Newton

Missouri Forestry Records, 1929-1994 (R1341)
2.25 cubic feet (53 folders)

The records of Missouri Forestry contain materials from the administration of directors George O. White, Osal B. Capps, and Jerry Presley. This includes materials related to Smokey Bear, fire safety, and the promotion of science, practice, and standards of forestry.

Missouri Immigration Oral History Project, 2023 (C4649)
0.1 cubic feet (3 folders), 8.79 GBs

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Interviews with immigrants to Missouri, their descendants, and people who had interactions or relationships with immigrant communities in Missouri.

Missouri Place Names Study Papers, 1927-1928 (C3459)
0.6 cubic feet (40 folders)

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Lynn Morrow Papers, 1804-2015 (R1000)
24 cubic feet (1051 folders, 5 oversize folders, 11,170 photographs, 852 negatives)

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The Lynn Morrow papers contain correspondence and research papers, with an additional significant collection of late twentieth-century promotional and advertising items. The papers reflect major areas of Morrow’s research on the southwest Missouri region; Iron, Shannon, and Washington counties; Theodore Pease Russell and his writings; and the writings of Silas C. Turnbo. The collection also includes a large selection of promotional publications and ephemera associated with late 20th century tourism in Missouri and Arkansas.

Ralph W. Murphy Collection of Photographs, 1884-1966 (P0767)
9 photographs

Photos of Newton County by Murphy's Studio, including the Ritchey Mansion in Newtonia, Newtonia Battlefield, the Herman Jaeger property near Neosho, and Jolly Mill near Granby.

Thomas Murray Papers, 1862-1867 (R0522)
0.02 cubic foot (2 folders)

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The Thomas Murray Papers are original and typescript letters addressed to and from Thomas Murray of Davenport, Iowa, by relatives serving in the Union army during the Civil War.

New-Mac Electric Cooperative Records, 1944 (R1108)
(1 folder)

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This is a booklet containing the bylaws of the New-Mac Electric Cooperative, Inc., which served members in Newton and McDonald Counties in Missouri. The cooperative was formed in 1939 and these revised bylaws became effective on July 14, 1944.

Newton County Health Unit, Neosho, Missouri Collection, 1944 (R0801)
(1 folder)

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This is "Your Health Department," the third annual report for the Newton County Health Unit of Neosho, Missouri. It includes summaries of public health efforts and community health services in Newton County, Missouri.

Newton County, Missouri Marriage Records, 1874-1899 (R0514)
0.2 cubic foot (2 volumes, 1 roll of microfilm)

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The Newton County, Missouri Marriage Records contain original volumes and microfilm copies of the records of marriage performed by justices of the peace in Newton County, Missouri, between April 1874 and April 1899. Most of the individuals listed in the records were from Newton County, but there are also records of marriages for individuals from Barry, Howell, Jasper, and McDonald counties in Missouri, and a few from Arkansas, Kansas, and what would become Oklahoma.

Newton County, Missouri Military Service Records, ca. 1946 (R1162)
(1 folder)

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This volume lists residents of Newton County, Missouri, who served in the military during World War II. Included for each veteran are a photographic portrait, rank, names of parents and spouse, education, a summary of service, and the date of discharge.

Northrop Family Papers, 1852-1998 (R1489)
4 cubic feet (68 folders)

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The Northrop Family Papers contain correspondence between members of the Northrop family, family genealogy, and personal papers related to the family farm near Simcoe, Missouri.

"An Ozark Childhood", no date (C3819)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

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Autobiographical writings covering the childhood of Clara Smith Steichen in the Ozark region of Missouri. The work delves into the Civil War, family life, and the regions idiosyncrasies such as “feuding.”

Ozark Playgrounds Association Collection, 1929-1955 (R0854)
0.2 cubic foot (2 folders)

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The Ozark Playgrounds Association Records contains booklets and pamphlets published by the Ozark Playgrounds Association to promote the "Playgrounds of the Ozarks," encompassing the Ozarks regions in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The booklets include geographical listings, maps, and lists of restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.

