Columbia Manuscript Collections

Six letters from a Union soldier in Co. D, 21st Regiment, Missouri Volunteers, from camps at Vicksburg, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia to his parents.

Conference minutes of the Farmington Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Includes member information, fund raising statements, and names of those licensed to preach.

The records of the Perserverance Baptist Church contain monthly meeting minutes (1895-1941) and membership lists (1895-1937) of the Perseverance Baptist Church at Old Lick Fork in Boone County. Records are incomplete.

The Schubert Family Papers contain diaries, drawings, prints, and account books related to the immigration and livelihood of family members. There are also genealogical notebooks for families of Atchison County, Missouri, and documents dealing with the Sociality, a collective society.

Letters written by Cunningham to his wife, Nancy, during the Civil War. Cunningham was a private in the 22nd Illinois Infantry.

The records of the Weston City Council contain minutes from the weekly meetings of the council. Included in the minutes are the mayor’s reports, reports from various committees, and notations of approval for appropriations and new ordinances in the city.

Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Versailles, Missouri.

Correspondence of Gerard L. Huiskamp, his future wife, Lillian M. Barr, and various other family members and friends. Also included are photocopies of letters written by Henrik Huiskamp, while on a trip to Europe in the late 1800s; genealogical information and photographs of the Werth family; patents for an airplane wing; and various writings by Gerard L. Huiskamp, including an unpublished text about government, labor, and communism.

The record book of the Gasconade River Association of the United Baptist Church contains minutes and member information.

The minutes of Lodge 513 of the International Order of Good Templars document membership information and lodge activities such as election of new officers, planning funerals for lodge members, and fundraising.

Minutes of the Greene County Baptist Association containing reports and lists of members.

Records of the Grace Episcopal Church of Jefferson City, Missouri, dating from 1840 to 1952. The records contain the parish registry, which includes various types of church records, as well as minute books for the church vestry.

Letters discussing Missouri and national politics written by James S. Rollins, a Missouri politician, lawyer, and businessman, to Carl Schurz, U.S. Senator from Missouri, 1869-1875, and Secretary of the Interior, 1877-1881.

A history of the Jackson, Missouri, Presbyterian Church includes biographies and photographs of church pastors, elders, and deacons, as well as information on organizations within the church.

Shorthand notes taken during the investigation of the Lead Belt Riots in St. Francois County, Missouri, in 1917.

The daybook from Henry Janis’s general store in Fredericktown, Missouri, contains lists of purchases made between 1836 and 1840. 

The papers consist of a few scattered programs, minutes, and proceedings of an organization of postmasters.

Typescripts of a Civil War diary and letters of a soldier in the 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

The record book contains brief entries dealing almost entirely with newly received members. Its best use is as a genealogical tool.

The collection contains the papers of a German American family in Westphalia, Missouri. Written mostly in German, this collection contains traditional New Year’s cards and letters from the 1870s, 1880s, and 1900s, from Mathias, Ferdinand, and Heinrich Eichholz and others. A notebook begun in 1838 by Anna Margaretha (Temmen) Eicholz includes school exercises, financial account entries for 1856-1861, and a list of family births from 1852-1897.

The record book of Providence Baptist Church in Washington County, Missouri, contains the monthly meeting minutes and lists new members received into the church.

The record book of Looney’s Creek Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Shelby County, contains meeting minutes and lists of members. Also includes the articles of faith and rules of decorum.

The National Women and Media Collection (NWMC) contains speeches, newspaper columns, advertising campaigns, articles, interviews, and audiovisual material from women in the media as well as media organizations.

This collection covers Bradley's work as a livestock specialist in the Cooperative Extension Office of the University of Missouri from 1968 through the 1990s. The papers consist of research materials, correspondence, clippings, photographs, drafts for books, articles, exhibits, speeches, and interviews on audio cassette conducted for the Missouri Mule History Project.

The account book of an iron works company in Fredericktown, Missouri, lists sales for 1878-1879.

Records of the church, containing meeting minutes and lists of new members.

The records of Unity Baptist Church contain the church covenant, articles of faith, rules of decorum, meeting minutes, and lists of members.

This collection consists of fifteen diaries, written from 1935 to 1937 by Ida Tinsley Whiteacre, detailing her thoughts about living in the home of her daughter and son-in-law in St. Joseph, Missouri, during the Great Depression. Family conflicts, Depression-era prices and chores, and discussions about “physical culture” exercises and procedures are some of the topics covered.

