Finding Aid

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Scope and Contents

Short documents having to do with the history of the State of Iowa. These are broken into three series: pre-Civil War, Civil War-World War I, and World War I on.

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Box Contents List

Series I: Pre-Civil War

Box 1

Baker, Katharine A. Ohio; Iowa land titles. Papers concerning Anthony, Philip, and John Philip  Baker, 1829-1841. Includes land warrants in Iowa territory, the last will and testament of John Philip Baker, a tax receipt for lands in Muskingum County, Ohio, and a broadside. (The broadside is in Map Case 12, drawer 18)

Black, Jeremiah S., 1810-1883. Opinion on the construction of the act of August 18, 1846, Grant to the State of Iowa, for improvement of the Des Moines River. Addressed to Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior. Autograph manuscript.

Bounty Land Warrants, 1854-1856, Iowa. Land titles.

Bounty Land Warrants, 1856. Three bounty land warrants, made out to 1) Sarah Cunningham, widow of George Cunningham deceased, a private in Captain Schwarzaeness Company of Maryland Militia, War of 1812; 2) James Bayfield, a private in Captain Stevers Company of Maryland Militia, War of 1812; and 3) John Cole, a private in Captain Leightens Company of Maine militia, North Eastern frontier disturbance. All three were issued January 1, 1856; all three were in township 85 of Tama County; and all three were signed over to Peter Brush, who entered them into the record on November 17, 1890. (In Map Case 12, drawer 18)

Brown, Thomas. Certified land claim. Wisconsin Territory; Muscatine County, Iowa, history. 1837. Certifying a land claim in the Wisconsin territory made by Robert M. Claren; transferring the claim from Claren to David R. Warfield, dated November 5, 1838.

Clemens, Orion, 1825-1897. 3 promissory notes. Keokuk, Iowa, 1856-1857.

Hempstead, Stephen P. Certificate appointing Alfred Edwards, Esq. May 23, 1852. In map case 12, drawer 18

Iowa. District Court (7th District). Minutes, April 7, 1851.

Iowa. Executive Department. Certificate appointing Edward Bissell commissioner, July 12, 1859. Signed by Ralph Lowe, Governor and Elijah Sells, Secretary of State.

Iowa. Governor's office. Certificate appointing J.P. Hughes Surgeon General of Iowa, September 3, 1861. Signed by Samuel Kirkwood.

Iowa Land Company. Warranty deed to Savia T. Arnold, November 13, 1855.

Iowa Real Estate. Account book for real estate sales in Lyons, Mitchell, and Linn counties, 1853-1862.

Mallory, Alexander H. Lease for land on which to erect a schoolhouse in Delaware County, April 13, 1846. Copy. Original in the office of the Superintendent of Schools, Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa.

Napolian [sic] Iowa. Town deed, June 5, 1838. Signed by John Gilbert. Town was first county seat of Johnson County.

Smith, Aaron Robert, 1839-1932. The Life and Biography of Aaron R. Smith. Smith was an early settler in Marion County, Iowa. Typescript

Walker, Zachariah, 1811-1875. Diary of an overland trip from Van Buren County, Iowa, to the California gold fields in 1850 with return trip by sea in 1851. Photocopy.

Series II: Civil War - World War I

Abstract of title. Iowa Falls. 1883.

Agency City, Iowa. Three record books. 1) School board 1883-1904; 2) Secretaries Book of the District Agricultural Society of Agency City, Iowa, 1879-1883; 3) Account of moneys received by Secretary of Agency Butter and Cheese, Co., and paid to Treasurer of said co., 1891-1894; also includes a cemetery register, undated, which contains a list of lots by numbers and buyers or occupants thereof. Wapello County. Creameries. Farmers.

Bennett, F. 1825. Newspaper publisher, editor, and postmaster. Memoirs of F. R. Bennett, LaMesa, California. August 15, 1897 concerning newspapers and the history of the towns of Odebolt,  LeMars, and Davenport, Iowa. Typescript.

Brink, Joshua. Journal, 1871-1886. 300 page journal on the history of Cedar County, Iowa. Parts published in Steve's Heritage, 1854-1980 by Eveadell Brink.

