Kansas Governor Lyman Underwood Humphrey correspondence received.

Biographical sketch: Eleventh governor of the State of Kansas, 1889-1893 (Republican); of Independence.

Abstract: Primarily letters received by Governor Humphrey, however there are also a few petitions, reports, copies of letters sent, and other types of documents. Correspondence received includes general letters, official response letters from & letters concerning State agencies, and subject files; some proclamations are also included. Subject files include material on cities & towns, claims, county affairs, crime & criminals, fairs & expositions, justices of the peace, legislative matters, military affairs, relief, prohibition, and other topics. Some proclamations may have also been interfiled with other items received relating to the subjects of the proclamations. Copies of letters sent are in the series Letter Press Books, 1865-1904 (no. 193397). Additional records of Governor Humphrey are in separate series common to several governors including Executive proclamations, 1861-1980; Pardon and parole files : Women's Industrial Farm, `1863-1919; Letter press books, 1865-1904; Applications for requisitions, ca. 1870-1953; Letter register, 1871-1895; Death sentence warrants, 1872-1908; Requisitions on governor from governors of other states for persons accused of crimes, 1873-1960; Prisoners in Kansas State Penitentiary, ca. 1875-ca. 1897; Citizenship pardons, 1876-1960; Executive messages and proclamations, 1877-1914; Extraditions, 1877-1960; Miscellaneous volumes, 1885-ca. 1929; Officers of state institutions register, 1887-1889; and Record of pardons and commutations, 1887-1911.

Administrative History:

The Wyandotte Constitution of 1859 established the office of the governor of the State of Kansas. Some of the more important duties, functions, and responsibilities of the governor are to see that the laws are faithfully executed, to require written explanations from other executive officers--at that time the lieutenant governor, secretary of State, auditor, treasurer, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction--upon any subject relating to their respective duties, convene the Legislature by proclamation on extraordinary occasions, communicate in writing such information as the governor may possess in reference to the condition of the State at the commencement of every legislative session, recommend such measures as he may deem expedient, and commission officers of the State.

No formal qualifications for the governor have been legislated, aside from the provision that no member of Congress or officer of the State or United States can serve. The governor is elected by a plurality, not necessarily a majority of votes cast. The governor takes office the second Monday in January following election. He was authorized to hire a private secretary, pardon attorney, and other staff as appropriations permitted.

At the beginning of Lyman Humphrey's term, the governor had the power to appoint National Guard officers; members of part - time boards of directors, trustees, or regents of the State Penitentiary (now Lansing Correctional Facility), schools of higher education, the State insane asylum (now Osawatomie State Hospital), and schools for deaf and blind students; a Board of Visitors for the State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University); the Bureau of Immigration; the Commission for Care of Destitute Orphans and Children of State Soldiers; the State librarian; the superintendent of insurance; boards of Health, Dental Examiners, and Pharmacy; and a number of minor commissions. He was also an ex officio member of the State Board of Canvassers, boards of directors of the Agricultural College and Normal School, the Bureau of Immigration, the Board of Treasury Examiners, and other committees.

During Humphrey's tenure in office, the position of oil inspector, appointed by the governor, was created. The office of commissioner of fisheries was abolished and a three-member Board of Managers, appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate, was created along with a fish warden. In 1891, the jobs of bank commissioner and grain inspector, to be appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate, were established.

Scope and content:

Governor Humphrey's records consist of one series of Correspondence Files, 1889-1893 (no. 193420) in excess of 349 folders divided into four subseries: (1) the General File, (2) the State Departments and Agencies File, (3) Applications and Endorsements, and (4) the Subject File.

The General File, 1889-1893 (subseries 1), consists of one folder containing letters received that were filed by the initial letter of authors' surnames on a wide range of subjects. Contained therein are, generally, letters relating to budget, accounting and audits; State positions; labor statistics, recommendations and job vacancies; Governor Humphrey's addresses; State contracts; the State Militia, legislation; requests for information, publications, or action papers; politics; services and goods offered for sale; taxation; transportation; the Railroad Commission; public policy, especially the issue of prohibition; private and public land issues; interstate co-operation; and disabled Civil War volunteer veterans' rehabilitation Letters may have been filed here because there was not an appropriate place for them in the State Departments (subseries 2) or Subject files (subseries 4).

