Levi Z. Leiter papers and Leiter estate records, 1852-1969, bulk 1904-1969

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

By Richard Popp, 1982; rev. 2013

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

© Copyright 2013, Chicago Historical Society, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614-6038

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Title: Levi Z. Leiter papers and Leiter estate records, 1852-1969, bulk 1904-1969

Main creator: Leiter, Levi Z. (Levi Ziegler), 1834-1904

Inclusive dates: 1852-1969, bulk 1904-1969

Size:

131 linear ft. (245 boxes, 3 v., 15 pkgs.)

28 microfilm reels : neg. ; 35 mm. (Camera negative of account books).

28 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. (Reader copy of account books).

Access: This collection is open for research use.

Provenance statement: Gift of the Leiter Liquidation Trust (M1971.0005). Three Levi Leiter letters were purchased from L.E. Dicke of Evanston in May 1949 (accn. 1949.0011). They are listed individually in the card catalog and interfiled chronologically in Box 46 of this collection.

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Levi Z. Leiter papers and Leiter estate records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory includes:

Brief biographies of Levi Z. Leiter, Joseph Leiter, and history of the estate of L. Z. Leiter,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some materials related to this collection,

Arrangement of the collection,

Detailed description of archival series in the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Biographical/historical note:

Levi Leiter: Levi Leiter, one of Chicago's leading nineteenth-century businessmen, was an early partner of Marshall Field and Potter Palmer in dry goods merchandising and, later, a major investor in real estate, stocks, and securities. He was born November 2, 1834, in Leitersburg, Maryland, the son of Joseph Leiter and Ann Zeigler. After moving to Chicago in 1855, Levi Leiter met Marshall Field while both were employed as clerks for Cooley, Wadsworth and Company, a wholesale drapery house in which they soon became partners. In 1865 they sold their interest to John V. Farwell and purchased controlling interest in a dry goods firm founded by Potter Palmer, which became the department store known as Field, Palmer and Leiter. Palmer retired in 1867, and the name was changed to Field, Leiter and Company. Field was the merchandiser, and Leiter specialized in credit and finance.

Levi Leiter also began investing in land and buildings, and in 1881 sold his share of the dry goods business to Marshall Field. Over the years Leiter invested heavily in downtown Chicago real estate, including an 8-story building on State Street known as the Leiter Building, which was completed in 1893 and leased to Siegel, Cooper & Company, a department store. In addition, he owned 7500 acres of coal lands in Franklin and Williamson counties in southern Illinois, half interest in 13,000 acres of ranch lands in Wyoming, mine claims in several western states. His diverse investments in stocks and securities included major holdings in the Chicago City Railroad, Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, the Grand Pacific Hotel, and Pullman Palace Car Company.

An active promoter of Chicago business and philanthropic interests, Leiter served as director of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society from 1874 to 1880, helped fund the erection of a new Chicago Historical Society building in 1874, helped to organize the Commercial Club in 1881, and became the second president of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1881.

Levi Leiter married Mary Theresa Carver of Chicago in 1866. They had one son, Joseph, and three daughters: Mary Victoria, who married George, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, one-time viceroy of India; Nancy Lathrop Carver (“Nannie”), who married Col. Colin Campbell; and Marguerite Hyde (“Daisy”) who married the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire. The Leiters spent much of their time at homes in Washington, D.C., and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and traveled extensively.

Levi Leiter died June 9, 1904, at Bar Harbor, Maine. At his death his estate was valued at approximately $14 million.

Joseph Leiter, 1868-1932: Joseph Leiter, Levi Leiter's only son, was born December 4, 1868, in Chicago. He attended school at St. Paul's, Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from Harvard in 1891. He became an agent in his father's office in 1893 and managed the business affairs of his father and, then, of his father's estate beginning in 1904.

Joseph Leiter is known for his attempt to corner the wheat market in 1897-1898. At one time he owned 22,000,000 bushels in futures and had pushed the price up from 64 cents to $1.86 a bushel. The market broke, however, and Leiter was forced to sell at a loss of $10-$12 million. His father personally covered the debts incurred. Undaunted, Joseph soon became involved in a combine of Chicago street railways, a milk trust, and a Canadian meat trust.

Although Joseph shared trusteeship of his father's estate with his mother and sisters, most of the practical management of estate properties devolved upon him, as he was the only one of the family to remain in Chicago. He also was given specific control of the coal lands in southern Illinois. Leiter founded the town of Zeigler, named after his father's mother's family, and was president of Zeigler Coal Company and the Chicago, Zeigler and Gulf Railroad, which connected the mines to other railroad lines at Christopher, Illinois. A series of costly and bloody strikes resulted in Leiter's leasing the mines to another company to operate after 1910. Leiter was also director at various times of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, of Commonwealth Edison, of the Zeigler Store Company, and of the Washington Gas Light Co.

Leiter married Juliette Williams in 1908, and they had three children: Joseph Jr. (who died in childhood), Thomas, and Nancy (subsequently Mrs. Charles Thomas Clagett).

Joseph Leiter received considerable publicity in the 1920s because of a lawsuit claiming mismanagement of the estate brought against him by one of his sisters, Lady Suffolk, and by Lord Curzon, the husband of another sister (who had died in 1906). Estate income had dwindled, and Leiter, with the approval of his third sister Nancy Campbell, had used trust monies to develop certain properties in order to increase their income potential. Leiter tried to help the ailing Siegel, Cooper & Company, which had leased the Leiter Building, and after it folded in 1918, tried a new format for the building by reopening it as Leiter Stores, with 117 retail tenants. Leiter used estate money to buy land adjacent to the coal property in Zeigler (Ill.), claiming it was necessary for the operations there. He also bought a lake in Wyoming, hoping to irrigate estate lands and make them profitable and to sell water to neighboring ranches. These projects were not very successful. The Cook County Superior Court ruled that Leiter had acted in good faith in managing the estate and refused to remove him as trustee although he was required to pay back a large sum of money to the estate for investments he had made without proper authority. The ruling was upheld on appeal. Following settlement of the suit in 1931, both Leiter and Lady Suffolk resigned as trustees, leaving the management of the estate to non-family members.