Calkin, Charles M. 1800s; abstracts, deeds. 1) Mortgage deed of the Presbyterian Church of Iowa City to Charles M. Calkin, September 4, 1857; 2) Abstract title and mortgage deed of Charles M. Calkin to W. Crum, February 22, 1864; 3) Mortgage deed of Charles M. Calkin to the Congregational Society of Iowa City, December 15, 1870; 4) Appointment of administration to John T. Calkin of the goods of the late John Calkin, October 11, 1875

Cedar County. Records of books purchased for Center Township School District; 1901-1906, (Tipton, Iowa). Photocopy.

Clark, Rush, 1834-1879. Letters, May 15 to December 24, 1877.  Letter-press copies of correspondence from Clark to constituents while a U. S. Representatives. 260 pages.

Cooper, A.A., 1829- . Autobiography, 1896. Iowa frontier and pioneer life. Mimeograph.

Dodge, Grenville Mellen. Notebook about railroads, photograph, newspaper clippings, miscellaneous.

Donaldson, David. Agreement with Martha Black whereby he agrees to do harvesting in exchange for room, board, and one-third of the harvested grain.1870, Washington county, Iowa, June 15, 1870.

Dungan, William H. Petition of Dungan and 150 other citizens of Crawfordsville, Washington County for emancipation; ca.1863.

Espeset, James Howard. Legal secretary’s notebook involving cases in Emmet county, Iowa, 1866-1912. Holograph notebook.

First National Bank, Shenandoah, Iowa. Stock certificates, 1908 and 1917. With certificates from the Shenandoah National Bank, Fairview Land Company, American Live Stock Powder Company, and the Gravity State Bank, 1908-1929

Flaherty, Ray W. Reminiscences, 1876, of the University of Iowa: Student Army Training Corps [ca. 1918], football, and faculty. Typescript.

Fremont County. Warranty deeds, referees' deed, quit-claim deeds, and abstracts of title concerning Section 24, township 69, range 40, Fremont County, Iowa, 1885-1924

Gobble, Thomas Wilson. Excerpts from diary, 1858-1880; edited and typescript 1957; General stores—Iowa; Abingdon, Iowa. Edited by the great-grandson of the author, J.R. Gobble.

Grimes, James W., 1816-1872, Governor. Iowa City. Commission as Notary Public for John W. Davis. May 26, 1872.

Heinold, Mary. Legal receipt for payment on a note; Johnson county, 1898.

Iowa. Executive Department. Certificate appointing James B. Bell a commissioner, June 14, 1876. Signed by Samuel Jordan Kirkwood.

Iowa. Executive Department. Certificate appointing James N. Callan commissioner,  May 2, 1870. Signed by Samuel Merrill, Governor and Ed Wright, Secretary of State.

Iowa. General Assembly. Petition to President James Knox Polk, January 24, 1868.

The Iowa Band [of Circuit Missionaries], 1843-1873. Photograph of the last five surviving members, 1873. Ephriam Adams, Harvey Adams, Daniel Lane, A.B. Robbins, William Salter.  A description of the Iowa Band from a booksellers catalog.

Iowa Railway Contracting Company. Certificate of Incorporation, 1864-1866.

Iowa Soldiers Orphans Homes. Board of Trustees Minutes, 1866-1888. Autograph notebook.

Irish, Gilbert. Promissory Note. Iowa City, February 4, 1865.

Louthan, J.B, Dr. 1816-1893.  Louthan (1853-1872) ledger, recording his practice of medicine in Iowa. Letter to his son, John M. Louthan, March 30, 1871; Photographs of Dr. Louthan and his two sons, Dr. John M. and Dr. Bruce S.; also relates to history of Tama county and includes a Louthan genealogy.

McCaull, Robert. Letters to his wife, Eliza, 1873-1883. Original letters, printed excerpts, obituary for Robert McCaull, McCaull's entry in the 1880 census, cemetery records, and other documentation for Robert McCaull. McCaull was active in the Grange movement and organized 84 granges in three counties in south central Iowa. Most of these letters are written on stationery from the Pleasant Ridge Grange, No.22, in Garden Grove, Iowa, of which McCaull was Secretary. Eliza was in Chicago taking a cure for an unnamed, though probably "female problem" disease in the summer of 1873, when most of these letters were written. One letter is from her son, J. L McCaull. In 1883, Robert writes from Auburn, New York where he had settled when he first arrived from Scotalnd. 2011 addendum:  McCaull Family letters -23 letters from brothers and sisters of Robert McCaull and his wife, 1869-1887. Grange correspondence - 13 letters having to with Grange business in south central Iowa, 1872-1883. Many of these are accompanied by envelopes.

