These papers particularly concern state and national elections and Rusk's tenure as Secretary of Agriculture. There are some official papers concerning his military service with the 25th Wisconsin Infantry and some incoming correspondence concerning his years in Congress and as governor. The years as governor are, however, well covered by four volumes of outgoing private letters. These volumes are not indexed. Gubernatorial correspondence of a more official nature is part of State Archives Series 33 and 34 at the Historical Society. One of the two events most associated with Rusk's administration--the bankruptcy of the Chicago, Portage, and Superior Railroad and his response to the plight of its employees--is documented in State Archives Series 44.
Prominent Wisconsin figures whose letters are scattered throughout the correspondence include Romanzo Bunn, Angus Cameron, Matthew H. Carpenter, Lucien B. Caswell, Lucius Fairchild, Richard Guenther, Nils P. Haugen, W. D. Hoard, Timothy O. Howe, Elisha W. Keyes, Charles King, Robert M. La Follette, Sr., Horace Rublee, Henry C. Payne, Horace Rublee, Philetus Sawyer, John C. Spooner, Isaac Stephenson, and Cadwallader C. Washburn.
Rusk's correspondence as Secretary of Agriculture consists of nine volumes of letters sent and boxed incoming letters. This mail, which is indexed, should be considered as private, as compared to Rusk's official correspondence held by the National Archives. Nevertheless, some official matters are covered. Matters touched upon include the St. Croix and Lake Superior Railroad land grant, the location of bridges across the Mississippi River, Rusk's cabinet ambitions, the 1889 silver issue, the Bennett Law, state treasurer suits of the early 1890s, the state reapportionment law of 1891, and dissatisfaction of the shipping interests with the administration of President Harrison. Material relating to the Department of Agriculture deals with the opening of European markets to American meat and livestock, pleuro-pneumonia eradication, Texas fever prevention, oleomargarine, inspection activities, newspaper criticism, various agriculture organizations, and departmental personnel. Some information on the influence of politics on appointments and its connection with inspection and law enforcement work is suggested by letters from Marcus A. Hanna, Algernon S. Paddock, Nelson Morris and Philip D. Armour, both Chicago packers, and others. Other national correspondents of prominence include James G. Blaine; Roscoe Conkling; James A. Garfield, a long-time friend; Benjamin Harrison and members of his Presidential campaign committee; Garret A. Hobart, John A. Logan, and John W. Noble.
