Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection

Version: 9 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:19:15 PM

Added description

Description

Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection

Overview

This digitized collection preserves the full record of the 1909 civil action Mathewson vs. Wakelee heard in the New Haven County Superior Court. It is held by the Connecticut State Library and is part of the NHSC “Black, African American, and Indigenous” (BAAI) subject‑index series. The collection is available in JPEG and TIFF formats with OCR‑extracted text and includes a PINAX metadata file that links the case to the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject database. All materials are in English and are in the public domain.

Background

The case arose from a 1871 sale of tribal land by former overseer Watrous 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 proceedings addressed trust‑fund law, laches, and Indigenous rights within Connecticut’s legal framework.

Contents

The collection comprises six sub‑collections that together document the case from filing to appeal:
  • Summons and Complaint – scanned pages of the July 14, 1909 summons, complaint, and writ.
  • Demurrer Documents – 15 images of the October 8, 1909 demurrer, defendants’ brief, and court orders.
  • Judgments – the November 24, 1909 judgment and the January 19, 1910 appeal to the Supreme Court of Errors, including the court’s decision to allow the appeal on cost conditions.
  • Case Documents – docket pages, financial schedules, and guardian‑ad‑litem appointments.
  • Supporting Commentary – excerpts from Pomeroy’s Equity and Perry on Trusts and a memorandum by A. W. C. 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, focusing 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

    @file_pinax:file {format: "json", type: "Metadata (PINAX)"} {title: "Mathewson vs. Wakelee Legal Case Collection", creator: ["A. McClellan Mathewson", "Milton C. Schell", "Milton C. Isbell", "Howard J. Curtis", "New Haven County Superior Court"], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1909, language: "en", subjects: ["New Haven County Superior Court", "Turkey Hill Indians", "Indigenous rights", "Legal documents", "Summons", "Complaint", "Financial accountability", "Demurrer", "Trust Funds", "Laches", "Judgments", "Legal disputes", "Court records", "Indigenous cases"], description: "Collection of legal documents and court records from the Mathewson vs. Wakelee case involving the Tribe of Turkey Hill Indians.", place: [@new_haven_ct, @ansonia_ct, @derby_ct, @new_haven_county]}
    
    @file_pinax -> created by -> [@a_mcclellan_mathewson, @milton_c_schell, @milton_c_isbell, @howard_j_cur, @new_haven_county_superior_court]
    
    @file_pinax -> describes -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:collection
    
    @file_pinax -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept
    
    @indigenous_rights:concept {description: "Rights of Indigenous peoples, including land, self‑governance, and cultural preservation"}
    
    @financial_accountability:concept {description: "Responsibility for proper management and reporting of financial assets"}
    
    @legal_disputes:concept {description: "Contested legal matters brought before a court"}
    
    @court_records:concept {description: "Official records of court proceedings and filings"}
    
    @indigenous_cases:concept {description: "Legal cases involving Indigenous peoples or tribal matters"}
    
    @judgment_concept:concept {description: "Formal decision issued by a court"}
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @indigenous_rights
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @financial_accountability
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @demurrer
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @trust_fund
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @laches
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @judgment_concept
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @court_records
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @legal_disputes
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @indigenous_cases
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @new_haven_county_superior_court
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @turkey_hill_indians
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @summons
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @complaint
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @writ
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @demurrer_document
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @defendants_brief
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @judgment_mathewson_vs_wakelee
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @appeal_mathewson_vs_wakelee
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @trust_law_commentary
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> includes subject -> @memorandum_mathewson
    
    @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:collection
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @indigenous_cases_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_wakelee_collection:document
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event
    
    @file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee:event {type: "civil action"}

    Metadata

    Version History (9 versions)

    • ✓ v9 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:19:15 PM
      "Added description"
    • v8 · 12/4/2025, 2:47:27 PM · View this version
      "Added knowledge graph extraction"
    • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:40:02 AM · View this version
      "Added PINAX metadata"
    • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:02 AM · View this version
      "Reorganized into 4 groups"
    • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:00 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM12KNZD483T8DBCGWBHV6B"
    • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:59 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM12JAM7WQ221MPG1349J2V"
    • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:57 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM12H1G1EHTFWJ82RQE4PEF"
    • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:56 AM · View this version
      "Added child entity 01KBM12FR7A3QP8VF4FYJ9NMAD"
    • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:12 AM · View this version
      "Alphabetical chunk 1/2 (40 files)"

    Additional Components

    reorganization-description.txt
    # Reorganization Summary
    
    The files were organized chronologically and thematically according to the legal process flow: (1) initial summons/complaint documents, (2) demurrer arguments and legal briefs, (3) final judgments and court decisions, and (4) administrative case documents. Each group contains both the primary document files and their corresponding reference files (JSON/TIF pairs) to maintain document integrity. This structure reflects the natural progression of a legal case while keeping related documents together.
    
    ## Groups Created
    
    - **Summons_and_Complaint**: Files containing the initial summons and complaint documents in the Mathewson vs. Wakelee case
    - **Demurrer_Documents**: Legal documents related to the defendants' demurrer and arguments against the complaint
    - **Court_Judgments**: Documents containing the final judgments and court decisions in the case
    - **Case_Administration**: Documents related to the procedural administration of the case (acceptance of service, costs, etc.)

    Parent

    01KBKZYPNR67224010NP76XG52

    Children (4)