Letter from William Allen (Greenville), 1859 October 27

The collection contains autobiographical letters written in the nineteenth century by United States congressmen from Ohio. Most were written to Charles Lanman in response to Lanman’s request for biographical information to compose his Dictionary of the United States Congress. These letters feature information such as the congressman’s birth date, education, profession, and positions held. Some are written as letters addressed to Lanman, while others respond concisely to Lanman’s request for information. Two other letters are simply samples of letters written by these congressmen. Additionally, the collection contains 1970s photocopies of the letters and information Lanman sent to the congressmen requesting their biographies, as well as photocopies of brief biographies of Lanman himself. Additionally, the collection contains an 1858 calotype photo of congressman Lewis David Campbell.