Joseph Leiter became a horse racing fan and owned a $5,000,000 stable in his later years. He died in Chicago on April 11, 1932, of complications resulting from a cold he caught while attending races in New Orleans.

History of the estate of L.Z. Leiter, 1904-1971:

In 1904, following the provisions of Levi Leiter's will, a trust was created to manage his property holdings after his death. The income was to be divided between his wife and children in their lifetimes, and when the last of his children died, the principal was to be divided among his heirs.

The original trustees of the estate were Leiter's widow, Mary T. Leiter, his son Joseph Leiter, daughters Nancy Campbell and Marguerite Suffolk, and Seymour Morris. Morris was later also a trustee of three other large estates (Albert Keep, Lambert Tree, and Charles Couselman) and a vice president of the Chicago Railways Company. Mary Victoria Curzon was not part of the trust because a separate $1,000,000 trust had been set aside for her at the time of her marriage. Joseph Leiter had been manager of his father's properties prior to his death. His father's will indicated that he intended for Joseph to continue in that capacity, even though the will gave the other trustees nominally equal status in the management of his estate.

Levi Leiter's estate consisted of real estate, stocks, bonds, and other personal property. Properties held by Levi Leiter at the time of his death were kept basically intact under the estate, although some were sold and others purchased from time to time to maintain the value of the trust.

After eight years of litigation concerning the management of the estate, Joseph Leiter retired as trustee in 1931. At that point the operation of the estate was turned over to non-family agents. The last surviving child of Levi Leiter, Lady Suffolk, died in 1968, and a liquidation trust was set up to dispose of the properties of the estate, with the proceeds going to the living descendants. The estate offices closed in 1971.

Summary description of the collection:

The papers and records of Levi Leiter, Joseph Leiter, and the Leiter estate include correspondence, account books, financial statements, minutes of meetings of the estate trustees, real estate accounts (including plat maps, deeds, leases, appraisal reports, and building maintenance records), and records of investments in stocks, bonds, mines, and other business ventures. Records cover the period from 1852 to 1969 although the main body of the collection documents the operation of the Leiter estate from 1904 to the 1940s. They concern mainly the management of properties that had been acquired by Levi Leiter and managed by his estate after his death. Occasionally, the estate sold some investments and added others, but to a considerable extent, the estate retained Leiter's holdings.

The papers of Levi and Joseph Leiter relate almost entirely to these business dealings and seldom touch on other matters. A notable exception to this generalization is the Joseph Leiter letterbook, 1897-1915 (Box160A) which begins with a series of letterpress copies of Leiter's letters of 1897 to John R. Tanner, newly elected Republican Governor of Illinois. Leiter is extremely candid in writing to Tanner of political dealings as well as of his nation-wide financial interests. Leiter also refers to the New York financier J. P. Morgan and Chicago industrialists and entrepreneurs, Nelson Morris, Charles Yerkes, John Gates, Armour, and Mitchell. The development of traction railway systems is the most frequently recurring subject. Also of interest are Leiter's letters to his sister Mary Curzon (May 1906), her English trustee (June 1906), and, following her death, to her widower, Lord Curzon (November 1906). Mutual distrust between Leiter and his sister and brother-in-law is quite apparent in Leiter's letters to them.

Levi Leiter's business records constitute a small part of the collection but do give a good picture of the pattern of his investments before they came under the management of the estate and his son Joseph. These investments included land and buildings in downtown Chicago, housing tracts in the suburban areas of Englewood and La Grange, coal properties in southern Illinois, mines and mining companies in the West, and ranch lands in Wyoming, as well as a diverse portfolio of stocks and bonds. Materials concerning Leiter's business affairs may be found throughout the collection and include copies of his outgoing correspondence, 1903-04; incoming correspondence, stock certificates, deeds and mortgage notes, 1852-1904; account books, 1880-1904; lease records, 1888-1904; and miscellaneous property records (plat maps, tax notices, insurance records, building income and expenses, etc.).

Description of some materials related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Architectural records for Leiter estate properties and related sites (1971.0375); the Levi Leiter photograph collection (1985.0464); individual photographs of family members filed by name; and individual letters by family members cataloged separately. Some printed works cataloged separately in the library include a book by Mrs. Mary Theresa Leiter, Levi Leiter's will, two catalogs of rare books he owned, and items on legal disputes between Joseph Leiter and others.

Four journals or notebooks, 1865-1891, of Mary Theresa Leiter (Mrs. Levi Z. Leiter) and one journal, 1882, of her daughter, Mary Victoria Leiter (later Lady Curzon) are cataloged separately from this collection. They were the gift of Eugene R. Pike in 1932.

Annual reports of companies in which the Leiter Estate owned stock, publications concerning Illinois taxes and railroads, and a volume showing real estate assessments for the Town of South Chicago for 1892 and 1897 were received with the Levi Z. Leiter papers and Leiter estate records and transferred to the library.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

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

Main entry: Leiter, Levi Z. (Levi Ziegler), 1834-1904

Subjects:

Leiter, Levi Z. (Levi Ziegler), 1834-1904--Archives.

Leiter, Joseph, 1869-1932.

Campbell, Nancy (Nancy Lathrop Carver), 1872-1930.

Suffolk and Berkshire, Marguerite Hyde, Countess of, d1879-1968

Curzon, Mary, Lady, 1870-1906.

Curzon, George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquis of, 1859-1925

Erlanger Theater (Chicago, Ill.

Grand Pacific Hotel (Chicago, Ill.)

Leiter Building (Chicago, Ill.)

Leiter Building II (Chicago, Ill.)

Leiter Stores (Chicago, Ill.)

Siegel, Cooper & Company

Zeigler Coal Company.

Businessmen--Illinois--Chicago.

Coal mines and mining--Illinois--Zeigler.

Family--Illinois--Chicago.

Hotels--Illinois--Chicago.

Leiter estate lawsuits, Chicago, Ill., 1923-1931.

Mineral industries--West (U.S.)

Ranches--Wyoming

Real property--Illinois--Chicago.

