Abelard Guthrie to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: January 18, 1859
Abelard Guthrie wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Guthrie reported that there had been "considerable progress" in Quindaro lately: a railroad was being constructed, telegraph wires were hung, and a factory and foundry had been established. Guthrie told Hill that if Hill would forget the Kansas Avenue grading disagreement and repay him his debt, Guthrie would travel to Washington to obtain a railroad grant.

Abelard Guthrie to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: November 11, 1858
Abelard Guthrie, a member of the Quindaro Town Company, wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, rebutting Hill's accusations that he had acted in bad faith regarding certain enterprises of the Town Company. Guthrie stated that he had intended to begin the grading work on Kansas Avenue and other roads, but had found that the Company's funds were depleted; he suspected a swindling. He defended himself in light of other land purchases and business transactions and expressed extreme frustration at his bleak financial situation.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: August 8, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton related that the fall emigration had begun, Quindaro was crowded, and more buildings were being constructed than ever before. Morton also had found two men interested in renting the home owned by Hill upon its completion. He suggested that it would be best to "keep things quiet" about Samuel N. Simpson, and asked, on the behalf of Guthrie, if Hill planned to travel again to Quindaro.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: June 17, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, concerned that he had not yet received $700 which Hill had recently sent to him. Morton also sought Hill's approval regarding the sale of a town lot with a house on it, the profits from which would be better used, Morton thought, in land investments. He also expressed concern that the railroad decide to pass through Quindaro, fearing that, if it didn't, it would "set things back."

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: July 5, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton discussed the allegations of fraudulent investment activities on the part of Samuel N. Simpson, and told Hill that Alfred Gray, an area attorney and future Secretary of the Wyandotte Board of Trade, had lost five acres of land due to Simpson's deceptive practices. Morton updated Hill on Quindaro's development, stating that the prospects were good due to the railroad's anticipated presence in town. He added that he still had not received that package containing $700 from Hill.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: May 29, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill, who had invested in Quindaro, in Massachusetts. In this short letter Morton described the development of the town, and noted the increasing population, the availability of coal resources, and the arrival of a new storekeeper.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: July 8, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton reported on the status of Samuel N. Simpson, who had left his properties to Charles Robinson, free state leader and fellow founder of the Quindaro Town Company, and left town under suspicion of engaging in deceptive business practices. Another fellow founder of the Town Company, Abelard Guthrie, along with other investors, considered Simpson a "rascil [sic]". Morton also mentioned the progress of the railroad in the area, and the yet to be received package of money.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: June 28, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton informed Hill that the package containing money from him had been located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and he expected to receive it soon. Morton also described various aspects of Quindaro's development, including the building of a new store, and confirmed that the railroad would in fact come to Quindaro.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: July 31, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, providing for him some conclusions regarding Samuel N. Simpson's fraudulent business practices. Morton reported that, from information provided by Simpson's brother, Samuel N. Simpson had taken $40-50,000 from the Quindaro Town Company, and deeded the land of others. He had also given Hill an unauthorized bond, which was not valid. Abelard Guthrie, however, according to Morton, had offered to give Hill title to some land, in order to minimize financial losses brought on by Simpson's actions.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: April 30, 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton reported that the arrival of two new Eastern businessmen had brought business growth to the town, including a sash and blind factory and new three-story brick building. Despite these new constructions, Morton described the atmosphere as "dull". Though it was a bad time to sell land, since money was scarce, with the recent opening of Indian lands to settlement it was an optimum time to buy land at a low price.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: January 8, 1859
Albert Morton wrote from Leavenworth City, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton reported that there was "a good deal of excitement out for Pikes Peak" and many Leavenworth citizens spoke of traveling there to dig for gold the following spring. His investments were not earning him much money, and he expressed his desire to sell land in order to pay what he owed to Hill and Abelard Guthrie.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: September 21, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, apologizing for his prolonged silence due to a lengthy illness. Morton referred to the upcoming October election, which would select the members of the Territorial Legislature. He also spoke of Governor Walker's attempts to regulate the election process by requiring that all voters be residents of the Territory for at least six months prior to casting a vote. Morton added that Samuel Simpson was in town again, but that nothing had been settled regarding his questionable business practices.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: February 27, 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton predicted a good property market for the coming spring, despite the "hard money matters" which had been the situation during the winter. He reported that the Shawnee lands would open soon, to have them paid for by the end of the summer, and that Hill's land investments in Manhattan were "in good standing". Morton added that Samuel Simpson has been busy lately, traveling back and forth from Quindaro to Lawrence.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: January 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, describing at length the efforts of Quindaro's citizens to grade a large avenue through the town. Morton added that Quindaro was about to establish a city charter, which, if approved by the Legislature, would require the taxation of the citizens. He also mentioned a shooting the night before of a proslavery man who had lost his seat to free statesman Charles Chadwick in a recent election under the Lecompton Constitution.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: August 3, 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton had recently returned to Quindaro in order to vote on the Lecompton Constitution as submitted by the English bill. Having arrived there, he found the place to be "dull". Morton described many empty houses and buildings, left behind from settlers selling out to return home; money had also been lost in investments and bridges were washed out in floods. However, the Town Company had invested in a flour mill, which had commenced operations. Morton also discussed matters of buying and selling land warrants with Hill.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: October 30, 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Leavenworth City, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton had "given up living in Quindaro" and planned to settle in Leavenworth City. Recently ill, he had left Quindaro along with many settlers and business owners. Morton reported that Abelard Guthrie continued to be optimistic about Quindaro's prospects for survival, but he remained skeptical. If Hill still planned to visit Quindaro in the spring, Morton would meet him there.

