Guide to the James W. Hamilton Family Papers

Biography of Hamilton Family

James W. Hamilton was born October 22, 1811 in Venango County, PA to Richard Hamilton and Ann Reynolds. After completing his medical studies with Dr. Gillet of Franklin, PA, he settled in East Liberty, OH where he lived for the remainder of his life. In 1839, he married Climena Allen of Worthington, OH, with whom he had ten children - five of whom survived. After fifteen years of medical practice, he pursued merchandizing. Hamilton served briefly in the Ohio State Legislature (1859-1861) and was elected by the emerging Republican Party. Due however, to his opposition of certain principles maintained by the Party during the Civil War, he remained independent throughout its course, later siding with the Democratic Party in the last years of his life. James W. Hamilton died August 1, 1879 after a brief illness. Climena E. Hamilton [nee Allen] was born on February 8, 1814 in Montpellier, VT to Asaph Allen and Sarah McCloud. When she was two years old, her family relocated to Worthington, Ohio where she spent the majority of her young life. In 1838, she married James Walker Hamilton with whom she had ten children, five of whom survived to adulthood. She remained in East Liberty, Ohio for the remainder of her life. Climena E. Hamilton died on July 20, 1893 at the age of 79. William Reynolds Hamilton (also referred to as "Reynolds" by family) was born in Venango County, PA on February 18, 1816 to Richard Hamilton and Ann Reynolds and was the brother of James W. Hamilton. He traveled on foot at age twenty to Ohio and taught briefly in Portage County. Shortly thereafter, he worked under his brother James in pursuit of a medical degree. William started his practice in Huntsville in 1840, and, after eight years of practice, moved to Peoria, continuing his practice for an additional fourteen years. In 1857, Hamilton was elected as mayor of Peoria running on the Republican ticket after four years of serving as an alderman. He served two consecutive terms before leaving Peoria for Pennsylvania to pursue his interests in the oil business. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hamilton served as a volunteer surgeon, acting as one of the first responders at the battles of Chattanooga and Petersburg. Following the war, William returned to Peoria, serving as president of the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad Company for seven years. As of 1875, Hamilton entered the coal trade, continuing until 1881. William Hamilton died in 1907.["William R. Hamilton," Portrait and Biographical Album of Peoria County, IL." (Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., 1890), 236-8.] John Hamilton, the younger brother of James and William, was born in Venango, PA, in 1826, received his medical degree in Columbus, OH, and moved to Peoria in 1850. John initially lived with his brother, Dr. William Reynolds Hamilton, also practicing medicine in the city. He played a primary role in the founding of Proctor Hospital and was publisher of the Peoria Medical Monthly. John Hamilton was in practice with his brother, William Reynolds Hamilton. He was the first to perform a successful abdominal operation under the newly developed Lister Method (established to prevent patient exposure to airborne bacteria). John Hamilton died on August 11, 1893. ("John Hamilton," Biographies of Peoria County People,
http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/bios/bios_h.html#hamiltonjohn.)

Scope and Content

The Hamilton Family papers begin in 1831 shortly after James W. Hamilton's relocation to Ohio from Venango County, PA. The earliest papers primarily consist of Climena Allen's (later Hamilton) correspondence with Laura Starr (later Buell), a close friend from Tymochtee, Ohio. This correspondence offers insight into both Climena and Laura's young adult life preceding their marriages. James W. Hamilton's early correspondence is limited; however, the bulk of his early letters from 1833-1838 concern his medical apprenticeship and the establishment of his practice in East Liberty, OH. After 1838, the letters shift to James' personal life and include correspondence from his brief courtship with Eliza Crain and his eventual courtship and marriage to Climena Allen. The Hamilton letters throughout the 1840s offer an overview of James' medical practice and the early family life of James and Climena. Despite the birth of numerous children, the East Liberty region was rampant with disease causing the death of several Hamilton children and extended family. In addition, the correspondence from this decade chronicles the early professional lives of the Hamilton brothers, Edward, John, and William, in their pursuit of medical and educational careers. The 1850s materials primarily regard James W. Hamilton's establishment of a local trading company, as well as his increased participation in the affairs of the town of East Liberty and Logan County. Hamilton was instrumental in the planning of the Bellefontaine regional railroad and the organization of public events including orations and celebrations for the Fourth of July and various other national holidays. Predominantly, correspondence occurred between James and his business partners, his brother William, and Climena with her extended family. The family's letters from William describe his rise to political importance in Peoria, IL, culminating with his 1857 election as mayor of the city. With the approach of the 1860 presidential election, James W. Hamilton's letters primarily concern his service in the Ohio State House of Representatives. In particular, the year 1861 offers a thorough view of the start of the Civil War from the perspective of the state government in Ohio. Hamilton's service begins approximately at the time of Lincoln's election in November, 1860 and continues through the Confederate attack on Ft. Sumter. Hamilton's direct involvement in Ohio legislation describes the political activity up to and including the mobilization of Union troops in preparation for the beginning of the Civil War. Although correspondence directly concerning the Civil War is relatively limited, the letters sent and received by the Hamilton family illustrate the effects of the war on family life and the East Liberty/Logan County community. Correspondence during this time regularly describes the draft and departure of troops from various counties in Ohio as witnessed by the Hamilton family, their relatives, and their acquaintances. Following the Civil War, the majority of the Hamilton Papers concern the Hamilton children's education. The Hamiltons' oldest daughter, Celia, attended the Steubenville Women's Seminary from 1863-1867. Shortly thereafter, the family's oldest sons, James (II) and Fremont, attended Buchtel College (now the University of Akron) beginning with the 1872 commencement of the university's first classes. James attended only briefly, returning home to work at the family store. Fremont, however, continued at Buchtel to the completion of his degree, followed shortly thereafter by his brother Victor who began his studies in 1876. The final years of the Hamilton Family Papers primarily concern the elderly lives of James, and Climena, as well as the adult lives of their children. Fremont continued to correspond with the Hamilton family from the University of Michigan where he pursued a law degree. Following the death of James W. Hamilton in 1879, the correspondence is predominantly between Climena and her children as well as the family's relatives and friends throughout the country. After Climena's death in July, 1893, the few remaining letters in the collection consist of Fremont's efforts to settle the family's estate, as well as a single letter from Ruth Inskeep, the granddaughter of Celia A. Inskeep (nee Hamilton). In addition to the family's correspondence, the collection also contains several academic catalogues from the Hamilton children's college studies at Steubenville Women's Seminary and Buchtel College. James W. Hamilton's medical daybook - a journal of medical appointments, procedures, and their respective prices - is also included.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Reproduction of materials in the collection is subject to the restrictions of copyright law. To use any materials not yet in the public domain, the researcher must obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University Libraries.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to provide access to this collection:

Subjects:

Persons:

Places:

Material Types:

Preferred Citation

James W. Hamilton Family Papers, Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University Libraries