Guide to the William W. Bartlett Papers, 1821-1934, 1944-1962
Last Updated
Summary Information
Title: William W. Bartlett Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1821-1934, 1944-1962
Creator: Bartlett, William W., 1861-1933
Call Number: Eau Claire Mss BY; Eau Claire Micro 34; Micro 582
Quantity: 10.0 c.f. (21 archives boxes, 10 flat boxes) and 1 reel of microfilm (35mm)
Repository: Housed at the Area Research Center, William D. McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Library-Archives Division
Archival Locations: UW-Eau Claire McIntyre Library / Eau Claire Area Research Ctr.
Abstract: Papers of Bartlett, a prominent local historian in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, consisting of personal papers and his historical writings. The personal papers contain biographical and family information; correspondence, 1896-1934, with considerable information on local history topics; and files on Eau Claire activities in which Bartlett was involved, including the Eau Claire County Old Settlers' Association (1890-1929), the Prohibition Club (1885-1894), the Chippewa-Eau Claire Memorial Highway, and the local school system. The historical writings series contains published and unpublished writings, original source materials, and research notes. The bulk of this series consists of lumbering materials (1821-1932), mostly from the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company, but also from other area companies. Other topics include the Ezra Cornell/Cornell University lands in Wisconsin (1880-1892) and John Deitz and the Cameron Dam incident (19051919, 1945).
Language: English
Search Terms/Subject Terms
- Cornell, Ezra, 1807-1874
- Deitz, John F., 1861-1924
- Eau Claire County Old Settlers’ Association (Wis.) Daniel Shaw Lumber Company
- Prohibition Club (Eau Claire, Wis.)
- Land companies—Wisconsin
- Local history
- Log brands—Wisconsin
- Logging—Wisconsin
- Lumbering—Wisconsin
- Schools—Wisconsin—Eau Claire
- Chippewa-Eau Claire Memorial Highway (Wis.)
- Eau Claire (Wis.)—History
- Wisconsin—History
Biography/History
William Warren Bartlett was born in Presque Isle, Maine, on January 23, 1861. He lived there until 1867, when his family moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he resided for the rest of his life. He graduated from an Eau Claire high school in 1882, and in 1885 he attended the University of Wisconsin for a brief course in architecture. On August 1, 1890, Bartlett married Clara Towner and eventually they had five children: Ruth Margaret, Harry Owen, Gertrude Clara, Cora Louise, and Arthur William. Bartlett worked as a building contractor and in similar business ventures, and was also an avid collector of historical materials pertaining to Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley area. His competence as a local historian was recognized throughout Wisconsin, and he was often asked to deliver speeches or write articles for local newspapers.
The 1929 publication of his book, History, Tradition and Adventure in the Chippewa Valley, represented the culmination of his many years of work collecting documents and interviews. In the book he pulled together many ideas and interviews that he had previously published as single articles in a variety of publications. The bulk of the book consists of edited reminiscences by early Chippewa Valley residents concerning significant cultural and economic developments in the area, including the Sioux Chippewa Indian feud and subsequent treaty in 1825, fur trading in the Valley in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and Old Abe, the Civil War eagle, which had become the unofficial Wisconsin mascot. Bartlett collected so much material on lumbering in the Chippewa Valley region that he apparently intended to publish a book on this topic; there is a lengthy, incomplete, unpublished manuscript in the collection.
Bartlett also served on the Eau Claire Public Library board for seventeen years in the early part of this century, and later became the president until 1932, when he resigned.
Bartlett died in Madison on March 31, 1933 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident; he was buried in Eau Claire.
Scope and Content Note
The William Bartlett Papers, 1821-1934, 1944-1962 consist of two series -- his Personal Papers and Historical Writings -- both of which reflect Bartlett's long-time interest in documenting the history of the Chippewa Valley region and of his own family.Researchers should be cautioned that the subject matter of the series and subseries overlap considerably; the correspondence files are particularly informative on many topics.
