Rolla Manuscript Collections

These are the minute books of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Carterville in Jasper County, Missouri.
The volumes contain minutes of weekly meetings from 19 November 1907 through 10 October
1911. Lodge business included initiation of new members, work on the various degrees of the
order, payments of benefits to members, and discussion of matters concerning the lodge hall.

These are the minute books of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Webb City in Jasper County, Missouri. The minutes begin with the organizational meeting on August 9, 1888 and continue through 31 January 1961. Lodge business included the acceptance of new members, payments of sick and funeral benefits, work on the various degrees of the order, matters concerning the lodge hall, and consolidations of the Alba, Carterville, and Duenweg lodges with Webb City.

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.

These are minutes of meetings, attendance records, scrapbook, and miscellaneous printed materials
of the New Madrid Civic Club in New Madrid, Missouri. Included with the collection is the
corporate record book of the New Madrid Community Building, Inc., a joint organization of the
Civic Club, the New Madrid Women's Club, and the New Madrid Rotary Club formed in 1959 to
build a community center.

This is a memoranda book of a teacher at schools in Benton and Pettis counties in Missouri. Included are the names of students, attendance records, and other information for Fordney (Benton), Prairie Grove (Pettis), and Pin Oak (Pettis) schools, 1871-1875. There are also notes on personal business by Bettie McGuire, 1876-1883.

These are minutes of meetings of the Friendly Neighbors Club of the MWPFA, made up of
women in the rural community around Dean School in Phelps County, Missouri. Included are
minutes of meetings from 14 November 1952 through 21 July 1955. Meetings featured discussions
of topics of rural concern, charitable contributions for needy children, and support for the fair board.

These are the minute books of the Odd Fellows lodge at Tuscumbia in Miller County, Missouri.
The volumes contain minutes beginning with the organizational meeting on 17 September 1873 and
continuing through 14 March 1903. Routine lodge business consisted of acceptance and dismissal of
members, payments of sick and funeral benefits, and work on the various degrees of the order.

This is the district record book for Bridge School, a few miles west of Rolla in Phelps County,
Missouri. The records include the minutes of annual meetings, proceedings of the Board of
Directors, teachers' contracts, financial records, and enumeration of taxpayers and children in the
district.

These are the account books of a farmer at Springfield in Greene County, Missouri. The books
include itemized accounts of income and expenditure from 1 January through 1 May 1924, and
estimated budgets for May 1924--February 1925. Record categories include poultry, garden and
fruit, improvements, vehicles, and personal expenses.

This is an account book of a general store at Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri, thought to have
been operated by John B. Dale. The records include accounts due the firm by various individuals,
and also accounts payable to wholesale companies and suppliers. The volume is indexed.

The Citizens State Bank of Vichy Records are photocopies of the minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors and shareholders of the Citizens State Bank of Vichy in Maries County, Missouri.

The Walter V. Reeder Papers are photocopies and typescripts of Civil War letters of Walter V. Reeder, 36th Illinois Infantry, written from Rolla in Phelps County, Missouri, October 2 through November 6, 1861.

These are records of various lodges of the Daughters of Rebekah in Jasper County, Missouri.
The collection includes minute books, membership registers, and rolls of officers for eight different
lodges in Alba, Asbury, Carl Junction, Carterville, Neck City, Oronogo, and Webb City.

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.

These are docket books, marriage records, and stray books, mostly for Marion Township, the collector's forfeiture list, and the clerk's letterpress book for Jasper County, Missouri. The collection is also available on microfilm.

The South-West Railroad Records are notes, maps, and draft of a pamphlet concerning construction of a railroad from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Lewisville in Lafayette County, Arkansas.

The Mabel Cogswell Papers is a typescript of the diary of Mabel Cogswell, a young woman whose father was su­per­intendent of the Hazard mining property at Mine La Motte in Madison County, Missouri. 

The Modern Woodmen of America, Norman, Missouri Records consist of the record book for the Modern Woodmen camp at Norman in Phelps County, Mis­souri. Included are minutes of meetings, membership records, assessments, and accounts of the benefit and cash funds.

The Southwest Bethel Association of Missionary Baptists Records are photocopied minutes of three annual meetings of the Southwest Bethel Association of Missionary Baptists, which was composed of churches in Christian, Stone, and Taney counties in Missouri.

