Springfield Manuscript Collections

The William W. James Sheet Music Collection contains sheet music created by Springfield, Missouri, composer William W. James. The collection also contains copyright agreements between James and music publishers.

Valuation for three people enslaved by Richard Nowlin of Ray County, Missouri.

The James E. Mueller Collection contains personal and professional photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Joplin, Missouri, photographer James Evans Mueller. The collection also includes Mueller’s personal papers.

The Wesley Bates Wasson Ledgers consist of four volumes that belonged to Dr. Wesley “W. B.” Bates Wasson of southwest Missouri. The ledgers contain his patient’s accounts, including names, dates, locations, services provided, and corresponding fees. The counties represented are Barry, Christian, Greene, Lawrence, and Stone.

The Springfield Wagon Company Time Book contains names, hours worked, and wages paid to employees of the Springfield Wagon Company in Springfield, Missouri, from October 6, 1888, to December 12, 1891. The time book also records contract works such as woodworking, painting, and blacksmithing.

The Taney County, Missouri, Treasurer Ledgers consist of four ledgers documenting county revenue funds and tax levies from 1888 to 1907. The ledgers also include Taney County resident names, property location and assessments, and funds paid.

The Evelyn Milligan Jones Papers consist of the personal and professional papers of Joplin, Missouri, native Evelyn Milligan Jones. The collection also contains photographs, diaries, and manuscript drafts of Milligan Jones’ book Tales of Joplin: Short and Tall.

The Kenneth V. Fast Papers contain the personal papers, correspondence, and photographs of Kenneth Vernon Fast of Marionville, Missouri, while serving in the United States Army during the second World War.

The Janice J. Lee Collection contains publications related to the radio and entertainment industry in Springfield, Missouri, 35mm slides of Historic Route 66, and oral history interviews from St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad Company employees. The collection also includes audio recordings of the Goodwill Family, Slim Pickins Wilson & Band, and the Old Chuck Wagon Gang.

The Robinson Family Papers contains correspondence, photographs, and personal papers belonging to the Robinson family of Missouri and Indiana. The collection also contains land deeds from Taney County, Missouri.

The Greene County, Missouri School District Records contain three volumes documenting various records of the district from 1874 to 1898, including the minutes of the School Directors, District Clerks, and annual school meetings, teacher reports and contracts, laws and regulations, annual enumeration of students enrolled, and financial records.

The Good Hope Church, Webster County, Missouri Records contains a volume of the church’s records, including membership lists, the articles of faith, rules of decorum, meeting minutes of the church leaders, and letters of fellowship and good standing. This collection also includes handwritten notes and transcriptions completed on the volume.

The U.S. Post Office, Battlefield, Missouri Money Order Registers contains the money order registers for the U.S. Post Office of Battlefield, Missouri, including the date of issue of the money order, names of the remitter and payee, the post office drawn upon, and the amount paid.

The Carpenter Family Collection contains personal papers, photographs, and records of the Carpenter family, as well as related families including the O’Bryant and Hood families of Greene County, Missouri. The collection also contains early images of Greene County, Missouri, North Powder, Oregon, and California towns and landscapes. 

The Joseph Rasmussen Collection contains postcards, travel guides, and highway maps of Missouri.

The Gaulding and Harris Families Collection contains family photographs, correspondence, newspaper articles, and obituaries of the Gaulding and Harris families, as well as related families of Cedar, Dent, and Douglas counties of Missouri. 

This collection contains yearbooks, membership applications, and transfer requests for admittance to Chapter No. 625 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Springfield, Missouri.

The Gennie Summers Collection contains the illustrations of Gennie Summers in various science fiction fanzines from 1979 to 1997, predominately depicting characters of the Star Trek franchise.

This collection contains three original photographs of Freistatt, Missouri, businesses including Biermann General Store, Freistatt Creamery, and Schoen Hotel.

The Edgar Lee Sliffe Papers contains the personal papers of Edgar Lee Sliffe and related families, including correspondence, genealogical records, land documents, publications, and photographs. This collection also includes World War I panoramic photographs, as well as photo albums documenting World War II and families from Bates and Cass counties of Missouri.

This collection contains business records, photographs, publications, and ephemera related to Campbell 66 Express, Inc., a transportation company which operated 46 terminals across 19 states, including Missouri, from 1933 to 1986. The collection also includes the personal papers of Bruce Crim, former employee of Campbell 66 Express, Inc.

The James B. Tatum Papers contain the personal papers of James Bernard Tatum, an Anderson, Missouri, native and founder of Crowder College. The collection also includes materials related to McDonald County history, Crowder College, and servant-leadership theory.

The Southwest Missouri Church Records is an artificial collection combining acquisitions related to various churches and individuals, focusing on church records such as record books, minutes, marriage records, and church histories. The collection features the counties of Barry, Christian, Greene, Newton, Ozark, and Webster.

The Barnes Family Photograph Collection contains five photographs of the Barnes family of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.

The Duewel Family Collection contains five photographs and a historical sketch of the Duewel family of Truxton, Lincoln County, Missouri.

The Marion C. Wollard Papers contains the personal papers of Marion Conway “Connie” Wollard, including livestock records, Polk County, Missouri taxpayers list, education and farming manuals, and newspaper articles.

The Fenton Family Correspondence contains a letter from Jeremiah B. Fenton to his mother, Nancy Jane Fenton, while he was serving in France during World War I. The letter, dated 1918, details his life at camp and his work during the war. This collection also includes one unidentified photograph of two men.

