Folklore and Folklife
A
John Agnew Collection, no date (CA4999)
0.2 cubic feet, 8 audio cassettes
Audio cassettes of folk music of Missouri, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Features the fiddle along with other string instruments. Also includes sheet music of American and Irish folk music.
James Lane Allen Papers, 1886 (C2696)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
The papers of James Lane Allen contain a manuscript describing Mrs. Stowe's "Uncle Tom" at home in Kentucky. Also included is a letter to R.W. Gilder, editor of CENTURY MAGAZINE, concerning the manuscript, and a copy of the CENTURY MAGAZINE, October 1887, containing the article.
Subjects
American Dialect Society Proverb Collection, no date (CA5248)
34 cubic feet
Field research materials for a Dictionary of American Proverbs compiled under the directorship of Margaret Bryant. Includes materials from most of the United States and several Canadian provinces.
Lisbon Applegate Collection, 1819-1903 (C0996)
2 cubic feet, 18 volumes
Correspondence and business papers of Lisbon and Lewis M. Applegate of Keytesville, MO. Letters from George W. Applegate in California, 1848-1873, describing prospects for ranching, gold mining, and wine-making ventures; politics; and impact of Civil War and abolitionists. Civil War in Missouri; politics in Missouri and Chariton County; economic conditions and opportunities in Chariton County.
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B
Bass Family Papers, 1864-1932 (C2367)
0.06 cubic feet (3 folders)
Notebook and miscellaneous papers concerning music, recipes, home remedies, medical care, school reports, accounts and business of Sallie F. Ellis [Mrs. Lawrence Derby Bass, Sr.], L. Derby Bass, Jr., and Ella Read Bass of Boone County, MO.
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Bass-Ellis Family Papers, 1867-1902 (C2241)
0.2 cubic feet (8 folders)
Correspondence and business papers of Lawrence Derby Bass and Abraham E. Ellis of Boone County, Missouri.
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Benecke Family Papers, 1816-1989 (C3825)
90.8 cubic feet (7592 folders, 62 volumes, 413 glass plate negatives), 4 audio tapes, 5 audio discs
Correspondence, business and law firm records, civic, political, legislative, and personal papers of a German American family of Brunswick, Missouri.
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Bethel Community (Shelby County, Mo.) Song Books, 1859-1863, n.d. (C3876)
0.15 cubic feet (2 folders), 1 roll of microfilm
Four song books containing only the words of German songs, including folk songs and hymns (two are published and two are handwritten).
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John and Jacob Bingham Papers, 1822-1884 (C2715)
0.08 cubic feet (4 folders)
Mostly correspondence of Bingham family of Virginia and Missouri; scant mention of contemporary news. A few miscellaneous papers connected with estates, wills, and property.
Boonville Turn and Gesang Verein Papers, 1852-1925 (C0880)
1.2 cubic feet (1 folder, 11 volumes)
Constitution and by-laws, deed, rules for use of meeting hall, reports of secretary, receipts for dues, and application for membership of a German social organization in Boonville, Missouri. Minutes, roster of members, and account books. Written in German until 1902.
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Bootheel Project Records, 1993-1997 (C3928)
3.2 cubic feet (122 folders), 157 audio cassettes, 9 audio discs, 2 video cassettes
The records of the Bootheel Project document the art, culture, and heritage of the Missouri Bootheel. The records include photographs, color slides, audio cassettes, transcripts, and video cassettes of interviews with Bootheel residents. Sound recordings, planning documents, field workers’ notes, and miscellaneous items collected throughout the project are also included.
Pierre A. Boyer Collection, 1942-1992 (C4349)
2.6 cubic feet (125 folders), 3 audio cassettes
Collected papers of a Missouri storyteller and musician. Includes publicity, performance information, biographical materials, research files, newspaper clippings, flyers, announcements, photographs, and an interview with Boyer on three audiocassettes.
