Platte River Development Association Records (Monroe Center)

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-031

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Platte River Development Association Collection contains material documenting the activities of an unincorporated oil company dating 1920 to 1926 and a privately owned supply company dating 1911-1919. It contains the general business records of the old Platte River Development Association and the new Platte River Drilling Association. It contains the general business records of the old Platte River Development Association and the new Platte River Drilling Association. Included are both the old and new association correspondences, by-laws, minutes of trustee meetings and holders of beneficial interests, legal forms; agreements and declaration of trust, irrevocable proxies, beneficiary certificates and receipts from the Platte River holding Company. The collection also contains the receipts and expense records from the Platte River Development Association, Platte River Drilling Association and the Atchison and Hildebrand Company. Also included are special agreement papers from the Drilling Association and financial statements from the Development Association and the Atchison and Hildebrand Company. The C.L. Atchison letters and the business correspondences from the old and new Platte River Associations are all valuable assets to the collection as they examine in detail fraudulent activity found within the business as well as detailing the association’s development as a profitable enterprise.

Dates

created: 1911-1926
Other: Date acquired: 07/05/1978

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection are held by the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

The Platte River Development Association was an unincorporated oil company otherwise referred to as a Common Law Company or Common Law Trust, formed on September 1, 1920, in the city of Guernsey, Platte County, Wyoming. The original trustees of the Association were George O. Houser, President, John B. Bear, Vice-president and manager and William L. Karcher, Secretary and Treasurer. The Platte River Holding Company, located in Freeport, Illinois, was controlled and managed by these three Trustees who were elected annually by holders of beneficial interests in the association on their authorized proxies. Each holder agreed to deliver to the Trustees their written proxies and certificates showing ownership of beneficial interests or units in the association. In the spring of 1924, the Platte River Development Association was transferred by its trustees, under a trust agreement, creating the new Platte River Drilling Association. The trustees of the new association were H.L. Otto, President, D.C. Meinert, Vice-president, and C.L. Atchison, Secretary and Treasurer. The last known available records for this business are dated 1926.

Note written by

Extent

2.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Source of Acquisition

Mr. William Crill through Mr. Gilbert Walk

Method of Acquisition

The records of the Platte River Development Association were donated to the Northern Illinois Regional History Center by Mr. William Crill through Mr. Gilbert Walk, Monroe Center, Illinois, on July 5, 1978.