These are letterbooks of outgoing correspondence maintained by Harry Adelbert Guess, general
manager of the Federal Lead Company's mine and mill at Flat River in St. Francois County,
Missouri. Topics include production, exploration, shipping, labor relations, and environmental pollution.

The Robert S. Wiley Collection consists of legal documents, publications, promotional material, and ephemera related to Missouri, specifically Stone County, and to travel, tourism and recreation in the White River region of Missouri and Arkansas. The collection also contains material largely focused on Missouri State Representative Dewey Short and the Republican Party.

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.

These are the Civil War papers of Clark Wright, a resident of Polk County, Missouri, and a Union
cavalry officer. The collection includes an order to Wright from John M. Schofield, letters from
St. Louis and Rolla to his wife, Sarah Jane Wright, newspaper clippings, rosters of the field and staff
officers of the 6th Missouri Cavalry, and a list of signs and countersigns for the post at Lebanon,
Missouri.

The Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, Missouri Collection consists of photocopied records and programs for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, Benton County, Missouri.

The Saint John’s Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, Missouri Collection contains photocopies of programs for a new church building and two anniversary celebrations.

The United Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, Missouri Collection contains photocopies of the Easter Cantata, church directory, and fiftieth anniversary pro­gram of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, Benton County, Mis­souri.

The Gilbert F. Esser Papers are booklets by Gilbert F. Esser, containing descriptions of the people, businesses, and buildings of Cole Camp in Benton County, Missouri.

The Cole Camp High School Collection contains photocopies of programs for commencements and homecoming reunions of the Cole Camp High School in Benton County, Missouri.

The Trinity Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, Missouri Records are the constitution and bylaws from 1946 and an illustrated roster of the members of Trinity Lutheran Church dated 1972 at Cole Camp in Benton County, Missouri. 

This is a collection of miscellaneous material pertaining to Cole Camp in Benton County, Missouri. Included are a program celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Cole Camp Municipal Band, a souvenir booklet produced for the Cole Camp Centennial, and black and white negatives of scenes in Cole Camp.

This is a daybook from a general store operated by Milton Pleasant Cayce and family at Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri. Entries begin April 21, 1873 and continue through April 17, 1874.

These are letters describing the campaign against New Madrid and Island No. 10, written by a Union cavalryman in the 3rd Michigan Cavalry. Eldred described the damage to the town of New Madrid and operations against Island No. 10, and reported shortages of rations and an outbreak of smallpox in camp.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Canton Lincoln No. 17 Records is the minute book of the Odd Fellows (Patriarchs Militant) lodge in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, covering the years 1895 through 1905.

These are the papers of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 314 at Carterville in Jasper County, Missouri.
Included are business papers concerning the Carterville Lodge, and correspondence from
individual members, the Jasper County IOOF Association, the Grand Lodge of Missouri, and
conclaves at Kansas City and Butler, Missouri, and Pittsburg, Kansas.

The Daughters of Rebekah, Daisy Lodge No. 329 Records are the records of Daisy Lodge No. 329 at Chitwood, Jasper County, Missouri ranging from 1903 through 1931.

The Daughters of Rebekah, East Town Lodge No. 342 Records are the microfilmed records of the East Town Lodge No. 342, Daughters of Rebekah, in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, covering the years 1903 through 1930.

The Daughters of Rebekah, Duenweg Lodge No. 266 Records are microfilmed minutes of meetings of the Daughters of Rebekah Lodge No. 266 at Duenweg, Jasper County, Missouri, from December 1932 through May 1963.

The Daughters of Rebekah, Webb City Lodge No. 106 Records are applications for membership and transfer certificates from the Daughters of Rebekah Lodge No. 106 in Webb City, Jasper County, Missouri, as well as a smaller group of similar documents of the Carl Junction Lodge No. 253 during the 1940s after the two lodges merged.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Beta Phi Theta Rho Girls’ Club No. 10 Records is the microfilmed minute book of the Beta Phi Theta Rho Girls’ Club at Joplin in Jasper County, Missouri, spanning January 1946 through December 1950.

