Notable Collections of Personal Papers and Business and Organizational Records

Below are descriptions of some collections of unpublished records and papers held by the Kansas State Historical Society's Library and Archives Division created by individuals, businesses, and organizations. These are listed to show the diversity of materials in the collections. Additional pages describe the scope of the collection and the interlibrary loan of microfilm.

James Burnett Abbott, Papers, 1815-1899. Microfilm reels MS 1258-MS 1260.
Abbot was an early settler in DeSoto, a free-state (anti-slavery) activist, a Shawnee Indian agent, a Civil War pension agent, a legislator, and a businessman. His papers include records of land selections made by Shawnee people, descriptions of land in DeSoto deeded to various parties, copies of letters and memoranda pertaining to soldiers' pension claims, lists of provisions issued to destitute Shawnee, names of Shawnee land holders, Shawnee Indian Agency tract books, deed books for Shawnee lands, an absentee Shawnee payroll, and plat maps showing some names of individual settlers. Microfilm of the collection is available through interlibrary loan; an unpublished guide is also available.

Ancient Order of United Workmen of Kansas, Records, 1877-1954. Collection No. 117.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen was a benevolent organization that provided insurance to members. The collection includes membership information and lists of deaths of members.

Anderson Family, Papers, 1802-1905. Microfilm reels MS 443-MS 445.
The papers relate to John Anderson, a Presbyterian minister and educator; his sons John Byars Anderson, an educator, railroad official, and financier, and William C. Anderson, a Presbyterian minister; and his grandson John Alexander Anderson, also a Presbyterian clergyman. John Anderson's papers, primarily correspondence, relate to his religious and family activities. John Byars Anderson's papers describe his involvement in financing railroads including the Union Pacific in Kansas and the Louisville & Nashville. The correspondence of William C. Anderson describes his activities as a minister, and the same is true of the material pertaining to his son John Alexander Anderson. John Alexander Anderson also served as a president of Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University), and his papers reflect this activity. The entire collection has been microfilmed, and the film is available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, Records.
Holdings include executive, agricultural, land-sale, and other corporate records of the Santa Fe, its predecessors, and subsidiaries. Land sales records are arranged by legal description (township and range) or by contract number. These records include the purchaser's name, amount of land purchased, price, and terms of sale. Our holdings do not include individual personnel files which are routinely destroyed by the company.

Charles Stuart Bowman, Papers, 1861-1864. Collection No. 290.
Bowman was an U.S. Army officer involved in recruiting men in Kansas during the Civil War. A large part of the collection consists of enlistment papers of soldiers joining Kansas Civil War units and includes muster rolls and records dealing with various aspects of recruitment, pay, stores, and other military matters. An unpublished folder list is available.

Ida M. McLain Bradley, Papers, 1908-1946. Microfilm reels MF 2420-MF 2422.
This collection consists primarily of diaries, 1908-1946 of Ida M. McLain Bradley, who lived in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, from 1858 to1949. The contents of her diaries include not only a record of her daily activities, but also an account of the agricultural productivity of the farms where she and her family lived. In addition to her diaries (twenty-four in all), this collection includes a book of Mrs. Bradley's poetry. The microfilm is available through interlibrary loan.

Joseph Little Bristow, Papers, 1894-1925. Microfilm reels MS 446-MS 564.
Bristow was a farmer, newspaper publisher, civil servant, and politician. The collection includes correspondence and assorted material which deals with most State and national issues of the period. It contains a significant amount of material on the Midwestern Progressive movement after 1906. Bristow was also chairman of the Kansas Public Utilities Commission from 1909 to 1915; the collection reflects these interests and activities. The collection is on microfilm and available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

Frank Carlson, Papers, 1950-1968. Collection No. 92.
Frank Carlson has served as a governor of Kansas and has represented his home State in both the U.S. House and the Senate. The collection consists of his senatorial papers and includes correspondence and supporting material for issues that were before the Senate during his tenure. An unpublished guide is available.

Church Records.
The collection includes a large quantity of membership and other records of Kansas churches, most of them on microfilm and available through interlibrary loan. The manuscripts card catalog and the manuscripts microfilm guide in the Research Room or the reference staff can provide information about records in specific cities or counties.

William Clark Papers. see U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, Missouri, 1807-1855 below.

William Elsey Connelley, Papers, 1878-1931. Collection No. 16.
This collection contains the papers of Connelley, author and secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society from 1914 to 1930. The collection contains personal papers, manuscripts, and research materials collected and used by William Connelley in his published works. An unpublished guide is available.

