Howell

African American Heritage in the Ozarks Collection, 2021-2023 (SP0078)
31 oral history interviews

 Finding Aid

The African American Heritage in the Ozarks Collection contains oral history interviews, transcriptions, and photographs related to the African American Heritage in the Ozarks project coordinated by the State Historical Society of Missouri from November 2021 to November 2022. The interviews cover a wide range of topics related to the African American experience in the Ozarks including family, community, education, religion, travel and leisure, labor, and military service.

Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service Aerial Photographs, 1938-1979 (P0335)
107.5 linear feet

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

Missouri county aerial photographs produced by the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service.

American Revolution Bicentennial, Missouri Committee for Agriculture Papers, 1974-1976 (C4276)
1.2 cubic feet (42 folders), 1 audio tape

 Finding Aid

The papers of the committee contain correspondence, newsletters, reports, updates, events awards programs, lists of elected members, historical information on “Centennial Farms” and “Liberty Trees,” meeting minutes, announcements, newspaper clippings, and audiovisual material for a slide presentation entitled “The Spirit of ’76.”

American Sunday-School Union Records, 1917-1930 (R0565)
0.2 cubic foot (6 folders)

 Finding Aid

The American Sunday-School Union Records are photocopied field work records created by missionaries for the American Sunday-School Union in Christian, Douglas, Howell, Ozark, Texas, Webster, and Wright counties in Missouri.

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. Records, 1997 (R1406)
0.1 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

The Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. Records contain the book Win-Win: A Information History of Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., written by Russ Holt and published in 1997.

Baptist Association Annual Meeting Records, 1882-1933 (R0644)
(1 roll of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

The Baptist Association Annual Meeting Records contain microfilm copies of annual meeting minutes of Primitive Baptist associations in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, and Oklahoma. The most complete series are for the Center Creek and Ozark associations of Missouri. The minutes include the proceedings of the associations, lists of churches, officers, and representatives, the articles of faith and rules of decorum, and correspondence with other associations.

Lyman G. Bennett Papers, 1857-1865 (R0274)
0.5 cubic foot (10 folders)

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

The Lyman G. Bennett Collection contains photocopies and original diaries and topographic maps of a civil engineer, member of the 36th Illinois Infantry, and civilian employee of the U. S. Army. The materials concern homesteading in Minnesota in 1857; campaigning in Missouri and Arkansas with the Army of Southwest Missouri, 1861-1862; mapping in Kansas and Colorado in 1865; and the Powder River Indian Expedition in Nebraska and Wyoming in 1865.

Bittersweet Papers, 1973-1983 (R0669)
27 cubic feet (761 folders)

These are papers of "Bittersweet: The Ozark Quarterly," a journal of Ozark culture published by Ellen Gray Massey and her English classes at Lebanon High School. Included are tape recordings, transcripts, and photographs of interviews. Subjects include fiddling, making railroad ties, one-room rural schools, social customs and more, the African-American experince, and handicrafts.

John F. Bradbury, Jr. Postcard Collection, 1889-2022 (R1551)
4 cubic feet (122 folders, 4,432 postcards)

 Finding Aid

The John F. Bradbury, Jr. Postcard Collection contains postcards collected by Bradbury, containing images from the Ozarks and Southern Missouri. The postcards consist of real photograph, commercially printed, and illustrated postcards. The images mainly feature Missouri towns, railroads, Route 66, resorts, and rivers.

Lennis Leonard Broadfoot Collection, 1909-2005 (R1277)
(3 rolls of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

This collection consists of correspondence, personal and legal papers, ledger book, scrapbook and ephemera of artist Lennis Leonard Broadfoot. The collection predominately focuses on his artwork and publications, as well as his promotion of the Ozarks region in Dent and Shannon Counties through the creation of a national park, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and the promotion of the arts in general.

S.G. Bundy Autobiography, 1912 (C2985)
1 roll of microfilm

 Finding Aid

The collection contains an autobiography of a farmer, pioneer, rural school teacher, Union soldier, and Methodist missionary and minister.

Nellie M. Castle Collection, 1907-1910, no date (P0650)
1 folder

Postcards and photos of Howell County, mainly Willow Springs, and St. Louis County.

