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	Record Group Number:	900000
	Series/Collection Number:	M96- 13
	Creator:	Swann, Samuel Ashe, 1832-1909.
	Title, Dates:	Samuel A. Swann correspondence, 1877-1882.
	Amount:	1.50 cubic ft.
	Medium Included:
	Organization/Arrangement:	Chronological.
	Restrictions:	Fragile records have been scanned and separated for preservation purposes. Photocopies in boxes 1-3 are first-use copies.
	Terms Governing Use:
	Biographical/Historical:	In 1855, Samuel A. Swann began his career in Florida with the firm of Finegan and Company, which was engaged in the construction of the Florida Railroad. Swann also held the post of Assistant Secretary and Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Florida Railroad Company. The company began building a railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key in 1855 with completion in 1861. The company then sold alternate sections of land on each side of the tracks to raise money for company operations and to use in the promotion and development of central Florida. Because of the dislocations created by the Civil War, the company defaulted on its payments to the creditors of its bond issues as well as its payments to the Internal Improvement Fund. These defaults led to the seizure and sale of the company's assets by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund. The sale of the seized assets realized a fraction of the value of the original debts. Francis Vose of New York held many of the bonds; he refused this partial settlement and sued the Board of Trustees in 1869. The United States Fifth Circuit Court of the Northern District of Florida ruled in Vose's favor and enjoined sales of Florida lands in question until the debt to him was satisfied. The Board of Trustees appointed Swann as an agent to sell the land to satisfy the judgement. Swann negotiated several deals, in the U.S. and in England, which would have sold enough land to satisfy the debt to Vose. For one reason or another, the Trustees did not approve them and Swann lost several commissions. Swann's efforts ended when the Trustees completed arrangements for the Disston Purchase that satisfied the requirements of the Vose decision. Swann presented his claim for compensation to the Trustees but the Board rejected the claim. Swann then filed suit.
	Summary:	This collection contains the papers offered as evidence in the suit brought by Swann against the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund. It includes Swann's reports to that body and replies to inquiries made by the Trustees. Also included is correspondence between Swann and various agents and principals involved in his efforts on behalf of the Trustees. The material was originally pasted into a book but is now dismounted. It is now in folders in the order in which it was placed onto the pages of the book. This has resulted in some leaves, marked with various headings indicating exhibit numbers, appearing to be out of numeric order. This apparent discrepancy is the original order of the exhibits as mounted onto the pages of the book. The container listing takes note of both exhibits and correspondence. Since not all exhibits are correspondence the exhibit date is not noted. The correspondence not marked as exhibits has the date noted in the container listing.
	Finding Aids:	Folder listing available. 0
	Additional Physical Form:
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	Associated Materials:	For more records related to the financial activities of the Florida Railroad Company, see Collection M96-20, Florida Railroad Company Business Records, 1850-1889 (8 volumes). See also the collection of Swann papers at P.K. Younge Library, University of Florida, Gainesville.
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	Electronic Records Access:
	Subject Access Fields:	Vose, Francis, fl. 1869-1875 Florida. Trustees of Internal Improvement Fund. Florida. Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Florida Rail Road Company. Finegan and Company. Debtor and creditor Florida Disston Purchase. Railroads Florida
	Added Entries	Florida. Trustees of Internal Improvement Fund. Florida. Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Florida Rail Road Company. Finegan and Company.