Real estate investment--United States

Chicago (Ill.)--Commerce.

Zeigler (Ill.)--Commerce.

Lake DeSmet (Wyo.)

Wyoming--Economic conditions

Genre:

Account books.

Appraisals.

Letterpress copy books.

Maps.

Plat maps.

Added entries:

Leiter, Joseph, 1869-1932.

Curzon, George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquis of, 1859-1925

Suffolk and Berkshire, Marguerite Hyde, Countess of, 1879-1968

Erlanger Theater (Chicago, Ill.

Grand Pacific Hotel (Chicago, Ill.)

Leiter Building (Chicago, Ill.)

Maksawba Club (Ind.)

United States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.

Arrangement of the collection"

Series 1. Correspondence 1852-1969 (box 1-155)

Subseries 1. Outgoing correspondence 1903-1946 (box 1-45)

Subseries 2. Incoming correspondence and papers, 1852-1969 (box 46-155)

Series 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969 (box 156-182)

Subseries 1. Trustees minutes, 1906-1969 (box 156-159)

Subseries 2. Miscellaneous estate papers, 1904-1961 (box 159-163)

Subseries 3. Financial records 1881-1964 (on shelf & box 164-182)

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1965 (box 183-223)

Subseries 1. General records 1852-1963 (box 183-191)

Subseries 2. Chicago properties 1880-1963 (box 192-204)

Subseries 3. Wyoming ranches 1880-1961 (box 205-216)

Subseries 4. Miscellaneous properties 1883-1945 (on shelf and box 217-223)

Detailed description of archival series in the collection:

The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Correspondence, 1852-1969; 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969; and 3. Property records, 1852-1963.

A major portion of the materials in all three series concerns properties owned by Leiter--and later by his estate--in the Chicago Loop area; a hotel, a theater, a department store, and a number of other buildings leased to retail shops and commercial exhibitions and to offices of businesses, unions, and government agencies. These records provide a detailed cross-section of business activity in the central area of Chicago for a period of nearly fifty years because they frequently contain information about the operations of the businesses that leased the properties as well as information about building construction, maintenance, modification, insurance, rent, and taxes.

Series 1. Correspondence 1852-1969 (box 1-155):

Series 1 contains the major body of correspondence of the collection, filed chronologically. Most of the correspondence dates from 1903 to the 1940s, and details day-to-day business activities and management of a large number of properties, particularly lands and buildings in downtown Chicago, as well as coal properties in southern Illinois, the Wyoming ranches, and other investments and financial matters. Letters concern lease agreements and negotiations, building maintenance and improvements, and on-going efforts to make the properties profitable.

Subseries 1, Outgoing correspondence 1903-1946, consists of 139 volumes of letterpress copies of Levi Leiter's outgoing letters, 1903-1904, and, from 1904 on, of agents of his estate. The correspondence pertains to the administration of the diverse holdings of Leiter and his estate; much of it concerns routine matters, but major investments and decisions are also documented. The letterbooks contain a few letters written by Joseph Leiter, some of which deal with his opposition to labor unions in the Zeigler, Illinois coal mines. Additional correspondence of Joseph Leiter and of Seymour Morris, a trustee of the estate, are located in Series 2, and a series of letterbooks dealing with the Wyoming ranch property is located in Series 3 Subseries 3.

Subseries 2, Incoming correspondence 1852-1969, includes incoming letters, stock certificates, and miscellaneous papers of Levi Leiter dated 1852-1904. The rest of the subseries is a file of letters and papers received by the estate office 1904-1969. Much of the material concerns tenant relations, lease negotiations, and maintenance and alterations of Chicago Loop buildings owned by the estate. Other properties are also documented, including the Ziegler coal mines and related properties, the Wyoming ranches, mines in Montana, Colorado and Utah, and a large number of stocks and bonds. Administrative matters such as distribution of income to family members and replacing trustees of the estate are covered as well. Letters in Subseries 1 are often answered by letters in Subseries 2, and vice versa.

Series 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969 (box 156-182):

Series 2 contains papers relating to the general administration of the estate of Levi Leiter. Included in this series are papers and correspondence concerning estate trustees and their activities as well as heirs of the estate and the settlement that they received. Also present are sets of account books and financial records documenting the disposition of estate income and expenses as well as certain account books of Levi Leiter which detail the management of some of his investments that became part of his estate.

Subseries 1, Trustees minutes, contains minutes of meetings of the trustees of the Leiter estate from 1906 to 1969. The set is incomplete. The minutes contain reports on properties and investments, purchases and sales of major holdings, income distribution, and other administrative matters.

Subseries 2, Miscellaneous estate records, includes letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence of Joseph Leiter, 1897-1915; letterbooks of Seymour Morris, an estate trustee; correspondence with William Scott Bond, Lady Suffolk's legal representative in Chicago; and correspondence and papers concerning other trustees and heirs of the estate and administrative matters. Court transcripts and briefs of Lady Suffolk's suit against Joseph Leiter in the 1920s for mismanagement of the estate are also contained in this subseries.

Subseries 3, Financial records, begins with a set of account books of Levi Leiter, documenting his business dealings from 1880-1904, and includes both cash journals and ledgers. Following these are journals and ledgers of the Leiter estate, which are virtually complete for the years 1904-1963. These records give detailed descriptions of all financial transactions. Cash journals show daily receipts and disbursements, including rent and interest income and building maintenance expense; accounts payable journals list each voucher paid and for what purpose; and ledgers tally amounts by account. Auditor's reports and semi-annual financial statements give summary reports of the financial status of the estate. Other records in the subseries include Joseph Leiter's personal account books 1903-1924, stock and bond records of the estate, income tax records, three unidentified account books, and miscellaneous financial reports for some years. Financial records dealing with specific properties of the estate are found listed under those properties in Series 3.

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1965 (box 183-223):

Series 3 includes record books, financial papers and miscellaneous files that deal more specifically with the property holdings of the estate. Most of the records in the series concern real estate, but businesses which leased Leiter properties and the businesses connected with the Zeigler coal field are also documented.

