Collection
Guide
Administrative Information
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Biographical Note
James Baird Weaver was
born in Dayton, Ohio, on June 12, 1833. He moved with his parents to Michigan
and then to Iowa, where they settled on a farm in Bloomfield. He studied
law in Bloomfield from 1853 -- 1856. He apparently supported himself with
clerk jobs at this time, because their granddaughter remembers the story
of his meeting his wife. He was working as a clerk in Mannings store when
Clara Vinson bought a spool of thread from him. He graduated from Cincinnati
Law School in April 1856, and he and Clara were married on July 13, 1858
in Keosauqua, Iowa. He commenced the practice of law in Bloomfield.He
enlisted as a private in the Second Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry in
April 1861, where he rose to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers.
He was mustered out of the army on May 27, 1864.He was elected district
attorney for the second judicial district in Iowa in 1866 and served four
years. He spent his lifetime in politics and the law, running twice for
president on third party tickets -- in 1880 for the National Greenback
party (for which he received 350,000 votes) and in 1892 on the People's
Party ticket (for which he received twenty-two electoral votes). He served
a term in Congress from 1879 -- 1881; and again as a Democratic and Greenback-Laborite
to the fiftieth congress from 1885 -- 1889. He was unsuccessful at running
for re-election in 1888. He was mayor of Colfax, Iowa from 1901 -- 1903.
James Baird
Weaver died in Des Moines on February 6, 1912, following several
heart attacks.
Scope and
Contents
This collection is comprised
mostly of correspondence between James Baird Weaver and Clara Vinson Weaver,
and most of the letters are from the Civil War period. There are a few
letters from others in the Weaver family and a copy of a speech Weaver
delivered in the House of Representatives.
JRoethler,
January 2003
Photographs: Folder 6
Acquisition and Processing
Information
These papers
were given to the University of Iowa Libraries by Alice Evans Dannreuther in 1961.
Guide posted
to Internet: January 2003
Inventory
Clipping dated
November 30, 1836. Newspaper not identified. Column headed "Trumpet
of Liberty." Includes "Further Objections to Martin Van Buren for
President," an article from the New York Advertiser and articles
from other newspapers on various subjects.
Clipping dated September 22,
1836. Newspaper not identified. Column headed "Trumpet of Liberty." Contains
a few articles concerning Martin Van Buren.
FOLDER
2
Personal correspondence of J.B. Weaver and Clara Vinson, 1858
FOLDER 3
Personal correspondence of J.B.
Weaver to his wife Clara Vinson Weaver, 1860 -- 1864. Includes some letters
with commentary on the war
FOLDER 4
Personal correspondence of Clara
Vinson Weaver to her husband, 1862 -- 1864
FOLDER 5
Two letters from
G. Vinson to his father (brother of Clara Vinson Weaver), August 19 and September
27, 1837. 4 pages each
A letter from Mr. Weaver to Julius Strouse, concerning war experience. Included
are two typewritten copies of the letter
Two letters from Malechi Vinson, oldest brother of Clara Vinson Weaver
To Maude Weaver,
his niece, January 22, 1892
To Clara Vinson Weaver, his sister, August 7, 1894
A letter to Maudie
from "Papa", n.d.
Two unreadable love letters
From Mr. Weaver
to Clara Vinson, n.d. 4 pages
From Clara Vinson to Mr. Weaver, n.d. 4 pages
A personal letter
to "Clara" from S.M. Henry, n.d.
FOLDER 6
A copy of a speech delivered
by Hon. J.B. Weaver in the House of Representatives, May 16, 1888, entitled "The
Tariff and the Trusts". 8 pages
A photograph of a woman unname
