Biography/History:

This collection was apparently assembled by the donor, William R. Palmer. The relationship between Alfred Claiborne Downs and L. A. Nickelson is uncertain.

Alfred Claiborne Downs was born in Mississippi or Tennessee on May 16, 1802. He was the son of Henry Douglas and Mary Napier Downs. Alfred Claiborne Downs married Mary Jane Robinson of Mississippi. They had at least two children: Henry Augustus “Gus” (b. ca. 1829) and James “Jimmy” Robinson (b. September 1, 1832). Downs owned several plantations in Mississippi, including Beech Grove near Vicksburg, Warren County; Deer Creek in Washington County; and Linlithgow near Arcola, Washington County. His real-estate holdings were appraised at $30,000 in 1850. He was a founding member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Bovina, Warren County. Downs died on December 5, 1857, and was interred at the family cemetery near Vicksburg.

L. A. Nickelson may have been L. A. Nickolson of Yazoo County, Mississippi. In 1900, Nickolson, his wife, Ida, and children Carrie (b. January 1886), William (b. July 1888), James (b. October 1891), Effie (b. September 1894), and Minnie (b. May 1898) were residing in Yazoo County and engaged in farming.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of a letter addressed to Alfred Claiborne Downs of Warren County, Mississippi, and a postcard addressed to L. A. Nickelson of Madison County, Mississippi. The letter was written to Alfred Claiborne Downs by J. B. Robinson in December 1836. Robinson, who was probably a brother-in-law of Downs, wrote that he arrived safely in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also relates news of his attempts to assign various bank drafts and mentions current prices of slaves. Robinson also comments on his physical health and closes by stating that he purchased a pianoforte in Cincinnati, Ohio. The postcard was addressed to L. A. Nickelson by the Bank of Yazoo City, Yazoo County, Mississippi, on April 15, 1895. It confirms that Nickelson’s account was credited fifty-eight dollars and three cents.

Series Identification:

1. Papers. 1836; 1895. 1 folder.