Subseries 1 contains chronologically arranged records including plat maps, tax notices, insurance records, building maintenance and repair records, appraisal reports, deeds, mortgages, and lease records. The records in this subseries pertain to the properties as a whole or list the various properties together. Much of the material concerns Chicago Loop buildings and land, since those are the major holdings and income producers for the estate. Also mentioned are the Zeigler coal mines, Wyoming ranches, and lands in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Montana.

Subseries 2 contains records concerning individual Chicago properties (in the Loop as well as in Englewood, Kensington and La Grange), listed alphabetically by the name of the property. Included are appraisal reports, financial records, details of building repairs and alterations, and other records. Properties include the Leiter Building on State and Van Buren (which became the flagship store of Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1932), the City Hall Square Building and Erlanger Theater at 139 N. Clark, the Loop Center Building at 105 W. Madison, and the Grand Pacific Hotel at 226-242 S. Clark, as well as a number of smaller office buildings and other property.

Subseries 3 contains materials concerning the Wyoming ranches owned by the Leiter estate. A large ranch located near Clearmont, Wyoming, was managed by the estate and several others were leased out. The land was first used for pasturing cattle, then sheep, and subsequently leased to tenants for growing sugar beets and small grains. Houses and grain elevators were constructed for the tenants. Constant water shortages led to the purchase of Lake DeSmet and the construction of a ditch system for irrigation. In later years much of the land was leased for oil and gas rights. The subseries includes a series of letterbooks containing copies of letters from the estate office in Chicago to ranch mangers in Wyoming 1907-1929. Correspondence from Wyoming to the estate office (more correspondence can be found in Series 1), reports concerning the Lake DeSmet irrigation project, land patents and tax records, financial records, and other records regarding various aspects of ranch operations. Materials cover routine operations as well as specific projects attempted to make the lands profitable.

Subseries 4 contains records of other properties of the Leiter estate--mainly properties in Zeigler, Illinois (Zeigler Coal Company, Zeigler Store Company, and Chicago, Zeigler and Gulf Railroad, which connected the mines to other railroad lines), the Maksawba Club (the Leiters were major stockholders of this recreational club for businessmen, and managed its properties in Indiana), mines in Montana, Colorado and Utah, and other properties in California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. The records are arranged alphabetically by name of property.

List of contents of the collection:

Abbreviations used in this list:

Shelf = large volumes or packages, not in boxes. Request by title and nearest box#.

Series 1. Correspondence 1852-1969 (box 1-155)

Subseries 1. Outgoing correspondence, 1903-1946 (box 1-45)

box 1 Subject index to letterbooks, 1916-18 (1 vol.)

box 2 May-Dec. 1903 (4 vols.)

box 3 Dec. 1903-May 1904 (4 vols.)

box 4 May-Oct. 1904 (4 vols.)

box 5 Oct. 1904-Feb. 1905 (4 vols.)

box 6 Feb-July 1905 (4 vols.)

box 7 July-Dec. 1905 (4 vols.)

box 8 Dec. 1905-Oct. 1906 (4 vols.)

box 9 Oct. 1906-Jan 1908 (4 vols.) (Jan-Apr. 1908 missing)

box 10 Apr. 1908-May 1909 (4 vols.)

box 11 May 1909-Apr. 1910 (4 vols.)

box 12 May 1910-Feb. 11 (4 vols.)

box 13 Feb-July 1911 (3 vol.)

box 14 July 1911-Feb. 1912 (3 vols.)

box 15 Feb-July 1912 (3 vols.)

box 16 July 1912-May 1913 (3 vols.)

box 17 May 1913-mar 1914 (3 vols.)

box 18 Mar-Dec. 1914 (3 vols.)

box 19 Dec. 1914-Aug. 1915 (3 vols.)

box 20 Aug. 1915-May 1916 (3 vols.)

box 21 May 1916-Mar 1917 (3 vols.)

box 22 Mar-Oct. 1917 (3 vols.)

box 23 Oct. 1917-Aug. 1918 (3 vols.)

box 24 Aug. 1918-June 1919 (3 vols.)

box 25 June 1919-Jan 1920 (3 vols.)

box 26 Jan-Oct. 1920 (3 vols.)

box 27 Oct. 1920-Aug. 1921 (3 vols.)

box 28 Aug. 1921-May 1922 (3 vols.)

box 29 May 1922-mar 1923 (3 vols.)

box 30 Mar-Dec. 1923 (3 vols.)

box 31 Dec. 1923-Aug. 1924 (3 vols.)

box 32 Aug. 1924-July 1925 (3 vols.)

box 33 July 1925-Sept. 1926 (3 vols.)

box 34 Sept. 1926-Nov. 1927 (3 vols.)

box 35 Nov. 1927-Aug. 1929 (3 vols.)

box 36 Aug. 1929-Oct. 1931 (3 vols.)

box 37 Oct. 1931-Oct. 1933 (3 vols.)

box 38 Oct. 1933-Jan 1935 (3 vols.)

box 39 Jan 1935-(Oct. 1936 (3 vols.)

box 40 Oct. 1936-June 1938 (3 vols.)

box 41 June 1938-May 1940 (3 vols.)

box 42 May 1940-Sept. 1941 (2 vols.)

box 43 Sept. 1941-May 1943 (2 vols.)

box 44 May 1943-May 1945 (2 vols.)

box 45 May 1945-Dec. 1946 (2 vols.)

