Manuscripts Collection
Andrew John Volstead was born near Kenyon, Goodhue County, Minnesota on October 31, 1860. He attended St. Olaf College and graduated from Decorah Institute, Decorah, Iowa in 1881. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1884. He married Helen Mary Osler ("Nellie") Gilruth (1868-1918) on August 6, 1894 and in 1895 their only child Laura Ellen (Mrs. Carl Joys Lomen) was born. He was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 7th District of Minnesota and served from March 4, 1903 until March 3, 1923. He was unsuccessful in his re-election to the 68th Congress.
This collection of papers is mainly related to his authorship of the National Prohibition Act of 1919 (known as the Volstead Act) and his 1922 re-election campaign. The Volstead Act gave federal agents the power to investigate and prosecute violations of the Eighteenth Amendment. It was modified in 1933 to permit the sale of 3.2% beer and wine. He served on the Judiciary Committee for the 66th and 67th Congresses. Volstead resumed the practice of law after his defeat. He died January 20, 1947 and was buried in the cemetery at Granite Falls, Minnesota.
Much of the correspondence is dated 1920-1922 and concerns Prohibition, the National Prohibition Act of 1919 (the Volstead Act), and Volstead's 1922 re-election campaign. There are also copies of Volstead's speeches on Prohibition.
Other topics in correspondence, speeches, or clippings are Volstead's other campaigns; farming and farm legislation; cooperatives; a congressional hearing on the competence of Judge Emory Speer of Georgia (1914-1916); the treaty status of the Mdewakanton Dakota in Minnesota (1907); the Indian school at Morris (Minn.); antitrust legislation; and construction of a post office at Montevideo (Minn.).
Personal and family materials include information on Volstead's wife Helen, a teacher; data on Volstead's mortgages and expenditures, including letters (1911-1920) from Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr.; and invitations to social and other functions in Washington, D.C.
Materials within each section are arranged chronologically.
Originals are closed. Access and use requires the curator’s permission.
These files are located off site in Remote Storage.
Please consult reference staff for more information.
Accession number: 6263; 9916; 9938; 10,013; 10,091; 10,569; 11,370; 16,937
Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, August 2019
Processed by: Miranda Nighbor, August 2002
Catalog ID number: 990017304530104294
This series largely contains correspondence on Prohibition and the Volstead Act. There are both opposing and supporting letters. There is also correspondence relating to other areas of legislation including the Drainage Act and the Capper-Volstead Bill. All the folders contain both letters received and replies from Volstead. There are newspaper clippings attached to some of the letters. Correspondence predating Volstead's election to congress tends to be more personal and more diverse in character. Below is a brief outline of the main topics found in each folder. It should be noted that it is not a comprehensive list.
This folder contains personal letters related to Volstead and his
responses. In this folder is a biographical sketch of Volstead by Ari
Hoogenboam from the
Digital version
This folder contains certificates that Volstead received including his certificate of admission to the Minnesota Bar (1884) and his certificate to practice law in the U.S. Circuit Court (1895). There are also letters relating to Volstead's mortgages. Other papers relate to Voldsted's wife, including certificates from elementary school and her birth record (1868).
Digital version
This folder contains correspondence related to applications for military and naval academies, building a post office in Montevideo, Minnesota, Drainage laws, Native American issues, and mortgage matters. There are papers related to the Senate Resolution (307): "Brewery and Liquor Interests and German Propaganda Investigated."
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This folder contains correspondence related to prohibition including the Anti-Saloon League of America, temperance organizations, women suffragist organizations, and physician's views. There are papers related to the supplemental provision of the National Prohibition Act concerning medical purposes for alcohol.
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This folder contains correspondence related to campaign issues. There are also papers related to court rulings including the Supreme Court ruling in I.P. Flaten and Others vs. O.J. Kvale.
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This folder contains correspondence related to campaign issues including letters of congratulation after his re-election, and others offering support or opposition to the Volstead Act.
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This folder contains correspondence related to campaign issues including letters of congratulation on Volstead's re-election.
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This folder continues the congratulatory correspondence.
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This folder contains correspondence related to physicians' views, church views, and general citizens' views about prohibition. There are also several death threat letters. There are papers related to a bill to prohibit short selling of grain and other farm products (requested by the farmers of Minnesota), the Capper-Volstead Bill, and a petition by the citizens of the State of Wisconsin related to the Volstead Act.
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This folder contains correspondence related to prohibition. There are also papers related to the rehabilitation of disabled ex-servicemen (H.F. No. 1038).
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This folder contains correspondence related to the views of general citizens and both houses of Congress regarding repeal of and amendments to the Volstead Act.
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This folder contains correspondence related to prohibition and farming. There are papers related to an act to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in livestock. (H.R. 6320) and a proposed bill to provide for the safe storage of distilled spirits.
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This folder contains correspondence related to the various parties' and general citizens' views about the repeal of the Volstead Act.
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This folder contains correspondence related to prohibition including the views of churches, farmers, insurance companies, and other organizations. Some of the material is not in English.
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This folder continues correspondence related to prohibition from varying viewpoints.
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This folder contains correspondence related to Christmas and Christmas blessings. There are papers related to life insurance companies and the discounts received when a person does not consume alcohol.
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This folder contains correspondence related to the topic of prohibition including the views of churches, farming groups, insurance companies, and other organizations.