These are sets of monthly statistical reports prepared by officers of the Federal Lead Company's mines and mill at Flat River in St. Francois County, Missouri. Included are balance sheets, production data, power consumption figures, and other information concerning the company's operations.

The St. Joseph Lead Company Business Summary Records are monthly business summaries for St. Joseph Lead Company & Subsidiaries, from January 1917 through September 1919.

These are records from the files of Division Manager Elmer A. Jones. Included are development
and production reports, summaries of operations, and administrative materials for a major
lead-producing firm in Missouri. There is also material concerning the Bonne Terre Hospital Association
and the National Research Council's Committee on Rapid Excavation.

This collection consists of two corporate minute books (1873-1903 and 1903-1913) and miscellaneous
correspondence (1920-1924) of the Lawrence County Bank in Peirce (now Pierce)
City in Lawrence County, Missouri. The bank was, for the most part, owned and managed by
Lewis L. L. Allen and his son, L. L. Allen.

The Peirce City Guards Records consist of photocopies of a “Secretary’s Record” and miscellaneous papers of the Peirce City Guards, a local company of state militia at Peirce City (now Pierce City) in Lawrence County, Missouri. Included are minutes of meetings and some membership data.

The Christ Lutheran Church, Stover, Missouri Records are records of Christ Lutheran Church at Stover in Morgan County, Missouri. Included are minutes of meetings of the church council, membership registers, records of the Ladies Aid Society, financial records, and historical material.

These are records of St. John's Lutheran Church at Boeschenville in Benton County, Missouri.
Included are the constitution, by-laws, registers of members, lists of births, baptisms, communicants,
and deaths, and minutes of meetings, 1912-1941. Most of the records are in German.

The Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Morgan County, Missouri Records are records of Bethlehem Lutheran (“Nolting”) Church in Morgan County, Missouri.

The Franklin Spilman Denny Papers contain photocopies and typescripts of family correspondence, a Civil War diary, and military service and pension records of Franklin Spilman Denny of Company C, 1st Missouri Cavalry.

These are reports, maps, and other papers written and collected by Edward Dale Lynton, a mining engineer and geologist. They deal mostly with petroleum exploration in the United States, although there are also data concerning mineral exploration and exploitation in North Africa, South America, and Europe. Lynton was an early proponent of magnetometry in the search for mineral deposits, and these papers include results of tests in California, Texas, Wyoming, and Venezuela.

The Webb City Chamber of Commerce Records are minutes of meetings of the Webb City Chamber of Commerce, Jasper County, Missouri, for the years 1920 and 1924.

The Webb City Community Chest Records are records of contributions, minutes of meetings, and miscellaneous papers of the Webb City Community Chest in Webb City, Jasper County, Missouri.

These are published minutes of the annual sessions of the Southwest Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Included are membership rolls and assignments, minutes, reports, obituaries, and statistics.

These are published minutes of annual sessions of the St. Louis Annual Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, for the years 1911, 1938, and 1939. The volume for 1939 includes minutes of the
first session of the Conference as part of the unified Methodist Church. Included are membership rolls and
assignments, minutes, reports, obituaries, and statistics.

These are published minutes of annual sessions of the St. Louis Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Included are membership rolls and pastoral assignments, minutes, reports,
obituaries, and statistics.

These are published minutes of sessions of the Southwest Missouri Annual Conference of the Methodist Church. Included are membership rolls and pastoral assignments, minutes, reports, obituaries, and statistics.

These are minute books of the Daughters of Rebekah Zinc Lodge No. 369 at Joplin in Jasper
County, Missouri. The records begin with the organizational meeting, and continue through 10
December 1987. Routine business included the acceptance and initiation of new members, installation
of officers, and planning for special events.

These are the minute books of the Daughters of Rebekah lodge at Blendville in Jasper
County, Missouri. The minutes begin with the organizational meeting on 28 May 1901 and
continue through 24 June 1986. Regular business included the initiation of members, work on the
various degrees of the order, and planning for assemblies and social functions with other Rebekah
and Odd Fellows lodges.

These are the minute books and membership registers of Daughters of Rebekah Lodge No.
97 at Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. Lodge records begin with the organizational meeting of 7
April1892 and continue through 1986. The collection also includes annual reports to the state assembly,
1904-1940.

