The Lewis papers document the life of James T. Lewis. The collection is comprised of Autobiographical Journals, Correspondence, Speeches, Clippings, and Miscellany. Besides providing copies of many of his speeches, letters, and proclamations while Lewis was politically active, the Autobiographical Journals are an exemplary source of genealogical information. Only the first volume is indexed. Organized chronologically, the Correspondence covers a wide range of professional and personal concerns including appeals for him to accept a position on the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin. The bulk of the letters occur during the Civil War. The Clippings comment on Lewis' political career as well as on the early history of Columbus, Wisconsin. Covering a spectra of topics from duty and sacrifice to marital affairs, Speeches are chronologically arranged. Included in this file are copies of his annual messages to the legislature in 1864 and 1865 and his valedictory address of 1866. Also in chronological order, the Miscellany file contains a diverse collection of materials from election certifications to reminiscences; proclamations to the more eclectic “Phrenological Character” of Lewis done by O. S. Fowler in 1862.
