I’m sure my readers have NEVER obtained a photocopy of a record without making sure the source of the copy was attached to the record. However, I have to admit that I do have at least one such record (and probably more) in my files.

The record in question is a court document. It is likely from a court in Illinois, but I don’t know which court.

Unknown Court Record
Possibly Peoria County IL

Bond for Appeal
Dixon vs Ridgway

Filed Nov. 30 1829
John Dixon Clk

Know all men by these presents that we
John Dixon and Norman Hyde are held
and formerly bound to David Ridgway in
the penal sum of fifty Dollars
for which payment will and truly
to be made we bind our selves our
heirs executors and administrators
firmly by this presents signed with
our hands and sealed with our seals
and dated this twenty ninth day of
November A.D. 1929

Now the conditions of the above
obligation is such that whereas
David Ridgway hath recovered a
judment against the above bon[d]
John Dixon before Hiram M.
Curry a Justice of the pace in and
for Peoria County from which
judgment the said Dixon hath
to him an appeal Now if the
above bond John Dixon shall pay
what ever Judgment and [?]
be made [?}
remain in full force and virtue
John Dixon (seal)
Norman Hoye (seal)

When I opened the image of the document in Paint.net (my free image manipulation software), I was able to change the contrast enough to read some of the stamp at the bottom of the document. Thus, I believe the stamp identifies the source as the “Illinois State Historical Library.” Since I had made a research trip to Springfield, it is possible that I obtained this court document during that trip.

Since the document involved John Dixon, I did a search for ‘John Dixon papers Illinois’. One of the results of that search was a link to the obituary for John Dixon in the collection, “Papers of Abraham Lincoln”.

Since I still don’t know the source of this court record, I’m going to have to do more digging