HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG1455.AM: Moses Henry Sydenham, 1835-1907
Papers: 1866-1872; 1897-1903
Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska: Store owner; farmer; politician
Size: Two folders
BACKGROUND NOTE
Born in London, England, in 1835, Moses Henry Sydenham immigrated to the United States in 1856 and eventually settled at Fort Kearny, Nebraska. He worked as a freighter until Fort Kearny closed in 1871. At that time, he set up a store and post office in Kearney City (Dobytown). Sydenham was also involved in newspaper publishing over the years. He first published the Kearney Herald, in 1862, and later, The Central Star. In the late 1860s, a move was made to move the national capital to a more central location. When Fort Kearny closed, Moses felt the military reservation would be the ideal spot. Through the pages of The Central Star, he promoted the idea of moving the U.S. Capital to Kearney. Moses Henry Sydenham died on February 3, 1907 and was buried in the Kearney Cemetery at Kearney, Nebraska.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The collection consists of two folders of materials by and about Moses Henry Sydenham. The first folder contains correspondence, as well as clippings and articles by and about Moses Henry Sydenham. The letters, from Sydenham to the Nebraska State Historical Society, date from ca. 1897 to 1903 and describe early days around Fort Kearny, including information about the local newspaper. The clippings are mostly about Sydenham and his experiences as an early settler around Fort Kearny. The second folder (oversize) contains photocopies of a mercantile account book from Fort Kearny. Entries date from 1866 to 1872.
INVENTORY
Folder
- Correspondence, clippings, etc.
- Fort Kearny account book (copies only) [see oversize]
Subject headings:
Buffalo County (Neb.) — History
Fort Kearny (Neb.) — History
Sydenham, Moses Henry, 1835-1907
Revised TMM 02-03-2020