Arthur Richard Hill Photographs, 1912-1978 (SP0067)
0.4 cubic foot

 Digitized Materials

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The Arthur Richard Hill Photograph collection contains photographs of various Missouri towns including Cassville, Joplin, Neosho, Pineville, Savannah, Seligman, and Springfield.

Picher, Oklahoma Collection, circa 1975-1995 (R0754)
(3 folders)

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These are photocopies of pamphlets and scrapbooks of newspaper items concerning the development and decline of the lead and zinc mining industry at Picher, Ottawa County, Oklahoma. There is also information on other mining communities in the Tri-State Mining district of Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Venta Plummer Photograph Collection, 1869-1968 (P0047)
26 photographs

Early images of Seneca in Newton County.

Ramsay Place Names File, 1928-1945 (C2366)
6 cubic feet (12 boxes), 4 rolls of microfilm

 Digitized Materials

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Card file of origins of Missouri place names, compiled by students of Robert L. Ramsay, University of Missouri professor of English. Cards are in alphabetical order by place name.

Frank Reynolds Photograph Collection, circa 1925-1942 (R0796)
0.1 cubic foot (3 folders, 34 photographs)

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These are postcards and photographs collected by Frank Reynolds when he worked on construction projects including Bagnell Dam in Missouri, Lock and Dam No. 14 on the Mississippi River at LeClaire, Iowa, and Camp Crowder, Missouri.

Rocketdyne Photographs, 1962 (P0981)
5 photographs

Photos of Rocketdyne, a division of North American Aviation, Inc., plant in Neosho where engines are made, 1962

Second Baptist Church, Neosho, Missouri Centennial Collection, 1976 (R0821)
(1 folder)

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This is "We've Come This Far by Faith", a centennial anniversary booklet for the Second Baptist Church of Neosho in Newton County, Missouri. The African-American congregation was founded in 1876.

"Seeing the Light," Arthur E. Holbrook, 1950 (C2135)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

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Account of photographing "The Light at Hornet," an unidentified light in Newton County, MO, August 11, 1950.

Seneca Missouri Scrapbooks, 1898-1992 (SP0029)
1 cubic foot (13 folders)

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The Seneca, Missouri, Scrapbooks were compiled by Virginia Hoare and contain photographs, newspaper clippings, and articles about the history of Seneca, Missouri.          

T. J. Shelton, Southwestern Miner, 1892 (R0873)
(1 folder)

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These are four issues from June, August, and October 1892, of the " Southwestern Miner", a newsletter "devoted exclusively to the Lead and Zinc mines of Missouri and Kansas." Published every week at Carterville, Missouri, by "Campbell & Shelton" and managed by T. J. Shelton, and the journal included production statistics and mining news items from southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas, and particularly from Jasper County, Missouri.

Shoal Creek Baptist Association Records, 1938 (R0906)
(1 folder)

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These are minutes of the 67th annual session of the Shoal Creek Baptist Association, which met on August 23-25, 1938 with the First Baptist Church of Newtonia in Newton County, Missouri. The Association was comprised of congregations in Newton and McDonald Counties in southwestern Missouri.

John James Sitton, Civil War Memoir Collection, circa 1900 (R0377)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

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The John James Sitton Civil War Memoir Collection contains a military history of the Oregon County, Missouri company of the 2nd Regiment, 7th Division, Missouri State Guard, July 4 through December 1, 1861. The narrative was written by John James Sitton, who also served in the 7th Division, but in a different regiment. Sitton became captain of the Oregon County men in later Confederate service. The memoir also includes biographical data on selected Oregon County soldiers.

Noelle Louis Soren Papers, 1904-2008 (K0525)
3.84 c.f.

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Southwest Missouri Library Service, Inc., Records, 1957-1982 (SP0084)
1.5 cubic feet (37 folders, 2 photographs)

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The Southwest Missouri Library Service, Inc., Records contain the by-laws, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, and membership papers of Southwest Missouri Library Service, Inc., headquartered in Bolivar, Missouri.

