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George Washington Strong Legal Records

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 7 Oct 2010

Biographical History

George Washington Strong (d. 1855) was a prominent New York attorney and an early partner in Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, the oldest continuously-operated law firm in the United States.

Cadwalader was founded by John Wells of Otsego County, New York, in 1792. In 1818, he asked George Washington Strong to join him. According to the firm's website, their practice focused on commercial claims, litigation, maritime law, real estate and wills, and their clients included New York banks, insurance companies, businesses and members of prominent New York families.

When Wells died in 1823, Strong asked George Griffin to join him as partner. Griffin remained until 1838, at which time he left and Canadian attorney Marshall Bidwell joined the firm, as did Strong's son George Templeton Strong. Upon the senior Strong's death in 1855, the firm was renamed Bidwell & Strong. The firm gained and lost partners over the years, becoming Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft in 1914; it retains the name to this day (2010).

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The George Washington Strong Legal Records consist of approximately 100 items of court documents, including depositions, receipts for mortgage payoffs, insurance documents, bail bonds, and many other items. The collection gives a comprehensive picture of Strong's legal work over his career.

Arrangement of the Collection

Chronological.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Documents from the 1930s are EXTREMELY fragile. Great care should be taken in handling these items.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Strong, George Washington, 1783-1855.

Corporate Bodies

Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft -- History.

Subjects

Law -- New York (State)
Lawyers -- New York (State) -- History.
Lawyers -- United States -- History.
Practice of law -- United States -- History.

Places

New York (State) -- History

Genres and Forms

Affidavits.
Bail bonds.
Briefs (legal documents)
Claims.
Legal instruments.
Mortgages.
Submittals.

Occupations

Lawyers.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

George Washington Strong Legal Records,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 1966.

Table of Contents

Legal records

Inventory