Series 1. Correspondence 1852-1969 (box 1-155)

Subseries 2. Incoming correspondence and papers, 1852-1969 (box 46-155)

box 46

folders:

1-2 1852-1896 (includes 3 letters acquired from Dicke collection and described at end of this descriptive inventory)

box 47

1-8 1897-1899 and 1900s undated; 1900-1903

box 48

1-6 1903-1904

box 49

1-6 1904-05

box 50

1-7 1905

box 51

1-7 1905-06

box 52

1-7 1906-07

box 53

1-7 1907-08

box 54

1-8 1908-09

Box55

1-8 1909

Box56

1-8 1909

box 57

1-7 1909-10

box 58

1-8 1910

box 59

1-7 1910

box 60

1-7 1910

box 61

1-7 1910-11

box 62

1-7 1911

box 63

1-7 1911

box 64

1-7 1911

box 65

1-7 1911

box 66

1-7 1911

box 67

1-7 1911-12

box 68

1-6 1912

box 69

1-7 1912

box 70

1-6 1912

box 71

1-7 1912

box 72

1-8 1912-13

box 73

1-6 1913

box 74

1-7 1913

box 75

1-6 1913

box 76

1-6 1913-1914

box 77

1-6 1914

box 78

1-6 1914

box 79

1-6 1914-15

box 80

1-6 1915

box 81

1-7 1915

box 82

107 1915

box 83

1-6 1915-16

box 84

1-6 1916

box 85

1-6 1916

box 86

1-6 1916

box 87

1-6 1916-17

box 88

1-6 1917

box 89

1-6 1917

box 90

1-6 1917-18

box 91

1-6 1918

box 92

1-6 1918

box 93

1-6 1918

box 94

1-6 1919

box 95

1-6 1919

box 96

1-6 1919

box 97

16 1919

box 98

1-6 1920

box 99

1-6 1920

box 100

1-6 1920

box 101

1-6 1921

box 102

1-6 1921

box 103

1-6 1921

box 104

1-6 1921

box 105

1-6 1922

box 106

1-5 1922

box 107

1-6 1922

box 108

1-6 1922-23

box 109

1-6 1923

box 110

1-6 1923

box 111

1-6 1924

box 112

1-6 1924

box 113

1-6 1924

box 114

1-6 1925

box 115

1-6 1925

box 116

1-6 1925

box 117

1-6 1926

box 118

1-6 1926

box 119

1-6 1926-27

box 120

1-6 1927

box 121

1-6 1927

box 122

1-6 1928

box 123

1-6 1928-29

box 124

1-6 1929

7 ca. 1920s and n.d.

box 125

1-6 1930

box 126

1-5 1930-331

box 127

1-6 1931

box 128

1-6 1931

box 129

1-6 1932

box 130

1-6 1932-33

box 131

1-6 1933

box 132

1-6 1934

box 133

1-6 1934

box 134

1-7 1934-35

box 135

1-6 1935

box 136

1-6 1936

box 137

1-6 1936

box 138

1-4 1937

box 139

1-6 1937

box 140

1-6 1937

box 141

1-6 1938-39

box 142

1-6 1939

box 143

1-7 1940

box 144

1-6 1941

box 145

1-6 1941-42

box 146

1-6 1942

box 147

1-6 1943

box 148

1-6 1944

box 149

1-6 1945

box 150

1-6 1946

box 151

1-6 1947-48

box 152

1-6 1948-49

box 153

1-6 1950-51

box 154

1-7 1952-56

box 155

1-10 1957-69

Series 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969 (box 156-182)

Subseries 1. Trustees minutes, 1906-1969 (box 156-159)

box 156

Folders:

1-7 1906-27

box 157

1-4 1928-29

box 158

1-5 1930-31

box 159

1 1931

2 1944,1946

3 1951

4 1952

5 1943, 1955

6 1966-69

Series 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969 (box 156-182)

Subseries 2. Miscellaneous estate papers, 1904-1961 (box 159-163)

box 159 continued

Folders:

7 Adam, Vivien Forbes, receipts of estate income, 1949-50

8-9 Bond, William Scott (Lady Suffolk's attorney), 1923-50

box 160

1-2 Bond

3 Campbell, Audry Nancy, 1940-41

4 Campbell, Colin L., 1940-46

5 Campbell, Nancy correspondence, monthly statement of account, 1911-27

6 Claggett, Nancy Leiter, 1946

7 Clarke, Mary M., 1940-46

8 Continental Illinois Bank & Trust, 1942-47

9 Correspondence & financial reports re estate income, Lady Curzon & Nancy Campbell, 1905-12

box 160

10 Curzon, Lord, 1907-12

11 Investments

box 160A

1 Leiter, Joseph: letterbook, 1897-1915

box 161

2 Leiter, Joseph: reports of whereabouts, 1904-26

3 Leiter, Levi, last will and testament, 1904

4 Morris, Seymour (trustee): letters, 1912-17

5 Morris, Seymour (trustee): letters, 1914-17

6 Morris, Seymour (trustee): letters, 1917-21

box 162

1 Northern Trust Company

2 Peck, Philip F. W.

3 Ravensdale, Lady

4-6 Suffolk vs. Leiter: legal papers, 1926-41

box 163

1 Suffolk vs. Leiter: legal papers, 1926-41

2 Trust agreements

3 Miscellaneous papers, 1904-09

4 Miscellaneous papers, 1921-53

5 Miscellaneous papers, 1929-53

6 Miscellaneous papers, 1940-48

7 Miscellaneous papers, 1949-53

Series 2. General estate administration, 1881-1969 (box 156-182)

Subseries 3. Financial records 1881-1964 (On shelf & box 164-182)

Shelf: Account books (oversize):

Levi Leiter: cash journals:

January 1881-March 1884

Mar 1884-June 1886

June 1886-July 1888

July 1888-May 1890

May 1890-March 1892

March 1892-November 1893

November 1893-March 1896

March 1896- May 1898

May 1898-May 1900

May 1900-December 1901

September 1903-July 7 1904

Levi Leiter: ledgers:

1880-82

1882-86

1887-93

1893-1900

1900-04

Stock and property ledger 1900-04

Leiter estate: cash journals:

