Hall Center Oral History Workshop

1
Hall Center Oral History Workshop March 12,
2004
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Genealogical Resources of the Kenneth Spencer
Research Library
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• Kenneth Spencer Research Library
  University of Kansas
• Department of Special Collections
• Kansas Collection
• University Archives
• Location 1450 Poplar Lane (on the north side
  of Strong Hall near the center of the
  Lawrence campus)
• Web address http//spencer.lib.ku.edu (with a
  website link to Spencer Librarys
  genealogical resources).
• Availability Open to the KU community and to the
  public

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Oral History Holdings
of Spencer Library One of the
session handouts shows selected tapes and
transcripts from the Spencer Library holdings in
the history of African-American women
American homemakers
Hispanics
Kansans during the Great Depression and
the Dust Bowl era
KU faculty members (retiree
interviews)
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• Depository Records of the Douglas County
  Courthouse in Kansas Collection Holdings
• Marriages Indexes to marriage records, 1863 to
  1920. Marriage records,
  September 1863 to April 1913.
• Deaths Probate records dating from 1855.
  
  Probate Records Index, 1857 to 1965.
  Records of wills, 1873 to 1973 (no death
  certificates).
• Adoptions Identified in the Probate Records
  Index.
• Divorces Index to case files (1857 to 1861) and
  index to divorce petitions (1864 to
  1884)courtesy of Watkins Community Museum of
  History.

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Depository Records of the Douglas County
Courthouse in
Kansas Collection Holdings (continued)
Deeds Records of deeds and indexes from 1855.
Tax rolls For Lawrence and Douglas County
from 1863. Naturalization Declarations of
Intention (1867 to 1954) petitions and
naturalizations from 1873 to 1954. School
records Public school reports dated 1904 to 1955.
(Also in Kansas Collection holdings
archived records of Unified School District
497).
7
Genealogical Resources NOT Located in
Spencer Library Records of Douglas County Births
None available prior to
July 1, 1911. Records of births on and after
that date are available from the State Division
of Vital Statistics. Census Records
Records of the
Kansas Territorial census (1855 through 1859) and
of Kansas censuses through 1930 are available on
microfilm at KUs Anschutz Library (a U.S.
government documents depository) and from the
State Historical Societys Kansas History Center,
Topeka.
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Marriage Records in the Kansas Collections
Douglas County Records and in its Published
Holdings
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Douglas County Marriage Records Index, v.1
(1863-1869)
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Sample search Joseph Griffis and Mary J. Piper
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Douglas County Marriage Records Index, v.1
(1863-1869) Letter G of bridegroom surnames.
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Detail of letter G surnames (Marriage Records
Index, v. 1) Top entry for Griffis, Joseph and
Piper, Mary J. shows the record of their marriage
at page 1 of the Douglas County Marriage Records.
13
Douglas County Marriage Records, v. 1
(1863-1910), p. 1.
14
Detail of first entry in Douglas County Marriage
Records, v.1, p. 1 Joseph Griffis and Mary J.
Piper, married August 6, 1863 recorded September
5, 1863.
15
(Indexed by grooms surname and by
brides maiden name)
16
Douglas County, Kansas Marriages (1854-1910), p.
32 (listings E-H, including Griffis and
Piper entry).
17
Douglas County, Kansas Marriages (1854-1884)
Excerpts
from page 32 (showing Joseph Griffis and Mary J.
Piper)
18
Douglas County Death and Estate Records
Sample search Julia Collamore, decedent
(widow of George Collamore, 1863 Mayor of
Lawrence, who was killed in the Lawrence
Massacre, August 21, 1863).
19
Probate Records


