Social Customs and Daily Life
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James H. Roberts Diary, 1858-1909 (K1000)
0.04 c.f. (2 folders)
Roberts built houses, made and sold brooms, taught school, and owned a small mercantile store briefly. He was interested in Spiritualism and his second wife and one of his daughters were mediums. Includes a handwritten diary consisting of both shorthand and longhand entries. Entries were made every year on the writer's birthday, beginning at the age of 27, continuing until his death at 78.
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Orral Messmore Robidoux Diary, 1918 (C2626)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
History of the Robidoux and Messmore families, childhood memories of farm life in nineteenth-century Middle West, and comments on contemporary Kansas City.
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Robinson Family Papers/Kansas City Social Register Records, 1880-1998 (K0774)
19 c.f.
Papers of a prominent Kansas City family, and publishers of the Social Register. Includes correspondence, genealogical files, reference notecard index, biographical data, printed and published material, clippings, and photographs.
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Rockview Collection, no date (R0591)
0.01 c.f. (1 folder)
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.
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John Rodelander Papers, 1909-1955 (K1015)
1 c.f.
Rodelander was the head chef at the Hotel Phillips. Includes menus and other printed materials concerning the Hotel Phillips and various Kansas City restaurants.
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James S. Rollins Papers, 1546, 1809-1968 (C1026)
3.3 cubic feet (222 folders, 1 volume); also available on 11 rolls of microfilm
The papers of James S. Rollins, a Boone County, Missouri, lawyer, politician, businessman, and curator of University of Missouri include correspondence with family, business and political associates, and George Caleb Bingham and other friends. The papers cover state, national, and Whig party politics from 1830 through the 1880s, the Civil War in Missouri, internal improvements and the North Missouri Railroad, and education at University of Missouri.
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Burford Leon Royston Collection, 1899-1995 (CA6685)
0.44 cubic feet
The collection contains color slides taken by Burford Leon Royston. Royston worked as a mail carrier in southwest Howard County, Missouri, from 1950-1985. The bulk of the slides were taken by Royston along his routes, and include residents, dwellings, commercial and agricultural structures, natural events, and recreational activities. Also included are slides of the Royston family, photographs and personal papers of the Rawlins, Cox, and Watts families.
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Cornelia Russell Papers, 1866-1871 (C3080)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
The papers of Cornelia Russell contain letters concerning farming and family life, and a price list of grocery items.
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Sappington Family Papers, 1831-1939 (C2889)
0.5 cubic feet
The papers contain documents pertaining to Dr. John Sappington and his family. These papers deal with the financial accounts of Dr. Sappington, financial business for W.B. Sappington, and a variety of receipts and business papers. Another portion of this collection contains correspondence and essays written by W.B. Sappington. There is also a small collection of newspaper clippings.
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Charles W. Scarritt Papers, 1870-1937 (K0675)
0.5 c.f.
Scarritt, of the prominent Kansas City Scarritt family, was a Methodist pastor, businessman, realtor, and civic leader. Includes letters written to Charles by members of his family, Mrs. Calvin (Grace) Coolidge, and poet Grace Noll Crowell. Also family photographs and other family memorabilia and papers.
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Scarritt-Royster-Swinney Family Papers, 1818-1989 (K0632)
71 c.f.
Family papers of three prominent families of Kansas City and Glasgow, MO. Includes a wide variety of materials including letters, postcards, speeches, newspaper articles, poetry, photographs, family items, business and personal papers, tributes to various individuals and historical papers and recollections.
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Maximilian E. Schmidt Photographs, 1895-1930 (P0001)
950 photographs
A Boonville photographer, Maximilian Schmidt's photographs consist of glass plate negatives and prints from ca. 1895-1932. Schmidt captured his family, and Boonville inhabitants and their environs including early Missouri River floods, steamboats and ferries, views of Boonville streets and the riverfront area, Chouteau Springs, and the Kemper Family School buildings and students.