Bartlett's Personal Papers contain biographical information, family papers, an unidentified journal, correspondence, and files on Eau Claire organizations in which Bartlett was involved. The family papers consist primarily of genealogies and death announcements for members of Mrs. Bartlett's family, the Towners. The correspondence file, which comprises the bulk of this series, consists largely of detailed letters from local residents about numerous aspects of Chippewa Valley history since the eighteenth century. There are also letters about Bartlett's book, his involvement in state, county, and local historical societies in Wisconsin and Minnesota, his preparation during the 1920s of a slide show on lumbering, and letters to and from friends and relatives regarding family and social affairs. Also included are several letters from Bartlett to Lieutenant Governor George Comings, 1923, February-October, concerning Comings' criticism of the Wisconsin National Guard; a letter of introduction from Philip La Follette dated April 4, 1930 written for Bartlett while he was studying Wisconsin art; and a few letters written to Mrs. Bartlett after her husband's death, one from a daughter describing her experiences in an earthquake in California. The files on organizations Bartlett was involved in include materials on the Eau Claire County Old Settlers Association (1890-1927), the Prohibition Club (1885-1894), and the Eau Claire school system (1892-1926).
The Historical Writings series contains published and unpublished writings, original unpublished source materials collected by Bartlett, and research notes used in the preparation of his book and of various articles about the history of Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley regions. Some topics included are: the Cornell University lands in Wisconsin (1880-1922), John Deitz of the Cameron Dam (1905-1910 and 1945), the Red River Dam incident during the Civil War (1864-1904), and lumbering in the Chippewa Valley area (1821-1932). The lumbering materials constitute the bulk of this series and are arranged in an alphabetical subject file. Most of the papers are from the Daniel Shaw Lumber Co. but there are also some from the North Western Lumber Co., Porter and Moon, and the Montreal River Logging Co.; D.R. Moon was an officer in the latter three companies. While the majority of these papers concern routine business, there are also several subject files on such topics as the purchase and sale of land, relevant legislation, court cases, lumber dealers, contracts and articles of agreement, and logging camp humor. The documents include ledgers, letterpress copybooks, journals, account books, log mark books, tally books, scale books, and section map books. There is only a small amount of material illustrating the operations of the interlocking directorates that characterized Wisconsin's lumbering industry at this time.
Additional material on Eau Claire activities during World War I and on Old Abe, the Civil War eagle, have been separated from these papers and cataloged as individual collections. Both Bartlett and Marshall Cousins kept files on these topics and exchanged their resources and ideas freely. The World War I material has been organized as Eau Claire Mss BN and the Old Abe collection has been cataloged as Eau Claire Mss BL.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Acquisition Information
Presented by the Eau Claire Public Library, 1991. A few items were presented directly to the Society by Mr. Bartlett, and one item was presented by Professor Henry A. Schuette, September 25, 1933.
Processing Information
Initial papers processed for the Eau Claire Public Library by the State Historical Society, 1975-1976; additional items interfiled, 1991.
