MsC 249

  Manuscript Register

PAPERS OF JAMES CHAMBERLIN

Collection Dates: 1838 -- 1897
28 items

This document describes a collection of materials held by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: lib-spec@uiowa.edu

Posted to Internet: November 1997

Acquisition Note: This collection was donated to the University of Iowa Libraries by J. Gordon Chamberlin in 1971.

Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

Photographs: Box 1

Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department.

Copyright:  Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials"

Use of Collections:  The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.

Biographical Note

Pennsylvania native James Chamberlin (1817 -- 1897) settled near North Liberty in Johnson County, Iowa in 1841. There he farmed and took part in community affairs. Chamberlain (a Republican) was on the Johnson County board of supervisors, a member of the school board, and a justice of the peace.

 Scope and Contents

The papers of James Chamberlin date from 1838 to 1897 and were given to the University of Iowa Libraries in 1971, by his great grandson, J. Gordon Chamberlin. The twenty eight items making up the collection include daybooks kept by Chamberlin from 1852 to 1890. There he reported not only his day to day activities, but also some financial transactions. There is an account book for the years 1838 to 1854, in which his expenses as well as earnings were itemized. A ledger of school records documents the formation of the school district for Penn township in Johnson County, Iowa. It also records the meeting relating to the building of their first school and later contains information about the students and teachers. Finally, a book of court records kept when he was a justice of the peace details his court cases and the resulting judgments.

Box 1

Index to the papers prepared by the son of the donor, J. Gordon Chamberlin. Xerox copy; original returned to Mr. Chamberlin.

Folder of 10 photographs, with 5 pages of miscellaneous accounts and 1 A.L.S. to James Chamberlin, Iowa City, from David S. Chamberlin, 17 January, 1851, 4 p.

Four copies of a 'sampler', prepared by J. Gordon Chamberlin.

Account book, 1838 -- 1854.

Court records of James Chamberlin, Justice of the Peace, 1853 -- 1871.

School records, 1854 -- 1860.

Box 2

Day books:

1852 -- 1862.

1863 -- 1869.

1870 -- 1879.

1880 -- 1888.

1889 -- 1890.

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