Bill Sell and Cait Clark via the Mercer County Historical Society

While researching the construction and history of the Riley House, several large white binders were discovered at the bottom of a filing cabinet. Unlabeled but filled with Riley family information, the binders contained copies of remarkable correspondence.

Among the most notable were letters from Captain James Watson Riley to President John Adams, and from President Adams to his son, John Quincy Adams. In one letter, Adams wrote that he had received Riley’s book, which he read with “great interest,” describing it as “marvelous and sometimes approaching the miraculous.” He instructed his son, “Riley will call upon you, and of course you will treat him civilly.” At the time, Adams was 83 years old, no longer president, and his handwriting was small, precise, and slightly shaky.

The longest letter, dated December 20, 1823, was from Riley to John Quincy Adams. Riley discussed the upcoming presidential election of 1824, noting his election to the Ohio state legislature to promote domestic manufacturing and internal improvements. He also expressed strong anti-slavery views, shaped by his own enslavement in North Africa, recounted in his book Sufferings in Africa, later favored by Abraham Lincoln.

Between 1818 and 1824, Riley and the Adams family exchanged at least five letters. John Quincy Adams ultimately won the presidency in the contested “Corrupt Bargain” election of 1824, fulfilling Riley’s hope.

For more information, visit the Riley House Museum at 130 E. Market Street. Our hours are 9–5 on Mondays and Fridays. We are now conducting interviews of local Mercer County residents to preserve personal histories before they are lost forever. Contact us if you are interested in sharing your story!