|
The Board of Commissioners of Public Works was created in 1837 under an "Act to establish a general system of internal improvements" (L. 1837, p. 121). It consisted of seven members, one from each judicial circuit, elected biennially by the General Assembly. The board was primarily responsible for locating, superintending, and constructing all internal improvement projects authorized by the General Assembly except for the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Each of the seven commissioners superintended the operation of such works in his district. The board also was empowered to enter and purchase public land lying within five miles of the probable routes of the projects and to lay out and sell town sites along such routes (L. 1837, p. 143; L. 1839, p. 91).
In 1840 the original board was abolished and replaced by a three-member Board of Public Works, also elected biennially by the General Assembly (L. 1840, p. 93). This board was to dispose of such property belonging to the state as was not wanted for immediate use, protect the various public works of the state from dilapidation or decay, and manage, operate, and fix toll rates for completed railroads. The original board's accounts were to be audited and settled by the Fund Commissioner.
The Board of Public Works was abolished in 1841 and all its records and property were delivered to the State Treasurer (L. 1841, p. 166). The Auditor of Public Accounts, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer were constituted as a Board of Auditors to settle the accounts of contractors on public works (L. 1841, p. 38).
493.001
MINUTES OF BOARD MEETINGS. April 3, 1837-December 14, 1840. 1 partial vol. No index.
Minutes of regular and special meetings of the board concern appointment or election of commissioners, president, secretary, and principal engineers; receipt of semiannual reports from commissioners; accounting procedures to be followed; proposals for various internal improvement projects; contracts, bids, specifications, and grading plans for projects; purchase or other methods for obtaining land; and the determination of salaries for commissioners and construction workers.
Also included is a docket of claims made against the board by landowners for alleged damages done to their properties by internal improvement projects. Entries for each claim include name of landowner, number of claim, legal description of land, amount of damages claimed, and amount of compensation allowed by the board.
493.002
LETTERBOOK. April 4, 1837-September 10, 1839. 1 vol. Index.
Copies of outgoing correspondence, primarily to the Governor, Fund Commissioners, and engineers and commissioners for each district, concern appointments of various employees (e.g., engineers, secretary to board, surveyors); survey, location, and construction of railroads and river improvements; purchases of land for projects; and instructions to engineers. Also included are reports to the House of Representatives on projects showing number of employees, progress of work at each site, and the purchase of locomotives.
493.003
TRANSCRIPTS OF REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD. June 1837-July 1838. 1 partial vol. Index.
Transcripts are of periodic reports submitted to the board by commissioners of the seven districts, chief engineers, and assistant engineers concern engineering, surveying, and construction of various internal improvement projects and contain information on payrolls, prices for commodities, construction cost estimates, contracts, and progress of work at each site. Also contained are copies of the board's annual reports to the Governor.
493.004
RECORD OF CONTRACTS FOR INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. May 1839-September 1839. 7 vols. and 1 partial vol. Index.
Record consists of fair copies of contracts for work on various internal improvement projects in each district. Each contract generally includes district number, name of commissioner for district, name of individual or firm contracting for work, name of project, description of work to be performed (e.g., excavation, grading, cut-stone work, construction of embankments, clearing), and date on which contract signed.
493.005
REGISTER OF EMPLOYEES IN EACH DISTRICT. April 1839-November 1839. 1 vol. No index.
Register of employees working on various internal improvement projects lists for each district name and grade of each employee, name and section of railroad or other project on which employed, type of position (e.g., resident or assistant engineer, clerk,
rodman, superintendent, draftsman, compassman, surveyor, right-of-way agent), starting date and duration of employment, and amount of monthly salary.
493.006
DAYBOOKS. May 8, 1837-December 10, 1840. 10 vols. No index.
Daybooks consist of chronological accounts of expenditures made in each of the seven districts for work on internal improvement projects within that district. Entries for each disbursement include date and number of voucher submitted by district's commissioner, name of commissioner, project for which payment is made, name of payee (e.g., contractor, supplier, employee), amount of payment, cause for payment (e.g., construction costs, engineering costs, or miscellaneous costs which include food supplies, cooking utensils, mathematical and surveying instruments, lumber, iron, barrels, rope, furniture and other equipment, board and lodging of employees, travel expenses, drayage, postage, advertising, printing), and usually the date service or equipment supplied. These volumes are fair copies which were transcribed July 17, 1839-April 5, 1841.