Index (1857-1965),



p. 68 of letter C



surnames. Columns left to right show date of
entry, name of resident and circumstance
(e.g. deceased, adoption), the related Court
Docket page, and the probate file number.
20
Detail from Douglas County Probate Records Index,
p. 68(Julia Collamore). The Collamore listing
lacks date of entry, but shows related entries on
page 14 of Court Docket C. (A Collamore probate
file, number 447, appears at far right, but is
hidden in the volumes margin in this image.)
21
Probate Court Docket C, p. 14. First entry
(March 25, 1873) shows Julia Collamores will
admitted and recorded, followed by entries
involving sale of decedents parcel of Douglas
County real estate. Identifies related journal
entries and will records.
22
Record of Wills, v. 1 (1873-1890), pages
48-49 of transcribed will of Julia A.
Collamore, signed April 29, 1869 at Boston).
23
Detail of transcribed will of Julia Collamore.
Denotes the will proved and allowed in
Massachusetts, June 10, 1872, following her death
(specific date of death unidentified in the
probate records).
From Douglas County
Record of Wills, v.1, p. 49.
24
Further detail of Julia Collamores will,
incorporating provisions for her children George
W. Collamore, Peter Collamore, and Margaret
Fuller Collamore.
25
Douglas County Probate file 447 (Julia
Collamore) and document (enclosure) concerning
debts and assets of her estate.
26
Detail of statement from probate file for Julia
Collamore estate debts due from the deceased
and the amount necessary for support of her
children as minors.
27
In the aftermath of Quantrills Raid, Alonzo
Fuller (Lawrence Mayor in 1861) succeeded George
Collamore as Mayor.Alonzo Fuller died at
Lawrence on January 24, 1886. Records of his
estate appear in probate records of that year.
Because he died intestate, the names of Fullers
heirs cannot be found in records of Douglas
County wills. Names of his heirs do appear,
however, in his probate case file (its file
number identified in the Douglas Countys Probate
Records Index, 1857-1965).
28
Detail of p. 139, Probate Records Index,
1857-1965(listing for Alonzo Fuller, deceased).
Identifies related court records at p. 746 of
Probate Court Docket C, and shows Fullers
probate case file number (843).
29
Douglas Co. Probate File 843 (Alonzo Fuller)
and enclosed
citation.
30
Detail of citation from Alonzo Fuller probate
file. Instructs heirs Lucy A. Fuller
(widow) and Mrs. Anna Riggs (daughter) to appear
before the Probate Court on December 2, 1886.
31
Within published holdings of the
Kansas Collection Complete
Tombstone Census of Douglas County, Kansas,
Lawrence, Douglas County Kansas Genealogy
Society, c 1987, 1989. v.1(Lawrence city
cemeteries, Oak Hill and Maple Grove).
v. 2 (all
other Douglas County cemeteries and burial
sites).
32
(No Transcript)
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Complete Tombstone Census of Douglas County, v.
1, p. 79 (Oak Hill Cemetery Alonzo Fuller)
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Douglas County Tombstone Census
Detail of p.79, v.1
(Oak Hill

Cemetery)
Alonzo Fuller

and family
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Obituaries The Kansas Collections microfilmed
holdings of Lawrence and Leavenworth newspapers
date from 1854 to the early 1900s. Lawrence
newspapers from 1912 to the present are in
holdings of KUs Watson Library.
36
From the Lawrence Daily Journal, January 26,
1886, p. 1. (detail of Alonzo Fuller
obituary)
37
Obituary detail concerning Alonzo Fullers wife
and children. (Lawrence Daily Journal,
January 26, 1886).
38
Obituary detail Alonzo Fullers two terms as
Mayor of Lawrence. (Lawrence Daily
Journal, January 26, 1886).
39
City Directories The Kansas
Collections Lawrence city
directories date from 1860. Early directories
contain separate residential and occupational
listings andbeyond their display of names
and addressesoften identify occupations,
students, non-whites, widows, and the status
of individuals as residents or boarders.
40
Lawrence
City
Directory,
1860-1861


