Isham, Lincoln & Beale records, 1873-1937

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at the Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Carrie Tarasuk, July 2002.

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Main entry: Isham, Lincoln & Beale (Law firm : Chicago, Ill.)

Title: Isham, Lincoln & Beale records [manuscript], 1873-1937.

Inclusive dates: 1873-1937

Size: 189 v. (27 boxes).

Accession #: 1996.0048

This descriptive inventory includes:

1. Brief history,

2. Description of the collection,

3. List of online catalog headings,

4. Provenance statement,

5. Storage designation,

6. Container list of volumes numbers/dates.

Brief history:

The firm of lawyers began in 1872 as Isham and Lincoln, and later became Isham, Lincoln, and Beale. The firm owed part of its fame to Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of the U.S. president. The firm also was noted for securing the federal injunction to protect the U.S. mail that persuaded President Cleveland to send federal troops, thus breaking the great railroad strike of 1894; for defending Walter Newberry’s bequest that founded the Newberry Library (1877-1883); and for successfully constructing Marshall Field’s will to withstand strong challenges. Clients included the Pullman Company, which Lincoln served as counsel and then as president (1898-1911); elevated railway companies; and Commonwealth Edison. The firm completed a merger with Chicago-based Reuben & Proctor on July 21, 1986. Due to the turbulence of the merger, however, Isham, Lincoln, and Beale ceased business in April of 1988.

Leaders of the firm were

Isham, Edward S. (Edward Swift), 1836-1902,

Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926,

Beale, William G. (William Gerrish), 1854-1923.

Description of the collection:

Volumes containing letterpress copies or (later) carbon copies of outgoing letters from the Chicago law firm of Isham and Lincoln, and from its successor, Isham, Lincoln & Beale. Volumes include copies of letters by the principals of the firm: Edward S. Isham, Robert Todd Lincoln, and William G. Beale (who joined the firm in 1881); some copies of itemized lists of judgments; occasional lists of funds collected for clients; some invoices for legal services; and a few letters in French. Topics include the purchase, sale and management of real estate; estate planning; financial claims, usually relating to inheritance or business; and other routine and detailed operations of the law office, which represented many prominent Chicago companies and families.

Each volume contains an alphabetical list of the names of recipients of the letters and the page numbers for their letters.

List of online catalog headings:

The following headings were placed in the online catalog for this collection:

Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926

Isham, Edward S. (Edward Swift), 1836.

Beale, William G. (William Gerrish), 1854-1923.

Field, Marshall, 1893-1956

Newberry, Walter L.

Isham, Lincoln & Beale (Law firm : Chicago, Ill.)

Newberry Library

Pullman's Palace Car Company

Actions and defenses--Illinois--Chicago.

Lawyers--Illinois--Chicago.

Railroad companies--Illinois--Chicago.

Real estate investment--Illinois--Chicago.

Chicago (Ill.)--Commerce--19th century.

Letterpress copy books. aat

Beale, William G. (William Gerrish), 1854-1923.

Isham, Edward S. (Edward Swift), 1836.

Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926

Provenance statement:

Gift of the Newberry Library (Accession 1996.0048).

Storage designation:

Isham, Lincoln & Beale records.

Processing of the collection:

The volumes were processed by Carrie Tarasuk in July 2002.

Container list of volumes numbers/dates.