The D. D. Howard Papers contains the White River Leader newspaper story of Daniel Douglas “D. D.” Howard from January 2, 1914, which recounts his time as a boy throughout the 1870s in Taney County, Missouri. It also contains undated papers, including a statement of account from Marionville, Missouri and journal entries detailing a trip through Lincoln, Nebraska and up into Spokane, Washington.

The Murphy Family Papers contain materials related to the Murphy family of Greene County, Missouri, including genealogical research and photocopies of the family scrapbook.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, Springfield, Missouri, Chapter No. 294 Records collection contains the membership applications and medical examination forms of Chapter No. 294 of the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Springfield, Missouri.

The Preacher Family Photograph Collection includes family photographs collected and owned by Isabel Martin Preacher. The photographs are dated from 1889 to 1954, and the family names include Grant, Martin, Preacher, Rivers, and Roth. The collection also includes unidentified family photographs taken at photography studios in Christian, Greene, Jasper, and Lawrence counties of Missouri.

The Blair Family Genealogy Collection contains genealogical research, photographs, and family papers related to the Blair family of Fair Grove, Greene County, Missouri. Related families include Allen, Fowler, Goff, Masters, Smith, Snider, Ussery, and Wommack

The Compton Family Papers contains the personal papers of the Compton family of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, including World War II correspondence, the military papers of George Aubrey Compton, and Bush Compton’s AARP/NRTA sponsored trip guidebook and travel journal.

The Lee William Gibson Papers contains the World War II correspondence of the Gibson and Tracy families of Stafford, Missouri, which were sent to Private Lee William Gibson by his wife, sister, and in-laws from July 22 to August 10, 1945. The collection also includes one letter, dated August 24, 1945, sent from Fred Lee Tracy to his sister Betty Jo Tracy Gill.

The Dudenville Christian Endeavor Society Minute Book contains the records of the Christian Endeavor Society of Dudenville, Missouri, from January 3, 1915, to March 10, 1918. The book includes an index of active members and church leaders, as well as the minutes of the society’s weekly meetings.

The Henry M. Jones Papers contain the personal papers, photographs, and memoir of Henry M. Jones. The memoir, written between 1914 and 1915, details his life during the Civil War, enlistment in the 10th Missouri Cavalry, capture, and imprisonment at Cahaba Prison. There are also papers and photographs related to his job with the St. Louis Police Department.

The Roseann Bentley Papers contain the personal and professional papers of Roseann Bentley, Missouri State Senator from 1995 to 2003, and Greene County, Missouri, Commissioner from 2004 to 2016. The collection also includes records related to her work on the Springfield, Missouri, School Board, the Missouri State Board of Education, the National School Boards Association, and the National Association of State Boards of Education. The collection consists of administration files, campaign materials, Congressional research files, legislation records, audiovisual materials, correspondence, newspaper articles, and photographs.

The Fleta Ryder Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Fleta Isabella Harrell Ryder, including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and manuscripts. The materials date from 1789 to 1988 and include the Ryder, Cadle, Caldwell, Caudill, Harrell, Holland, Merrill, Lea, Mauldin, and Trammell families of the Missouri Ozarks. 

The Wilma Day Munsell Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Wilma Day Mills Munsell, including surname files, family histories, and generation charts. The materials date from 1883 to 1983 and relate to families throughout Greene County, Missouri. 

The Elsie L. Doke Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Elsie L. Woods Doke, including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspapers. The materials date from 1770 to 1988 and relate to families throughout the Ozarks of both Elsie’s lineage and the lineage of her husband, Galen Doke. 

The William K. Hall Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Dr. William Kearney Hall including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspaper articles. The materials are dated from 1865 to 1988 and relate to families throughout the Ozarks.

The James E. Lowry Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by James Edgar Lowry, including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspaper articles. The materials date from 1847 to 1991 and include the Lowry, Peck, Ryan, Scroggins, and Tuck families of the Missouri Ozarks.

The David A. Scroggins, Sr., Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by David Andrew Scroggins, Sr., including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and manuscripts. The materials are dated from 1930 to 1984 and include the Scroggins, Euliss, Pratt, and Atwood families of Greene and Polk counties in Missouri.

The Marie C. Nicholson Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Marie Cornelia Nicholson, including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspaper articles. The materials are dated from 1783 to 1995 and include the Nicholson, Middleton, Quinn, and Shea families of Greene, Laclede, and Lawrence counties.

The Marjorie Gilbreath Ryckman Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Marjorie Gilbreath Ryckman including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspaper articles. The materials are dated from 1884 to 2000 and include the Andrews, Gilbreath, Hightshoe, and Sutton families of Dallas, Greene, Hickory, and Lawrence counties.

The Evelyn T. Rahn Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Evelyn T. Rahn including surname files, family histories, and charts. The materials relate to the Crumpley, Kelso, and Torbett families of the Missouri Ozarks.

The Beda Jacobson Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Beda Pauline Jacobson including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspaper articles. The materials are dated from 1929 to 1993 and include the Brown and Jacobson families of Greene County, Missouri.

The Constance Rudder Rogers Papers contain genealogical research created and compiled by Constance Annabelle Rudder Rogers, including surname files, correspondence, family histories and charts, and newspapers. The materials date from 1774 to 1997 and relate to families throughout the Ozarks of both Constance’s lineage and the lineage of her husband, Dr. William L. Douglas Rogers.