Finding Aids

The Army Corps of Engineers 1993 Flood Photographs collection includes 21 color photographs of the flood that occurred between July 10 and August 25, 1993.

This collection contains 44 photographs of the American Royal Parade by amateur photographer, Carl A. Flueckinger. The photographs show scenes from the American Royal parades ca. 1948-1950.

The Union Station Construction Photographs collection consists of 49 photographs of Kansas City’s Union Station and corresponding infrastructure while under construction. The photos are identified, dated between 1910-1911, and offer insight into the scope of work put into the building that would serve as the primary transportation hub of Kansas City into the middle of the 20th century.

This collection contains three oversize photographs of the WDAF Radio Studio from the 1920s and 1940s-1950s. The station began broadcasting on June 2, 1922, from the basement of the old Kansas City Star Building at 18th and Grand.

Joe Sanders was born in Thayer, Kansas, and spent the majority of his childhood in the Kansas City area. He started his musical performances as a boy soprano in local church choirs and graduated from Westport High School. After World War I he organized an orchestra with Carleton Coon called the Nighthawks which played on the local radio and traveled the country. After Mr. Coon's untimely death in 1932, Sanders continued as a composer, piano player, singer, and conductor of his own band. Sanders died in 1965.
This collection of material, such as scrapbooks, travelogues, photos, sheet music, etc., provides information and detail about Sanders, covering his formative musical years and later successful band career. It also contains information on the relationship between Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders and the formation and travels of their band in the 1920s.

Collection of correspondence, publications, photographs, newspaper clippings (including obituaries), etc., belonging to Harvey Rettberg, co-founder of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Fan Club. Includes information on Joe Sanders, Carleton Coon, and many other musicians like Phil Baxter, Boyd Senter, Jimmy Cullum, Curt Hitch, Tony Parenti, Harry and Edmond Souchon, Carleton Coon family, etc.

Collection of material contained in five boxes that relates to the publication of "The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks: The Band That Made Radio Famous," authored by Fred Edmiston. This book recounts the Nighthawks formation and early years up to Carleton Coon's death in 1932. The collection includes primarily correspondence, photocopies of newspaper articles, photographs, audio recordings, and motion pictures, as well as a scrapbook that features Johnny Coon, Carleton Coon's son.

Collection contains seven scrapbooks and other items compiled by Clyde Hahn, co-founder of the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks Club. Within the collection can be found photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other items.

This collection consists of records, correspondence, publications, and photographs from the Kansas City Posse of Westerners, the local chapter of a national social organization interested in preserving the history and heritage of the American West. The Kansas City Posse was formed in 1955 and the originally male-only membership included hobby scholars and prominent local historians like A. Theodore Brown and Kenneth LaBudde, PhD. The group held monthly dinner meetings that included speakers on a range of Western history and culture topics; membership dues also sponsored several publications that are referred to and/or present in the collection.

Collection of cards used for advertising purposes in the late 19th century. Includes colorful illustrations for many types of products. The over 600 cards from Kansas City businesses have been digitized.

These business or company name vertical files for the advertising cards from the late nineteenth century (circa 1880s-1900) have information about the company or business or people involved.

Charles Johnson, ragtime musician and composer and arranger, spent most of his life in Kansas City, Missouri. It is believed that he made the first orchestra arrangement for the song "Missouri Waltz" and tried to sell it to music publishers in 1914. Johnson arranged music for the American Royal previous to World War II, was the musical director of the annual "Nit-Wits" show of the University Club, and was an arranger for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He died at the age of 75 in 1950. Collection contains music manuscripts, both published and in manuscript form, one recording, photos, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia.

The Stereoscope Card Collection contains stereoscope card assortments documenting the 1904 World’s Fair (also known as The Louisiana Purchase Exposition) and the events of World War I. Included with this collection is one black and white
stereoscope card of Philae Island in the Nile River in Egypt, and one stereoscope viewer.

The Missouri Valley Historical Society (1913-1940) was the successor to the Kansas City Historical Society (1906-1913) and the Early Settler's Society and Historical Association (1896-1906). All these organizations focused on the history of the Kansas City area and the region in general. The Society was especially active during the presidency of John Barber White (1913-1923).The collection consists of official records, correspondence, and business records of the organization. Historical material may be found in vertical files, manuscripts, scrapbooks, etc. The collection also includes the papers of the Gold Star League which contains photographs, correspondence, and biographical sheets on soldiers of World War I from the Kansas City area.

Collections consisting of various rosters, programs, notes, membership cards, etc., of Kansas City area clubs.

This Local Schools Collection consists of various pamphlets, booklets, brochures, etc., about different types of area schools. It does not include the public schools.

Assortment of abstracts, most of them for historical Kansas City areas, but a few are of other places. Documents are transcriptions or copies of transcriptions of the original documents. Abstracts include a variety of related documents, including will, divorce decrees, and similar documents that would affect ownership of property.
Includes abstract for Shawnee Lands in Wyandotte County, Kansas involving the Bluejacket family; various properties in Westport and McGee's Addition; and McCoy's Lot 9 where Boone's Trading Post was built.