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Ralph Warren Burnham (Ipswich, Mass.) Hooked Rug Patterns, no date (C3759)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
The collection contains an undated illustrated booklet of patterns for making hooked rugs.
Subjects
C
Loman D. and Laura M. Cansler Collection, 1820-2005 (C4018)
10.5 cubic feet (223 folders), 203 audio tapes, 41 audio cassettes, 35 audio discs, 2 video cassettes
The Loman and Laura Cansler Collection represents a lifetime of collecting on Missouri’s folk song and folklore tradition. Cansler recorded and collected folk songs, proverbs, jokes, and home remedies, primarily in Missouri, but also in Kansas and Illinois. In addition to this large body of folk song and folklore material, the collection includes information on Cansler’s early life in Dallas County, Missouri, his WWII service, and his career as a school counselor at the Fayette and North Kansas City High Schools. The collection also includes slides and prints of Laura Cansler’s abstract expressionist artwork.
B.F. Carney Papers, 1933-1937 (C0240)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Composition, "The Ozark Fiddler," and two promissory notes.
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John A.J. Chapman Records, 1845-1863 (C2987)
1 roll of microfilm
Account book and ledger for mining and smelting operations at Rose Camp and for mercantile operations at Independence, Wayne City, and St. Joseph, MO. Memoranda of personal accounts, medical remedies and farming; surveys; plats; and maps. Notes about the Civil War and jayhawking on the Missouri-Kansas border.
Robert P. Christeson Collection, 1841-1995 (C3971)
36.0 cubic feet (887 folders), 1387 audio discs, 135 audio tapes, 152 audio cassettes, 112 wire recordings, 3 film reels
The Christeson Collection contains sheet music, song books, and other publications related to square dancing and folk dances, publications on the history of violins and fiddles, catalogs of instruments and musical recordings, correspondence, photographs and family papers, fiddle organization newsletters, fiddle contest flyers and folk festival information, and the working papers of volumes I and II of The Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory. In addition, this collection contains Christeson's original wire recordings, audio tapes, and audio discs of fiddle tunes, jam sessions, fiddle contests, and other folk genres.
Champ and Bennett Champ Clark Papers, 1853-1873 (C0666)
25 cubic feet (1442 folders, 25 volumes, 4 oversize volumes)
Political and personal papers of a Democratic U.S. congressman from Missouri, 1893-1895, and 1897-1921, and his son, a Democratic U.S. senator from Missouri, 1933-1945. Also includes materials of other family members. Collection contains correspondence, financial and legal documents, journals, photographs, speeches and writings, and clippings and scrapbooks.
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Clay County Savings Association (Liberty, Mo.) Robbery Description, 1866 (C0693)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Description of robbery, supposedly committed by Jesse James, February 13, 1866, including amounts stolen.
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Gladys Coggswell Papers, 1990s-2000s (CA6083)
2.3 cubic feet, 52 audio cassettes, 21 video cassettes, 5 CDs
The papers of storyteller, educator, folklorist, and singer Gladys Coggswell of Frankford, Missouri, include correspondence, miscellaneous personal papers, newspaper clippings, photographs, folklore stories and other professional materials, and audio and video recordings of Coggswell performances.
Colman-Hayter Family Papers, 1839-1900 (C0084)
0.2 cubic feet
Correspondence and miscellaneous material of a northwest Missouri family. Includes letters from family members while in the Mexican War, in Oregon, traveling down the Mississippi River, and serving in the Confederate Army.
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Concordia Project Records, 1990s (CA6099)
0.6 cubic feet
Color photographs and negatives of textiles produced by Missouri artisans for the Concordia Project. Includes crochet and tatting, cut work and embroidery, quilts and quilting, rag rugs, and weaving. Also includes miscellaneous files and audio cassette interviews.
Subjects
Conley-Miller Family Papers, 1792-1977, 1983 (C3693)
5.4 cubic feet (324 folders, 6 oversize volumes)
Correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, account books, ledgers, financial and personal records, genealogical materials, photographs, and miscellaneous material of the Conley and Miller family of Boone County, Missouri.