Box 1

Volume 1 February 27, 1873-February 1, 1875

Volume 2 February 1, 1875-January 3, 1876

Volume 3 January 3, 1876-December 30, 1876

Volume 4 January 4, 1877-December 31, 1877

Volume 5 January 3, 1878-June 5, 1879

Box 2

Volume 6 June 7, 1879-October 9, 1880

Volume 7 August 3, 1880-September 24, 1881

Volume 8 September 24, 1881-June 30, 1882

Volume 9 July 2, 1882-April 30, 1883

Volume 10 May 1, 1883-September 1, 1884

Volume 11 September 5, 1884-August 31, 1885

Box 3

Volume 12 September 1, 1885-March 1, 1886

Volume 13 March 1, 1886-August 27, 1886

Volume 14 August 28, 1886-February 18, 1887

Volume 15 February 19, 1887-July 28, 1887

Volume 16 July 25, 1887-January 31, 1888

Volume 17 February 1, 1888-July 23, 1888

Box 4

Volume 18 July 30, 1888-March 29, 1889

Volume 19 April 1, 1889-January 18, 1890

Volume 20 January 20, 1890-December 15, 1890

Volume 21 December 16, 1890-December 16, 1892

Volume 22 February 25, 1892-January 3, 1893

Volume 23 January 5, 1893-July 13, 1893

Box 5

Volume 24 July 15, 1893-March 3, 1894

Volume 25 March 6, 1894-September 1, 1894

Volume 26 September 3, 1894-January 31, 1895

Volume 27 January 31, 1895-June 3, 1895

Volume 28 June 3, 1895-November 13, 1895

Volume 29 November 14, 1895-May 9, 1896

Box 6

Volume 30 May 11, 1896-December 22, 1896

Volume 31 December 22, 1896-August 31, 1897

Volume 32 September 1, 1897-March 31, 1898

Volume 33 April 1, 1898-October 28, 1898

Volume 34 October 29, 1898-August 8, 1899

Volume 35 August 9, 1899-June 25, 1900

Volume 36 June 26, 1900-March 19, 1901

Box 7

Volume 37 March 20, 1901-December 7, 1901

Volume 38 December 9, 1901-June 12, 1902

Volume 39 June 13, 1902-December 20, 1902

Volume 40 December 22, 1902-May 26, 1903

Volume 41 May 27, 1903-January 6, 1904

Volume 42 January 7, 1904-October 18, 1904

Volume 43 October 18, 1904-June 13, 1905

Box 8

Volume 44 June 13, 1905-January 29, 1906

Volume 45 January 29, 1906-September 1, 1906

Volume 46 September 1, 1906-March 4, 1907

Volume 47 March 15, 1907-October 2, 1907

Volume 48 October 2, 1907-March 17, 1908

Volume 49 March 18, 1908-October 12, 1908

Volume 50 October 13, 1908-March 13, 1909

Box 9

Volume 51 March 15, 1909-July 30, 1909

Volume 52 July 31, 1909-December 28, 1909

Volume 53 December 28, 1909-April 27, 1910

Volume 54 April 28, 1910-July 19, 1910

Volume 55 July 19, 1910-November 16, 1910

Volume 56 November 16, 1910-February 10, 1911

Volume 57 February 10, 1911-June 26, 1911

Box 10

Volume 58 June 26, 1911-October 24, 1911

Volume 59 October 24, 1911-January 31, 1912

Volume 60 January 31, 1912-April 24, 1912

Volume 61 April 25, 1912-June 26, 1912

Volume 62 June 26, 1912-September 9, 1912

Volume 63 September 9, 1912-November 11, 1912

Box 11

Volume 64 November 11, 1912-February 10, 1913

Volume 65 February 10, 1913-May 26, 1913

Volume 66 May 26, 1913-September 17, 1913

Volume 67 September 18, 1913-December 31, 1913

Volume 68 January 2, 1914-April 3, 1914

Volume 69 April 4, 1914-June 25, 1914

Box 12

Volume 70 June 26, 1914-September 16, 1914

Volume 71 September 16, 1914-December 5, 1914

Volume 72 December 5, 1914-March 2, 1915

Volume 73 March 2, 1915-May 12, 1915

Volume 74 May 13, 1915-August 26, 1915

Volume 75 August 27, 1915-December 8, 1915

Volume 76 December 8, 1915-March 8, 1916

Box 13

Volume 77 March 9, 1916-May 24, 1916

Volume 78 May 25, 1916-August 24, 1916

Volume 79 August 25, 1916-November 13, 1916

Volume 80 November 14, 1916-January 24, 1917

Volume 81 January 24, 1917-March 30, 1917

Volume 82 March 31, 1917-June 4, 1917

Volume 83 June 5, 1917-August 20, 1917

Box 14

Volume 84 August 8, 1917-October 30, 1917

Volume 85 October 30, 1917-January 7, 1918

Volume 86 January 7, 1918-March 28, 1918

Volume 87 March 28, 1918-June 17, 1918

Volume 88 June 17, 1918-October 2, 1918

Volume 89 October 2, 1918-January 17, 1919

Volume 90 January 17, 1919-April 17, 1919

Box 15

Volume 91 April 17, 1919-July 18, 1919

Volume 92 July 18, 1919-November 18, 1919