Entries posted to LEDGERS, RS 493.007.
493.007
LEDGERS. May 1837-December 1840. 3 vols. Copy: 1 vol. Index.
Ledgers consist of balanced accounts with each commissioner and accounts of expenditures for each internal improvement project. Entries for vouchers submitted to board by each commissioner include name of commissioner; district number; date and number of voucher; and amounts spent for construction, engineering, or miscellaneous causes (not itemized). Entries for drafts issued to commissioners in payment of vouchers include name of commissioner, date, and number of draft.
Accounts for internal improvement projects include those for railroads (i.e., Northern Cross; Alton and Shelbyville; Pekin and Bloomington; Peoria and Mackinaw; Peoria and Warsaw; Central; Central Branch; Naples Branch; Alton and
Shawneetown; Alton and Mt. Carmel; Belleville and Lebanon Branch; Rushville and Erie), those for improvement of rivers (i.e., Illinois,
Kaskaskia, Great Wabash, Little Wabash, Rock, Embarrass), and those for improvement of the Great Western Mail Route and the Charleston and Darwin Turnpike Road.
Entries posted from DAYBOOKS, RS 493.006.
493.008
CASH BOOK. April 3, 1837-June 12, 1839. 1 partial vol. No index.
Cash book consists of rough chronological accounts of receipts and disbursements of the board including date of transaction, name of payee or
payor, and cause for receipt (e.g., returned drafts) or disbursement (e.g., office supplies such as ink, blank drafts, tables, bookcases, sealing wax, quills).
493.009
COPIES OF DRAFTS ISSUED ON FUND COMMISSIONERS. May 1837-May 1839. 1 partial vol. No index.
Copies of drafts issued by Board of Commissioners of Public Works on Fund Commissioners contain date of issue, serial number, value, name of payee, and internal improvement project against which payment charged.
493.010
RECORD OF LAND PURCHASES. January 14, 1837-October 19, 1842. 2 partial vols. No index.
Record primarily consists of copies of Receiver's receipts for tracts purchased at the federal land district offices at
Kaskaskia, Shawneetown, and Edwardsville. These tracts were purchased by the board on behalf of the State of Illinois for use in locating internal improvement projects. Entries for each receipt include date and number of receipt, location of land office, name of commissioner purchasing land for board, legal description of tracts purchased, number of acres, price per acre, and total purchase price.
493.011
TRANSCRIPTS OF DOCUMENTS FILED IN GAINING RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND IN SETTLING DAMAGE CLAIMS. September 18, 1837-October 19, 1842. 1 vol. No index.
Transcripts are of various types of documents drawn up between the board and individual landowners which were filed in gaining rights-of-way for internal improvement projects or in settling claims for damages done by such projects. Documents include summonses, affidavits, deeds, indentures, and petitions. Documents variously provide the following information: property owner's name, legal description of property, county in which property located, assessed value of property, and amount of purchase price or settlement granted by State of Illinois.
493.012
REGISTER OF SPURIOUS AND COUNTERFEIT INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT SCRIP. Ca. 1840. 1 vol. No index.
Register is of internal improvement scrip which was refused because it was spurious, counterfeit, or suspect contains date and serial number of scrip, date and number of draft on which supposedly issued, and face value.
493.013
REPORTS OF AGENTS IN CHARGE OF PROJECTS. December 1840-January 1841. 1 partial vol. No index.
Copies are of reports submitted by agents appointed by the State Treasurer and primarily concern inventories of property at various internal improvement sites. Property includes locomotives, passenger and freight cars, tools and hardware, timber, rails, wagons, surveying equipment, and kitchen utensils.
493.014
RECORD OF BOARD'S LIQUIDATION. May 12, 1841-December 3, 1842. 1 partial vol. No index.
Record is of the disposition of property in the possession of the Board of Commissioners of Public Works or the various internal improvement projects. Record includes list of equipment (e.g., levels, compasses, tripods) returned to board by contractors and sold, name of individual returning equipment and date returned, disbursement for drayage costs in returning equipment to State House, names of purchasers of equipment, date of purchase, and amount paid. Also included is a list of unsold items which were delivered to the State Treasurer.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
|
