Isham Reavis, 1836-1914 [RG3301.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG3301.AM:  Isham Reavis, 1836-1914



Correspondence, etc.:  1862-1890

Falls City, Richardson County, Neb.:  Lawyer; judge

Size:  0.25 cu.ft.; 1 box



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE



Isham Reavis was born near Beardstown, Illinois, on January 28, 1836, the son of Isham and Mahalie Reavis. He attended the Beardstown Common schools and completed his formal education at Illinois College in Jacksonville. After spending a time studying law, Reavis was admitted to the Illinois Bar and began to practice in his native Cass County. Less than a year later, in 1858 he departed for the west, arriving in Rulo, Richardson County, Nebraska. He soon went to Falls City where he was to remain for the greater part of his life.



Reavis established his law practice at Falls City and was elected district judge in 1867 and served in the Nebraska Legislature in 1869. President Grant appointed him as an associate justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1869 and he was to serve in this capacity for four years. Upon returning to Falls City in 1873, Reavis re-established his legal practice which he continued until his death in 1914.



Note:  See the article, “Isham Reavis, Pioneer Lawyer and Judge,” Nebraska History, vol. 54, Spring, 1973, pp. 1-54. The article includes a complete biographical sketch of Isham Reavis, as well as his reminiscences.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of papers of Isham and Annie Dorrington Reavis, containing correspondence, 1870-1892, and miscellaneous material. The letters in the collection were received by Annie Dorrington Reavis from her husband, Isham Reavis, relating to his service as U.S. Circuit Judge in Arizona Territory, 1870-1873; from Henry Rice relating to his Civil War experiences, 1862-1863; and from J.W. Dorrington, relating to affairs in Yuma, Arizona, 1890-1892. The miscellaneous folder includes a printed pamphlet “An Incident in the life of Lincoln: His letter of November 5, 1855 to Isham Reavis,” and correspondence regarding the donation of the Reavis Collection.



INVENTORY



Box 1

Folder




    1. Letters of Isham Reavis, 1870-1890

    1. Letters of Henry Rice, 1862-1863

    1. Letters of J.W. Dorrington, 1890-1892

    1. Miscellany, including “An Incident in the Life of Lincoln: His letter of November 5, 1855, to Isham Reavis”



 



Subject headings:



Arizona — History

Dorrington, John W.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Reavis, Annie Dorrington, 1845-1933

Reavis, Isham, 1836-1914

Rice, Henry

United States — History — Civil War, 1861-1865 — Personal narratives



 



DJJ/ht   08-15-1973

Encoded TMM   03-24-2011

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

Siouan Archeology

Siouan Archeology

Nebraska Election Trivia

Nebraska Election Trivia

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.