ABSTRACT: Form for a bond used in the Missouri Territory, 1813.
SCOPE: This collection includes a bond form signed by Charles Hempstead, George Davenport, and Samuel Means. The document, dated March 18, 1813, outlines the administration of the estate of Jesse Adams. The creators crossed out several printed words to reflect the U.S. Congress’ renaming of the Louisiana Territory as the Missouri Territory, distinguishing it from the newly established State of Louisiana.
EXTENT: One folder.
HISTORY: George Davenport (1783-1845) was an English-born sailor and later a prominent settler on the American frontier. He fought with the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and eventually settled at Fort Armstrong in Rock Island. Davenport became an agent for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company as well as a United States Indian Agent to the Sauk and Fox tribes.
Charles Hempstead (1794-1874) was born in Connecticut but moved to St. Louis in the Louisiana Territory around 1809, where he practiced law and served in the Missouri Legislature. Hempstead later moved to Galena, Illinois, where he was elected the city’s first mayor and practiced law alongside E. B. Washburne.
ACCESS: Due to the fragile nature of this collection, physical access may be restricted. Please contact the library for further information. Information on conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building on the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ north campus.
PREFERRED CITATION: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis."