June 1907-Nov. 1905

July 1907-Mar 1909

Mar 1909-Sept. 1910

Sept. 1910-Feb. 1912

Feb. 1912-Aug. 1913

Aug. 1913-May 1915

May 1915-December 1916

Dec. 1916-Apr. 1918

May 1918-Dec. 1919

Jan. 1920-Nov. 1921

Nov. 1923-July 1925

July 6 1925-June 1927

July 1927-Dec. 1929

Jan. 1930-June 1932

July 1932-Mar 1935

Apr. 1935-Dec. 1937

Jan. 1938-Sept. 1940

Oct. 1940-Nov. 1942

Dec. 1942-Mar 1945

Apr. 1945-July 1947

Aug. 1947-Dec. 1949

Jan. 1950-May 1952

June 1952-Nov. 1954

Dec. 1954-Nov. 1957

Dec. 1957-Apr. 1961

May 1961-Dec. 1964

Leiter estate: general journals

June 1904-Dec. 1919

Jan. 1920-Dec. 1932

Jan. 1933-June 1943

July 1943-Aug. 1955

Aug. 1944-Mar 1963

Leiter estate: accounts payable journals:

July 1907-Sept. 1989

Oct. 1909-June 1911

June 1911-Feb. 1913

Feb. 1913-Nov. 1914

Nov. 1914-Feb. 1917

Mar 1917-Dec. 1918

Dec. 1918-Apr. 1920

Apr. 1920-Mar 1933

Apr. 1922-Nov. 1924

Dec. 1924-June 1928

Leiter estate: ledgers:

Real estate ledger 1904-13

General ledger 1904-63

Corpus ledger 1904-63

Leiter estate: rent ledgers:

1913-17

1918-25

1925-32

1933-42

1943-57

box 164

1-5 Financial statements: Auditor's reports, 1904-17

6 Financial statements: Auditor's reports: Comparison figures from financial statements, 1904-13, 1918

7 Financial statements: Auditor's reports: Comparison figures from financial statements, 1918-20

box 165

1-5 Financial statements: Auditor's reports: Comparison figures from financial statements, 1921-32

box 166

1-6 Financial statements: Auditor's reports: Comparison figures from financial statements, 1921-44

box 167

1-2 Financial statements: Auditor's reports: Comparison figures from financial statements, 1945-58

3 Financial statements: Semi-annual, 1905-06

4 Financial statements: Semi-annual, 1910-14

5 Financial statements: Semi-annual, Jan-June, 1922

6 Financial statements: Semi-annual, July-Dec, 1924

7 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1925-28

box 168

1-5 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1932-33

box 169

1-5 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1934-35

box 170

1-6 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1936-37

box 171

1-7 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1939-June 1942

box 172

1-7 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, July 1942-45

box 173

1-8 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1946-49

box 174

1-9 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, 1950-June 1958

box 175

1 Financial statements: Miscellaneous reports, July-Dec. 1963

2-3 Joseph Leiter account books: journals, 1903-10

4 Joseph Leiter account books: ledger, 1907-10

Shelf Joseph Leiter account books: journal 1913-24 (vol. 1)

Shelf Ledger 1913-24 (vol. 2)

box 176

1 Monthly trial balances: 1896-1900 (1 vol.)

Shelf Monthly trial balances: 1913-16 (vol. 3)

Shelf Monthly trial balances: 1917-20 (vol. 4)

Shelf Monthly trial balances: 1921-23 (vol. 5)

Shelf Monthly trial balances: 1926-30 (vol. 6)

folders:

2 Income tax records: 1917, 1920

3 Income tax records: 1921

4 Income tax records: 1924-28

5 Income tax records: 1931-38

6 Income tax records: 1933-39

7 Income tax records: 1936-50

8 Income tax records: Report of foreign owned property 1940-42

box 177

1 Income tax records: 1946-63

2 Corpus cash journal and ledger 1920-28 (1 vol.)

box 178

1 Corpus cash journal and ledger 1920-28 (1 vol..)

box 179

1 Stock and bond records: Bond ledger 1925-47 A-K (1 vol.)

box 180

1 Stock and bond records: Bond ledger 1925-47 L-Z (1 vol.)

2 Stock and bond records: Summary of bonds owned 1930

3 Stock and bond records: Bond ledger 1942-47

box 181

1 Stock and bond records: Bond ledger 1948-55

2 Stock and bond records: Stock ledger

Miscellaneous financial records and reports:

3 1902-08

4 Unidentified ledger 1913-19

box 182

1 Unidentified accounts 1909-12 (1 vol.)]

2 1911-35

Shelf Unidentified ledger 1913-19 (vol. 7)

3 1951-55

4 1959-63

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1965 (box 183-223)

Subseries 1. General records 1852-1963 (box 183-191)

box 183

Folders:

Deeds, mortgages, notes and leases:

1-9 1852-95

box 184

1-8 1895-1909

box 186

1-7 1917-27

8 1938-41

9 1949, 1952

box 187

Folders:

1 1953

2 1955

3 1958

4 1959-63

Lease record books:

1888-1911

1897-1903

1903-13

1913-19

1919-26

1926-28

Shelf Plat maps and tax notices 1881-1923 (vol. 8)

5-6 Building income and expense records 1887-1906 (2 vols.)

Insurance record books:

7 1892-09

box 188

1 1900-09 (1 vol.)

Shelf 1919-28 (vol. 9)

2 Maps of Leiter properties, ca. 1900

3 Building inspections, 1900-02

4 Miscellaneous reports, 1904-10

5 Building improvement accounts, 1904-25

6 Real estate taxes, 1907-26

7 Miscellaneous reports, 1910-16

box 189

1 Insurance record, 1910-18 (1 vol.)

2 Summary reports, 1912-28

3 Real estate transactions, 1913

4 Estimates for repair, work 1913

5 Miscellaneous reports, 1915-19

6 Utility expenses, 1915-16

7 Special assessments, 1917-25

box 190

1 Miscellaneous reports, 1920-28

2 Rent increases due to taxes, 1920-28

3 Standard Oil Co. deliveries, 1922-27

4 South State Street Improvement Association, 1924-29, 1940, 1945

5 Inventory and appraisal of buildings, 1925 (1 vol.)

box 191

1 Real estate taxes, 1928-46

2 Winston & Co. property reports, 1928

3 Winston & Co., 1930, 1934

4 Plant report sheets, 1936

5 Descriptions of properties, 1940

6 Report of real estate holdings, 1940 (1 vol.)

7 Labor union agreements, wage scales & correspondence (elevator operators, janitors, carpenters, painters), 1950-59

8 Insurance summary reports, 1958-60

Shelf Maps and blueprints of Chicago properties, building alterations and miscellaneous

