Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection

Version: 11 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:24:48 PM

Added description

Description

Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection

Overview

The Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection preserves the full record of the 1909 civil action heard in the New Haven County Superior Court. Held by the Connecticut State Library, the collection is part of the NHSC “Black, African American, and Indigenous” (BAAI) subject‑index series and is linked to the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject database via a PINAX metadata file. The materials are digitized as JPEG and TIFF images with OCR‑extracted text and are in the public domain.

Background

The dispute arose from a 1871 sale of Turkey Hill Indian land by former overseer W. C. Wakelee, during which $960 of the proceeds were allegedly misappropriated. In 1909, A. McClellan Mathewson, the appointed overseer of the Turkey Hill Indians, filed a complaint against the Wakelee heirs, alleging financial misconduct and seeking accountability for the missing funds. The case addressed trust‑fund law, laches, and Indigenous rights within Connecticut’s legal framework and was ultimately appealed to the Supreme Court of Errors in January 1910.

Contents

The collection comprises six sub‑collections that document the case from filing to appeal:
  • Summons and Complaint – scanned pages of the July 14, 1909 summons, complaint, and writ.
  • Demurrer Documents – images of the October 8, 1909 demurrer, defendants’ brief, and court orders.
  • Judgments – the November 24, 1909 judgment and the January 19, 1910 appeal decision.
  • Case Documents – docket pages, financial schedules, and guardian‑ad‑litem appointments.
  • Supporting Commentary – excerpts from legal treatises and a memorandum by Mathewson on trust‑fund incorporation.
  • Metadata – a PINAX JSON file providing structured information on parties, dates, and controlled subject terms.
  • Scope

    The collection covers the period 1909–1910 and focuses on the legal dispute involving the Turkey Hill Indians and the Wakelee family within New Haven County, Connecticut. It includes all extant court‑issued documents related to the case but does not contain external correspondence, oral testimony, or records of other Indigenous cases. The material is of particular interest to scholars of early twentieth‑century Connecticut law, Indigenous legal history, and the BAAI archival project.

    Entities

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    Entity Relationships

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    Raw Cheimarros Data

    @milton_c_schell:person {full_name: "Milton C. Schell"}
    
    @milton_c_isbell:person {full_name: "Milton C. Isbell"}
    
    @howard_j_curtis:person {full_name: "Howard J. Curtis"}
    
    @edward_a_harriman:person {full_name: "Edward A. Harriman"}
    
    @a_mc_clellan_mathewson:person {full_name: "A. McClellan Mathewson", role: "Overseer of the Tribe of Turkey Hill Indians"}
    
    @new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {full_name: "New Haven County Superior Court"}
    
    @summons:concept {description: "Legal document ordering a party to appear before a court"}
    
    @complaint:concept {description: "Formal legal pleading initiating a lawsuit"}
    
    @trust_funds:concept {description: "Funds held in trust for beneficiaries, often subject to legal oversight"}
    
    @laches:concept {description: "Legal doctrine barring claims after unreasonable delay"}
    
    @judgments:concept {description: "Court decisions resolving disputes"}
    
    @superior_court_new_haven_county:organization {full_name: "Superior Court of New Haven County"}
    
    @supreme_court_of_errors:organization {full_name: "Supreme Court of Errors (Connecticut)"}
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:collection {title: "Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection", creator: [@a_mc_clellan_mathewson, @milton_c_schell, @milton_c_isbell, @howard_j_curtis, @edward_a_harriman, @tuttle_morehouse_taylor_co, @new_haven_county_superior_court], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1909, language: "en", description: "Collection of legal documents and court records from the Mathewson vs. Wakelee case involving the Tribe of Turkey Hill Indians."}
    
    @file_pinax -> created by -> [@a_mc_clellan_mathewson, @milton_c_schell, @milton_c_isbell, @howard_j_curtis, @edward_a_harriman, @tuttle_morehouse_taylor_co, @new_haven_county_superior_court]
    
    @file_pinax -> has subject -> [@indigenous_rights, @financial_accountability, @summons, @complaint, @trust_funds, @laches, @judgments, @legal_disputes, @court_records, @indigenous_cases, @legal_appeal, @court_filings]
    
    @file_pinax -> associated with -> [@new_haven_ct, @ansonia_ct, @derby_ct, @new_haven_county, @turkey_hill_indians]
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:collection
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> contains -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> subject -> [@indigenous_cases, @legal_appeal, @legal_documents, @court_filings]
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> subject -> @indigenous_cases
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> subject -> @legal_appeal
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> filed in -> @superior_court_new_haven_county {when: @date_1909_10_27}
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> appealed to -> @supreme_court_of_errors {when: @date_1909_11_06}
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @a_mc_clellan_mathewson -> creator of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @edward_a_harriman -> creator of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @tuttle_morehouse_taylor_co:organization {full_name: "The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co.", location: @new_haven_county_superior_court}
    
    @tuttle_morehouse_taylor_co -> creator of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @new_haven_county -> location of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @turkey_hill_indians -> location of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event -> part of -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @indigenous_cases_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event {type: "civil action"}

    Metadata

    Version History (10 versions)

    • ✓ v11 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:24:48 PM
      "Added description"
    • v10 · 12/4/2025, 3:04:25 PM · View this version
      "Added knowledge graph extraction"
    • v9 · 12/4/2025, 6:43:59 AM · View this version
      "Added PINAX metadata"
    • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:16 AM · View this version
      "Split into 2 alphabetical chunks"
    • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:14 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM0ZC609B2SNVN6Y172AW63"
    • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:12 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM0ZAQNBWQDM4MQM4MY3A5X"
    • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:36 AM · View this version
      "Added OCR to 8 files"
    • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:26 AM · View this version
      "Added OCR to 10 files"
    • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:15 AM · View this version
      "Added OCR to 8 files"
    • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:46 AM · View this version
      "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0E63119HXHP2F6YZHF"

    Additional Components

    chunking-description.txt
    # Alphabetical Chunking
    
    Directory split into 2 alphabetical chunks for processing.
    
    Total files: 52
    Files per chunk: up to 40
    
    ## Organization Strategy
    
    No coordinated strategy - each chunk organizes independently.

    Parent

    01KBKZYT0E63119HXHP2F6YZHF

    Children (2)