McKean and Elk Land and Improvement Company records, 1844-1926

Sub-Series — Multiple Containers

Identifier: Vault MSS 792 Series 8 Sub-Series 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, maps, notes, financial records, clippings, and other materials relating to the McKean and Elk Land and Improvement Company. Includes information on Thomas L. Kane's work as an agent for the company, progress being made in developing the region, financial concerns of the company, and legal actions surrounding the property. Materials date from between 1844 and 1926.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within 1844-1926

Creator

Kane (Family : Kane, Thomas L. (Thomas Leiper), 1822-1883) (creator, Family)

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Kane family papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.

Administrative History

The McKean and Elk Land and Improvement Company was a stock-based corporation that developed and sold lands in western Pennsylvania.

The company was established by act of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1856 following the death of Samuel M. Leiper, as a means of equitably distributing proceeds from the sale of lands jointly owned by Leiper and a number of associates. At the time of its incorporation, the company issued stock to the original owners in the value of the lands. According to the act of incorporation, the company was charged with selling half of its original 120,000 acres within ten years, and the rest (with the exception of 2,000 acres) within twenty years. The company also had the right to lease lands for mining, and to build railroad lines into those areas, during the same term.