The account book of the Marion City Company contains statements of the amount of work done by woodcutters and laborers in 1836. The Marion City Company appears to have been a building contractor.

The record book of Bethel Baptist Church contains lists of members and the monthly meeting minutes.

The Scott Family papers consist of correspondence and miscellaneous documents relating to the Lindsey-Kemp-Reeder family of Ohio and the Scott family of Columbia, Missouri, including the Civil War correspondence of William L. Kemp and the World War I correspondence of future University of Missouri professor D.R. Scott.

The collection contains audio cassettes and a transcript of an interview with a war correspondent and foreign service officer who was one of twenty journalists to land at Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

A collection of correspondence written to Estella Wilferth from friends and family members, mostly during World War I. The letters cover topics concerning local events, weather, daily activities, and feelings about the war from the perspective of both soldiers and civilians.

The records contain a photograph of the church, articles of faith, and church covenant. Also included are meeting minutes that document transgressions of members such as drunkenness and fighting and the actions taken by the church leaders.

The record book of Mount Nebo Baptist Church contains the articles of faith and church covenant in addition to meeting minutes. The minutes, for the most part, document new members being received into the church.

Business record books of James and Robert Aull, early businessmen of Lexington, Missouri.

The collection contains record books of Robert Aull and John Aull, two early businessmen of Lexington, Missouri. Records of Robert Aull's store in Lexington, 1839-1840; his personal finances and banking operations, 1842-1858. Books from John Aull's general store in Lexington, 1854-1869.

Registers of baptisms, marriages, and deaths for Ste. Genevieve, MO, parish from the early days of the church in Ste. Genevieve to the statehood period. Records are in French and cover the whole community, including slaves. One register lists marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics and among non-Catholics which were performed by the parish priests.

Early minutes of the Boone County Court, 1821-1822, 1830-1839. Deposition and will of Ira Nash in early court case, 1844. Minutes and premium book of the Boone County Agricultural and Mechanical Society, 1852-1874, Registration books for physicians, surgeons, dentists and osteopaths, 1874-1914. Books listing marks and brands and dog registrations for Boone County.

The collection contains the correspondence of Nancy V. Bentley, Jordan R. Bentley, and J. Marshall Bentley. Also included are legal papers and bills of sales for enslaved people pertaining to the Bentley family and Thomas Fristoe; reminiscences of Jordan R. Bentley and material pertaining to Bentley and other allied families; material on the Civil War in Chariton, Howard, and Cooper Counties; material on family and social life in the 1880s and 1890s; and Chariton County history.

Entries on merchandise received and sold in James Aull's store in Lexington, Missouri.

Membership records for the organization known locally as the Welsh Miners' Union. Contains members' names, record of dues payments, suspensions, transfers, and death claims.

The papers of a Boonville, Missouri, family contain genealogical material, correspondence, memoirs, clippings, photographs, and Marie Bell McCoy's manuscripts.

Correspondence, legal documents, financial records, and miscellaneous items of the Winterbowers and Wooldridges, prominent Cooper County, Missouri, families.

Correspondence, deeds, financial records, and miscellaneous items of the Wilcoxson family of Fayette and Carrollton, Missouri.

Four diaries written by a Macon County, Missouri, farmer. His daily entries, spanning almost fifteen years, describe farm life, livestock breeding, social activities, transportation, illness, death, and daily changes in the wind and weather. Also detailed personal and business expenses.

Record books containing monthly reports of the church business meetings, 1869-1994, and church histories, 1994-2005. This country church faithfully recorded its religious activities, pastors, financial transactions, membership, mission contributions, and social gatherings.

Collected papers of the Powers Museum. Principally Wright family genealogical research done by Curtis Wright of Carthage and Wright family correspondence. Also includes Captain George W. Roby, U.S. Army Commissary of Subsistence documents, 1864-1865; and manumission documents from St. Louis, MO, 1836-1854.

The records contain membership records and minutes of a Regular Primitive Baptist church founded in August 1898 and dissolved in February 1966. Included are the Articles of Faith and the Rules of Decorum. Membership information relates date and means of entry into the church and birth and death dates. The minutes record business matters, sermon topics, songs, attendance, and officers.

Record book of church in DeKalb County organized on April 25, 1877. Contains records of membership, ordinations, children blessed, and marriages. Protocols or minutes of business meetings are in German. Includes English transcripts of the protocols.