The Daughters of Rebekah, Rebekah Homemakers’ Club, Webb City, Missouri Records are photocopies of minutes of meetings and membership records of the Rebekah Homemaker’s Club at Webb City, Missouri.

The Daughters of Rebekah, Past Noble Grand Club, Joplin, Missouri Records contain the record book of the Past Noble Grand Club at Joplin in Jasper County, Missouri. The club consisted of past leaders of the various lodges of the Daughters of Rebekah in Jasper County.

The Daughters of the American Revolution, Joplin Chapter Records are the secretary’s record books of the Daughters of the American Revolution chapter in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.

The John Smith Phelps Receipt is a receipt given by John S. Phelps at Ozark, Christian County, Missouri, to Jesse Jennings, administrator of the estate of George Yocum.

The Gasconade Writers’ Guild Collection contains a one-volume anthology of poems by members of the Gasconade Writers’ Guild.

The Mary Adalaide Henninger Papers consist of a pamphlet containing poems by Mary Adalaide Henninger, a resident of Rolla in Phelps County, Missouri. The pamphlet was published posthumously by her daughter, Edith Henninger Hess.

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.

The George Bradley Papers consist of a photocopied letter from Little Rock, Arkansas, dated April 13, 1863, by Confederate soldier George W. Bradley from Phelps County, Missouri. In his correspondence, Bradley comments on camp life, changes in command of the army, fellow soldiers from Phelps County, and the course of the war in Arkansas.

The Robert Washington Fyan Papers collection includes photocopies of a personal letter and military papers of Robert W. Fyan, an officer in the 24th Missouri Infantry from Webster County, Missouri.

The Hurse Smith Papers are photocopies of the scrapbook of Hurse Smith, a member of Company 1733 of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The scrapbook includes the names of members of the company, a record of service, and photographs of the camps and members of the company.

The Rocky Point Baptist Church, Ripley County, Missouri Records are the record books and miscellaneous papers of Rocky Point Baptist Church in western Ripley County, Missouri.

The First United Methodist Church, Rolla, Missouri Records are historical records of the First United Methodist Church of Rolla, Missouri. Included in the records are a general history of the church, membership rolls and vital records, and records of the Official Board and Quarterly Conferences.

This is a printed program for a "Springtime Pageant" performed by the First and Second Grades of the Salem Public School, Salem, Missouri, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, on April 29, 1921.

This is a copy of a Civil War photograph of Stephen S. Drake of Company H of the 2nd Missouri Cavalry ""Merrill's Horse"". There is also a biographical sketch provided by the donor.

These are record books of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Webb City in Jasper County, Missouri. They include minutes of meetings for 1951-1954 and 1969-1984, the club's constitution, and by-laws.

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.

The M. E. Gillioz Collection contains printed material and newspaper clippings concerning the life and career of M. E. Gillioz, a construction contractor and businessman from Monett, Barry County, Missouri.

The Saint James Public School Photograph Collection consists of a photograph of a class in front of the public school building at Saint James, Phelps County, Missouri taken in 1905.

This is a copy photograph of a class group in front of Blooming Rose School in Phelps County, Missouri, November 29, 1916.

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.

The Abner Blize Papers consist of an agreement between Abner Blize and Nathaniel Bacon of St. Louis County, Missouri, regarding the control of the bondage of Charles, an enslaved person in the estate of John Bacon.

The Giesler and Spurgeon Families Papers consists of photocopies of correspondence, receipts of organizational dues, legal records, and genealogical records from the Giesler and Spurgeon families from the High Gate community in Maries County, Missouri. Much of the correspondence is addressed to John A. Giesler, concerning family, friends and events in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri.

The Clayton Abbott Collection contains research materials on Cedar County, Missouri, compiled by local Stockton historian and author Clayton Abbott. The material includes newspaper clippings, transcripts of letters and documents, and drafts of Abbott’s writings.

The John Harvey Doran Papers collection is the journal of John Harvey Doran, a carpenter and builder at Springfield, Missouri. The brief entries in his journal concern his business activities, news of family and friends, and events around Springfield from August 13, 1864, to September 24, 1865.

