MSS 59 Wilson Vance Papers

              OHlO
H I S T O R Y
MSS 59
The [ J . ] Wilson Vance Papers
114 Linear Foot
Inventory
COLLECTION SYNOPSIS
Provenance: The Ohio Historical Society acquired the [ J . ] Wilson Vance
Papers i n December 1943. Processing was completed i n December 1978 by
Linda E l i s e Kalette.
Property Rights: The Ohio Historical Society holds the property r i g h t s
to t h e [ J . ] Wilson Vance Papers.
Copyrights have not been dedicated t o the public. Consideration of the
requirements of copyright is the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of the author and publisher.
Access: The [ J . ] Wilson Vance Papers a r e open to the public.
Citation: A suggested c i t a t i o n f o r t h e manuscripts i n t h i s collection is:
Wilson Vance to the Postmaster General, June 11, 1889/ The [ J . ] Wilson Vance
Papers ( MSS 59) Box 1, Letterbook 111, Ohio Historical Society.
Biographical Sketch: J. Wilson Vance, 1845- 1911, was born i n Findlay, Ohio.
At some early point he ceased using h i s f i r s t name and i n i t i a l and went by
h i s middle name. He served in the Union Army as a Private, 21st Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, from 1861 to 1866 and l a t e r wrote The Judge's Daughter regarding
b a t t l e s and campaigns of the Army of the Cumberland. Vance studied law with
O'Neal, Blackford, and Harsh, and Whiteley, Blackford, and Harsh, in Findlay,
and completed h i s law studies a t the Harvard Law School i n 1867(?). He
formed a firm with B. X. Blair apparently i n July 1887, and with Daniel
McCauley i n April 1888. Vance also edited The Canton Repository, 1877- 78,
and the Square Deal(?), 1904.
Vance served as president of Findlay's Chamber of Commerce and was involved
i n the r e a l e s t a t e market and i n a t t r a c t i n g businesses to t h a t c i t y . Re was
the chamber's president i n 1887 during t h e i r celebration of the anniversary
of the f i r s t p r a c t i c a l application of Ohio n a t u r a l gas to manufacturing
purposes.
H i s papers r e f e r to h i s candidacy for ( Ohio?) governor i n June, 1889, and
mention t h a t he was also a republican candidate for Congress.
Vance was a member of the American Society and Fellow of the Theosophical
Society and Universal Brotherhood.
Scope and Content: The [ J.] Wilson Vance Papers, 3 volumes of typed, hand-written,
t i s s u e copies of outgoing correspondence, are contained in one legal
clamshell Hollinger box. There is some water and adhesive damage to the
m a t e r i a l b u t most is readable; only some of the words are very f a i n t . Although
the papers span the short period from 1885 to 1890, they provide information
about Findlay, Ohio, p a r t i c u l a r l y its r e a l e s t a t e market, economic develop-ment,
and population growth. They also provide some biographical information
and i n s i g h t to Vance's personal l i f e and financial s i t u a t i o n .
OHlO HKSTORICAL SOCIETY
1982 Velma Avenue. Colunbui. Ohio 43211- 2497 ph: 614.297.2300 fx: 614.297.2411
www. ohiohzstary. org