Catherine Castner Photographs, 1959, no date (P0651)
6 photographs

Photos of Howell County ca. 1959: Risley Memorial Bench, Olden home (West Plains), and Fruitville Farms.

W. S. Coleman Collection, no date (R1012)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

These are labels for cans of "Rosan" blackberries and "Pal-O-Mine" green beans, packed by W. S. Coleman at his cannery at Willow Springs in Howell County, Missouri.

Commercial Club (West Plains, Mo.) Minutes, 1900-1901 (C1886)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Minutes of meetings, July 10, 1900-December 10, 1901.

Ernest Evans Davidson Photograph Album, 1925-1940 (R1320)
0.2 cubic foot(8 folders, 92 photographs)

 Finding Aid

The Ernest Evans Davidson Photograph Collection contains the personal and family photographs of Ernest Davidson of Clay County, Missouri. Images include family photographs, scenes of family vacations in Althea, Missouri, and on the North Fork of the White River.

Dean W. Davis Papers, 1943-1944 (R1401)
0.25 cubic foot (3 folders, 8 photographs)

 Finding Aid

The Dean W. Davis Papers contain the personal correspondence and photographs of Dean W. Davis during his service in World War II. Davis was a corporal in the 92nd Chemical Composite Company.

Drew-Stiff Lumber Company Order List, 1890 (C0730)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

List of stock and prices for a lumber company of Willow Springs, MO.

E. C. Markham and Company Records, 1895-1900 (R0972)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

These are papers concerning e. C. Markham & Company, a real estate agency at West Plains in Howell County, Missouri. The firm's partners, E. C. Markham and C. P. Harper, were agents for the South Missouri Land Company, which was related to the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad Company.

Eleven Points River Baptist Association Records, 1890-1901 (R0356)
0.02 cubic foot (2 folders)

 Finding Aid

The Eleven Points River Baptist Association Records are photocopies of printed minutes of the second and thirteenth annual meetings of the Eleven Points River Baptist Association, 1890 and 1901. Founded as the Elevenpoint River Association of Missionary Baptists, the association included churches in Carter, Howell, Oregon, and Ripley counties in Missouri.

Jennie Ellis Postcard Collection, 1905-1917 (SP0075)
.2 cubic foot (2 folders, 62 postcards)

 Finding Aid

The Jennie Ellis Postcard Collection contains postcards sent to Jennie (Raymond) Ellis and her family between 1905 and 1917. The postcards include images of various cities and landmarks throughout Missouri and the United States.

First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri Centennial Collection, 1975 (R0987)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

This is an illustrated booklet containing a centennial history of the First Baptist Church at Mountain View in Howell County, Missouri. The congregation was founded as Mount Olivet Baptist Church in 1875.

First Baptist Church, West Plains, Missouri Records, 1892-1956 (R0348)
(2 rolls of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

The First Baptist Church, West Plains, Missouri Records contain a microfilm copy of the First Baptist Church at West Plains in Howell County, Missouri records. The records include minutes of meetings, membership registers, and statistical data. Also included are minute books from the Sunday school program, 1899-1914, and the record book of the Baptist Young People’s Union, 1907-1914.

First Christian Church, West Plains, Missouri Records, 1893-1983 (R0349)
(2 rolls of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

The First Christian Church, West Plains, Missouri Records contain a microfilm copy, of the church’s records. Included are membership, marriage, and death records, lists of officers, and minutes of meetings of the church board, 1893-1954. There are also records of the women’s auxiliaries of the church, 1918-1983.

First United Methodist Church, West Plains, Missouri Records, 1887-1988 (R0359)
11 volumes, 10 folders microfilmed

 Finding Aid

These are church registers, quarterly conference reports, and administrative records of the First
United Methodist Church in West Plains, Howell County, Missouri. There are records of predecessor
Methodist churches in West Plains, including the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Fruitville Farm Records, circa 1910 (R0009)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

The Fruitville Farm Collection contains a pamphlet promoting the Fruitville Farm in Howell County, Missouri. The pamphlet includes a panoramic view of the farm, endorsements from the leading citizens of Howell County, and testimonials by agricultural experts as to the excellent productivity of the land.