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Elvira Ascenith Weir Scott Diary, 1860-1887 (C1053)
0.2 cubic feet
Typescript photocopy of diary of a woman from Miami, Missouri, including descriptive observations on the themes of home, family, and religion, as well as the impact of the Civil War on life in her own community and region.
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Scrapbook, 1865-1882 (K0132)
1 MR
Newspaper clippings pertaining primarily to the Civil War and events immediately following, such as the assassination of President Lincoln. Chiefly the New Orleans Daily Picayune and the New Orleans Times, although other papers are included.
Amy Bradfield Sefrit Letters, 1976-1993 (K0876)
0.3 c.f.
Sefrit's letters document the life of a rural Missouri farm family in Atchison County, MO. She writes about the daily life of her family, her husband's work and the activities and development of her children. Also her work as a substitute teacher in the local schools, condition of the crops, weather, and news of other family members.
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Leo Shalinsky and Arlene Shalinsky Papers, 1982-2010 (K1046)
0.09 c.f.
Includes materials of the Kansas City Jewish Marriage Encounter and the Retired Old Men's Eating Association (R.O.M.E.O) club.
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Patsy Dunn Shanberg Papers, 1963-2004 (K0801)
1 c.f.
Scrapbooks, photographs of Brandeis University National Women's Committee (BUNWC) events, family history and religious items. Of particular interest is a wooden, hand carved tzedakah box, model of Beth Shalom Synagogue.
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Lillian (Libby) Kodish Shankman and Philip Shankman Papers, 1919-1958 (K0779)
0.25 c.f.
The couple was the owners of Shankman's Oak Park Delicatessen, Kansas City, MO. Includes newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, a business cards, Sabbath schedules, wedding album, photo albums, their wedding certificate, and family scrapbooks.
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Milton Shaw Papers, 1824-1921 (C0428)
0.1 cubic feet (5 folders)
Letters from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri discussing slaves; farm crops, implements, and stock; property indentures; church membership; trade; schools; and teaching. Genealogical materials on the Denton family. Originals on microfilm; typed copies in folders.
Alonzo H. Shelton Reminiscences, no date (K0166)
0.02 c.f. (1 folder)
Photocopied typescript of Shelton's recollections of his life, experiences and services in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier.
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Sheppard Family Papers, 1844-1877 (C0429)
0.13 cubic feet (6 folders)
Miscellaneous letters from Philadelphia; Tennessee; Cincinnati; Springfield and St. Louis, MO; and England. A letter from Paris, TN, describes local preaching techniques.
Originals on microfilm; typed copies in folders.
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Shirey Family Papers, 1855-1959 (SP0051)
0.4 cubic foot (21 folders, 2 photographs)
The Shirey Family Papers contain documents belonging to Etta Shirey and her family, including letters and postcards addressed to Etta, two diaries she kept, and her childhood school notes. The collection also contains publications that the Shirey family saved.
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Nancy J. Shulze Oral History Collection, 1998 (K0970)
0.1 c.f.
Audio tapes and the transcripts of oral interviews Shulze conducted concerning interracial marriage.
Cora Smith Collection, 1920-1960 (S0220)
0.5 cubic foot (2 diaries, 1 folder, 3 photographs)
The collection primarily consists of two diaries written by Cora Smith, a native of Batchtown, Illinois, chronicling life with her sister, Lily Ann Briggs, in the Skinker-Debaliviere neighborhood in the 1950s.
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Smith-Cotton Family Papers, 1834-1929 (C0399)
0.15 cubic feet (7 folders)
Papers of George R. Smith, a Missouri pioneer lawyer and politician, and his daughters, Sarah E. Cotton, and Mrs. M.E. Smith. Some letters about the George R. Smith College. Smith was the founder of Sedalia, Missouri.
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Mabel Spielman Papers, 1888-1968 (K0182)
1 c.f.
Photographs, diaries, and legal documents, but mainly correspondence to and from Spielman, a resident of Webb City, Jasper County, MO, to her husbands and friends. These letters contain information on the day to day lives of the correspondents.