Southwest Missouri Map Collection, 1833-2003 (SP0047)
4 cubic feet (27 maps)

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The Southwest Missouri Map Collection contains city, county, highway, geographical, topographical, and mining maps. The maps focus on the southern and western counties in Missouri including Greene, Henry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Stone, and Taney counties.

Southwest Missouri Region Photograph Collection, 1900-1953 (P1110)

An artificial collection of photographs of Missouri's southwesternmost counties: McDonald, Newton, Jasper, Dade, and Lawrence.

Southwest Missouri Resource Conservation and Development Records, 1964-2011 (SP0009)
28 cubic feet

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The records consist of the financial documents, correspondence, project notes and publications pertaining to the operation of the non-profit environmental organization known as Southwest Missouri Resource Conservation and Development. 

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company Promotional Booklet Collection, 1925 (R0816)
(1 folder)

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These are "Dairying in the Ozarks" and "Fruit Growing in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas along the Frisco Lines", published by the St. Louis-San Francisco "Frisco" Railway company to promote economic development along its routes in southern Missouri and northern Arknasas.

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company Records, 1859-1980 (R0362)
(178 cubic feet)

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These are corporate minutes and financial account books, and other records of the St. Louis-San Francisco ("Frisco") Railway Company (1916-1980) and predecessor, subsidiary, and constituent companies, most notably the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway (1876-1896) and the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad (1896-1916). The "Frisco" operated in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. It became part of the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1980. Also of note are four architectural drawing boxes that include the blueprints for structures along the St. Louis-San Francisco Line. A detailed inventory of the drawings is included in each of the four boxes.

William H. Stark Papers, 1912 (R0578)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

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The William H. Stark Papers consist of a letter from William H. Stark of Stark Nursery Company at Chester, Newton County, Missouri, to C. E. Stoddard, Washington, D.C., regarding a new variety of peach.

Mark Stauter Collection, 1852-1980 (R1432)
2 cubic feet (120 folders)

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The Mark Stauter Collection consist of materials donated by Dr. Mark Stauter, the former director of the State Historical Society of Missouri's Rolla Research Center. The papers cover a variety of topics related to Missouri history.

Tallman and Brown Families Papers, 1861-1868 (R0447)
0.2 cubic foot (2 folders)

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This is correspondence of related families of Miller County, Missouri. The principal correspondents are John, Martha, and Matthew Tallman, who wrote to their brother, Jeremiah, while he served in the 1st Missouri Light Artillery, and John D. Brown, of the same regiment, who wrote to his sister, Hannah M. Brown. Topics include military activity in Miller County and southern Missouri, farm life, and family matters.

Gene Taylor Collection, 1971-2001 (SP0066)
1 cubic foot (4 folders, 3 volumes, 117 photographs)

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The Gene Taylor Collection consists of photographs, scrapbooks, and congressional materials related to Congressman Gene Taylor, in addition to Sarcoxie, Missouri.

Thompson Grove School Newton County, Missouri Collection, 1913 (R1065)
(1 folder)

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This is a souvenir booklet for Thompson Grove School southeast of Seneca in Newton County, Missouri. It was presented by teacher Rosa Kellhofer to her pupils at the close of the school year in 1913.

Tri-County Burial Association Collection, 1935 (R1177)
(1 folder)

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These are certificates of membership in the Tri-County Burial Association of Wheaton in Barry County, Missouri, for Floyd Roller and Lela Roller of Purdy. The Association provided burial benefits for members in Barry, McDonald, and Newton Counties in southwestern Missouri. Both certificates are dated August 28, 1935

Tri-State Health and Housing Committee, "The Menace of the Slime Pile", no date (R1181)
(1 folder)

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This collection contains a photocopy of an undated pamphlet that addresses the problem of dust from the slime piles in the Tri-State Mining District of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. It is subtitles, "Disposal of Mill Tailings in the Tri-State Zinc and Lead District."

Tri-State Mining Superfund Site, 1945-2018 (SP0019)
1 c.f.

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The Tri-State Mining Superfund Site records contain the research of Shanen Givone into the environmental impact of nuclear contamination and mining in the Joplin area and into Kansas.