41
Lawrence City Directory, 1860-1861, p. 16
Detail of surnames at letter F (A. Fuller,
physician, res. 35 Tennessee)
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Lawrence City Directory, 1860-1861, p. 40
Detail showing Alonzo Fuller in occupational
listings (35 Tennessee listed as both his
occupational and residential address).
43
Lawrence
City Directory,

1883
44
Lawrence City Directory, 1883 Detail lists both
Alonzo Fuller and wife Lucy Ann Fuller (west side
of Tennessee between Pinckney and Winthrop (later
6th and 7th streets).
45
Lawrence City
Directory, 1886
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Lawrence City Directory, 1886, p. 62 Detail
from F surname listings in 1886 identifies Lucy
A. Fuller as a widow, residing at 621 Tennessee
Street.
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Maps and Atlases Among the Kansas Collections
many maps and atlases are Sanborn Fire Insurance
maps of many Kansas communities. Because these
maps are exceptionally detailed, they are
especially useful in genealogical research. The
Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for Lawrence date
from 1883 to 1927.
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Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Lawrence,
Kans., 1883, Sheet 1
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Property Records Ownership of property in
Douglas County can be found in Kansas Collection
holdings of deeds, tax rolls, and property
assessments, including a 17-volume index to deeds
for the years 1855 to 1900. Kansas Collection
holdings of tax rolls for Lawrence and Douglas
County date from 1863 to 1967. Real estate
entries in these volumes are in general by legal
description or (in later years) by street
address.
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Douglas County Assessment Roll (Lawrence, 1873)
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Douglas County Assessment Roll, 1873, pages 44
and 45 (Alonzo Fuller property listings appear
at bottom of p. 45 in Lawrences Tennessee Street
listings).
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Douglas County Assessment Roll, 1873, p. 45
Detail of Tennessee Street listings (A. Fuller
listings at bottom).
53
Douglas County
Naturalization and Immigration Records
in Kansas Collection Holdings
Sample search name Adam Schick
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Index to Declarations of Intention, v. 2
(1907-1929) Surnames at letter S


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Detail of Index to Declarations of Intention, v.2
(1907-1929) surnames at letter S. The listing
for Adam Schick shows his declaration
(application) at p. 177.
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Declarations of Intention (Naturalization), pages
76 and 77.
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Declarations of Intention, p. 177 (applicant
Adam Schick, Vinland, Kansas, dated August 22,
1923).
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Detail of p. 77 from Declarations of Intention
(Adam Schick, Vinland, Kansas).
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Spencer Library Manuscripts
as Genealogical Resources Kansas
Collection Manuscripts Personal papers (including
correspondence, memoirs, diaries, travel
journals, family bibles, scrapbooks, and
photographs). Records of businesses and
organizations (including schools, churches,
funeral homes, clubs, and historical and
genealogical societies).
Photographs (over 1 million photographs of
individuals, groups, and sites, including
archived holdings of the Lawrence Journal-World).
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Examples of Genealogical Resources in
Records of the University Archives Faculty
morgue files (clippings, resumes, articles
concerning current and past KU faculty).
Transcribed interviews of
retired KU faculty. Faculty
and student photographs (extensive holdings).
Subject-indexed clippings from KU and area
newspapers. Subject-indexed holdings of the KU
Alumni Magazine, KU scrapbooks, and Jayhawker
Yearbook. KU sports media
guides and film footage.
Faculty and student directories.

Commencement programs (listing degree
recipients).
Records of
faculty and student organizations.

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Kansas Collection Manuscripts
and Records of the University Archives

Subject Martha Peterson
Birthplace Jamestown, Kansas, 1916.

A.B., University of Kansas, 1937.

M.A., University of Kansas, 1943.
Ph.D,
University of Kansas, 1959.
University of Kansas

Mathematics Instructor, 1944-1952.
Assistant Dean of
Women, 1947-1952.
Dean of Women, 1952-1956.