(3 oversize folders)

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1965 (box 183-223)

Subseries 2. Chicago properties 1880-1963 (box 192-204)

box 192

1 Adams St. property (168-178 W. Adams): Improvement account, 1909-11

2 Adams St. property (168-178 W. Adams): Spoehr's Confections (lessee), 1922-26

3 Adams St. property (168-178 W. Adams): Midland Club (lessee), 1923-25

4 Arens property 1919 and n.d.

5 Bailey-Edison Building 167 W. Madison): Improvement account 1914-20

6 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Miscellaneous 1940-48

7 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Appraisal report 1936, 1945

8 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Miscellaneous ca. 1939-43

9 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Miscellaneous 1940-43

box 193

1 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Miscellaneous 1940-48

2 City Hall Square Building (139 N. Clark): Miscellaneous correspondence and papers 1940-56

3 Town Center Building corporation reports 1937-40

4 Audit reports 1943

box 194

1 Audit reports 1944-45

2 Financial reports 1945-62 (semi-annual)

3 Financial reports (monthly) 1946-53

4 Plant report sheets 1947-54

5 Miscellaneous 1950-63

6 Erlanger Theater: Receipts and disbursements 1935-40

box 195

1 Erlanger Theater: Miscellaneous papers and correspondence 1943-58

2 Conroy property (719-723 S. State): Appraisal report 1930

3 Conroy property (719-723 S. State): Correspondence 1940

4 Corrigan & Schnur property (659-673 S. State): appraisal reports 1930-44

5 Englewood Burgess lot 1896-1923

6 Franklin-Adams Building (222 W. Adams) 1962

7 Fuller property (418-20 S. Wabash): Improvements 1914-25

8 Fuller property (418-20 S. Wabash): Appraisal reports, plant report sheets and correspondence 1930-61

box 196 Grand Pacific Hotel (226-42 s. Clark):

1 Directors minutes 1906-20 (1 vol.)

2 Stock certificates 1906-15 (1 vol.)

3 Financial reports 1911-17

4 Miscellaneous 1897-1920

box 197

1 Correspondence 1909-11

Shelf Cash Journal 1919-21 (vol. 10)

Shelf Ledger 1919-20 (vol.11)

2 Ledger 1919-20 (1 vol.)

Isabella Building (19-23 E. Van Buren)

3 Appraisal, insurance and plant reports 1932-48

4 Correspondence and miscellaneous 1895-1948

5 Jackson property (10-14 E. Roosevelt) correspondence 1940

Japanese building (301 S. State):

6 Improvement account 1910-13

7 Correspondence and miscellaneous 1940-46

8 Appraisal reports and plant report sheets 1941-53

box 198

1-8 Kensington property (119th and Indiana) 1913-1942

9 LaGrange and Kensington property leases 1915-18 (1 vol.)

10 LaGrange property deeds 1880-1891

Leiter Building (State and Van Buren):

11 Siegel, Cooper & Company financial reports 1917

12 Chicago Permanent Exhibition 1918

13 Miscellaneous 1920-14

Shelf Daily Sales Reports 1921-23 (vol. 12)

Shelf Cash disbursements 1923-33 (vol. 13)

Shelf Journal voucher register 1922-23 (vol. 14)

box 199

1 Improvements 1908-09

2 Ledger 1923 (1 vol.)

Building Material Exhibit:

3 Correspondence

4-6 Daily reports 1922-29

7 Leiter Building Stores lease renewal 1925-26

box 200

1 Renovation architect's report 1931

2 Miscellaneous 1930-36

3 Appraisal reports 1932, 1935

4 State St. subway costs 1938-45

5 Correspondence 1940

6 Correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1942-49

box 201

Leiter Building (State and Van Buren):

1 Congress St. widening 1948-51

2-5 Miscellaneous 1952-63

Loop Center Building (105 W. Madison):

6 Miscellaneous 1910-48

box 202

1-2 Correspondence 1937

3 Appraisal report

4 Plant report sheets 1938-55

5 Correspondence 1940-43

6 Remodeling 1946-47

7 Miscellaneous 1961-63

box 203

1-4 Financial reports (monthly) 1933-46

5 Financial reports (semi-annual, annual) 1950-61

6 Yearly financial statements 1939-42

7 Monthly financial statements 1942-53

box 204

Monroe & Wells Building:

1 Appraisal report 1930, 1936

2 Correspondence and miscellaneous 1940

3 Financial reports (monthly) 1940-44

4 Oak Park property appraisal report 1944

5 Rogers Building appraisal report, plant report sheets 1930-44 (519-521 S. State)

6 Schoeninger property (Sigel & Schiller St.) Inspection report 1927

7 Washington Dock property 1909-44

Washington St. property (24-30 W. Washington):

8 Miscellaneous 1917, 1940, 1953

9 specifications for new building 1927

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1963 (box 183-204)

Subseries 3. Wyoming ranches 1880-1961 (box 205-216)

box 205

Letterbooks (letters from Chicago estate office to Wyoming:

1-2 September 1907-July 1911

3-4 May 1916-April 1918

box 206

1-3 May 1918-Feb. 1921

box 207

1-2 Mar 1921-May 1922

box 208

1-2 Apr. 19022-Jan. 1924

box 209

1-3 Jan. 1924-Dec. 1929

box 210

Correspondence:

1 1908-09

2-5 1920

6 1921

7 1926

8 1929-33

box 211

1-8 1934-41

box 212

1-4 1942-45

5 Holly Sugar Corporation 1936-45

6 1946

7 1948-49

8-10 1957-61

box 213

Lake DeSmet project:

1 Project report 1909 (1 vol.)

Lake DeSmet Investigation 1922:

2 Water project (1 vol.)

2 Soil project (1 vol.)

4 Maps (1 vol.)

box 214

1 Vouchers 1921-22

2 Sale of water 1937-48

Miscellaneous records:

3 Photocopy of survey notes 1881

Shelf Land acquisitions patent memoranda 1883-1921 (vol. 15)

4-5 Property tax payment record 1899-1924 (2 vols.)