Future Farmers of America, West Plains Chapter Records, 1955-1978 (R0658)
(11 folders)

 Finding Aid

These are scrapbooks of the FFA chapter at West Plains in Howell County, Missouri. The scrapbooks include photographs, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous printed materials on the chapter's activities, 1955-1966. There is also a printed history of the FFA in Missouri, 1928-1978.

Grant-Davis Lumber Company Records, 1882-1949 (R0109)
6.5 cubic feet (20 volumes, 9 oversize volumes, 9 folders)

 Finding Aid

The Grant-Davis Lumber Company Records are business records of a lumber company based in Cabool, Missouri, which operated in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. The collection includes ledgers, cash books, trial balances, inventories, and correspondence with the St. Louis and San Francisco ("Frisco") Railroad Company regarding freight claims. Russelle Grant Simonsen, daughter of Paul S. Grant, the last president of the firm, donated the records of the Grant-Davis Lumber Company. Mrs. Simonsen also provided background information on the company and the individuals who operated it.

Harlan Cecil Gregory Papers, 1900-2023 (R1530)
0.2 cubic foot (4 folders, 158 photographs, 2 negatives)

 Finding Aid

The Harlan Cecil Gregory Papers contain photographs and genealogical histories of the Gregory and Skyles family who settled in Howell and Texas Counties in Missouri.

Sarah Guitar Collection, no date (C3391)
1.5 cubic feet (5 card files), 2 rolls of microfilm

 Finding Aid

Sarah Guitar Papers, 1931-1944 (C3563)
1.2 cubic feet (87 folders, 1 card file)

 Finding Aid

Correspondence and miscellaneous information on Missouri compiled by Sarah Guitar during her employment, under the direction of Floyd C. Shoemaker, as Reference Librarian for the State Historical Society of Missouri.  Includes one card file of reference notes.

Heart of the Ozarks Fair and Stock Show Collection, 1962 (R1138)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

This is a premium catalog for the Heart of the Ozarks Fair and Stock Show held at West Plains in Howell County, Missouri, on September 5-8, 1962. Included are rules and regulations for the exhibitions and a schedule of events.

Arch Talcott Hollenbeck Papers, 1919-1949 (C0333)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Correspondence with A.M. Hyde about the Roosevelt Memorial Association, and with other members of the organization. Reminiscences of a Republican convention held at West Plains, MO, in 1908, and of Hollenbeck's position in the Hyde administration.

Arch Talcott Hollenbeck Papers, 1894-1939 (R1414)
0.5 cubic foot (28 folders)

 Finding Aid

The Arch Talcott Hollenbeck Papers include the personal and business correspondence and papers of Archie Hollenbeck who served as the Howell County postmaster during the early 20th century. He was appointed chairman of the Missouri Prison Board in 1921 and lived in Jefferson City during his appointment before returning to West Plains, Missouri.

Howell County Bank Records, 1890-1912 (R1225)
(1 roll of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

These are minutes of meetings of the board of directors and the stockholders of the Howell County Bank at West Plains in Howell County, Missouri. The minutes begin on October 25, 1890 and continue through November 4, 1912. They concern the elections of directors and officers, approval of loans and discounts, and declarations of dividends to stockholders. Beginning in 1896, there are annual statements of the bank's financial condition by the state bank examiner.

Howell County Baptist Association Records, 1957 (R0358)
0.1 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

The Howell County Baptist Association Records contain photocopies of printed minutes of the ninety-second annual session of the Howell County Baptist Association, a Southern Baptist organization composed of churches in Howell County, Missouri. The minutes include the constitution, by-laws, and articles of faith, reports on church programs and finances, and statistical information.

Howell County Fair Association Collection, 1946-1948 (R0888)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

These are programs for the Howell County Fair and Stock Show held at Peoples Park in West Plains in Howell County, Missouri. The booklets are for county fairs held on September 4-7, 1946 and September 1-4, 1948.

Howell County Historical Society Churches Collection, circa 1890-1984 (R0368)
(1 roll of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

These are data forms, church histories, miscellaneous papers, and photographs collected by the Committee On Church History of the Howell County Historical Society. The papers include information on churches at Hocomo, Mountain View, Pomona, South Fork, West Plains, White Church, and Willow Springs. Non-denominational "Union" churches are also included.

