Lyman Draper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lyman C. Draper
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| 5th Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860 |
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| Governor | Alexander Randall |
| Preceded by | A. Constantine Barry |
| Succeeded by | Josiah Little Pickard |
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| Born |
Lyman Copeland Draper
September 4, 1815 Evans, New York |
| Died | August 26, 1891 (aged 75) Madison, Wisconsin |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin |
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Lyman Copeland Draper (born September 4, 1815 – died August 26, 1891) was a librarian and historian. He worked as the secretary for the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in Madison. Draper also served as the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin from 1858 to 1860. This means he was in charge of public education for the state.
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About Lyman Draper
Lyman Copeland Draper was born on September 4, 1815, in Evans, New York. His family had been in America for a long time. They traced their history back to early settlers in Massachusetts.
Growing up, Lyman loved hearing stories. He often listened to tales about his grandfathers and father. They had fought in important wars like the American Revolution and the War of 1812. These stories made him very interested in history. He especially wanted to learn about those times.
Draper's Historical Research
Starting in 1838, Lyman Draper began writing letters to people. He contacted early settlers who lived in the "Trans-Allegheny region." This was a large area west of the Appalachian Mountains. He also traveled a lot in this region. He wanted to understand the land and its history better.
Draper's main goal was to learn about this important time. He wanted to gather knowledge before it was forgotten. He planned to write many books. These books would be about the lives of early settlers. He also wanted to document the Indian Wars in the Ohio River Valley.
Published Works
Lyman Draper never finished all the biographies he planned. However, his letters and travels were very important. His conversations with survivors and their families created a huge collection of first-hand stories. These stories are the largest record of how the region was settled.
He published 10 books of historical notes for the Wisconsin Historical Society. He also wrote a book about the Battle of King's Mountain (1780). This battle featured many of the early settlers he studied.
In 1877, Draper was chosen to be a member of the American Antiquarian Society. This is a group dedicated to preserving American history. He died on August 26, 1891, in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lyman Draper Manuscript Collection
The Lyman Draper Manuscript Collection is a special set of historical documents. It includes all of his many notes and letters. It also has papers from important early Americans. Lyman Draper collected all these materials. They tell the story of the "trans-Allegheny West."
What's in the Collection?
This historical area includes parts of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama. It also covers the entire Ohio Valley and the Mississippi Valley. Some of the most famous people whose papers he collected include:
- Joseph Brant
- Daniel Boone
- George Rogers Clark
- Thomas S. Hinde
- John Donelson
- James Robertson
- General Joseph Martin
- Simon Kenton
Most of the materials in the collection are from the 1740s through the 1810s. The Draper Collection has almost 500 volumes of documents.
Where to Find the Collection
The State Historical Society of Wisconsin (now called the Wisconsin Historical Society) owns this collection. Lyman Draper worked there as a secretary from 1854 to 1886. Many major research libraries across the United States have microfilm copies of the collection. This makes it easier for people to study these important historical documents.