Merrill, Samuel, 1822-1899. Commission as Notary Public for Allen T. Brooks, signed by Governor Merrill. Des Moines, Iowa, January 4, 1871.

Mount Pleasant National State Bank. Correspondence with Comptroller of the Currency, 1916-1921.

Box 2

Porkorny, Francis, 1867-1962. Autobiography. Minister of Czech-Moravian Brethren Church near Ely, Iowa, 1910-1938. Bohemian Brethren. In Czech.

Richmond, Frank R., 1893-. Biography of Albert C. Richmond, M.D (1854-1929)., Fort Madison, Iowa. Includes 3 letters. Typescript.

Switch Committee. Minutes 1901-1904. Keokuk, Iowa. Together with 7 leaves of miscellaneous material.

Stoneman, John T. Invoices, 1882-1887. Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Various posters and cards alerting people to be on the watch for individuals

Warranty Deeds. Iowa 1863-1869; land titles.

Warranty Deed from W. B. and S.E. Hall to Abram Bryant, July 11, 1867, selling a quarter section of land in Adair County, Iowa.

[Waugh, William? Burlington, Iowa] Expense accounts. Includes household expenses, farm accounts, and a watchmaker's charge book. In Box 4

---. 1867

---. 1861-1868

---. 1874

---. 1875

---. 1876

---. 1878. Farm accounts

---. 1879

---. 1880-1881

---. 1881, 1882, 1883. Farm accounts

---. 1882-1884

---. 1887

---. April 15, 1875-March 5, 1978. Watchmakers charge book

Weber, N.F. Clarion, Wright County, Iowa. Poster for land in Wright county.

Series III: World War I - the present

Branstad, Terry, Governor, 1946 -. Proclamation for Iowa Shakespeare Festival Week, April 9-15, 1984. Also signed by Mary Jane Odell.

Burton, William Lee. Seeds of Time [1988?], a novel set in Iowa City. Accompanied by a letter from Norman Sage.

Fidlar, Frank S. History of Fidlar and Chambers Company; Iowa printers and printing. 2 documents. 1). 1936 ccTMs; 2). "Early History as told by Simon Gorman." Carbon typescript with autograph title.

Gillette, Guy Mark, 1870-1973, Legislator

---.  "Report From Washington." 1950-1951

---. Photograph, March 1940

Goss, Florence A. History of the town of Lawler. [1976]. Typescript.

Hamann, Albert W., 1876-1946. Davenport lawyer. Letterpress copies of legal correspondence with clients, November 26, 1919-February 1921 (on microfilm, available through Media Services); Volume 1: December 1931-June 19, 1933; Volume 2: October 31 1942-September 13, 1944.

Iowa City. City planning Commission. Preliminary Report on City Planning for Iowa City, Iowa. September 1934. Carbon typescript.

Iowa City, Iowa. A petition to the trustees for Iowa City to appoint another constable. Signatures of R.S. Finkbine, H.D. Downey, C. F. Loveless, Morgan Reno, Peter Musser, Morgan W. Davis, A Westcott, Jr., Thomas Saxay, and George W. Clark. Holograph. No date

Johnson, Francis. Memorabilia, 1912-1972. (19 items); Attorney, Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives; President of Iowa Farm Bureau, President of Iowa Taxpayers Association.  Clippings, badges, letters. Correspondents include Jack Richard Miller.

McCoid, Paul H., 1896-1958. Mount Pleasant lawyer and judge. Speeches, 1930-1950. Includes manuscripts and typescript drafts of six speeches, photographs, newspaper clippings and a transcript of a memorial service held for Judge McCoid in the Twentieth Judicial District, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, March 18, 1958.

Mattes, John Frank William. Three speeches. 1. "Ducks Unlimited Party;" 2. "Robert Lucas Home Dedication" (includes a dedication program); 3. Conservation Commission projects for the next biennium  and submitted to the 52nd General Assembly for consideration, February 18, 1947. Includes newspaper clippings.

