Fell, Jesse W., 1808-1887

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Editor, educator, and lawyer.

From the description of Papers of Jesse W. Fell, 1806-1957 (bulk 1830-1887). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71061562

Bloomington, Illinois, lawyer and newspaper publisher; helped organize Central Illinois Female College, 1853, and Normal University, 1858; paymaster, U.S. Army, during Civil War.

From the description of Letter: Normal, [Ill.], to J[esse] C. Green, West Chester, Pa., [18]86 July 31. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 30366211

From the description of Documents, 1834-1847. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 30366196

From the description of Transcripts of telegrams, 1862-1863. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 30366253

Biographical Note

  • 1808, Nov. 10: Born, New Garden, Chester County, Pa.
  • 1826 - 1828 : Taught school in Pennsylvania
  • 1828: Moved to Steubenville, Ohio
  • 1828 - 1830 : Studied in law office of Stokely & Marsh, Steubenville, Ohio
  • 1832: Admitted to Ohio bar Moved to Bloomington, Ill. Admitted to Illinois bar
  • 1833: Opened law practice, Bloomington, Ill.; first lawyer in McLean County, Ill.
  • 1834: Appointed commissioner of schools, McLean County, Ill.
  • 1834 - 1835 : Befriended Abraham Lincoln while lobbying for McLean County in Illinois legislature
  • 1835: Made an agent of State Bank of Illinois
  • 1837: Bankrupted in financial crash Sold law practice to David Davis
  • 1837 - 1839 : Owner and publisher, Bloomington Observer and McLean County Advocate, Bloomington, Ill.
  • 1838: Married Hester Vernon Brown (died June 1906)
  • 1844: Moved to Fort Jesse, Adams County, Ill., and took up farming
  • 1845 - 1851 : Operated a farm and nursery business, "Fruit Hill," near Quincy, Adams County, Ill.
  • 1850: Declined invitation to run as Whig candidate for state legislature
  • 1851: Returned to Bloomington, Ill. Elected to Board of Trustees, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill.
  • 1851 - 1852 : Editor, Western Whig (later renamed Bloomington Intelligencer), Bloomington, Ill.
  • 1852 - 1853 : Partner, owner, Bloomington Intelligencer (later renamed Pantagraph), Bloomington, Ill.
  • 1856: Supported Republican abolitionist Owen Lovejoy for Congress
  • 1857: Helped found Illinois State Normal University, Normal, Ill. Built his residence, "Fell's Park," Normal, Ill.
  • 1858: Suggested to Abraham Lincoln that he should run for president
  • 1859: Elected secretary, Illinois Republican State Central Committee Secured autobiography of Abraham Lincoln and arranged its publication in eastern newspapers Organized Free Congregational Church, Bloomington, Ill., with brothers Kersey and Vickers Fell
  • 1865: Spearheaded campaign to locate Illinois Soldiers' Orphans' Home in Bloomington, Ill.
  • 1867: Successful in routing the Chicago & Mississippi Railroad (later Chicago & Alton Railroad) through Bloomington, Ill. Appointed to Board of Education, Illinois State Normal University, Normal, Ill.
  • 1868: Purchased the Bloomington, Ill., Pantagraph, along with James P. Taylor and William Osborne Davis Declined public appeal to run for Congress
  • 1879: Founded Larchwood Colony, Lyon County, Iowa
  • 1887, Feb. 25: Died, Normal, Ill.

From the guide to the Jesse W. Fell Papers, 1806-1965, (bulk 1830-1887), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Stevenson, Adlai Ewing, 1930-. Personal and Family Files, 1890-1991. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Fell, Jesse Wilson, 1808-1887. Transcripts of telegrams, 1862-1863. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Fell, Jesse Wilson, 1808-1887. Letter: Normal, [Ill.], to J[esse] C. Green, West Chester, Pa., [18]86 July 31. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Davis, David, 1815-1886. David Davis papers, 1815-1964 (bulk 1815-1886). Chicago History Museum
creatorOf Fell, Jesse Wilson, 1808-1887. Documents, 1834-1847. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1865-1891 Smithsonian Institution Archives
referencedIn Baily, Joshua, b. 1834. Papers, 1842-1883 (bulk 1862-1865). Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Fell, Jesse W. Letters to H. K. Phoenix. 1854-18[59]. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Lyman Trumbull Correspondence, 1843-1894, (bulk 1855-1872) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Richardson, Owen D. Letters, 1931. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865. Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Museum
referencedIn Trumbull, Lyman, 1813-1896. Papers of Lyman Trumbull, 1843-1894 (bulk 1855-1872). Library of Congress
creatorOf Fell, Jesse W. Letter to Con Haney. Normal, [IL.]. 1886 Oct. 19. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Ives, Elizabeth Stevenson, 1897-1994. Family history papers, 1797-1996. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874. Correspondence, 1829-1874 Houghton Library
creatorOf Jesse W. Fell Papers, 1806-1965, (bulk 1830-1887) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Fell, Kersey H., b. 1815. Letters: Bloomington, [Ill.], to J[esse] C. Green, 1886 July 22 and 31. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Baily, Joshua, b. 1834. person
correspondedWith Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893 person
associatedWith Brown family. family
associatedWith Brown family. family
associatedWith Davis, David, 1815-1886. person
correspondedWith Douglas, Stephen A. (Stephen Arnold), 1813-1861 person
correspondedWith Fell family family
associatedWith Fell family. family
associatedWith Fell, Kersey H., b. 1815. person
correspondedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 person
associatedWith Green, Jesse Cope, 1817-1920, person
associatedWith Haney, Con, person
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
associatedWith Illinois State Normal University. corporateBody
associatedWith Ives, Elizabeth Stevenson, 1897-1994. person
associatedWith Library of Congress. corporateBody
correspondedWith Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 person
associatedWith Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 person
correspondedWith Lovejoy, Owen, 1811-1864 person
correspondedWith Mann, Horace, 1796-1859 person
correspondedWith Nicolay, John G. (John George), 1832-1901 person
associatedWith Phoenix, H. K., person
associatedWith Powell, John Wesley person
associatedWith Richardson, Owen D. person
correspondedWith Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900-1965 person
associatedWith Stevenson, Adlai Ewing, 1930- person
correspondedWith Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874 person
associatedWith Trumbull, Lyman, 1813-1896. person
associatedWith United States. Army corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Army. Pay Dept. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Chicago. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Bloomington (Ill.)
Illinois
Normal (Ill.)
United States
Bloomington (Ill.)
Washington (D.C.)
Bloomington (Ill.)
Illinois
Normal (Ill.)
United States
United States
Subject
American newspapers
American newspapers
American periodicals
American periodicals
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges
Educational institutions
Land speculation
Land speculation
Lawyers
Libraries
Libraries
National Museum
Natural history
Practice of law
Practice of law
Quakers
Quakers
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
Occupation
Editors
Educators
Lawyers
Activity

Person

Birth 1808

Death 1887

Information

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