David A. James Papers, 1790-2008 (C4126)
5 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

The research material of a hotel management instructor, whose work resulted in the publication Historic Hotels of Missouri: Hotels, Inns, and Taverns of 19th Century Missouri.

Jeremiah Family Photographs, no date (P0652)
4 photographs

Photos relating to the Jeremiah family of Willow Springs.

Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis Railroad Company Collection, circa 1890s (R1071)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

This collections contains "Snap Shots in South Missouri," a promotional booklet to encourage land sales along the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis, and Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield Railroads in Missouri. The area is presented as ideal for fruit-culture and raising livestock. Booklet includes vies along the railroad lines in Missouri and Arkansas.

Little Zion Baptist Church, Howell County, Missouri Records, 1913-1994 (R0503)
(1 roll of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

These are the record books of the Little Zion Baptist Church near Trask in Howell County,
Missouri. The volumes include membership records, lists of officers and pastors, and minutes of
church meetings from 4 October 1913 through 1 June 1994. There is also an historical sketch of the
church written for its centennial in 1994.

William Henry Lynch Papers, 1859-1905 (R0202)
(3 rolls of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

The William Henry Lynch Papers contain microfilm copies of the diaries and personal papers of an educator in southern Missouri. Lynch was a native of Houston, Texas County, Missouri. He served in the 32nd Missouri Infantry during the Civil War, and was principal of schools in Steelville, St. James, Salem, West Plains, and Mountain Grove, Missouri, following the war.

Mark Twain National Forest Local History Collection, 1930s-1980s (R0471)
(4 rolls of mircofilm)

 Finding Aid

This collection was selected from unofficial files on miscellaneous historical topics, including local histories, the CCC, the YCC, the "Irish Wilderness," and the Eleven Point River. There are transcriptions of interviews with older members of the community and Forest Service retirees.

Mark Twain National Forest Photograph Collection, circa 1900-1985 (R0485)
0.05 cubic foot (2 folders, 719 negatives)

 Finding Aid

These are photographs copied from holdings of the Mark Twain National Forest in Rolla, Missouri. Topics include National Forest facilities and projects; forest and wood industries; water mills; lakes, rivers, and springs; mines; dams; and the Civilian Conservation Corps and Youth Conservation Corps.

Martin Family Papers, 1939 (R1463)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

The Martin Family Papers contain two letters written between Lula Martin and her parents, Cora and Edward Martin in 1939.

R. J. Martin Papers, 1946-1955 (SP0095)
4 cubic feet (103 folders, 1 oversize folder, 60 photographs)

 Finding Aid

The R. J. Martin Papers contain records, correspondence, contracts, and photographs from Ralph Joseph “Joe” Martin’s tenure as Missouri-Arkansas representative for the United States Department of the Interior Southwest Power Association office in Springfield, Missouri.

Lowell and Margaret M. McMurtrey Papers, 1942-1971 (C4172)
0.3 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

WWII papers and photographs pertaining to Lowell and Margaret McMurtrey of Willow Springs, Missouri. Lowell McMurtrey was captured by German troops in Italy during WWII. Includes correspondence, official notifications from the War Department, photographs, newspaper clippings, and Red Cross Bulletins from 1944.

Mercantile Bancorporation Records, 1859-1999 (S1242)
45.5 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

This collection contains meeting minutes, property appraisal cards, annual reports, VHS tapes, and photographs pertaining to the Mercantile Bancorporation’s mission to provide financial services to customers in the Midwest. Materials of interest include property appraisal cards for residential homes in the St. Louis Metropolitan Region. The cards contain information about the lot size, construction material, and estimated value for each individual property. The materials in this collection date from 1936 to 1999.

Miami Club, West Plains, Missouri Records, 1901-1913 (R0209)
(1 roll of microfilm)

 Finding Aid

The Miami Club, West Plains, Missouri Records contain a microfilm copy of a record book and miscellaneous papers of a men’s club in West Plains, Howell County, Missouri, 1901-1909. The volume also includes records of expenses for dances held by the Pickwick Club and the Marquis Orchestra, 1911-1913, and the minutes of meetings of the “Republicans of West Plains,” 1912.