50 Folder   3	Stipulations, 1899
Box   50 Folder   4	Testimony, 1898
Box   50 Folder   5	Vilas memoranda
Box   50 Folder   6	Miscellaneous papers
Box   51 Folder   1	Miscellaneous papers (continued)
Box   51 Folder   2	Exhibits
Box   51 Folder   3	Madison & Portage Railroad v. Wisconsin
	Royal Trust v. Washburn, Bayfield & Iron River Railway Company
Box   53 Folder   4-6	General papers
Box   54 Folder   1	Testimony
Box   54 Folder   2-3	Wisconsin Central Railroad v. Forsythe, William Vilas argument, 1890-1891
	Federal Circuit Court of Appeals: Ohio Coal Company v. Whitcomb & Morris for Wisconsin Central
Box   51 Folder   4	Summons
Box   51 Folder   5	Depositions, 1900
Box   51 Folder   6	Minutes, 1901
Box   52 Folder   1	Testimony
Box   52 Folder   2-3	Transcript, 1904
Box   52 Folder   4	Writ of error
Box   52 Folder   5	Miscellaneous papers
Box   53 Folder   1-3	Miscellaneous papers (continued)
Box   54 Folder   4	Vilas appeal brief, 1902
Box   54 Folder   4	Master's deed, 1899
	United States Supreme Court cases
Box   54 Folder   5-6	Bardon v. Northern Pacific Railroad, Transcript and briefs, 1891
	Ellis v. Northern Pacific Railroad
Box   54 Folder   7	Douglas County proceedings
	Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1891
Box   54 Folder   8	Case statement
Box   55 Folder   1	Briefs
Box   55 Folder   2	U.S. Circuit Court
	U.S. Supreme Court
Box   55 Folder   3	Transcript
Box   55 Folder   4	Printed briefs
Box   55 Folder   5-6	Handwritten briefs
Box   55 Folder   7	Filhoil v. Maurice
	Vilas family cases
Box   56 Folder   1-4	Jay Akerly v. Levi B. Vilas
Box   57 Folder   1-2	Jay Akerly v. Levi B. Vilas (continued)
Box   57 Folder   3-4	Bartlett v. Madison Fire Insurance Company
Box   57 Folder   5	Beaser v. Charles Vilas
Box   57 Folder   6	Cain, Luther, v. William Vilas
	Consolidated Water Power Company v. John L. Nash, 1895
Box   78 Folder   8-9	Summons and answer
Box   78 Folder   10	Defendant's authorities
Box   78 Folder   11	Minutes
Box   78 Folder   12-13	Miscellaneous papers and fragments
Box   78 Folder   7	Charles Vilas v. Prince
Box   79 Folder   1-2	Head, Louis, v. Northern Electrical Manufacturing Company, 1895-1901
Box   79 Folder   3	Vilas, Lizzie, v. Bundy and Fleming, 1900
Box   79 Folder   4	Pierce v. William Vilas, Knight, et al., 1898
Box   79 Folder   5-6	Sanborn, James, v. Knight
	Welch, William, cases
Box   79 Folder   7	Home diary, 1882-1890
Box   79 Folder   8	Minnesota v. Welch
Box   79 Folder   9	Miscellaneous papers
	Miscellaneous legal papers
	Albany Law School papers
Box   79 Folder   10	Autograph and photograph album, 1860 (Volume 18)
Box   80 Folder   3	Ira Harris lectures, 1859-1860 (Volume 10)
Box   80 Folder   1	Amasa Park lectures, 1859-1860 (Volume 37)
Box   80 Folder   2	Moot court cases, 1859-1860 (Volume 6)
Box   80 Folder   4	Authorities for unidentified case
	Railroad cases miscellaneous papers
	Chicago & Northwestern Railroad cases
Box   80 Folder   5	Docket and record of William Vilas business, 1879-1885 (Volume 5)
Box   80 Folder   6	Land purchases stub book (Volume 35)
Box   80 Folder   7	Wisconsin Central case exhibits
Box   81 Folder   1	Notes on authorities consulted not affecting the law of master and servant (Volume 19)
Box   81 Folder   7	Commonplace book of cases regarding liability of the master (Volume 30)
Box   81 Folder   2	Cases regarding insurance companies, Authorities consulted (Volume 31)
Box   81 Folder   3	Lecture on jurisdiction
Box   81 Folder   4	Lecture on moral law
	Ledgers for law practice
Box   81 Folder   5A	Vilas, 1869-1874 (Volume 3, Part A)
	Vilas and Bryant
Box   81 Folder   5B	1872-1879 (Volume 3, Part B)
Box   81 Folder   6	, 1880-1886 (Volume 4)
Box   82 Folder   1	Legal fragments
Box   102 Folder   1-2	Soldier claim cases A and B, 1863-1870 (Volumes 1-2)
