Folklore and Folklife
H
Harry S Truman Reservoir Architectural Survey Records, 1975-1976 (C3758)
4.4 cubic feet (236 folders)
Maps, site survey sheets, and photographs of vernacular architecture in Benton, Henry, Hickory, and St. Clair Counties. The images include barns, bridges, cabins, chicken coops, churches, corncribs, garages, granaries, houses, outhouses, post offices, root cellars, schools, sheds, silos, stores, wells, and windmills.
Counties
Missouri River Stories, 1954 (C1117)
0.03 cubic feet (1 volume)
Stories concerning the Missouri River written by William L. "Steamboat Bill" Heckman.
Counties
William L. Heckman Jr. Scrapbooks, 1912-1946 (C1404)
0.71 cubic feet (5 volumes)
Scrapbooks compiled by a steamboat pilot from Hermann, MO. Included in the volumes are clippings about steamboats, pilots, life on the river, family members, and local history; poems; a few letters and greeting cards; and photographs of family members, friends, and steamboats.
Counties
Hickman-Bryan Family Papers, 1796-1920 (C0045)
2.8 cubic feet (297 folders, 3 volumes; also available on 13 rolls of microfilm)
This collection contains the papers of two families named Hickman, one of Boone County, Missouri, and the other of Alexandria, Louisiana. Related by marriage, the families had business dealings in slaves, agriculture, and livestock. The papers of the Bryan family, related to the Boone County Hickmans by marriage are also in this collection.
Subjects
Counties
Harry C. Hoffman Collection, no date (C3507)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
The collection contains historical sketches and recollections of episodes in the lives of Frank James, William Quantrill, Jim Lane, and the Younger Brothers, either compiled or as told by Hoffman, who knew some of them and defended some of their actions. Also includes the story of the painting, “Order No. 11.”
Subjects
Ella Lilly Horak Collection, no date (C3183)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Copies of "Wash Day," a receipt for washing clothes given a young bride in Tennessee ca. 1780; and of a sale bill from Kentucky.
Subjects
Lena Hughes Papers, 1951-1989 (C4114)
0.5 cubic feet (6 folders), 4 audio cassettes
The papers of Lena Hughes contain newspaper clippings, photographs, awards, letters, and diaries documenting her life and experiences. The newspapers portray Lena and her husband Jake’s accomplishments as fiddlers and preservers of old-time music. Lena’s diaries document the weather, gardening, financials, and personal events. There are also several documents regarding Lena and Jake’s participation in fiddling contests and organizations.
Max F. Hunter Collection, 1953-1976 (C2518)
3.4 cubic feet, 78 audio tapes
The collection contains audio tapes of Ozark folklore collected by Max F. Hunter, including fiddle tunes, jokes, sayings, songs, visits, and miscellaneous material. The collection also includes lists, transcripts of songs, synopses, and indexes to the tapes.
Counties
Max F. Hunter Folk Song Collection, 1956-1976 (C2637)
6.0 cubic feet (34 volumes, 34 audio tapes)
Copies of folk music and ballads recorded and transcribed by folklorist Max Hunter.
Max F. Hunter Papers, 1960-1989 (C4427)
1.6 cubic feet (27 folders)
The papers and song transcripts of Springfield, Missouri, folklorist Max Hunter, who was program director of the Ozark Folk Festival from 1978-1989 and of the Ozark Open Fiddle Contest from 1983-1987.
Huynh Quang Nhuong Papers, 1956-2000 (C3997)
4.4 cubic feet (246 folders)
The papers of Huynh Quang Nhuong, a Vietnamese author who lived in Columbia, Missouri, consist mainly of Huynh's writings and include drafts of plays, novels, short stories, poetry, and screenplays. The collection also includes photographs, newspaper clippings, book reviews, and correspondence with publishers, as well as fan letters from children regarding his book, The Land I Lost.
J
"The James Boys," C.V. Froman, 1954 (C0694)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Stories about Jesse and Frank James and other Missouri outlaws.
Subjects
Counties
David A. James Papers, 1790-2008 (C4126)
5 cubic feet
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.