6 Inheritance tax 1904

7 Auditor's reports 1906

box 215

1 Income ledger 1910-24 (1 vol.)

Shelf Real estate sales, Lingle, Wyoming 1910-27 (vol. 16)

2 Wyoming Sugar and Land Co. development project report 1911 (1 vol.)

Shelf Tabulation of water rights 1915 (vol. 17)

Shelf General journal 1920-26 (vol. 18)

3 Miscellaneous financial papers 1920-25

box 216

1 Stores issues ledger 1923-28

2 Financial reports 1928-30

3 Employee work record cards 1929

Shelf Maps and blueprints of lands, roads, ditches, etc. (1 oversize folder)

Series 3. Property records, 1852-1963 (box 183-223)

Subseries 4. Miscellaneous properties 1883-1945 (on shelf and box 217-223)

Shelf Beverly Farms, Mass., estate: house and landscaping blueprints (1 oversize folder)

box 217

1 Campbell Ranch, Goleta, California 1922-24

Chicago, Zeigler and Gulf Railroad:

2 Articles of incorporation 1902

3 Notes and bills payable 1905-16 (1 vol.)

4 Financial reports 1905

5 Financial reports and correspondence 1906

6 Correspondence 1907

7 Interstate Commerce Commission monthly reports of revenues & expenses 1907-11

8-10 Correspondence 1908-10

box 218

1-4 Correspondence 1911-12

box 219

1-5 Correspondence 1911-12

box 220

1-6 Correspondence 1915-25 and n.d.

box 221

Maksawba Club:

1 Stock certificates 1878 (1 vol.)

Letterbooks:

2 1908-13 (1 vol.)

3 1920-29 (11 vol.)

4 Cash journal 1900-22 (1 vol.)

box 222

1 Ledger 1908-21 (1 vol.)

2 Lands ca. 1908 (1 vol.)

3 Miscellaneous 1911-17

4 Rio Blanco County, Colorado property tax notice 1945

5 Universal Fuel Co. minutes 1899-1915

6 Utah property 1939-45

Van Meter Lode, Montana:

7 Correspondence 1883-1914

box 223

1 Mineral certificate and leases 1908-24

2-5 Tax receipts 1898-1945

6 Washington Gas Light Co. 1908-14

Wisconsin:

7 Iron county taxes 1914

8 Walworth farm property 1916-27

9 Wisconsin Creek mines (Montana) bullion returns 1888-1905

Zeigler Coal Co.:

10 Contracts 1903-23

11 Miscellaneous 1904-09

12 Financial reports and taxes 1917-19

13 Darrow B. Fulton, president, obituary data 1940

Shelf Trial balances n.d. (vol. 19)

Shelf Zeigler Stores Co. accounts 1916-19 (vol. 20)

Detailed description of 3 letters by Levi Leiter acquired from Dicke collection:

Letters to William H. A. Spaulding: two from Paris and one from Washington D.C. re. establishing a branch house in Chicago. Writes of all the advantages of Chicago.

1881 Nov. 21: Paraphrases: "Chicago has now obtained a permanent position as the point of distribution for the Mississippi Valley--it would not be to the city alone that you would be confined … all the large cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, LaFayette, Peoria, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha … as far south as New Orleans would be your customers … wealth accumulated in this region is now very large … At the present unusually favorable for your house to begin as there are no houses that carry stocks commensurate with the requirements .. Furthermore the field will not long remain unoccupied .."

“I fully concur in the above,” signed by George M. Pullman.

1882 Jan. 4: Paris. Paraphrases: "re my suggestions in a former letter of the advisability of your company establishing a branch in Chicago, beg to say that during the coming spring there will be vacated by the First National Bank, a building in every particular suited to your wants … am confident that a careful investigation would convince your Mr. Tiffany and other members of your company that the occasion is an exceptional one … I would regard it a first class investment …."

1890, Mar. 19: Washington D.C. Paraphrases: "… thought much of the question of my building for H. A. Spaulding & Co. … advise that you obtain from Mr. Field his best terms and from any one else whose property may be desirable for your purpose …."

List of old card catalog headings about the collection:

The following entries were placed in the Manuscripts Card Catalog:

Main entry: Leiter, Levi Zeigler, 1834-1904

Leiter estate.

Subject entries:

Account books--Chicago--1881-1964

Bonds.

Buildings--Chicago.

Businesses--Chicago.

Chicago--Communities--Loop.

Chicago--Communities--Englewood.

Chicago--Transportation--Street--Railroads.

Chicago--Streets--State Street.

Coal Mines and Mining--Illinois.

Colorado.

Department Stores.

Estates and Estate Administration.

Finance--Illinois--Chicago.

La Grange, Illinois.

Illinois--Politics and Government. (esp. Box 161)

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Insurance--Illinois--Chicago.

Land--Taxation.

Land--Taxation--Illinois.

Land--Taxation--Illinois--Chicago.

Leases--Illinois--Chicago.

Massachusetts.

Mining Industry and Finance.

Montana.

Ranching.

Real Property--Chicago.

Real Property--Illinois.

Retail Trade--Chicago.

Stocks.

Strikes and Lockouts--Illinois.

Trade-Unions--Illinois--Chicago.

Trade-Unions--Illinois.

Utah.

Wisconsin.

Wyoming.

Zeigler, Illinois.

Added entries:

1. Campbell, Nancy Lathrop Carver, 1872-1930.

2. Curzon, George Nathaniel, 1859-1925.

3. Hotels, Taverns, etc. Chicago. Grand Pacific Hotel.

4. Leiter, Joseph, 1868-1932

5. Leiter, Levi Zeigler, 1834-1904.

6. Maksawba Club. (esp. Boxes 221-222)

7. Morris, Seymour, 1863-1921.

8. Railroad Lines. Chicago, Zeigler & Gulf Railroad.

9. Siegel, Cooper & Company

10. Suffolk and Berkshire, Marguerite Hyde, Countess of, 1879-1968.

11. Theater. Chicago. Erlanger Theater.