Abraham Lincoln to Oliver L. Davis, 22 June 18541
Springfield, June 22– 1854,O. L. Davis, Esq[Esquire]Dear Sir:You, no doubt, remember the enclosed memorandum being handed me in your office– I
have just made the desired search, and find that no such deed has ever been here–
Campbell, the Auditor, says that if it were here, it would be in his office, and that he has
hunted for it a dozen times, & could never find it– He says that one time and another,
he has heard much about the matter— that it was not a deed for Right oWay, but a deed,
out-right, for Depot-ground— at least, a sale for Depot-ground, and there may never have been a deed– He says, if there is a deed,
it is most probably^e^ Genl Alexander, of Paris, has it–
Yours truly.A. Lincoln<Page 2>
[ enclosure
]
A Deed from Josep Patterson to the S State of Illinois for the right of way one Lots 7
& 8 in Block 8 in MCRoberts & Walkers Addition to Danville2
I am to examine for the record of this deed at Springfield, and write the result to
James G. Myers
^Miles or O L Davis,^ at Danville–
<Page 3>
[Envelope]
SPRINGFIELD Ill[Illinois]
JUN[June] 23O. L. Davis, EsqDanvilleIllinois–
JUN[June] 23O. L. Davis, EsqDanvilleIllinois–
2Enclosed memorandum to this point is in an unidentified hand. Remainder of enclosure
is in Lincoln’s hand.
McRoberts’s and Walker’s Addition to Danville was located southeast of the public
square and northeast of the Vermilion River. The necessity of determining ownership
of these two lots was likely related to the revival in 1853 of the effort by the Great Western Railroad to complete construction of the line between Danville and Decatur. By 1856, this line was extended from Danville to the Indiana state line as the Toledo, Wabash, and Western Railroad Company, the tracks of which
passed through lots seven and eight in block eight of McRoberts’s and Walker’s Addition.
Joseph Patterson purchased lots seven and eight from Samuel McRoberts, Mary F. McRoberts,
Isaac P. Walker, and Margaret Walker on November 9, 1836. Patterson died intestate
late in 1838 and his wife Docia Patterson was named administrator of his estate. By
July 1840, Docia Patterson had also died, and administration of the estate passed
to Alexander Bailey. Within five years, Oliver L. Davis had taken over administration
of Joseph Patterson’s estate following Bailey’s death.
An Illustrated Historical Atlas Map of Vermilion County, Ill. ([Edwardsville, IL?]: W. R. Brink, 1875), 77; Illinois Daily Journal (Springfield), 5 January 1854, 2:1; Vermilion County Deed Book, Microfilm Publication,
Roll 18, D:25, H:311-12, 315-16, Vermilion County Court House, Danville, IL; Vermilion
County Will Book, Microfilm Publication, Roll 1, 1838-1849, C:45-46, 141, Vermilion
County Court House, Danville, IL.
Autograph Letter Signed, 3 page(s), Huntington Library (San Marino, CA).