Dead Town List ("Little Known or Extinct Towns in Kansas," by Mary Emma (Milner) Montgomery). Open reference and on microfilm (reels MS 1165-MS 1170).
Compiled in the 1930s, these volumes list Kansas towns that were no longer extant. They include the location of the former town by township and range, post office information, and references to sources in Kansas State Historical Society collections that contain information about the town. A copy of these "dead town" books is located on the Kansas reference shelf; the collection has also been microfilmed and is available through interlibrary loan.

Thomas Ewing, Jr., Papers, 1856-1908. Microfilm reels MS 569-MS 570.
Ewing was involved in a number of early Kansas business deals. He was a lawyer; was in business with his brother-in-law, William T. Sherman; made investments in cotton with his brother, Hugh Ewing; was involved in the sale of the Cherokee Neutral Lands; and was active in the economic and political development of Kansas Territory. The collection contains four letterpress copy books of correspondence, several account books, and assorted other papers. Very little relating to his Civil War activities exists in the collection. The collection has also been microfilmed and is available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

Martha Farnsworth, Papers, 1882-1922. Collection No. 28.
This collection consists of diaries of Martha Farnsworth,1882-1922. There are a few gaps in this series diaries for the years 1900-1902, and 1923-1924 are missing. Martha Farnsworth lived in Topeka, Kansas, during these years, and the entries in her diaries not only reveal her values and the activities in her life, but also provide a picture of Topeka at that time. Some of the notable aspects of Martha's life include her participation in social reform movements, membership in social clubs and activities, her deep religious convictions and her vigorous energy level. For a published version of the Farnsworth diaries, see Marlene and Haskell Springers' book, Plains Woman: The Diary of Martha Farnsworth, 1882-1922.

Funeral Home and Cemetery Records.
The manuscript collection includes the business records of a number of funeral homes in Kansas, most of them on microfilm. Specific listings for individual cemeteries and funeral homes may be found in the manuscripts and Kansas Library card catalogs and the manuscripts microfilm guide in the Research Room. All of the microfilm listed is available through interlibrary loan.

Genealogical Research.
Some general types of collections that are useful to genealogical research include cemetery records, church records, records of clubs, business records, family papers, Native American records, local histories, diaries, military records, physicians' papers, and school records. For information on a particular ancestor look in the card catalogs for the surname, county, and/or city you want. Other useful subject headings include the occupation of the individual, the name of the church he or she attended, and any clubs, organizations, or groups the individual may have been associated with. Other general subject headings useful for genealogical research include Church records and registers, Registers of birth, etc., Civil War--Soldiers, Vital records, Diaries, Reminiscences, U.S.--History--Civil War, and the subheadings --Cemeteries, --Churches, --Clubs, --Businesses, --Genealogy, --Schools, and --Vital records under the names of counties and towns.

Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Kansas, Records. Collection No. 126.
State headquarters holdings include fiscal records and reunion registers (1879-1936) (microfilm reels MS 1047-MS 1052); post charters; quarterly, semi-annual, or annual reports (including names of officers and new and discontinued or deceased members) and registers of reunions; and various other post records submitted to the State office. Records of individual posts include minutes; lists; rosters; and quartermasters', adjutants', and medical records. Microfilmed minutes and a roster, 1882-1927, of O. M. Mitchell Post #69, Osborne (reel MS-1100.01); minute books, 1899-1906, of Gilpatrick Post #180, Garnett (reel MS-1680); records of Mulberry Grove (now Mulberry) Post #183, 1883-1910 (reel MS-72); and minutes of White Cloud Post #332, 1884-1891 (reel MS-984.02) are available through interlibrary loan. Library collections include a G.A.R. necrology list (an index to the encampment proceedings that include information on deaths) and an indexed 1894 roster of members, both on open reference shelves in the Research Room.

Hayden-Jerome Family Papers, 1880-1899.
The Hayden-Jerome Collection contains letters written by Alzina Hayden Jerome, Ida Jerome Winfield and Lottie Jerome, from 1880 to 1899, while living in southeastern Kansas, to their relatives in Michigan. The letters pertain to homesteading, farming and rural life in Butler, Elk, and Wilson Counties, Kan., in the latter part of the 19th century.