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This folder contains correspondence praising the passage of the Volstead
Act from various organizations including churches, banks, florists,
insurance companies, women's organizations, temperance groups, farm
organizations, and others. There is an article from
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This folder contains correspondence related to the topics of soldiers' bonuses, the Capper-Volstead Bill, campaign issues, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
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This folder contains correspondence related to campaign issues and the state Republican convention at Willmar. Other topics include the post office in Montevideo, Minnesota, anti-saloon/liquor organizations, and physician views about prohibition. There are papers related to the manufacture of nonintoxicating cider and nonintoxicating fruit juices exclusively for home use. There is an article by Wheeler entitled "Facing the Facts of Prohibition."
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This folder contains correspondence related to prohibition including anti-saloon leagues and dairymen leagues. There are papers related to a proposed bill to prevent ships that sell liquor on the high seas from entering American ports (H.R. 12062). There are also papers related to the Farmer's Co-Cooperative Association.
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This folder contains correspondence related to the sale of intoxicating beverages on shipping vessels and to prohibition. There is a 22-page letter written by Benson Vaughn (Nov. 13, 1922) against prohibition. There are papers related to the Supreme Court ruling (Oct. 1922) in Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd., et al. vs. Mellon.
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This folder contains correspondence related to Volstead's re-election defeat including both regrets and celebrations. There are letters written by Harvey Wood, a member of the Native Races Anti-Liquor Traffic Committee from New York.
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This folder contains correspondence related to the election campaign.
There are also letters by Harvey Wood. There is an article from the
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This folder contains correspondence related to the enforcement of the
Volstead Act; letters about Volstead's funeral service; a personal
statement by Volstead published November 19, 1923; and a letter
addressed to Volstead's daughter, Laura Ellen. There is also a
certificate attesting to Volstead's status as a delegate to the 17th
International Congress Against Alcoholism (June 19, 1923). The folder
also includes a postcard signed by Volstead addressed to The A.N.
Marquis Company (Chicago, IL), correcting his entry in
Digital version
The series includes addresses delivered by Volstead at G.A.R. meetings and other occasions. Most of the speeches are on various aspects of prohibition, but there are additional topics including the Indian School at Morris, Minnesota and anti-trust legislation.
This folder contains speeches related to a slide show about the capital; political party conventions; a debate about allowing farm organizations to be subject to the law against monopolies; defense of the "drys"; burials of Civil War solders; the 30th of May as a recognized holiday to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers; the Morris Indian School; and a campaign speech.
Digital version
This folder contains speeches related to Canadian reciprocity; anti-trust legislation; the Democratic record; agricultural appropriation bill; Address of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge in honor of Theodore Roosevelt; Address of A. J. Kvale (candidate for Congress); and various speeches about prohibition issues.
Digital version
The series covers a wide variety of topics including agricultural, naval, and prohibition issues.
This folder contains materials related to regulation of the production and use of other alcoholic liquors; mining; Minnesota drainage laws; pension reviews; donation of German cannons and field pieces to cities in Minnesota; and enforcement of prohibition.
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This folder contains materials related to brewing and liquor interests; naval matters; pension reviews; agricultural topics; and punishment of officers of the United States courts for wrongfully converting money.
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This folder contains items related to the relief of Ole Thorpe (homestead); donation of German cannons and field pieces to cities in Minnesota; military expenses; Judge Emory Speer's (Georgia) fitness for his judicial position; cost figures for the Montevideo, Minnesota post office; a supplement to the National Prohibition Act; and pension review.
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This folder contains material related to Native American rights; pension reviews; naval matters; agricultural topics; employment; amendments to the constitution; railroads; and Armistice Day.
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Collective Bargaining for Farmers. 66th Congress, Judiciary Committee. House Resolution no. 7783.
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Sedition. 66th Congress. Judiciary Committee. Senate Resolution 3317. House Resolution 10605 and 12041.
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Charges against Department of Justice. 66th Congress. Rules Committee.
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Agricultural Crisis. 67th Session. Joint Committee of Agricultural Inquiry.
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The invitations and programs series contains many invitations issued to members of the Volstead family. Most of them are to White House dinners and receptions, presidential inaugurations, and diplomatic and social functions in Washington.
This folder contains invitations and programs related to White House functions, funerals, a marriage announcement, and to the inaugural ball (March 4, 1905).
Digital version
This folder contains invitations and programs related to the inaugural ball (March 4, 1909) and presidential invitations/receptions, as well as souvenir portraits from the inaugural ball.
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This folder contains invitations and programs related to White House receptions, wedding announcements, and the itinerary of Governor Hammond and party from St. Paul to San Francisco (July 14-28, 1915).
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This folder contains invitations and programs related to White House receptions, the memorial for Theodore Roosevelt, a photo of Miss L. Volstead and her announcement of flying in a Curtiss Eagle (Nov. 10, 1919), funeral, commencement at Penn College, Gettysburg, and an invitation to the ceremonies commemorating the burial of an unknown solider (Nov. 11, 1921).
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The newspaper clippings relate mainly to Volstead's political campaigns from 1906-1922. There are also clippings on prohibition, the Volstead Act, and a few personal family items.
Undated, 1904-1906
1909-1912
1914-1919
1920, Folder 1
1920, Folder 2
1920, Folder 3
1921
1922, Folder 1
1922, Folder 2
1922, Folder 3
1922, Folder 4
1923-1947
The volumes are related to personal matters and re-election.
A small scrapbook containing clippings on Volstead's 1920 campaign for congress.
Digital version
Bound volume containing Volstead's voting record for the 66th and 67th congresses.
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Ledger of mortgages (pages 1-165) circa 1914-1935 and list of expenditures made by Volstead (pages 175-217), circa 1918-1920.
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A scrapbook of newspaper clippings regarding Volstead's 1922 campaign.
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