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Henry J. Aten papers

 Collection
Call Number: RH MS P393

Overview

Contains miscellaneous correspondence and papers created by Henry J. Aten, an insurance agent for the Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance Company in Hiawatha, Brown County, Kansas from 1879 to 1912. The collection also includes account book for the same company.

Dates

  • Creation: 1879 - 1912

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

Biography of Henry J. Aten (1841-1913)

Henry J. Aten was born in Fulton County, Illinois on October 12, 1841, the son of Richard and Ann (Peterson) Aten. His ancestors were of Holland Dutch descent, arriving in New York in the 17th century, and his grandfathers and great-grandfathers served in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Aten served in the 28th Illinois Infantry and the 85th Infantry during the U.S. Civil War. After the war, he graduated from the Chicago Business College and in 1870 moved to Kansas. When Hiawatha, Brown County, was organized, he was appointed city clerk for two years. He also was elected clerk of the court and mayor of Hiawatha in the 1870s, as the temperance candidate. In 1889 he was appointed a commissioner to negotiate with the Kickapoo and Potawatomi for their lands in Kansas, and he was later appointed special alloting agent for both tribes.

Aten was a land, loan, and insurance agent for his career while living in Kansas. He was a member of the Odd Fellows, Society of the Army of the Cumberland, and the Grand Army of the Republic. He wrote a history on the 85th Illinois regiment.

Henry J. Aten married Maria L. Burbidge in 1870, and they had two daughters, Edna and Stella. Aten died on March 7, 1913.

[Information retrieved from findagrave.com.]

Extent

1 folder (1 folder + 1 volume) ; Volume measures no taller than 45 cm.

Language of Materials

English

Physical Location

RH MS P393

Physical Location

MS G70

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 1981.

Title
Guide to the Henry Aten Collection
Subtitle
Henry Aten papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by cmp, 2021. Finding aid encoded by cmp, 2021.
Date
2021-06
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Finding aid written by English.
Finding aid permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/10407/0443686027
Preferred citation
Henry Aten papers, RH MS P393, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository

Contact:
1450 Poplar Lane
Lawrence KS 66045-7616 United States
785-864-4334