Mount Union Farmers' Cooperative Exchange. Records, 1918-1955. Largely minutes of meetings of the Board of Exchange. 3 ledger books

Myers, Waldo Carlton, 1901-1992. "Development of the Municipal Electrical System." West Liberty, Iowa, 1972. Mimeograph.

Myers, Waldo Carlton, 1901-1992. “History of the Municipal Water System.” West Liberty, Iowa, 1972.  Mimeograph.

Myers, Waldo Carlton, 1901-1992. "History of Oakridge Cemetery”, West Liberty, Iowa, 1971. Mimeograph.

Neymeyer, Robert, 1943. “The Negro Community in Waterloo. The Early Years, 1912-1919,” 1974. Photocopy typescript (faint on many pages)

Box 3

O’Connor, Edward L., 1891-1973. Law Cases of Unusual Interest, 1937-. Miscellaneous materials such as photos, correspondence, clippings, etc.  Related to Iowa City and Iowa attorneys. Includes information on Verne Marshall, 1889-1965.

Osborn, E.O. Iowa’s Flag Song. [1947]. Words by E.O. Osborn, music by Esther May Clark. Holograph and typed sheet music together with a printed copy. Includes two letters from Mrs. Stillman Clark (the composer's mother) to Mrs. Paul B. Shaw.

Ray, Robert, 1928- Governor. Inaugural Ceremonies of Robert D. Ray and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Terry E. Branstad, Des Moines, Iowa, January 12,1979. Program.

Rosenfield, Joseph Frankel. "History of Younkers [department store]": A Talk Before the Des Moines Pioneer Club, 1967. Photopcopy typescript.

Seydel, Jeanne Bernadine Fellman, 1903-. Haskell Mill, Yatton Mill, Riverside Roller Mill. Fellman family and flour mills in Iowa. Describes the milling processes, cultural influences and history, outlines the mills' ownership and final razing; provides a genealogy of the Fellman family. Washington County. English River. Riverside, Iowa. Yatton, Iowa. No date

Shutts, Edward L.  and H.L. Morin. History of Traction in Southern Iowa. No date

Sillanpa, Tom. A Glimpse of Historioc Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. Address

Swift, Oral Saville. An Outline of Economic History of Amana Society, 1940. Accompanied by 2 letters. Typescript.

Wassonville [Washington county], Iowa. Compiled by Theodore J. Fellman and Jeanne Gernadine Fellmen Seydel. A short history of the town of Wassonville. Photocopy typescript with a photograph of a mill. No date

Weber, Alois J. "Des Moines Rapids and Canal." Compiled by the Keokuk River Museum, 1963. Together with 2 newspaper clippings, chart on depth sounds and photocopies of 3 photographs. Photocopy. Keokuk, Iowa, history

Weber, Alois J. "Isaac Galland: A Short Account of His Life." May 1, 1957.  Essay. Typescript with corrections together with 9 photographs and 12 holograph leaves of 2 selections from books quoted in the article. Lee County history, Isaac Galland, 1790-1858

Weber, Alois, J. "The Naming of Keokuk’s Streets." An address published by the Lee County Historical Society, Keokuk, Iowa, 1958.  Mimeograph.

Williams, Ralph M. "A History of A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Company, Between 1856 and 1945." Dubuque, Iowa, [1945?]. Photocopy.

Wilson, George Allison, 1884-1953. Soil Conservation Week proclamation, Des Moines, Iowa, May 12, 1941. Carbon typescript with state seal. Together with several speeches.

Wright, Charlotte and David Wright. Memoir of growing up in Iowa City by Charlotte Wright, who later became an editor for the University of Iowa Press. Photographs from married student housing in the Quonset huts and at 830 E. College Street. Together with a printout of David Lane Wright's inventory from his collection at the University of Utah and a DVD with all of these items.

Young and Stanley, Inc. "Preliminary Report, Des Moines River Valley Project Near High Bridge, Iowa."  May 1935. With mimeograph letter from C. Maxwell Stanley (1904-) to the Des Moines River Valley Project, Inc. Includes 10 blueprints. Muscatine, Iowa.

Box 4

[William Waugh?] as described above