The journals of Elijah Slaughter, a Jackson County, Missouri, farmer, include accounts of daily life, notes on bartering of farm goods, and a book of dates.

James Henry (Jimmy) Rollins was a Black civil rights activist and University of Missouri law student who was convicted of dispensing marijuana in 1968, jumped bail to avoid prosecution and was subsequently caught and imprisoned in 1974 for that and other crimes. The papers consist primarily of letters from the imprisoned Rollins to one of his supporters, and of notes, newspaper clippings, case files, and other printed material related either to his case or to contemporary political and racial conditions in Columbia and at the University of Missouri.

The papers contain manuscripts, correspondence, and research materials used by Reverend Theodore Wolff in his writings. Also included are the writings of his colleagues and information on the Methodist movement in Missouri and other religious sectors.

The scrapbook of John S. Phelps contains newspaper clippings and biographical information on the former governor and his family. Some correspondence and photographs of family residences are also included.

Records of a church organized in May 1857. Volumes one and two contain church history, covenant, business meeting minutes, and membership lists dating from 1874-1916. Volume three contains Sunday school records for 1894 to 1898. Elder John H. Hardin was the first pastor and meetings were initially held in the home of Adam Miller. Some early church records were destroyed by a fire in 1859.

Account book detailing rental of office space, maintenance, and taxes for a building located in the downtown business district. Clearly enumerated are tenants, rental fees, operating expenses, assets and liabilities.

The records of the Brunswick Fire Department contain meeting minutes, election of officers, lists of members, financial records, and lists of fires, dating from organization in November 1894 through January 1939.

Deeds, wills, family trees and photographs of three 19th-century immigrant families who settled in Missouri. The Velten and Ebeling families emigrated from Germany and settled in Warren County, while the Swedish Bentleys came to settle in Howard County. Also includes probate and census records, and a "Velten Family Record" narrative.

The records of the Columbia, Missouri, chapter of an organization of enthusiasts of the Star Trek television shows and films, include chapter correspondence and memoranda, handbooks, and newsletters; newsletters of the national organization and other chapters; and miscellaneous fan magazines.

Personal correspondence, genealogical records, and business records of a German-American family living in Osage County, MO. The bulk of the collection concerns Hermann Crede; other papers pertain to his brothers, Wilhelm and Carl; all three immigrated in the 1850s. Much of the correspondence is in German; the business records are in English.

The records of Otterville College contain a minute book, catalogs, receipts, and miscellaneous material.

The papers of a schoolteacher consist of correspondence, genealogical materials, photographs, yearbooks, an 1878 diary, and a manuscript written by Crain. The material details the first half of Crain’s life while living and teaching in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Michigan.

The records of a small poetry and review magazine consist of general, contributor, and publication correspondence. The material primarily pertains to the magazine’s last six years of publication, 1981-1987.

The Draper-McClurg family papers are comprised of correspondence, photographs, Civil War diaries and records, and other personal papers of the families of Philander Draper and Joseph W. McClurg. The papers document the families' involvement in politics, farming and orchards, lead mining and smelting, the Civil War, and frontier life in Missouri, the Dakota Territory, and several western states.

Minutes and accounts for a German American athletic and social club founded in 1859 as Turn Verein (gymnastic society). Records to 1906 are in German. Includes translation by Turner member Nicholas Haerle. Subjects include memberships, balls, music groups, building construction and maintenance, and German American relations.

The Lester B. Dent Collection contains the manuscripts, publications, correspondence, personal papers, research notes, scrapbooks, and photographs of a native Missouri fiction writer, explorer, aerial photographer, and dairy farmer. Lester Dent is perhaps best remembered as the principal author of the Doc Savage adventure stories of the 1930s and 1940s.

The collection contains a record book of a German Lutheran Evangelical Church established in 1842. The collection includes transcriptions from other records, 1843-1881; and original records, 1881-1919, including birth, christening, confirmation, marriage, and death records.

The papers of a farmer from Saline County, Missouri, who was also an enthusiast of historic and prehistoric weaponry contain correspondence on archaeological and historical topics, as well as personal, business, and local civic affairs. Also includes photographs, notes, organizational materials, publications, and manuscripts on Hamilton's archaeological interests.

Letters written by John G. Neihardt, author of A Cycle of the West and Black Elk Speaks, to California poet George Sterling. The letters discuss Neihardt’s writing, comments on and praises Sterling’s work, and tells Sterling of his personal philosophy and about routine events.

