The collection contains (approximately 7000) documents written between 1874 and 1887. These include personal letters to and from Neary’s wife, sons and other relatives. The collection also includes his professional correspondence in his role with the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary, his work on behalf of Civil War Pension claimants, correspondence with clients in the local mining industry, and correspondence with many other local lawyers. A few photographs are stored at the end of the collection.
Portrait of Edward H. Neary.
Collection Overview
Edward H. Neary was a lawyer in the Village of Gouverneur from the mid to late 1800s. Mr. Neary was born in Elphin, Ireland and moved to the United States with his mother and a sister in 1848, following the death of his father and four siblings. He attended school in Ogdensburg, worked as a teacher as a teen and studied law. Neary was admitted to the bar in 1856. He also held the post of County Judge for 16 years. He married his wife Margaret in 1861 and had two sons, both of whom became lawyers. His large client base included railroads, hotels, hundreds of small businesses, Civil War pensioners, civic groups and the talc mining industry. Among his civic involvements, Mr. Neary served as a trustee of the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary.
Purchased in 2017 From Edward (Ted) Comstock. Photographs donated by Jennifer Hoff Robinson, great great granddaughter of E. H. Neary