Tri-State Rebekah Association Records, 1911-1941 (R0574)
(1 roll of microfilm)

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These are the record books of the Tri-State Rebekah Association. The Association, founded in 1904, was composed of lodges of the Daughters of Rebekah in southeastern Kansas, northeastern Oklahoma, and southwestern Missouri. The records include printed programs and minutes of the annual sessions of the Association.

U.S. Work Projects Administration, Historical Records Survey of Missouri, 1935-1942 (C3551)
302 cubic feet (24,282 folders); also available on 817 rolls of microfilm

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Correspondence, records, and working files. Originally designed to survey and inventory all county government records, the survey finally included inventories of church records, manuscript collections, vital statistics, American imprints, and federal archives. Incorporates records of the Federal Writers Project for Missouri.

United Spanish War Veterans, Deptartment of Missouri Collection, 1940 (R1096)
(1 folder)

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This is a souvenir program booklet for the 36th annual encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans, Department of Missouri, held at Neosho in Newton County, Missouri, on June 16-19, 1940.

United States Bureau of Mines, Rolla Research Center Records, 1915-1996 (R1321)
17 cubic feet (372 folders, 4 maps, 3,238 photographs, 68 negatives, 936 slides, 3 volumes)

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The United States Bureau of Mines, Rolla Research Center Records contain the records of the Bureau of Mines office and research facility established in Rolla, Missouri in 1915. The records include correspondence, operational reports, project reports, photographs, newspaper articles, program materials, and maps.

Whitaker Family Collection, 1902-1972 (SP0076)
2 cubic feet (22 folders, 116 photographs, 2 oversize boxes)

 Digitized Materials

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The Whitaker Family Collection contains materials related to Whitaker Printing and Manufacturing Company, a family-owned business that was located in Joplin, Missouri. The collection consists of correspondence, financial records, photographs, publications, and records pertaining to Sar-Tol pharmaceutical products. The collection also contains artwork by Joplin artist Robert Higgs.

Paul Sheldon Wise Papers, 1942-1943 (R1255)
(1 folder)

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These are nine letters from Paul Sheldon "Shel" Wise, a Signal Corps trainee at Camp Crowder in Newton County, Missouri, to his parents and family in Steubenville, Ohio. Wise was assigned to the 804th Signal Service Regiment at the Midwestern Signal Corps Replacement Training Center.

L. L. Wittich, "Joplin News Herald’s Zinc and Lead Handbook" Collection, 1916 (R0275)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)

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The L. L. Wittich, “Joplin News Herald’s Zinc and Lead Handbook” Collection contains a pamphlet concerning the zinc and lead industries and mineral production in the Joplin District of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Included are production figures for mines and mining companies in the Joplin District, and statistics on the international production, pricing, and consumption of zinc and lead.

Paul A. Wobus Papers, 1918-1989 (R0008)
2.5 cubic feet (58 folders, 89 notebooks, 79 photographs)

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The Paul A. Wobus Papers contain the personal and professional papers of Reverend Paul A. Wobus of Manchester, Missouri. The papers include Wobus’s uncompleted and unpublished memoirs, photographs, correspondence, materials concerning Mount Zion Community Church and the Ozark Community Council, historical notes concerning Wobus’s avocational interest in the mills and railroads in the regions, miscellaneous newspaper clippings and other printed materials, narrative accounts of many of his trips into the Ozarks. Also included are 89 small notebooks, dated from 1938-1972, in which he kept records of his mileage, routes, schedules, expenses, and places and person visited.

Paul Christian Yates Papers, 1880-1905 (R0648)
(1 roll of microfilm)

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The Paul Christian Yates Papers contain a microfilm copy of a journal kept by Dr. Paul C. Yates, a physician in Newton County, Missouri. Included are narratives of individual cases, particularly maternity calls, notes for addresses to meetings of medical associations, and a few personal items.

Zeta Land and Mining Company Collection, 1902 (R1016)
(1 folder)

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This is a certificate for 150 shares of stock in the Zeta Land and Mining company of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. The certificate was issued to John P. Jackson, who was the president of the firm. The company owned mineral land and mines in Newton County, Missouri.