Box   101 Folder   9	Will, estate inventory, and attorney's biographical notes, 1910, 1960-1961
	Series: Cabinet Papers	⇧
	Private letterbooks
Box   90	, 1885 March 9-1886 February 13 (Volume 11)
Box   91	, 1886 February 13-1886 July 15 (Volume 12)
Box   92	, 1886 July 16-1886 December 15 (Volume 13)
Box   93	, 1886 December 15-1887 April 5 (Volume 14)
Box   94	, 1887 April 11-1887 December 5 (Volume 15)
Box   95	, 1887 December 6-1888 July 11 (Volume 16)
Box   96	, 1888 July 12-1891 May 5 (Volume 17)
	Post Office Department
Box   82 Folder   2-5	Memoranda and statistics for annual reports, 1885-1887
Box   101 Folder   1	Memoranda regarding foreign mail
Box   82 Folder   6	Miscellany
Box   82 Folder   7	Recommendation notes, 1885-1887 (Volume 8)
Box   82 Folder   8	Spaulding, Harvey, v. William Vilas and Dickinson
	Interior Department
Box   101 Folder   2-4	General Land Office, memoranda on cases, 1888
Box   82 Folder   9	Memoranda index regarding letters written, 1888-1889 (Volumes 38-40)
Box   83 Folder   1-2	Annual report, memoranda and statistics, 1888
Box   83 Folder   3	Statement regarding employees, 1885-1889
Box   83 Folder   4	Wisconsin land petition
	Series: General Papers	⇧
	University of Wisconsin (UW)
Box   83 Folder   5A	Daniel Read lecture notes, 1856-1857 (Volume 9)
Box   83 Folder   5B	Hesperian Society Stylus, 1856
Box   83 Folder   6	Insurance ledger, 1877-1902 (Volume 20)
	Biographical clipping scrapbooks
Box   89 Folder   5	, 1884-1885 (Volume 23)
Box   89 Folder   6	, 1885-1886 (Volume 25)
Box   98	, 1885-1886 (Volume 24)
Box   99	, 1887 (Volume 26)
Box   100 Folder   1	, 1888 (was E664/V6/S37/1888z)
Box   100 Folder   2	1893-1894 (Volume 27, photocopied)
Box   97	Portfolio of loose clippings, 1895-1896 (Volume 20)
Box   100 Folder   3	1903-1906 (Volume 29, photocopied)
	Diaries
Box   83 Folder   7	1854, with accounts, , 1856-1858 (Volume 41)
Box   83 Folder   8	Lake Superior trip, notebook and transcript, 1873 August (Volume 42)
Box   83 Folder   9	1874, 1885 (Volumes 43-44)
	Miscellaneous papers and fragments
Box   103 Folder   1	Ashland Realty Company
Box   103 Folder   2	Beef slough case
Box   103 Folder   3	Canal in Nicaragua
Box   103 Folder   4	Cleveland accomplishments notes
Box   103 Folder   5	Cliff House (Baraboo) bills, 1895-1897
Box   103 Folder   6	Cranberries
Box   103 Folder   7	Fragments
Box   103 Folder   8	Fragmentary correspondence
Box   103 Folder   9	Interior Department Indian treaty memoranda
Box   103 Folder   10-11	Land holdings
Box   103 Folder   12	Lists
	Memorabilia
Box   103 Folder   13	General
Box   103 Folder   14	Army of the Tennessee reunion, 1879
Box   103 Folder   15	White House
Box   103 Folder   16	Superior Consolidated Land Company, 1901
Box   103 Folder   17	Tariff speech
Box   103 Folder   18	University of Wisconsin
Box   101 Folder   7-8	Vilas home and entertaining miscellany
Box   103 Folder   19	Wisconsin Civil War monument
Box   103 Folder   20	Wisconsin railroad land grant documents, 1856
	Series: Family Papers	⇧
	Edward P. Vilas (brother) UW notebooks
Box   89 Folder   1	Ancient history, 1872 (William Francis Allen) (Volume 33)
Box   89 Folder   1	French, 1868-1869 (Volume 34)
Box   89 Folder   1	Latin prose composition book, 1868-1869 (Volume 36)
Box   89 Folder   2	Henry M. Vilas (?-1872, brother), Appleton law firm letterbook
	Levi Baker Vilas, Justice of the peace records (Johnson, Vermont)
Box   89 Folder   3	, 1835 (Volume 21)
Box   102 Folder   3	1835-1839 and Henry Vilas' UW memorabilia, , 1858-1861 (Volume 22)
Box   89 Folder   4	Levi Madison Vilas (brother, 1844-1889), Albany Law School moot court record, 1863-1864
Box   101 Folder   5	Cornelia Vilas funeral, 1903
Box   101 Folder   6	Miscellaneous Vilas family papers
PH 2276 (3)	Series: Photographs	⇧