Contents List
Eau Claire Mss BY
Series: Bartlett Personal Papers
Box 1
Folder 1
Biographical information, 1929; before 1933; 1953
Box 1
Folder 2
Miscellany - personal, 1888-1932; undated (scattered)
Box 1
Folder 3
Journal, 1926-1927
Correspondence
Box 1
Folder 4
1896, March - 1912, November
Box 1
Folder 5
1913, February - 1915, December
Box 1
Folder 6
1916, January - 1918, April
Box 1
Folder 7
1918, May - 1920, December
Box 1
Folder 8
1921, January - 1923, April
Box 1
Folder 9
1923, May - 1924
Box 2
Folder 1
1925, January - 1926, July
Box 2
Folder 2
1926, August - 1927, December
Box 2
Folder 3
1928, January - 1929, April
Box 2
Folder 4
1929, May - 1930, February
Box 2
Folder 5
1930, March - 1931, June
Box 2
Folder 6
1931, July - 1934, May; undated
Organizations in which Bartlett was involved
Chippewa-Eau Claire Memorial Highway
Box 2
Folder 7
Committee records, 1921, March - 1929, January; undated
Box 3
Folder 1
Committee correspondence, 1920, June - 1924, April;
1926-1927
Box 3
Folder 2
Clippings and newsletters, 1921, March - 1924; 1928; undated
Eau Claire County Old Settlers Association
Box 3
Folder 3
Records, 1896; 1920-1923
Box 3
Folder 4
Membership Applications, undated
Box 3
Folder 5
Correspondence, 1890-1927; undated (scattered)
Box 3
Folder 6
Annual banquet programs, 1887, March - 1920, October (scattered)
Box 3
Folder 7
Clippings, pictures, 1895-1926 (scattered)
Box 3
Folder 8
Eau Claire Historical Society, 1915, April - 1927, June; undated (scattered)
Box 3
Folder 9
Performing Arts - programs and other materials, 18861928, May; undated (scattered)
Box 3
Folder 10
Prohibition Club, 1885, March; before 1892; after 1894
Box 3
Folder 11
Schools - material about elementary and high schools, also University of Wisconsin, 1889, June - 1915; undated (scattered)
Series: Historical Writings
Local History
Writings and miscellany
Box 4
Folder 1
History, Tradition and Adventure in the Chippewa Valley, 1929; 1930
Box 4
Folder 2-3
Manuscripts and Articles, 1921-1926; undated (scattered)
Box 4
Folder 4
Notebook by Bartlett, undated
Box 4
Folder 5-6
Local and State history - general, 1836-1931; undated (scattered)
Alphabetical subject files
Box 4
Folder 7
Chippewa-Sioux feud, the 1825 treaty and boundary, 1832-1836, July; before 1921; 1921; 1931
Box 4
Folder 8
Civil War, 1860-1864; 1898-1926; 1948; 1962; undated (scattered)
Box 4
Folder 9
Cornell University's land in Wisconsin, 1880-1922 (scattered)
Box 4
Folder 10
Deitz, John, 1905, April - 1910; 1945
Box 4
Folder 11
Ermatinger, Warren, England, and Johnson Families, 1841; 1852; 1898; 1924-1929; undated (scattered)
Box 20
Folder 1
Patents, 1855-1909 (scattered)
Lumbering
Writings and Miscellany
Box 5
Folder 1-2
Bartlett's writings, undated
Box 5
Folder 3
Incomplete manuscript about lumbering, 1930
Box 5
Folder 4
General, 1821-1932; 1944: undated (scattered)
Alphabetical subject files
Box 6
Folder 1
Account book, 1850-1875
Box 6
Folder 2
Chippewa rafts book, 1865-1867
Contracts and articles of agreement
Box 6
Folder 3
1854-1873 (scattered)
Box 6
Folder 4
1874, January - 1882, November
Box 6
Folder 5
1883-1891 (scattered)
Box 6
Folder 6
1892-1898 (1899, January - 1900, December)
Box 6
Folder 7
1901, January - 1911 (scattered)
Correspondence - general
Box 7
Folder 1
1868-1899 (scattered)
Box 7
Folder 2
1902
Box 7
Folder 3
1903-1923 (scattered)
Correspondence - lumber companies in which D.R. Moon was involved
Box 7
Folder 4
1869, July - 1871, October
Box 7
Folder 5
1883, June - 1887, September
Box 7
Folder 6
1888, February - 1890, November
Box 7
Folder 7
1891, January - September
Box 8
Folder 1
1891, October - December
Box 8
Folder 2
