 While reorganizing and updating the archives, Norton discovered numerous historical and legal documents, including an 1823 Governor's letterbook explaining the chain of custody of a plot of land involved in a pending lawsuit.The information contained within this document was used to save millions of Illinois State dollars.In addition, Norton found other significant items, including an 1818 census record (when Illinois become a State in the Union), and records from the Illinois General Assembly during the time period in which Senator Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen Douglas were members.