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St. James, Missouri Collection, 1869-1980 (R1528)
3 cubic feet (31 folders, 6 oversize folders, 141 photographs, 2 glass plate negatives)
The James Memorial Library Collection contains photographs, genealogical records, maps, organizational records, publications, papers, and scrapbooks collected by James Memorial Public Library in St. James, Phelps County, Missouri.
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St. Louis Hospital Lottery Papers, 1842-1849 (C1445)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Quarterly statements of sales, letters, receipts, and accounts paid in the St. Louis Hospital Lottery.
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St. Louis Square Dancing Collection, 1949-2019 (S0450)
8.5 cubic feet
This collection consists of bylaws, correspondence, flyers, meeting minutes, photographs, and scrapbooks, documenting the Swinging Singles, Singles and Doubles, and St. Louis Metro Square and Round Dance Association's efforts to promote and teach square dancing in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
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Abner Ford Staples Family Papers, 1814-1865 (K0227)
0.03 c.f.
Letters written by and to Staples family members who moved from Georgia to Tennessee, then Independence, MO. Topics include news from home and notice of deaths, marriages, and births. Also are legal document relating to land purchases.
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Irene Stiefel Starr Papers, 1952-1960 (K0728)
4 c.f.
Programs, clippings, bulletins, letters, awards, report cards, test scores, and individual/composite photographs of activities at Border Star Elementary School, Southwest High School, Temple B'nai Jehudah, and the Missouri Valley Federation of Temple Youth.
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The State of Missouri: An Account with Special Reference to Immigration, translation by Elsa Nagel, no date (C2662)
0.4 cubic feet (54 folders)
The papers consist of two translated copies of the book, The State of Missouri; An Account with Special References to German Immigration, 1859, written by Friedrich Muench, an influential German writer and later Missouri politician. The translations were done by Elsa Nagel from the original German, and include one handwritten and one typed copy.
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Frank Fletcher Stephens Papers, 1875-1966 (C3599)
14.7 cubic feet (568 folders), 8 audio tapes, 10 card files
Papers of a University of Missouri professor and dean of students in the College of Arts and Science, 1924-1948. Correspondence, office files, committee reports, lecture notes, speeches, articles, diaries, accounts, University history and photographs are included.
Margaret Nelson Stephens Papers, 1823-1927 (C0311)
1.05 cubic feet (22 folders)
The diaries of Margaret Nelson Stephens, the wife of Missouri Governor Lon V. Stephens, 1897-1901, document her daily life from 1875 to 1927. Genealogy notes describe Margaret's ancestry and other documents cover a wide range of topics pertaining to relatives through her sister Nadine's marriage to Charles E. Leonard. Most deal with Charles E. Leonard himself, and his brothers Leverett and Abiel. Two Missouri Militia muster rolls, 1862-1863, and a bill of sale for slaves, 1849, are most notable.
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Crotia Stevenson and Alvin Haggard Papers, 1837-1899 (C3523)
0.5 cubic feet (31 folders)
Correspondence, souvenir programs, student publications and business receipts of Crotia Stevenson and her cousin Alvin Haggard, both of Boone County, Missouri, and their relatives in Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. A few letters describe conditions at home and on battlefields during the Civil War.
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Kimbrough Stone Papers, 1897-1958 (C0005)
11 cubic feet (956 folders); also available on 37 rolls of microfilm
Papers of a judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, 1917-1947 (presiding judge, 1928-1947), who continued to work with the court after his retirement in 1947. U.S. courts; Democratic politics, Kansas City and Missouri bar associations and law schools; and fraternal and charitable organizations.
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Pauline H. Stratton Papers, 1841-1870 (C0842)
0.15 cubic feet (7 folders)
The papers contain a typescript of a diary of Pauline Stratton’s life in Virginia and Missouri. She writes of spinning, weaving, soap making, rearing her children, enslaved people, the Civil War, and business difficulties after her husband’s death. Also included is a photostat letter written by her to her husband in 1841 before their marriage.
