Springer Family Records
Obituaries
- The Rev. John N.W. Springer, 1809 KY - 1879 St. Louis
- Eliza Jane Pilcher Springer, 1806 VA - 1859 St. Louis
- John Thomas Springer, 1829 IL - 1867 MO
- Myrird S. Springer, 1804 KY - 1875 KY (brother of JNW Springer)
- J.William Leaton, 1828 GER - 1907 MO. Includes photos and biographical sketch.
Bibles
- John Thomas Springer, b 1829 IL and Sally Ann Glasscock Springer, b 1828 VA. (Bible includes copied material from the Bible of Aldea Amazon Glasscock and his wife Mary Burgess Smith Glasscock.) Dates: 1796 - 1898.
- William Leaton, 1828 GER - 1907 MO, One register page
Marriage Records
- Eugene Springer, b 1854 MO, to Maggie Leaton, b 1861 IL. Marriage in Saline Co., Missouri.
- William Leaton, b 1828 GER, to Lucinda Davis, b 1839 IL. Marriage in Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri. Includes photo.
"Springer Estate" Papers (aka Springer Heir Hoax)
From the 1870s until the late 1930s, thousands of Springers across America formed associations to claim the alleged estate of Charles Springer who died in New Castle County, Delaware in 1738. Newspapers ran stories with headlines like "Heirs Laying Claim to $500,000,000 Estate to Meet Here Today,""City Offers to Pay Off Heirs: Wilmington, Del., Would Settle for $500,000,000," and "Actress Who is One of the Heirs to Site of an Entire City."
The claim was that Charles leased land to the City of Wilmington for 99 years and that the land had not been returned to his heirs nor had the heirs been compensated. Charles Springer did not lease land which grew into Wilmington, and the City of Wilmington never offered to settle with the "Springer Heirs," as there was no valid claim.
The following are part of a collection of private papers sent by Paul Springer (1886 MO - 1964 CA) to his nephew, William Burton Springer Jr. of Kansas City. Paul was the great-grandson of John N.W. Springer.
- 1874 Letter to the Springer Heir Association of Missouri and Illinois from the Rev. John N.W. Springer and David Gillespie, Esq.. Officers of the association were Springer, president, William F. Boogher, vice president, and Moses C. Springer of Lincoln, KS, secretary and treasurer. Gillespie was the attorney.
- 1908 Letter to H. T. Springer, grandson of John N.W. Springer, from Thomas O. Springer, who became president of the Springer Heir Association on the death of John N. W. Springer.
- 1908 Letter to Mrs. Eugene Springer (grandson of John N.W. Springer) from the New Castle County, Delaware Registrar of Wills.
- 1908 Letter to Maggie Leaton Springer (Mrs. Eugene) from Shawnee, Oklahoma law firm of Pendleton, Abernathy & Howell.
- 1908 Letter to J.C. Brummett, Esq., of Hughesville, Missouri (brother-in-law of Maggie Springer) from Sumner S. Anderson, Esq., Charleston, Illinois.
- 1909 Letter to J.C. Brummett, Esq., of Hughesville, Missouri, (attorney for the Springer family), from Thomas O. Springer of Compton, Los Angeles, California. This four page letter details the involvement of the St. Louis Springer Heirs Association and that of John N.W. Springer. The letter says, "[After their second trip to Wilmington, they] reported that Carl [Charles] Springer never made any lease to the Church, but that the lease he made was made as trustee for others . . . ." That sentence is correct!