Subjects
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Thomas W. Conyers Papers, 1817-1903 (C0755)
0.2 cubic feet, 1 oversize volume
Papers of a Monroe County, MO, landowner, merchant, soldier, and politician. Included are diaries, an account book, genealogical materials on the Conyers family, and miscellany regarding the daily activities of the Conyers family and their slaves. Particular emphasis is given to everyday farming operations and accounts.
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Corder-Thomas Family Papers, 1867-1961 (C3697)
11 rolls of microfilm (9 folders, 56 volumes), 1 oversize item
The Corder-Thomas Family Papers consist of the diaries of Leslie Walker Corder, a Waverly, Missouri, farmer and civic leader; his wife Nellie Perry Buck Corder; and her aunt Susan Buck Cooper Thomas. The diaries contain routine entries about life in Waverly; weather statistics; farm and rental accounts; expense records; genealogies; and comments on building roads and railroads. The papers also include family letters, news clippings, and miscellaneous items.
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Crede Family Papers, 1818-1939 (C3065)
1.6 cubic feet (93 folders, 8 volumes), 2 oversize volumes; also available on 4 rolls of microfilm
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.
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CrossCurrents Culture Unlimited Records, 1980-2009 (K0544)
10 c.f.
Organizational records and sound recordings of a not-for-profit which produces concerts, plays and community events.
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Henry C. Culp Diary, 1874-1879 (C3736)
0.08 cubic feet (4 folders)
The collection contains a copy of a diary of a West Virginia man who came to Missouri with his family in the 1870s and settled in Webster and then Pettis Counties. The diary is primarily an account of Culp's travels from West Virginia to Missouri and Kansas, with some record of daily events over a span of five years. Also included are financial accounts, prices for food and supplies, family history, some home remedies, and three hand-drawn maps of a small section of Webster County.
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D
Julia Ann Dearing Letter, 1839 (C0494)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
To James Jones, High Hill, Missouri, from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, September 19, 1839. Letter to her father describing river travel on a wedding trip on the Mississippi.
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Anna Dierssen Papers, 1907-1965 (C3399)
0.12 cubic feet (6 volumes)
Diaries of student days at the University of Missouri, 1907-1908, and as a member of the Wednesday Club, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1911-1918; journal of a trip to a family reunion in West Virginia, 1961; two collections of poetry; and novelette about life in Illinois and Missouri in the 19th century.
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John Dougherty Letter Book, 1826-1829 (C2292)
0.1 cubic feet (1 volume), 1 roll of microfilm
The Dougherty letter book contains letters from Dougherty, fur trader, interpreter, and Upper Missouri Indian agent, to William Clark, superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis, various U.S. Army officers, Indian agents, interpreters and fur traders, U.S. War and Treasury Department officials, Missouri politicians, and private citizens.
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Draper-McClurg Family Papers, 1838-2009 (C3069)
5.2 cubic feet (199 folders), 5 rolls of microfilm, 24.6 MB of digital files
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.
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E
"Early Times," E.E. Bryant, 1961 (C2719)
0.04 cubic feet (2 folders)
A personal reminiscence and historical anecdotes collected by author since 1895, dealing with Mississippi County and Charleston, MO.
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El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Collection, no date (R1061)
(1 folder)
These are two promotional pamphlets for El Dorado Springs in Cedar County, Missouri. Included are descriptions of the town and its medicinal springs, with chemical analyses of the waters. The pamphlets are undated, but appear to be from the 1920s.
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Patricia Shively Elmore Papers, 1878-2015 (CG0013)
2.4 c. f.
The Patricia Shively Elmore Papers contain diaries, correspondence, genealogy, scrapbooks, and photographs related to the donor’s family. This collection also contains diplomas, commencement programs, military documents, photographs, souvenir postcards, films, and funeral memorabilia of the donor’s second husband, William “Bill” Elmore.
