Caldwell was the operator of a general store in Vincennes (Knox Co.), Indiana (1810s), and Shawneetown, Ill. (ca. 1814–35); receiver of public monies in the U.S. land office at Shawneetown (1810s–20s); and manager of the general store in Shawneetown for Frederick Rapp (1820s). His family included his son, John Caldwell (1819–68), a Vincennes merchant; and grandson, Albert G. Caldwell (b. 1846), a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy (1862–63), and an officer in the U.S. Navy (1860s–80s).
The collection includes John Caldwell's bills, receipts, accounts, contracts, and correspondence for his businesses in Vincennes and Shawneetown (1810–35), including his dealings with Frederick Rapp (1824–27); papers of Caldwell's wife regarding his estate (1830s–40s); letters of his son, John Caldwell, to his fiancee and wife, Margaret Badollet Caldwell, written while on business trips to Louisville, Ky., New York, N.Y., Philadelphia, Pa., Cincinnati, Ohio, and other places (1845–63); and letters of Albert G. Caldwell to his mother from the U.S. Naval Academy (1862–63), and while serving on American ships in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and along the South American coast (1866–83).
1 box, 1 oversize folder, 1 reel of microfilm.
Description taken from Eric Pumroy and Paul Brockman, A Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1986 (entry A-54).
There is a typewritten collection guide for this collection in the Indiana Historical Society library. The collection is processed and available for use. Please consult a reference librarian for help in using it. If you are viewing this page on our website, you may request a copy by going to http://www.indianahistory.org/library/reference.html and clicking on “Ask a Reference Question.” Please include your mailing address with your request.
Manuscript and
Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
www.indianahistory.org
7 November 2004