Volume 93 November 18, 1919-February 6, 1920

Volume 94 February 6, 1920-May 10, 1920

Volume 95 May 10, 1920-July 26, 1920

Volume 96 July 26, 1920-November 13, 1920

Volume 97 November 15, 1920-Feburary 18, 1921

Box 16

Volume 98 February 18, 1921-May 13, 1921

Volume 99 May 14, 1921-July 29, 1921

Volume 100 July 29, 1921-November 10, 1921

Volume 101 November 10, 1921-February 13, 1922

Volume 102 February 13, 1922-May 4, 1922

Volume 103 May 4, 1922-July 28, 1922

Volume 104 July 28, 1922-October 23, 1922

Box 17

Volume 105 October 23, 1922-December 27, 1922

Volume 106 December 27, 1922-March 8, 1923

Volume 107 March 8, 1923-May 25, 1923

Volume 108 May 25, 1923-August 2, 1923

Volume 109 August 2, 1923-October 23, 1923

Volume 110 October 23, 1923-December 22, 1923

Volume 111 December 24, 1923-March 5, 1924

Box 18

Volume 112 March 6, 1924-May 15, 1924

Volume 113 May 15, 1924-July 15, 1924

Volume 114 July 15, 1924-October 1, 1924

Volume 115 October 1, 1924-December 2, 1924

Volume 116 December 2, 1924-February 12, 1925

Volume 117 February 12, 1925-April 27, 1925

Volume 118 April 27, 1925-June 27, 1925

Volume 119 June 27, 1925-September 12, 1925

Box 19

Volume 120 September 12, 1925-November 20, 1925

Volume 121 November 20, 1925-Februrary 2, 1926

Volume 122 February 1, 1926-April 1, 1926

Volume 123 April 1, 1926-June 3, 1926

Volume 124 June 3, 1926-August 7, 1926

Volume 125 August 7, 1926-October 21, 1926

Volume 126 October 21, 1926-January 5, 1927

Box 20

Volume 127 June 2, 1927-August 17, 1927

Volume 128 March 21, 1927-June 2, 1927

Volume 129 January 5, 1927-March 19, 1927

Volume 130 August 17, 1927-November 7, 1927

Volume 131 November 8, 1927-January 11, 1928

Volume 132 January 11, 1928-March 21, 1928

Volume 133 March 21, 1928-May 23, 1928

Box 21

Volume 134 May 23, 1928-July 31, 1928

Volume 135 July 31, 1928-November 2, 1928

Volume 136 November 2, 1928-January 15, 1929

Volume 137 January 15, 1929-March 21, 1929

Volume 138 March 21, 1929-June 3, 1929

Volume 139 June 4, 1929-August 13, 1929

Volume 140 August 14, 1929-October 22, 1929

Box 22

Volume 112[sic] October 22, 1929-December 24, 1929

Volume 142 December 24, 1929-February 24 1930

Volume 143 February 24, 1930-April 29, 1930

Volume 144 April 29, 1930-June 24, 1930

Volume 145 June 24, 1930-September 11, 1930

Volume 146 September 11, 1930-November 8, 1930

Volume 147 November 8, 1930-January 15, 1931

Box 23

Volume 148 January 15, 1931-March 16, 1931

Volume 149 March 16, 1931-May 15, 1931

Volume 150 May 15, 1931-July 20, 1931

Volume 151 July 20, 1931-October3, 1931

Volume 152 October 3, 1931-December 8, 1931

Volume 153 December 8, 1931-February 19, 1932

Volume 154 February 19, 1932-April 20, 1932

Box 24

Volume 155 April 20, 1932-June 27, 1932

Volume 156 June 27, 1932-August 19, 1932

Volume 157 August 19, 1932-November 2, 1932

Volume 158 November 2, 1932-January 6, 1933

Volume 159 January 6, 1933-February 25, 1933

Volume 160 February 27, 1933-May 5, 1933

Volume 161 May 5, 1933-July 7, 1933

Box 25

Volume 162 July 7, 1933-September 8, 1933

Volume 163 September 9, 1933-November 15, 1933

Volume 164 November 15, 1933-January 25, 1934

Volume 165 January 25, 1934-April 3, 1934

Volume 166 April 3, 1934-June 11, 1934

Volume 167 June 11, 1934-August 25, 1934

Volume 168 August 25, 1934-November 21, 1934

Box 26

Volume 169 November 21, 1934-February 7, 1935

Volume 170 February 7, 1935-April 23, 1935

Volume 171 April 23, 1935-July 19, 1935

Volume 172 July 19, 1935-October 17, 1935

Volume 173 October 17, 1935-December 21, 1935

Volume 174 December 18, 1935-February 20, 1936

Volume 175 February 20, 1936-April 13, 1936

Box 27

Volume 176 April 14, 1936-June 16, 1936

Volume 177 June 15, 1936-September 2, 1936

Volume 178 September 2, 1936-November 17, 1936

Volume 179 November 17, 1936-February 9, 1937

Volume 180 February 9, 1937-April 19, 1937

Volume 181 April 19, 1937-June 19, 1937

Volume 182 June 21, 1937-June 30, 1937