1892, January - 1896, October
Box 8
Folder 3
1898, January - 1899, December; 1901; undated
Box 8
Folder 4
Cost of Logging and Lumbering Operations, 1866-1910; undated (scattered)
Box 8
Folder 5
Del Norte Company, 1902, March - 1903; 1905; 1909; 1929; undated
Box 8
Folder 6
Dole, Ingram, and Kennedy, 1860, June - 1862, December; 1866, June
Box 8
Folder 7
Eau Claire Board of Trade, 1881: undated
Box 8
Folder 8
Eau Claire City Railway Co., 1879, October; 1881; 189?; undated
Box 8
Folder 9
Edson Assessment book, 1882
Box 8
Folder 10
Directories - Lumber Industry, 1905; 1908
Box 17 Folder 1
Flambeau Farm - Journal Daybook, 1878-1879
Box 8
Folder 11
Half Moon Lake Canal Co., 1855-1912 (scattered)
Legislative Materials
Box 9
Folder 1
1871-1878 (scattered)
Box 9
Folder 2
Undated
Ledgers
Box 17 Folder 2
1857-1861
Box 21 Folder 1
1860-1862
Box 9
Folder 3
Log Driving, 1860-1911; undated (scattered)
Log Mark Books
Box 9
Folder 4
Undated
Eau Claire Micro 34/
Micro 582
Reel 1
Frame 1-60
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire
Mss BY Box 9
Folder 5
Charles Bailey, undated
Eau Claire
Micro 34/Micro
582
Reel 1
Frame 61-88
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire
Mss BY Box 9
Folder 6
Stanley Campbell, 1889-1890
Eau Claire
Micro 34/Micro
582 Reel 1
Frame 169-197
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire Mss BY Box 9
Folder 7
Fred Smith (Fred A. Schmidt), 1935; undated
Eau Claire
Micro
34/Micro 582
Reel 1
Frame 89-168
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire
Mss BY Box 9 Folder 8
Surveyors book for District 3, 1861-1897
Eau Claire Micro 34/Micro
582 Reel 1 Frame 198-267
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire Mss BY
Log Tally Books
Box 9
Folder 9
1910-1911; 1912
Box 10 Folder 1
Undated
Box 10 Folder 2
Basswood, 1910-1911
Box 10 Folder 3
Elm and ash, undated
Box 10 Folder 4
Elm-McDougall, undated
Box 10 Folder 5
Pine, undated
Box 10 Folder 6
Pine and Bass, undated
Box 10 Folder 7
Pine, ash, basswood, and elm - John Curran Camp, 1904-1905
Box 10 Folder 8
Spruce and Pine-Proue Camp, 1912
Box 10 Folder 9
Logging Camp Songs, Myths - Paul Bunyan, humor, 1915-1931; undated (scattered)
Box 10
Folder 10
Logging Camp Supply Book, undated
Box 10
Folder 11
Logs, 1862-1903; undated (scattered)
Eau Claire Micro
34/Micro 582
Reel 1 Frame 268-end
Microfilm copy
Eau Claire
Mss BY Box 11
Folder 1
Logs Banked Book, 1886-1889
Lumber Dealers
Box 11 Folder 2
1863-1875 (scattered)
Box 11 Folder 3
1876-1899 (scattered)
Box 11 Folder 4
1900, January - 1910, November
Box 11 Folder 5
1902, February - 1912, April
Box 17 Folder 3
Petit Ledger, 1863-1865
Box 11 Folder 6
Pond and Allen - Accounts, 1859, November - 1860,
April
Box 18 Folder 1
Randall Cash Book, 1857-1866
Box 22 Folder 1
Randall - Howard Daybook, 1861-1862
Box 22 Folder 2
S & C Collection Register, 1866-1868
Sale of Farm and Timberland
Box 11 Folder 7
1860-1899; 1900, January - 1902, December
Box 11 Folder 8
1903, January - 1904, December; 1905-1923; undated
Box 12 Folder 1
Sawyer County Taxpayers Fund, 1908, February - 1909, February
Scale Books
Box 12 Folder 2
Henry Bartlett, 1904
Box 12 Folder 3
Bryce Fuller & Co., 1871
Box 12
Hunter & Smith, 1866; 1867
Folder 4
Box 12 Folder 5
McShaffery, 1904; 1905
Box 12 Folder 6
Morseman & Smith, undated
Box 12 Folder 7
Murray's Camp, 1910; 1911
Box 12 Folder 8
Second Flambeau Drive Payroll Ledger, 1905
Section Map Books
Box 12 Folder 9
1909-1910
Box 12
Folder 10
Moon, 1914; 1915
Showing timber land cut over
Box 12
Folder 11-12
Undated
Box 13
Folder 1-2
Undated
Box 13 Folder 3
Cosgrove, P.J., 1882, June
Box 13 Folder 4
Ellis, A.C., undated
Moon, S.G.