Minnie Tamar (Johnson) & Virgil Hooker Grinstead Collection, 1878-[not before 1923]. Collection No. 365.
Documents primarily reflecting her work as lecturer for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) in Kansas and surrounding states. Included are names of acquaintances, some presumably met in her temperance work, in autograph albums, 1889-1901; memoranda, contacts, facts & information useful in W.C.T.U. activities in her account, and note book, 1902-1917; and entries of family, W.C.T.U., & community events in her Diary (1912-1913). Also included is an autobiographical essay (incomplete) describing campaigning for and serving in the Kansas House of Representatives as the first woman in the Legislature. In addition, the collection contains a journal by her husband, Virgil Hooker Grinstead, of his move from Elk City, Kan., to Glasgow, Ky., June-July 1878, and his certificate of appointment, Mar. 22, 1889, to a Kansas District court judgeship.

Clifford R. Hope, Papers, 1927-1957. Collection No. 50.
Clifford R. Hope of Garden City served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years. The collection consists almost exclusively of his Congressional papers which reflect a variety of issues important to western Kansas from the late 1920s through most of the 1950s. An unpublished guide is available.

Kansas Inspection Bureau, Fire Insurance Rates Booklets, 1890-1944. Collection No. 100.
These booklets were used to determine rates and list the county, population, and location of businesses in each town. Individual properties are listed, often with business names and sometimes with construction information about buildings. These records complement the Sanborn fire insurance maps in the map collection which also provide information about buildings and their construction. An unpublished guide is available.

Kansas Postal Information Society, Post Office Notes, 1828-1961. Microfilm reels MS 1080-MS 1081.
This collection is arranged alphabetically by town and lists all post offices and postmasters in Kansas. Specific post-office locations are not included. The microfilm is available through interlibrary loan.

Kansas Town and Land Company, Records, ca. 1886-1910. Collection No. 130.
The Kansas Town & Land Company (KT&L) was the land sales subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. These land sales records include Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Each town's records include contract number and deed files for each property. The following information is included: legal description, purchaser's and spouses names, amount of land bought, price, and terms. A descriptive finding aid to the collection is available. KT&L correspondence and contracts, 1888-1905, but not town files, have been microfilmed (reels MS 1024-MS 1036) and are available through interlibrary loan. An unpublished guide is available.

Alfred M. Landon, Papers, 1915-1950. Collection No. 10.
Landon served as governor of Kansas and was the 1936 Republican presidential candidate. The collection relates primarily to the 1936 campaign but also contains papers pertaining to Landon's business and personal life. An unpublished guide is available.

Livestock Brands, 1855-1937. Collection No. 171.
Arranged by county. Records include the names of registrants, dates of registrations, and descriptions and locations of brands. Other brand records are in the State archives holdings and the Library of the Kansas State Historical Society.

Chester Isaiah Long, Papers, 1890-1928. Collection No. 42.
Long was a lawyer and politician who served in the Kansas Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate. His papers include lists of individuals by county and township. We believe these lists are related to elections and include names of persons working in Republican politics, circa 1906-1908. Most of the collection has been microfilmed (reels MS 573-MS 603) and is available through interlibrary loan. A published guide to the microfilm is available.

Isaac McCoy, Papers, 1808-1874. Microfilm reels MS 604-MS 616.
This collection consists of correspondence and papers of the Reverend Isaac McCoy, Baptist minister, Indian missionary, surveyor, and author, which are in the possession of the Kansas State Historical Society. The collection is on microfilm and available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

George McGill, Papers, 1931-1954. Collection No. 43.
George McGill served as a U.S. senator from Kansas from 1931 until 1939. He also served on the U.S. Tariff Commission from 1944 through 1954. The collection includes correspondence and assorted supporting materials that document McGill's years of public service.

Jotham Meeker, Papers, 1825-1864. Microfilm reels MS 617-MS 618.
This collection consists of correspondence and papers of the Reverend Jotham Meeker, Baptist minister, Indian missionary, and printer, which are in the possession of the Kansas State Historical Society. The collections is on microfilm and available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

Military History, Collection, 1840-[1973]. Collection No. 617.
Assembled collection of documents relating to the military in Kansas and the Great Plains. Many of the documents contain information about individuals and complement the records of the Kansas Adjutant-general's Office in the State archives holdings of the historical society. Included are musters and other enrollments, abstracts of payments and equipment issued, passes, personal papers of soldiers, diaries, registers of casualties, court-martial proceedings, and personnel cards. The collection also includes records of the Paymaster's Department, Fort Leavenworth; captured Confederate Army hospital records and muster rolls; muster rolls and other records of African American Civil War units raised in Missouri; and a list of survivors of the 18th and 19th Kansas Cavalry regiments. Organized by time period. A folder list is available.

Chester Mize, Papers, 1965-1970. Collection No. 106.
This collection consists of the Congressional papers of Chester Mize. It includes correspondence with constituents, government officials, and other politicians. It also includes newsletters and press releases. The collection contains material on most of the public issues of the late 1960s. An unpublished guide is available.

