Making History in Central North America
Based on the world-renowned collections of the Newberry Library in Chicago, “Frontier to Heartland” offers access to historical primary sources, scholarly perspectives on the past, and resources to help you use the site.
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Seven Days of the Life of a Soldier
Thompson, Alexander Ramsay, 1793-1837- Manuscript account by Major Alexander Thompson of a canoe journey from Green Bay to Mackinac Island, between June 1 and June 23, 1831. Accompanied by William Holiday, proprietor of an American Fur…
Photograph of Elizabeth Packard
- As a result of disagreements over religion and money, Theophilus Packard committed his wife of twenty-one years, Elizabeth Ware Packard, to the Illinois insane asylum in 1860. Three years later,…
E.F. Garry to Mr. Lane on Pullman Saving Plan
- In the 1920s a growing number of large industrial employers developed welfare, recreation, and representation programs for their employees. This letter, between executives of the Pullman Company,…
Fur trade contract, 1692
Francoeur, François- Fur trade contract, dated Sept. 15, 1692 in Ville-Marie, Québec, concerning transport of merchandise to Michilimackinac and Chicago to be traded for beaver pelts. The contract describes an agreement…
Residence of Ira A. Warren, Emmett Township, Calhoun County, Michigan
Pierce, H. B.- Ira and Susan Warren resided in Calhoun, County, Michigan, near the city of Battle Creek. They likely paid in advance for a copy of the History of Calhoun County, receiving in exchange a biographic…
St. Patrick's Costume Ball
- This flyer from Chicago's Dill Pickle Club announces a costume ball on St. Patrick's Day, 1925. Oral histories suggest that masquerade balls at this and other clubs were an important part of the…
Capture of Louis Riel by the Scouts Armstrong and Howie, May 15, 1885
- Louis Riel was a Métis leader who headed a provisional government in opposition to the Canadian government in 1885. The "Riel Rebellion" was defeated militarily and Riel was convicted of treason and…
Chicago Day, 1893 World's Fair
Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942- 716,881 people attended the World's Columbian Exposition on "Chicago Day," October 9, 1893.