Subjects
Bill Erickson Collection, c. 1955-1990 (CA5140)
7 audio cassettes
Recordings of fiddle music.
Wilson Evans Collection, 1990s (CA5904)
30 audio cassettes
Audio recordings of banjo renditions of American folk and popular music by a Sikeston, MO, musician.
Eversmann Family Papers, 1810-1982 (C3743)
0.3 cubic feet
Family history and genealogy of the Eversmann family in Germany. Biographical sketches of Alexander, Ludwig, and Julius Eversmann. Correspondence, financial and legal records of Ludwig Eversmann and Gottfried Duden of Warren County, MO. Also poems, home remedies, and other miscellaneous items. Mostly in German with some English translations.
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F
Clyde Faries Collection, no date (CA5645)
0.1 cubic feet, 10 audio cassettes
Folk music and materials concerning Clyde Faries and the Faries family.
Ellie Fike Diaries, 1879-1892 (C2216)
0.26 cubic feet (3 volumes, 3 folders)
Diaries written by Miss Fike while a student at the State Normal School at Warrensburg, MO, and during her post-graduate life at home and at work.
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Henry C. Fike Diaries, 1851-1919 (C2215)
2.42 cubic feet (18 folders and 43 volumes)
Diaries written by Fike while a student in McKendree College, IL; while a soldier in the Civil War; and about his migration to and life in Warrensburg, MO, and his work in Kansas City, MO, and various cities in the West.
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Folk Songs of American History Film, 1960 (CA6455)
1 16mm film
Introduces and defines folk music, presenting examples from important periods in American history. The film was produced by Coronet Films, an educational film company.
Folklore Genre Collection, 2013 (CA6374)
0.1 cubic feet, 1 CD, 1 computer disc
Collection of folklore oral histories done by students of MU English instructor Raymond Summerville includes transcripts and audio of oral history interviews. Also included in the collection is an ethnography of the Broadway Diner, Columbia, MO.
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G
Merrill E. Gaddis Collection, 1941-1955 (C3961)
1.8 cubic feet
Term papers about historical houses in Missouri, written by students of Gaddis for his course, History of the South, at Central Methodist College in Fayette, MO.
Art Galbraith Papers, 1977-1993 (C1213)
0.1 cubic feet, 2 record albums, 1 audio cassette
Papers of Arthur Galbraith (1909-1993), fiddler from southwestern Missouri who specialized in Ozark folk music. Includes publicity, concert programs, obituaries, correspondence, awards, and recordings of his music.
Gallatin Bank (Gallatin, Mo.) Postcard, no date (C0801)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
The collection contains a postcard picture of the bank building at Gallatin, Missouri, which was robbed by Jesse and Frank James on 7 December 1869. Picture includes a group of unidentified men.
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German Club Papers, 1903-1965 (C3360)
1.4 cubic feet (12 folders, 8 volumes)
The papers of the University of Missouri German Club and Modern Languages Division contain correspondence and minutes written in both English and German. The papers are partially translated and include programs, menus, elections, degree requirements, clippings, visitors, songs, photographs, and five woodcuts for German Christmas cards.
Gigous Family Papers, 1875-1877 (C0325)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Letters written to George and Mary Gigous by M.E. Wagner, sister of Mary; Amos Castle, friend of George; and Daniel Stull, cousin of George. The letters describe farming, agricultural prices, immigration, rural education, and rural life in Otter Creek, IA, and Maryville, MO. Includes typed notes on the family.
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"The Development of Missouri," Gert Goebel, 1879 (C1109)
0.1 cubic feet (1 volume)
English translation of "Langer als ein Menschenleben in Missouri," with some changes from the work published in 1877.
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H
Archibald Little Hager Diary, 1844-1887 (C0896)
0.4 cubic feet (26 folders)
Photocopy of a diary kept by a farmer in a rural community in Perry County, Missouri. Diary records daily events such as births, marriages, and deaths, the weather, social occasions, and agricultural tasks. Gaps may exist in diary.