The Allen Mitchell Records consist of an account book kept by Allen Mitchell, a contractor and builder at Springfield in Greene County, Missouri. The entries record expenses and the time worked by stonemasons and laborers on construction projects.

The Springfield Mill Company Records consist of an account ledger for the Springfield Mill Company, owned and operated by Allen Mitchell and J. W. Caynor in Springfield, Missouri.

The Harrison School, Phelps County, Missouri Records are records of Harrison School in northeastern Phelps County, Missouri, and they include annual meeting minutes, a warrant register, teachers’ registers, and teachers’ reports to the county superintendent.

This is the scrapbook of Reba Staggs of Newburg, Phelps County, Missouri. The scrapbook includes newspaper clippings, photographs, programs for theatrical productions and other events, and miscellaneous materials concerning Newburg High School, and Drury College in Springfield, Missouri.

These are photographs copied from Volumes 1-9 of the scrapbook collection at the Old Jail Museum at Vienna, Missouri. They feature significant locations, buildings, events, and individuals, mostly in Maries County, Missouri. Many of the views are of Vienna, but there are also photographs of Belle, Paydown, Safe, Summerfield, Vichy, the Gasconade River, St. James in Phelps County, Meta in Osage County, and Dixon in Pulaski County.

This is the journal of a mercantile firm operated by J. S. Leavitt and John Kay at Houston in Texas County, Missouri. The entries begin on 7 April 1875 with a memorandum of partnership, and continue through 14 August 1875 when the partnership was dissolved.

These are the clerk's records of District No. 42, known as Brown Hill School, in Texas County, Missouri. The records include minutes of annual, special, and board meetings, annual enumeration of students and lists of taxpayers, warrants issued, teachers' contracts and monthly reports, and the district clerk's reports to the county.

This collection consists of speeches and other historical information on the Hogeye School at Lowndes in Wayne County, Missouri. The information was compiled by C. F. Hopkins and Mrs. Lillie Gray Shoemaker for presentation at school reunions in 1947 and 1948.

This is a brief historical sketch of the community of Rockview in Scott County, Missouri. The sketch includes information on individuals, businesses, and buildings in the community.

This is a road map of Missouri and calendar published for the Atlasta Service Station on Route 66 in St. James, Phelps Co., Mo. The front features a photograph of the Atlasta station, a highway map of Missouri, and fragments of a calendar for 1934-1935. The reverse bears an "Aeronautical and topographical Map of the United States," and census data for the state of Missouri.

This is a miute book of the Bank of Buffalo at Buffalo city in Dallas County, Mo. Included are minutes of annual meetings of the stock holders and regular meetings of the board of directors.

The collection consists of 4 volumes; a single guest register dating from the hotel's opening, a combination 'cash and ledger' volume documenting daily expenses and income of the hotel as well as the expenses of a wholesale merchandise operation in 1947-1948, and two expnese ledgers showing operating costs ie meals, laundry, grieght, fuel oil, utilities, taxes, advertising, and labor.

These are the records of the district clerks and the teachers of Fairview School, a rural school near Rolla in Phelps Co., Missouri. The records include minutes of meetings, annual enumeration of students, reports to the county superintendent, financial records, and teachers' reports.

This district clerk's record book for School District No. 2 (Big Bridge School), located west of Rolla in Phelps County, Missouri. Included are minutes of annual meetings of the district and the board of directors, teachers' contracts, estimates of expense, records of warrants, and enumeration of tax payers and students.

This is a brief account by Alonzo Prather (of Indiana/Missouri) regarding his enlistment in the 6th indiana Infantry at the beginnin g of the Civil War. Accompanying the memoir is a photograph of Prather as a lieutenant.

These are the minutes of the annual meetings of the Bethel United Baptist Association of southeaster Missouri, beginning with the organizational meeting in 1816. The Association consists of chruches in Crawford, Iron, Madison, St. Francois , and Wayne counties.

These are minutes of the annual meetings of the Central Missouri Association of United Baptists, beginning with the organizational meeting in 1859. The Association consists of churches in southeastern Missouri, primarily in the counties of Dent, Iron, Reynolds, and Washington.

The W.W. Handy Papers contain a pamphlet titled, "United Baptist Churches: Who Are They?" written by Elder W.W. Handy of Piedmont, Missouri, in 1973.