Box 13 Folder 5
1911-1913
Box 13 Folder 6
1914-1916
Sectional Field Books
Box 13 Folder 7
Undated
Box 13 Folder 8
Mann, Geo., undated
Box 13 Folder 9
Sargent, Mr., 1910
Box 13
Folder 10
Scammon, Dan, 1887
Daniel Shaw Lumbering Co.
Box 14 Folder 1
General, 1857-1911; undated (scattered)
Box 14 Folder 2
Account Book - miscellany, 1869-1870
Correspondence
Box 14 Folder 3
1862-1865; 1867, September - 1873, November
Box 14 Folder 4
1874, January - 1877, November
Box 14 Folder 5
1878, January - 1891, November (scattered)
Box 14 Folder 6
1892, January - 1899, December (scattered)
Box 14 Folder 7
1900, January - 1901, December
Box 15 Folder 1
1902
Box 15 Folder 2
1903
Box 15 Folder 3
1904, January - 1905, December
Box 15 Folder 4
1906
Box 15 Folder 5
1907, January - 1912, April; 1916; undated
E.M. Ferguson vs. Daniel Shaw Lumber Co.
Box 15 Folder 6
1899, February - 1900, February
Box 15 Folder 7
Testimonials for Eugene Shaw, 1899, December - 1900, January
Box 23 Folder 1
Journal, 1860-1864
Ledgers
Box 19 Folder 1
1870
Box 18 Folder 2
1875-1879
Legation - miscellaneous
Box 15A Folder 1
1900; undated
Box 15A Folder 2
Undated
Box 15A Folder 3
Log Book, 1865
Log Tally Books
Box 15A Folder 4
Anderson, 1878-1879
Box 16 Folder 1
Hemlock, undated
Box 18 Folder 3
Merchandise Ledger, 1870
Merchandise sales books
Box 24 Folder 1
1872
Box 24 Folder 2
1873
Box 25 Folder 1
1874
Box 26 Folder 1
1876
Box 26 Folder 2
1880
Box 27 Folder 1
1881
Payroll
Box 27 Folder 2
1890-1892
Box 27 Folder 3
1899-1901
Scale books
Box 16 Folder 2
Bullen, C.A., undated
Box 16 Folder 3
Camp 2, 1886
Box 16 Folder 4
Shaw, Daniel, 1868-1869
Box 16 Folder 5
“Shaw hemlock” - Edminster, A.J., 1903-1904
Box 16 Folder 6
Shaw, Daniel - personal correspondence, 1857; 1866; 1868-1869
Shaw, Eugene
Letterpress books
Box 19 Folder 2
1883-1884
Box 28 Folder 1
1890-1892
Box 28 Folder 2
1892-1894
Box 29 Folder 1
1894-1896
Box 29 Folder 2
1897
Box 18 Folder 4
Unbound, 1897, September - November
Box 30 Folder 1
1897-1989
Box 30 Folder 2
1907-1910
Box 16 Folder 7
Notebooks, 1892; 1894
Shaw, George
Box 16 Folder 8
Correspondence, 1890; undated
Box 19 Folder 3
Letterpress book, 1877
Box 16 Folder 9
Shaw, M.G. lands - estimate and evaluations of lumber and land, 1882; 1887
Box 16
Folder 10
Stockholders and directors meetings; articles of association, 1874-1898 (scattered)
Box 16
Folder 11
Survey Book - North Western Lumber Co., 1858, July
Box 16
Folder 12
Trespassing, 1866-1911 (scattered)