Native American Records.
A number of collections contain information about Native peoples in Kansas and the Great Plains. Included are documents relating to Native lands, missions, annuity and allotment payments, and censuses and enrollments, as well as a variety of other topics. Individual collections and their contents are listed in a separate guide. Some of the censuses, land records, and enrollments such as accepted and rejected Five Civilized Tribes enrollments and Indian census rolls, 1885-1940, have been microfilmed, and the film is available through interlibrary loan.

New England Emigrant Aid Company, Records, 1854-1909. Microfilm reels MS 619-MS 627.
This collection includes lists of persons who came to Kansas under the sponsorship of the company. The microfilm is available through interlibrary loan. A published finding aid is available.

John G. Pratt, Papers, 1834-1899. Microfilm reels MS 628-MS 639.
This collection consists of correspondence and papers of John G. Pratt, Baptist missionary, teacher, printer, and Indian agent, and records of the Ft. Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Kansas, and Delaware Indian agencies. This collection is on microfilm and available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available.

Charles and Sara T.D. Robinson, Private Papers, 1834-1911. Microfilm reels MS 640-MS 652.
Correspondence, diaries, writings, accounts, and papers of Charles Robinson, Kansas' first governor, and his wife Sara. Charles was an agent of the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co., and he and his wife were active in the free-state (anti-slavery) controversy. Charles was the free-state (unofficial) "governor" of Kansas Territory. Sara wrote a book on Kansas entitled Kansas, Its Interior and Exterior Life. The collection reflects these interests, their involvement in the University of Kansas, and politics. The collection has been microfilmed, and the film is available through interlibrary loan; a published guide is available. Charles' gubernatorial records are part of the historical society's State archives holdings.

George Allen Root, Papers, 1895-1949. Collection No. 490.
Root was the first curator of archives (State archivist) at the Kansas State Historical Society, and this collection reflects his interests in Kansas and Shawnee County history. It includes correspondence, notes on various subjects of Kansas and Shawnee County history, records of the American Pioneer Trails Association, notes on Native American groups and African Americans in Kansas, and several volumes of a diary that he kept.

J. C. Ruppenthal, Papers, 1881-1925. Collection No. 86.
Ruppenthal was a judge, local historian, and genealogist. His papers include a number of lists of teachers, residents, veterans, and other groups as well as much local history information for several counties in northwest Kansas.

Keith Sebelius, Papers, 1969-1981. Collection No. 165.
Sebelius, of Norton, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The collection consists of his Congressional papers reflecting issues important to western Kansas during the period of the 1970s

Wint Smith, Papers, 1947-1960. Collection No. 41.
Wint Smith represented the Sixth District of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 80th-86th Congresses. He was from Mankato. The collection consists of his legislative papers containing information about issues before Congress in the late 1940s and 1950s. An unpublished guide is available.

United Spanish War Veterans, Records. Collection No. 142.
The collection consists of membership cards containing much genealogical information. Publications of the association are in the Kansas State Historical Society Library.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Kansas Tract Books. Microfilm reels MS 321R-MS 368R.
Documentation showing the transfer of land from the U.S. General Land Office to the first private owner. Arranged by volume representing the legal description (range, township, section) of the property. Each entry shows the name of the person obtaining the land; the acreage; price paid, if any; and sometimes applicable patent and certificate numbers that correspond to land-entry records in the National Archives. Records of later land transfers are in county Registers of Deeds offices. With the land records are maps showing the original land surveys by legal description; the maps do not show individual landholdings or name landowners. This microfilm is not available through interlibrary loan. A microfilm roll list is available.

U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, Missouri, 1807-1855. Microfilm reels MS-94 to 99, MF 3166. Collection 741. Also known as William Clark Papers. Records of William Clark (of Voyage of Discovery fame) and other superintendents, including field notes and plats of Indian lands, 1830-1836; and treaties and other agreements between the U.S. and various tribes, 1831-1838; and other records of the Missouri (1807-1821), Central (1822-1851), and St. Louis (1851-1855) Superintendencies of Indian Affairs. The collection also includes records of the Missouri Fur Co., 1812-1817, of which Clark served as a director. These records are largely copies of documents written into ledgers. View more information and the searchable database of Clark related contents here.

World War I Kansas Soldiers. Collection No. 49.
After the war the Historical Society, the American Legion, and other organizations solicited information on Kansas veterans, primarily those in the 35th and 89th divisions. These files include biographical information and often photographs of those who served. Lists of individuals represented in the records are located in the Research Room.

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