Elisha Reynolds Potter Papers (Mss. Gr. 12)

Elisha Reynolds Potter (1811-1882), educator, congressman, judge, historian and author was a man of broad interest, as this collection of his personal papers demonstrates. In this collection are Potter's notebooks and newspaper clippings concerning such subjects as the genealogy of his family, the history of Rhode Island, religion, philosophy and agriculture. Also included are several letters from William Beach Lawrence (1800-1881), a former governor of Rhode Island [1851-1852], as well as correspondence from several other persons of note. In addition to the material included in this register, the University also has in its collections a number of plate maps produced by Potter, the books from his library, and copies of the books Potter wrote. An appendix to this register lists several documents relating to Potter family members Benjamin, Thomas Mawney and William Henry Potter, as well as Elisha Reynolds Potter. The bulk of the personal papers of Elisha Reynolds Potter can be found in the collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The University has in its collections a microfilm copy of these materials.

The Elisha Reynolds Potter papers were donated to the University by William Davis Miller and are arranged in two series as follows:

Series I, Subject File, consists of an alphabetical arrangement of materials including newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, notebooks, account books, speeches, correspondence, maps, and genealogy notes.

Series II, Potter Collection Microfilm, consists of 10 reels of microfilm with materials relating to Potter family members Benjamin Potter, Elisha R. Potter, Sr. , Elisha R. Potter, Jr., James B. M. Potter, Mary E. Potter, Thomas Mawney Potter, and William Henry Potter. These reels are a copy of the Potter Family Collection housed at the Rhode Island Historical Society.