This collection contains 59 unique abstracts for residential property located primarily in Johnson County, Kansas, and in the Missouri counties of Jackson and Clay. This property resides in 12 municipalities including Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs, and Raytown in Missouri as well as in Kansas City, Prairie Village, Topeka, Overland Park, Shawnee, Fairway, Leawood, and Roeland Park in Kansas. The abstracts begin with a record of the early land transactions and most contain related documents to circa 1950-60. They were donated by the First Federal Bank of Kansas City.

This collection consists of manuscripts, correspondence, and other documents of Robert V. Harman, a local high school civics teacher and textbook author, that cover the span of years from 1905 to 1956.

This collection consists of records pertaining to the development of Pioneer Park, a memorial park located in and commemorating the early history of the Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri.

This postcard collection includes a wide variety of subjects such as buildings, parks, streets, people, and festivals. Although the cards cover a wide geographical area, the two major portions of the collection are cards referring to Kansas City and St. Louis. Most are in color and originate from the early 20th century. Only one image has been digitized.

This collection contains approximately 400 greeting card postcards for holidays, including: birthday, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year's, Saint Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, and Washington's birthday.

A collection of approximately 200 postcards primarily from Kansas City and a variety of Missouri towns. Topics includes buildings, streets, libraries, fountains, etc.

Collection contains a rough draft manuscript of the book Golden Threads of Memories, written by Phyllis Kite as well as a history of the Westport Methodist Church at 40th and Washington Streets. Contents include a photocopied newspaper clipping and approximately 116 typewritten pages of the rough draft manuscript. There are notes in the margins relating to Mrs. Kite's history of the Westport Methodist Church. Donated by the author. Processed: January, 1992.

James J. Akard was born July 7, 1838, in Polk County, Missouri. He was captain of Company A, Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry during the Civil War. After the war he was elected to the state legislature and held other important Polk County positions including sheriff, collector and clerk of the county court. He died in 1919.The collection includes official reports, general orders, court martial proceedings, photographs, correspondence, pension claims, and miscellaneous items. Much of the material in the collection relates to Company A, 8th Cavalry Regiment, Missouri State Militia.

A one volume membership book for a Lamar/Barton County, Missouri post of the GAR. It contains 346 numbered entries. Information provided in the book includes: name of soldier, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, entry into the service including date, rank, company, and regiment, final discharge, date of muster in the GAR, nature of wounds received and in what engagement, and remarks which often include a handwritten death date.

Boyd's three-volume diary details his Civil War experiences, with the last volume continuing for some years after the war. The first diary (July 2, 1862, to February 15, 1863) is of the 15th Iowa Infantry and references the Army of the Tennessee, Battle of Corinth, as well as other action in Tennessee and Mississippi. The second diary dates from February 16, 1863, to July 30, 1863, when Boyd was a first lieutenant in the 34th Iowa Infantry, Company B. Locations include Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The third diary dates from August 24, 1864, with October 1883 as the last entry date. Boyd is still a member of the 34th Iowa Infantry. Locations include Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Iowa. Items after the war entries include accounts of his life, mentioning his marriage, children, work, etc.

It is believed that the three Myers brothers connected with this collection settled in Kansas. Luther Myers lived in Jackson County, Kansas, and was engaged in the banking business in Whiting. Louis Myers was an attorney in Valley Falls, Jefferson County, Kansas, and served in the Kansas State Legislature. Ireneus Myers appears to have lived in Grasshopper Falls, Kansas. Collection contains primarily correspondence between members of the Myers family written between the years 1858 to 1864. Writers and recipients include Martin Myers and his wife, sons Louis A. Myers, Luther M. Myers and wife Anna, and Ireneus Myers. The majority of the letters were written during the Civil War by both Louis and Ireneus who served in the Union Army. Both brothers as soldiers comment on participation in battles and skirmishes in West Virginia, Arkansas, and Missouri. These include the Battle of Bull Run, Cane Hill, White Sulpher Springs, etc. The life of a soldier is described including camp experiences and battle engagements.

Abiel Leonard (1797-1863) was a schoolteacher, lawyer, landowner, and politician who lived in Missouri during the early years of statehood. He served in the Missouri state legislature in 1834 and was appointed to a seat on the Missouri Supreme Court in 1855. Odon Guitar (1825-1908) came to Missouri in 1827 and lived in Boone County. He was a lawyer, politician, and a brigadier general in the Civil War serving for the Union forces in Missouri. The collection covers a large span of years and includes a variety of material including correspondence, legal documents, copies of 19th-century newspapers, photographs mostly relating to the Guitar family, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, manuscripts, certificates, invitations, and other items. Of special interest are family letters, a duel contract between Abiel Leonard and Taylor Berry, Guitar's letters concerning his California gold rush venture, Guitar's Civil War dealings, and genealogy information with some written in French.

This collection consists of a bound volume containing maps, portraits, text, and illustrations clipped from unknown sources, and a fabric-backed copy of the St. Louis Daily Missouri Republican extra edition dated August 14, 1861, all related to fighting at Springfield, Missouri.