This collection contains the personal papers of Carlton J. Corliss. Materials include correspondence, notes, photocopies of Abraham Lincoln's correspondence and court reports, and printed materials such as newspaper clippings and postcards related to Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Central Railroad.

Carlton J. Corliss was an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad in the engineering and public relations departments. He authored Trails to Rails: A Story of Transportation Progress in Illinois in 1934 and Main Line of Mid-America: The Story of Illinois Central in 1950.

The collection is organized in four series: Correspondence (1928-1945), Photocopies (1853-1863), Notes and Memoranda (1836-1945), and Printed Material (1930-1945). Correspondence includes letters to and from Corliss regarding his research on Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Central Railroad. The collection also includes photocopies of Lincoln's correspondence and court proceedings reports documenting his legal activities while in service of the Illinois Central Railroad. Notes and memoranda include excerpts from books on Lincoln. Also included in the collection are postcards, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets related to the Illinois Central Railroad and Abraham Lincoln.

William B. Browder donated this collection to the Illinois Historical Survey, the predecessor of the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit, in December of 1975.

Corliss, Carlton J. Papers, 1836-1865, 1928-1945

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents of the Materials

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