Counties
- Adair
- Andrew
- Atchison
- Audrain
- Barry
- Barton
- Bates
- Benton
- Bollinger
- Boone
- Buchanan
- Butler
- Caldwell
- Callaway
- Camden
- Cape Girardeau
- Carroll
- Carter
- Cass
- Cedar
- Chariton
- Christian
- Clark
- Clay
- Clinton
- Cole
- Cooper
- Crawford
- Dade
- Dallas
- Daviess
- DeKalb
- Dent
- Douglas
- Dunklin
- Franklin
- Gasconade
- Gentry
- Greene
- Grundy
- Harrison
- Henry
- Hickory
- Holt
- Howard
- Howell
- Iron
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- Knox
- Laclede
- Lafayette
- Lawrence
- Lewis
- Lincoln
- Linn
- Livingston
- Macon
- Madison
- Maries
- Marion
- McDonald
- Mercer
- Miller
- Mississippi
- Moniteau
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- New Madrid
- Newton
- Nodaway
- Oregon
- Osage
- Ozark
- Pemiscot
- Perry
- Pettis
- Phelps
- Pike
- Platte
- Polk
- Pulaski
- Putnam
- Ralls
- Randolph
- Ray
- Reynolds
- Ripley
- Saline
- Schuyler
- Scotland
- Scott
- Shannon
- Shelby
- Saint Charles
- Saint Clair
- Saint Francois
- Saint Louis
- Sainte Genevieve
- Stoddard
- Stone
- Sullivan
- Taney
- Texas
- Vernon
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Webster
- Worth
- Wright
Mitchell F. Jayne Papers, no date (CA5637)
0.2 cubic feet, 6 audio cassettes
Audio recordings of author and musician, including OLD FISH HAWK and STORIES FROM HOME, volumes I and II. Also includes manuscript of "Hiram" and clippings about Jayne.
Subjects
"Jesse James Paid in Gold," James G. Jolly, no date (C3088)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Account of the night of the Missouri Pacific mail train robbery, 7 July 1876, when Jesse James forced postmaster Charlie Steinbach and his family in Florence, MO, to feed and lodge his gang, then paid them $90.00 in gold.
Subjects
Counties
William F. Jones Papers, 1819-1928 (C0831)
0.2 cubic feet (10 folders)
Letters written primarily by William F. Jones from his home in Bloomingburg, Ohio, to cousins living in Montgomery County, Missouri. Jones describes the national political scene, election results, his family, local weather and crops, his Civil War experiences, and the Spanish-American War. The collection also includes the account book (1844-1928) of Wilson P.H. Jones.
K
Willard Keyes Journal, 1817-1855 (C2748)
0.06 cubic feet (3 folders)
Travel to Wisconsin and Illinois from Newfane, Windham County, VT, 1817-1820; occupations and experiences on frontier; description of Indians, wilderness, logging operations on Mississippi and Black Rivers; travel from Quincy, IL, to New England by stage, boat, and train with itemized account of expenses, 1852.
Lilburn A. Kingsbury Collection, 1816-1983 (C3724)
9.2 cubic feet (528 folders), 16 oversize volumes, 6 card files, 4 rolls of microfilm
The personal papers and collected materials of Lilburn A. Kingsbury of Howard County, Missouri. Kingsbury was an insurance agent, farmer, orchardist, bank clerk, local historian, writer, genealogist, musician, and antique collector.
Subjects
Counties
Leslie Konnyu Papers, 1945-1991 (CA5235)
16.7 cubic feet, 1 audio cassette, 3 video cassettes
The papers of a Hungarian-American author, scholar, and leader from St. Louis include correspondence, manuscripts, collected materials, articles, publications, scrapbooks, photographs and miscellaneous material.
Natalie Wagner Kuemmel Notebook, 1861-1869 (C1140)
0.01 cubic feet (1 volume)
Jokes, daybook for 1861 and letter record book, 1863-1869.
Counties
L
Donald M. Lance Papers, 1960s-2000s (CA6213)
17.8 cubic feet, 25 audio tapes, 107 computer discs
Addition of correspondence, course materials, research files, surveys, computer data, audio recordings, photographs, and miscellaneous papers of a linguist and professor of English at the University of Missouri. Contains research on dialects and the pronunciation of "Missouri."
Donald M. Lance Papers, 1938-2002 (C3992)
11.3 cubic feet (754 folders), 144 audio cassettes
The papers of a University of Missouri English professor, well-known for his lectures on the pronunciation of “Missouri” and other dialect research, contain extensive professional correspondence, research data, articles, presentations, teaching materials, and materials related to his work with professional organizations. Audio cassettes include interviews with Germans in Missouri and with decorated U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Byrl D. Taylor, Missouri folk musicians, and examples of English language dialects.