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Amos H. Sullivan Papers, 1850-1939 (C0273)
0.35 cubic feet (3 folders, 4 volumes, 1 oversize volume)
Papers of a Miami, MO, doctor containing clippings about weather, an eclipse, comet in 1910; Miami history and personalities, patients' case histories and accounts; diary about his family, and complete weather register with maximum and minimum temperature recordings.
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Amos H. Sullivan Record Books, 1878-1947 (C2145)
4 volumes
Weather records, personal diaries, accounts, and medical hints of a Miami, Missouri, physician.
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Patrick Walker Sumner and Mott-Ly Punk Rock and Underground Zine Collection, 1981-1995 (K0466)
0.5 c.f.
Magazines, "zines", concerning the punk rock/underground scene in the Greater Kansas City area.
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Rosa Schaefer Sutter Diaries, 1875-1920 (C0843)
0.16 cubic feet (8 folders)
The collection contains a series of diaries written by a housewife near Billings, Missouri, about home activities and family affairs; notes kept on correspondence from 1885 to 1920; and recipe book giving recipes for cakes and pies, and remedies for illnesses and rheumatism.
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George Clinton Swallow Papers, 1839-1909 (C0408)
0.06 cubic feet (3 folders)
Letters to Mr. And Mrs. Swallow on their 50th wedding anniversary. Clippings. Diary, 1839-1899, recording positions offered and held, move to Columbia, and association with University and Geological Survey of Missouri.
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Tayloe Family Papers, 1879-1942 (C2510)
4.0 cubic feet
The papers of the Tayloe Family contain personal letters and business papers of the John R. Tayloe family of Bem and Owensville, MO. The collection includes correspondence to John R. Tayloe, his sons John L. and William L. Tayloe, and his wife Lizzie Miller Tayloe from relatives and friends concerning family affairs, farming, and teaching. Some business papers are also included.
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George F. and Ursula Terry Letters, 1841-1843 (C1918)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Written to Reuben and Elizabeth Terry, Millersburgh, KY, from Callaway County, MO. Crops, hard times, and family news.
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Theilman Family Papers, 1881-1928 (C0410)
0.13 cubic feet (6 folders)
Letters written by four brothers and a sister, Emil, Robert, Louis, G.A., and Bertha Theilman of Kingston, MO. Comments on events at the University of Missouri, book business, family history, loaning money, and land values in southern Missouri and Dakota Territory. Scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, some written by Laura M. Theilman about her family and friends, trips taken, and education, and memorabilia.
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Harry Thomas Letters, 1884 (C0411)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Love letters written by a sergeant in Troop K, First Cavalry, U.S. Army, stationed in Montana, to Kathleen Lyons. Sgt. Thomas and Miss Lyons had never met.
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Herbert and Emma Thompson Papers, 1911-1920 (C3764)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
Photographs and letter from Emma's sister Kate who was working in Oregon. Letter describes "jamming" strawberries in the sun. The Thompsons were living in Worth County, Missouri.
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Benjamin R. Thrasher Diaries, 1877-1891 (C3048)
1 roll of microfilm
Four diaries written by a Macon County, MO, farmer. His daily entries, spanning almost fifteen years, describe farm life, livestock breeding, social activities, transportation, illness, death, and daily changes in the wind and weather. Also detailed personal and business expenses.
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Charles Trefts Photographs, 1903-1963 (P0034)
3690 photographs
This collection contains images from 1900 to 1963 depicting St. Louis City and County people, public buildings, riverfront scenes, bridges, churches, catastrophes, houses and parks. Trefts photographed many historic events such as the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition; the 1934 World Series; and aviation in St. Louis including the Wright brothers at Kinloch Field in 1908 and Charles Lindbergh's return from Paris in 1927. A number of images focus on Crawford and Iron Counties and the Lake of the Ozarks region in the early 1930s.
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Union Cemetery Association Records, 1857-1954 (K0385)
1 c.f.
The records of Union Cemetery Association contain minutes, financial and legal documents, correspondence, lists of plot owners, a scrapbook of clippings, a stock book, and photographs concerning the cemetery shared by the towns of Kansas City and Westport, Missouri, dated 1857-1954.