Letters from or relating to State offices are in subseries 2, the State Departments File. Some letters deal with State department personnel, vacancies, resignations and appointments, but most pertain to the operation of individual State agencies. The letters request the Governor to take specific actions, ask his approval, send him information, ask him questions, tell of events, provide legal opinions, forward other letters and petitions, confirm or acknowledge gubernatorial actions, and request the Governor's presence. A complete list of contents by folder is in the Detailed Description of the Records section, below; two folders relate to judicial districts. Box 2, Folder 21, for the Kansas State Penitentiary, has a corresponding oversize folder containing the warden's list of names for restored rights of citizenship. Box 3, Folder 1, has a corresponding oversize folder relating to the Soldiers Home at Fort Dodge that has in it personnel and inventory sheets.

Subseries 3, Applications and Endorsements, pertains to applicants for State positions. A complete list of jobs by title or State department is in the Detailed Description of the Records section, below. The largest numbers of files relate to vacancies in judicial districts and for United States senator.

Subseries 4, the Subject Files, contains letters received on a variety of topics. A complete list of subjects is in the Detailed Description of the Records section, below. Major topics relate to cities and towns, claims, county affairs, crime and criminals, fairs and expositions, justices of the peace, legislative matters including petitions for special sessions of the Legislature and legislation, military affairs, relief, and prohibition.. Some proclamations may have also been interfiled with other items received relating to the subjects of the proclamations.

Documents that may have been addressed to Governor Lyman Humphrey but dated or pertaining to the time period after his term expired in 1893 may be filed with the records of his successor, Governor Lorenzo D. Lewelling

Additional files that record activities of the Humphrey administration may be found in the series Executive Proclamations, 1861-1980, no. 193450; Pardon and Parole Files: Women's Industrial Farm, 1863-1919, no. 193660; Letter Press Books, 1865-1904, no. 193403; Applications for Requisitions, ca. 1870-1953, no. 194090; Letter Register, 1871-1895, no. 193463; Death Sentence Warrants, 1872-1908, no. 193781; Requisitions on Governor from Governors of Other States for Persons Accused of Crimes, 1873-1960, no. 193814; Prisoners in Kansas State Penitentiary, ca. 1875-ca. 1897, no. 193784; Citizenship Pardons, 1876-1960, no. 193802; Executive Messages and Proclamations, 1877-1914, no. 195959; Extraditions, 1877-1960, no. 193811; Final Discharge of Paroled Prisoners, 1879-1913, no. 193772; Miscellaneous Volumes, 1885-ca. 1929, no. 193470; Officers of State Institutions Register, 1887-1889, no. 193461; and a Record of Pardons and Commutations, 1887-1911, no. 193793. These series-described more completely in the Detailed Description of the Records section, below-contain records of a number of governors.

Records of other offices of Kansas' government-particularly the secretary of State, record group 622, and attorney general, record group 82-will give additional information about State activities during this period. Papers of other prominent political figures of the time, most of which are held by the Kansas State Historical Society, may also offer insights about Kansas politics and government during the Humphrey administration.

The Kansas State Historical Society has a collection of Humphrey's personal papers, 1834-1844 (manuscript collection no. 11); there is an online guide to the collection at http://www.kshs.org/p/lyman-underwood-humphrey-papers/14046 If you need further assistance, please ask the reference staff to assist you.

Contents: Subseries 1. General File -- subseries 2. State departments and agencies file -- subseries 3. Applications and endorsements -- subseries 4. Subject file.

Finding Aids: Copies of this finding aid are available in the Research Room of the Center for Historical Research and on its web site, http://kshs.org.

Use and reproduction: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Most documents created by governmental entities, including the State of Kansas, are considered in the public domain, although copyright to documents found in public records that were written by individuals or organizations and sent to government agencies may be owned by the writers or their heirs.

Cite as:

Note: [document, folder, subseries, or series description], Humphrey administration (1889-1893), records of the Kansas Governor's Office, State archives record group 252, State Archives & Library, Kansas Historical Society.

Bibliography: Kansas, Governor's Office, Humphrey administration (1889-1893). Records, 1874-1885. State archives record group 252, State Archives & Library, Kansas Historical Society.

Action note: Inventory written by David F. Manning, volunteer, 2008.