Subjects
Counties
Elaine Lawless Folklore Collection, 1980-2008 (CA4755)
14.3 cubic feet, 251 audio cassettes, 1 video cassette
Student papers, research materials, and audio cassettes pertaining to folklore research and women's studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Living Treasures Oral History Collection, 1983-1985 (S0456)
0.4 cubic foot, 32 folders, 112 photographs
The St. Louis Living Treasures Project documented the life and artwork of older folk artists in the St. Louis area. The folk artists shared techniques learned from their cultures of origin in oral history interviews conducted by OASIS. The 31 artists who participated include African Americans, Native Americans, Asian immigrants, and European immigrants.
Subjects
Counties
M
John Machir Papers, 1791-1899 (C2893)
0.6 cubic feet (27 folders)
The papers of John Machir, a businessman and landowner who lived in St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, consist of the legal papers of his father, Henry Machir, business correspondence, bills of sale for enslaved people, deeds, tax bills, surveys, personal correspondence, and account books.
Howard Wight Marshall Collection, 1906-2000 (CA5161)
26.8 cubic feet, 354 audio cassettes, 101 audio tapes, 8 CDs, 10 audio discs, 6.54 GB
Audio recordings of folk and bluegrass music from Missouri and the Ozark region, primarily 1960s and 1970s. Also includes student research papers and course materials in fields of folk life, material culture, architecture and historic preservation, as well as miscellaneous material.
Maude Williams Martin Papers, 1896-1989 (C3909)
3 cubic feet
The papers of Maude Williams Martin, a collector of Missouri folk songs and ballads, and a writer of short stories and poetry; include correspondence, school lecture notes and papers, poems, short stories, essays, and travel material. Also included is material regarding the Missouri Folk-Lore Society, and published book of Martin's poems entitled, SELECTED POEMS.
Knox McCrory Collection, 1950s-1990s (CA6244)
0.4 cubic feet, 10 audio cassettes, 11 audio discs, 44 CDs
Fiddle recordings, songbooks, and other materials of a harmonica player and music collector from Columbia, Missouri.
Archibald J. McDonald Papers, 1878-1894 (C0376)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Letter of recommendation, teaching certificate, recipe for pickled pork, and commission as probate judge.
Subjects
Pete McMahan Collection, no date (CA5026)
4 audio discs
Four long-play recordings of folk music and fiddle music entitled MISSOURI FIDDLIN' nos. 1-4.
McRoberts Family Papers, 1851-1892 (C0377)
0.13 cubic feet (6 folders)
Correspondence to Arch and W. B. McRoberts in Monticello, Missouri, concerning the state legislature. Also includes an account book, 1851-1874, Lewis County, Missouri, Board of Education record book, 1866-1870, book of sermons and home medicines, and a U.S. INFANTRY & RIFLE TACTICS BOOK, 1861.
Counties
Missouri Folklore Society Records, 1993-2019 (CA6567)
2 cubic feet, 2 CDs, 5 DVDs, 4 oversize items
Addition of annual meeting materials, grant proposals, correspondence, mailing lists, audiovisual material, and miscellaneous material. Also includes material pertaining to the society’s journal.
Missouri Folklore Society Records, 1906-1931, 1971-2016 (C2045)
14.4 cubic feet (649 folders, 1226 photographs, 144 slides), 64.8 MB of digital files (306 jpgs), 357 audio cassettes, 10 audio tapes, 3 audio discs, 32 video cassettes, 4 DVDs, 1 reel 16mm film, 8 oversize items
The records of the Missouri Folklore Society include scattered early materials such as constitutions, programs, and publications. The bulk of the collection consists of organizational materials beginning in 1977 when the Society was reactivated, including correspondence, meeting minutes, publications, photographs, audiovisual materials, clippings, membership lists, and annual meeting materials.
Missouri Heritage Quilt Project Papers, 1983-1985 (CA6675)
1.0 cubic foot
Records compiled by Bettina Havig concerning the Missouri Heritage Quilt Project. Includes quilt data sheets, correspondence, promotional materials, and quilt slides.
Missouri Legacy Radio Program Records, 1980s (CA6268)
0.2 cubic feet, 50 audio cassettes, 16 audio tapes
Audio recordings and related material of a 1980s radio program featuring "profiles of traditional artists representing the diverse cultural heritage of Missouri." The series was produced by Susan Newstead and KOPN-FM, with support of the Missouri Cultural Heritage Center.