University of Wisconsin

Dean of Women, 1956-1962.
Dean
of Students, 1962-1967.
President, Barnard College
(New York City), 1967-1975.
First woman named to boards of several large
corporations, 1970s-1980s.
President,
Beloit College (Beloit, Wisconsin), 1975-1981.
President Emerita, 1981-present.


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A 158-page family history, compiled by Martha
Peterson (1993), based on records of Martha
Petersons mother, Gail French Peterson. (From
the Martha Peterson Papers, Kansas Collection)
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Title page The French Family of Jamestown,
Kansas, 1687-1945.(Martha Peterson Papers)
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The French Family of Jamestown, Kansas, like
many other unpublished family histories, contains
not only the narrative text, but also copies of
family photographs, maps of emigration and
residency, genealogical charts, and other
important family documents.
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Copy of a birth record from The French Family of
Jamestown, Kansas. (Martha
Peterson Papers)
66
From Kansas to Oz My Life as I Remember It (a
52-page memoir by Martha Peterson, written at age
80.) (Martha Peterson
Papers of the Kansas
Collection)
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From Kansas to Oz, by Martha Peterson.
(excerpt)
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As a KU student of the 1930s, Martha Peterson
recalls in her autobiography that mathematics
professor Wealthy Babcock was one of the teachers
she most admired. Professor Babcock retired in
1966. In the University Archives is this
52-page transcript of her 1985 interview by the
K.U. Retirees Club.
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Wealthy Babcock, born in 1895 in Washington
County, Kansas, received her first KU degree in
1919, and was a member of the KU mathematics
faculty from 1920 to 1966. As shown by her 1985
interview, these interviews reflect lives and
memories from many decades. (University
Archives)
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Martha Peterson graduated from KU in 1937.
Holdings of the University Archives include
complete holdings of the KU Yearbooks.
71
Mortar Board, as pictured in the 1937 Jayhawker
Yearbook. (Martha Peterson at bottom left)
(University Archives)



72
KU Commencement program, June 7, 1937.
(University Archives)
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Martha Peterson, KU Commencement, June 7, 1937.
( Martha Peterson Papers)
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Record of Martha Petersons KU appointments,
from faculty index files of the University
Archives.
75
Martha Peterson, KU Assistant Dean of Women (From
faculty photograph files of the University
Archives)
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Articles regarding Martha Peterson in the KU
Graduate (Alumni) Magazine. (From University
Archives index files to the Graduate Magazine.)
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Clippings regarding Martha Peterson in KU
scrapbooks. (From University Archives index
files to the KU scrapbooks.)
78
Martha Peterson photos and articles in KUs
Jayhawker Yearbook. (From University Archives
index files to the Yearbook.)
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KU Faculty and Students
Newspaper Sources University Archives
holdings of the KU newspaper and of KU-related
clippings from area newspapers are
subject-indexed and searchable in an online
database.
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Search results for Martha Peterson in the
University Archives online index to the
University Daily Kansan.
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Search results for Martha Peterson in the
University Archives online index to its area
newspaper clippings.
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New Dean of Women at K.U., Kansas City Star,
March 30, 1952. (Martha Peterson
Papers, Kansas Collection)
83
University Daily Kansan, March 12, 1956
Martha Petersons appointment as Dean of
Women, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
(Martha Peterson

Papers)
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Invitation to Inauguration of Martha Peterson as
President of Barnard College, April 29, 1968.
(Martha Peterson Papers)
85
First Lady of the Board, Profile (magazine of
the Exxon Corporation), April 1975, p. 6.
(Martha Peterson Papers)
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First Lady of the Board, Profile (magazine of
the Exxon Corporation), April 1975, p. 7.
(Martha Peterson Papers)
87
Martha Peterson, President of Beloit College,
Beloit, Wisconsin, 1975-1981.
(Martha Peterson
Papers)
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To explore these and many other resources for
genealogical research, visit Spencer
Library!