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John Stephen and Frances Jennings Casement papers, 1837-1928

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Casement, John Stephen, 1829-1909; Casement, Frances Jennings, 1840-1928
Title
John Stephen and Frances Jennings Casement papers
Dates
1837-1928 (inclusive)
1861-1869 (bulk)
Quantity
0.95 cubic ft. (4 containers)
Collection Number
00308
Summary
Letters exchanged between Civil War leader and Union Pacific Railroad builder John Stephen Casement and his wife, Frances, along with miscellaneous business records, news clippings, photographs, and stereocards.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions
Access Restrictions

Original material requires archivists' permission for access. Copies and transcripts are available for research use.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

John S. Casement (1829-1909) was born in New York and came to Ohio in 1850 to work as a railroad construction foreman. He met Frances Jennings (1840-1928) while working near Painesville, Ohio, and they were married in 1857. In 1861 John Casement joined the Union Army as major of the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to colonel of the 103rd Ohio Volunteers after the Battle of Winchester (1862). He was engaged in the Atlanta Campaign during 1864 and was given the brevet rank of brigadier general in 1865. After service in the Civil War, Casement, along with his brother Daniel, obtained a contract to perform tracklaying and grading for the Union Pacific's transcontinental line. The work lasted from 1866 to 1869. John Casement was later involved in a number of other business ventures.

Frances Jennings Casement was born into an Ohio abolitionist family. After her marriage she maintained the family's home in Painsville, Ohio, and raised the couple's three sons. While on a visit in Wyoming in 1870, she met Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and became interested in women's suffrage. She organized the Equal Rights Organization of Painesville in 1883 and was honored as a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement in 1920 by the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

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Content Description

The John Stephen and Frances Jennings Casement papers primarily consist of the correspondence between the couple during and after the Civil War, including the time J.S. Casement and his brother, Daniel, were constructing the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha, Nebraska, to Promontory Point, Utah. Frances tells of home life, family and friends. J.S. Casement writes of his difficulties in obtaining supplies and gives his opinion of business associates. There are also business records, petitions relating to the creation of Wyoming Territory, and printed materials.

Photographs include a copy of the wedding photograph of J.S. and Frances Casement and stereo cards of scenes along the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, John Stephen and Frances Jennings Casement Papers, Collection Number 00308, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Alternative Forms Available

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at http://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu:8180/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~21~21.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

Related Materials

There are other Frances Jennings Casement papers at the Lake County Historical Society, Painesville, Ohio. Further John S. Casement papers are at the Library of Congress.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

The Casement papers were received from Mary Casement Furlong in several shipments in 1962-1963. Mrs. Furlong was the daughter of Dan Dillon Casement, son of John S. Casement and his wife, Frances Jennings Casement.

Photocopies of original material owned by Jack E. Daniels were received from Daniels in 1986. Petitions relating to the Territory of Wyoming and associated correspondence were received from the Wyoming State Archives in 1998. Fourteen Civil War-era letters, 2 invitations, and a program were purchased from Michael Brown Rare Books in 2016.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by D.Claudia Thompson in July 1996, March 2010, and June 2016.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Railroad engineering -- West (U.S.)

Corporate Names

  • Union Pacific Railroad Company

Geographical Names

  • Painesville (Ohio)
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
  • Wyoming -- History, To 1889

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs
  • Stereographs

Processed by D.C. Thompson
2005; 2010; 2016

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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