Missouri Place Name Survey Papers, 1954-1982 (C4390)
1.2 cubic feet (35 folders)
Correspondence, newsletters, notes, research material, papers, proposal, and publications of a committee of professors who undertook a Missouri Place Name Survey, building largely on the work of Professor of English Robert L. Ramsay, whose students compiled a survey of Missouri places in the 1930s. The survey was intended to produce a dictionary of Missouri place names.
Missouri Place Names Study Papers, 1927-1928 (C3459)
0.6 cubic feet (40 folders)
Missouri River Cultural Conservancy Cooper-Wheeler Collection, 2005-2019 (C4603)
0.2 cubic feet (6 folders), 4.39 TB of digital files, 6 external hard drives, 778 MiniDV cassettes
The collection contains audio and video recordings of musical, dance, and spoken word performances by local and regional artists documenting the Central Missouri River Region. Includes catalogs of the performances.
Counties
Missouri River Folk History Project Records, 2005 (CA6109)
0.2 cubic feet, 37 DVDs
Oral history interviews of Missourians who have lived and worked along the Missouri River. Meredith Ludwig conducted the interviews.
Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers Association Collection, 1996 (CA6409)
0.1 cubic feet, 1 computer disc
Addition of photographs taken at the 1996 fiddle camp and contest in Bethel, Missouri. Includes negatives, contact sheets, and digital scans on a computer disc. See also C3715.
Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers Association Collection, 1827-2002 (C3715)
0.4 cubic feet (80 folders), 39 audio cassettes, 10 video cassettes, 5 CDs, 1 audio disc
The collection contains field, commercial, and private label recordings, interviews, newsletters, brochures, broadsides, sheet music, audio and video cassettes, and correspondence of the association.
"My Father Planned the James Boys' Capture," Thomas Riley Shouse, 1959 (C2122)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Copy of an article in the FRONTIER TIMES, Summer 1959.
Subjects
N
John G. Neihardt Papers, c. 1858-1974 (C3716)
9.4 cubic feet, 41 video cassettes, 52 DVDs, 57 audio cassettes, 3 CDs, 3 audio discs (558 folders also available on 18 rolls of microfilm)
Correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, news clippings, audio and video cassettes, and miscellaneous material of poet. Neihardt was most famous for his epic, A CYCLE OF THE WEST, and BLACK ELK SPEAKS. He was poet laureate of Nebraska, literary editor of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1926-1938, and instructor at the University of Missouri, 1949-1965.
Now That's a Good Tune: Masters of Traditional Missouri Fiddling, 1989 (C3810)
2 audio discs
Two recordings of traditional fiddle tunes played by thirteen musicians from Missouri. Accompanying illustrated booklet includes introduction to traditional violin playing in Missouri, biographies of the musicians, annotations of the tunes, bibliography, and discography. The project was produced by the Missouri Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
W. Scott Null Autobiographical Notes, 1935 (C1612)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Null's account of his association with Jesse James, who worked two months cutting cordwood for Null in 1873.
Subjects
Counties
O
"Observation of the 'Missouri Spook Light,'" Raymond Bayless, 1963 (C2134)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Description of an unidentified light in southwest Missouri which residents call the "Missouri Spook Light."
Subjects
"An Ozark Childhood", no date (C3819)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
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.”
Counties
Ozarks Folksongs Collection, 1919-1957 (C3774)
3.1 cubic feet
Original copy of the four volumes published by SHS, 1946-1950. Includes photographs used in the publication and a typescript of Chapter XIV, "Unprintable Songs," left out of the printed version. In addition there are two volumes entitled "Unprintable' Songs From the Ozarks" which were sold to the Society in 1956, but without publication rights.
P
H.H. Pigott Scrapbooks, no date (C2476)
0.28 cubic feet (2 volumes)
Scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from the 1880s: poems, jokes, stories, and truisms. Vol. 1 is a ledger from a Boonville general store, of which about 25 pages are free of clippings. Vol. 2 seems to be a lawyer's notes on land transferals in the 1860s, mostly without clippings.
Subjects
Counties
Ann Pittman Collection, 1972-2004 (S0332)
1.8 cubic feet
The Ann Pittman Papers contain correspondence, program booklets, sheet music, and grant applications, documenting her efforts to preserve African American spirituals.