C. E. Blood to Hiram Hill
Creator: Blood, C.E.
Date: November 1859
C. E. Blood wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Blood informed Hill of an upcoming meeting of the Manhattan Town Association, and told him that he should send a power of attorney to a local citizen to act as his representative. Blood also said that he had not received money for the city tax he had previously requested, and warned Hill that the city authorities would sell his lots if they were not paid.

C. E. Blood to Hiram Hill, corporation tax bill and letter
Creator: Blood, C.E.
Date: March 20, 1859
C. E. Blood wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Evidently, Hill had responded to Blood's previous letter with a list of his Manhattan properties. Blood had obtained the current values and tax rates for each lot while inquiring about the comparative value of the two men's town lots. A house had inadvertently been constructed on Hill's lot, instead of on the lot adjacent to his, as was intended, and Blood wanted to trade lots with Hill.

Charles A. Wright to Hiram Hill
Creator: Wright, Charles A.
Date: June 16, 1856
Charles Wright wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill. Wright spoke passionately about the free state cause after the Sack of Lawrence and the Pottawatomie Massacre, imploring "eastern friends" for help. In Wright's words, "talk will do no good that time is past what we now need is men money and rifles". He added that southerners were "using every effort" to drive free staters from the Territory. U.S. Troops were attempting to disband the ruffians, though according to Wright they only dispersed and reorganized elsewhere.

Charles A. Wright to Hiram Hill
Creator: Wright, Charles A.
Date: January 4, 1857
Charles Wright wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill, having recently recovered from an extended illness. Wright told him that "peace and quietness seam [sic] to reign throughout the Territory" and anticipated that Kansas would become a free state without too much more trouble from the border ruffians. He added that two new hotels were being built in town, one by Thaddeus Whitney, in order to accommodate the spring emigration rush. Wright directed Hill to write him in New York, as he would be traveling East for the next two months.

Charles A. Wright to Hiram Hill
Creator: Wright, Charles A.
Date: April 14, 1856
Charles Wright writes from Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill. Wright describes his recent experiences buying and selling cattle obtained from Missouri counties. He also mentions his purchase of town shares in Manhattan, Kansas Territory, and comments on the recent emigration rush, which was increasing demand for land, filling hotels, and causing rent to increase. Wright feels optimistic about the future of peace in Kansas, having heard a story about Governor Reeder's feeling for the same.

Charles A. Wright to Hiram Hill
Creator: Wright, Charles A.
Date: February 1, 1857
Charles Wright wrote from Bald Mountain, New York, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, describing his travel route from Kansas Territory to the East. Wright reported that Samuel Simpson was still in Quindaro and was doing well, but mentioned that another new town in Wyandotte was being developed; Wright believed that this new one was in a better location. He also discussed buying, selling, and the prices of town lots in Lawrence and West Lawrence, and said that construction had begun on the Free State Hotel. Wright added that a "Miss Hall" in Lawrence had begun writing a history of Kansas.

Charles Chadwick to Hiram Hill
Creator: Chadwick, Charles
Date: June 1, 1858
Charles Chawick wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, to tell him that it appeared favorable that Hill would win possession of the land disputed by Robert Robetaille, a Wyandot Indian. However, Chadwick feared that the decision may not be made as easily as he had earlier anticipated, since Robert Lawrence had been seen in Leavenworth and had not traveled to Washington to work with Nathaniel Causin. Nonetheless, Abelard Guthrie had given up trying to obtain the land as well, leaving Hiram as the only other claimant. The land in question had originally been set aside for settlement by Native American tribes.

Charles Chadwick to Hiram Hill
Creator: Chadwick, Charles
Date: February 4, 1865
Charles Chadwick of Lawrence, Kansas, writes to Hiram Hill of Massachusettes detailing many of the events surrounding Confederate General Sterling Price's invasion and the steps Kansans took in preparation for an expected attack. In particular, Chadwick discusses the back and forth battles along the Missouri/Kansas border between Price and Union commander, General Alfred Pleasonton, that took place in the Fall of 1864.

Charles Chadwick to Hiram Hill
Creator: Chadwick, Charles
Date: March 25, 1858
Charles Chadwick wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, regarding various aspects of town development. Chadwick told Hill of some controversy over his ownership of some lands, both "outside" and in town, which were also being claimed by Wyandotte Indians. He described the potential for new businesses to open in Quindaro, including a machine shop and foundry. Chadwick waited for the arrival of new immigrants and hoped the "eastern capitalists" would introduce more money into their economy. He added his comments about the fraudulent ratification of the Lecompton Constitution, suggesting that the Constitution would do the most good "with the. . .box under the woodpile". The lands in question had originally been set aside for the settlement of Native Americans.