Minutes of the church which was located in Wilson Township. It was organized on Monday, 23 August 1869, and was a member of the Little Bonne Femme Association.

Scrapbooks of a Columbia, Missouri, oil company executive and community leader. Material on the development and growth of Missouri Farmers Association.

The papers of H.E. Slusher during the period he served as president of Missouri Farm Bureau Federation. Also includes some materials from period following his retirement in 1958.

The collection contains recollections of John J. Pershing by a native of Laclede, Missouri, Pershing’s hometown.

The papers of the University of Missouri contain memorials to George Lefevre, George C. Swallow, John Carleton Jones, Samuel M. Jordan, Charles A. Helm and C.F. Marbut, as well as some banquet programs.

The papers of Cornelia Russell contain letters concerning farming and family life, and a price list of grocery items.

The papers of Mollie E. Withers contain two promissory notes from Mollie E. to Jennings Withers, 1869, 1872, and a letter of recommendation for E.T. Withers by George H. Matthews, professor of ancient languages, University of Missouri, 1856.

The papers of Claibourne Hill contain land grants, deeds, and tax receipts belonging to Claibourne Hill of Saline County, Missouri.

The papers of Blanche Beal Lowe contain personal letters between the Marr and Lowe families, originals and typed copies; genealogies of Absalom Smith family and of William Fletcher Lowe family; and a newspaper clipping with typed addenda about Mrs. Samuel Perry.

Autobiography of George W. Smith, born in Albemarle County, Virginia, and settled in Cooper County, Missouri, circa 1837.

Biographical and descriptive sketches of southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina, by Aras B. Cox. Brief genealogies of many prominent families of the area.

The collection contains correspondence of John Sappington with Hogan & Wright, collection agents, 1842-1844; correspondence of Claiborne F. Jackson, 1855-1861; correspondence and miscellaneous items concerning the placement of Highway 40 and Santa Fe Trail markers; Martha Woods Diary, 1854-1860; Hugh Stephens scrapbook, undated; Independent Order of Odd Fellow certificates, meeting minutes, financial records, and correspondence, 1849-1969.

Account of the night of the Missouri Pacific mail train robbery, July 7, 1876, when Jesse James forced postmaster Charlie Steinbach and his family in Florence, Missouri, to feed and lodge his gang, then paid them $90.00 in gold.

The papers contain the marriage license of Lewis Watkins and Mattie Davidson, 1885, and various deeds and petitions on the property of Matthew P. and Allie F. Davidson.

The papers contain correspondence between Johnson and various Boy Scouts of America representatives, regarding troop leader assignments, activities, membership, and financial affairs of the troops in Columbia, Missouri, which Johnson organized.

The papers contain teaching certificates, grade reports, and Civil War reminiscences of a prominent Kansas City educator. Also includes newspaper clippings about Phillips, including his obituary, as well as a diary.

Newspaper clipping from the Missouri Democrat, reporting the capture of General Jeff Thompson and his staff by Colonel Richard Goodrich Woodson of the 3rd Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, at Pilot Knob, Missouri.

A history of the community of Sappington, Missouri, including early settlers, religious and educational growth, and life of U.S. Grant when he resided there from 1848 to 1859.

Records of marriages solemnized by the Rev. Mr. Carson, copied from original record in Savannah, Missouri. Includes names of bride and groom, date and location of wedding, payment received, and personal remarks.

The collection contains a photocopy of a letter to William G. Boyce, Plattin, Missouri, from Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, October 14, 1914, concerning the genealogy of the Kennett family in Washington County, Missouri, and the history of purchases of the Kennett property.

The collection contains a history of the church building, its members, deacons and pastors; newspaper clipping from the Chronicle Herald, Macon, Missouri. “Chariton Ridge Church Celebrates 100th Year,” with pictures of the church.

The papers of Mrs. B.L. Dunaway contain a paper about life of Sarah Burton Murphy and a program of service honoring her memory held in Farmington, Missouri.

The papers of Maria A. Strickland contain letters, programs, and pension papers of Maria A. Strickland; a copy of a Civil War song; and a photo of Clara Bannon's school at Marshfield, Missouri.

The papers of Loretta M. Davis contain three letters between Davis and Leonard Hall regarding her great-grandfather, Pierre Charles De Luziere St. Vrain, and some of his family, and discussing the family's prominence in France and the U.S. Also included are brief historical sketches of some towns in the Ste. Genevieve County area.