Solomon Kuder and Caleb North papers

This collection consists primarily of the personal, legal and financial papers of Solomon Kuder, an early settler of Wood County, Ohio, dating from 1819 through 1918.

The largest portion of the collection documents, through property records, the acquisition by Kuder of land in Northwest Ohio. An early printed map of the Piqua Land District (cataloged separately from the collection due to size) shows the divisions of Ohio circa 1819. The three land patents to Kuder, signed by Andrew Jackson, are dated 1830 and 1836, making him one of the early settlers in the area. Receipts for taxes paid on property in Seneca County from 1827-1835, and Wood County, 1836-1897 give a continuous view of the location and size of Kuder's real estate holdings.

A small number of items in the collection refers to Kuder's service during the War of 1812. Other than the land patents, most are routine inquiries about pension matters. However, an invitation for a reunion in 1872 in Monroe, Michigan is of interest due to the name of George Custer as a member of the invitation committee.

The inclusion of the account books of Caleb North in this collection illustrates something of the economic life on the Ohio frontier. After his move to Washington Township, Wood County, in 1829, some of the names appearing in the ledgers include those of Kuder, Opperman, Ketchum, Vantasel, and Minton, reflecting the work done by North as a tanner and shoemaker in the local community.