What's New

The Allyn K. Ford collection was recently updated with 158 digital documents in the finding aid section Original Documents. A local Minnesota businessman, Allyn K. Ford avidly collected autographs, cards, letters, and other documents of individuals of historical significance. The digitized documents consist primarily of letters from prominent politicians, business leaders, military leaders, soldiers, clergymen, authors, and other notable historical figures mainly from Minnesota, but also the broader U.S. and Britain.

Examples include Alexander Ramsey, James Ford Bell, Frank Billings Kellogg, James J. Hill, Henry Benjamin Whipple, Pearl Buck, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Oswald Wykeham Cornwallis. The digital documents also consist of letters from numerous U.S. Presidents, which range from the presidencies of John Quincy Adams to Richard Nixon. Some of the letters are received by Ford himself from various well-known individuals.

In addition to the digitized documents, the Ford collection also consists of microfilm and autographs of many other notable people. Ford's own inventory and index records are also included with the collection.

New and Updated Finding Aids - October 2016

Name/Abstract	File No.
Clay County: Hagen Township: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr01232
Birth and death records of Hagen Township in Clay County.
Clay County: Hawley: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr01233
Birth (1886-1953) and death (1886-1953) records, and burial/removal permits (1927-1943). The 1914-1930 and 1941-1953 birth and death records include indexes.
Nicholas D. Coleman: An Inventory of His Papers	00445
Legislative and political papers of Nicholas D. Coleman, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party leader who represented Saint Paul's 65th Senatorial District in the Minnesota Legislature from 1962 to 1980. Materials include constituent files, correspondence, invitations, speeches, subject files, and data on Coleman's election campaigns, as well as fourteen volumes of scrapbooks with clippings on politics in Minnesota. Includes files related to Coleman's activities as a member of the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board.
First Avenue & 7Th Street Entry: An Inventory of Its Band Files	00233
Band files for First Avenue, a rock and alternative rock music venue in downtown Minneapolis. The files contain some correspondence with bands and/or agents, contracts, attendance and "take" or "numbers" sheets (financial breakdowns), photographs of performers and other promotional materials, tickets, post-performance reviews, and other miscellany.
Allyn K. Ford: An Inventory of His Collection of Historical Manuscripts	01074
Microfilm featuring 1,573 letters, cards, and documents of noted politicians, authors, colonial and Revolutionary War figures, soldiers, explorers, scientists, educators, business leaders, clergymen, and others prominent in cultural and public affairs collected by Minneapolis businessman Allyn K. Ford; 158 original (microfilmed) documents; 58 scraps of paper bearing signatures (autographs); and background files about Ford and the collection. Most of the material originated with American and British personalities. Includes digital content.
Health Department: Commissioner's Office: An Inventory of Its Subject Files	gr01231
Subject files documenting the administration and operation of the commissioner's office, mainly during the terms of Robert N. Barr (1955-1971), Warren R. Lawson (1971-1979), George R. Pettersen (1979-1983), and Sister Mary Madonna Ashton (1983-1991). The files particularly detail the department's relationship with other state government departments, boards, and commissions; with numerous state and federal legislators; with numerous private health-related organizations; and with its own divisions and departments.
Human Services Department: An Inventory of Its Bulletins	gr00768
Circular letters and bulletins (often called Commissioner's Bulletins) issued by the Human Services Department (October 1984-2001, 2006-2013) and its predecessors, the State Relief Agency and Social Security Department's Social Welfare Division (1937-May 1953) and the Public Welfare Department (May 1953-October 1984). Includes digital content.
Frank B. Kellogg Papers: A Inventory of His Papers	00982
Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, State Department duplicates, news clippings scrapbooks, awards, floor plans, honorary degrees, maps, memorials and memoranda of Frank B. Kellogg, Senator from Minnesota, Ambassador to Great Britain, Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
Abigail Q. McCarthy: An Inventory of Her Papers	00481
Papers documenting the varied activities of an author and editor, college teacher, feminist, Catholic lay worker and ecumenical leader, and Democratic Party activist, who was also the wife of Minnesota senator and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy.
Minnesota Historical Society. State Historic Preservation Office: An Inventory of Its Review and Compliance Files	00557
Files created by Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office staff in the course of reviewing construction, rehabilitation, and demolition projects to ensure that sites and properties of historic significance were not adversely affected.
Minnesota Music Teachers Association: An Inventory of Its Records	00619
Records of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association, a professional society of music instructors formed to promote music education in Minnesota. Contains the constitution, bylaws, minutes, convention proceedings, correspondence, examinations, directories, calendars, festival programs, newsletters, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and other materials.
Minnesota State Grange: An Inventory of Its Records	00155
Correspondence, subject files, and some financial records of a fraternal society of farmers and others interested in agriculture. Includes some records of pomona (county or district) and subordinate (local) grange lodges.
Thomas Montgomery and Family: An Inventory of Their Papers	01062
Contains diaries, biographical data, soldier letters, reminiscences and other data relating to Thomas Montgomery, and family members Sarah Ann Purcell Montgomery, Edmund Alexander Montgomery, Louise Easton Montgomery, Edmund Thomas Montgomery, and Harriet Arndt Montgomery. Includes digital content.
Pond Family: An Inventory of Their Papers	00717
Papers documenting the history of a Minnesota pioneer family, particularly the ministry of two brothers who were early missionaries among the Dakota Indians. Materials include photocopied and original correspondence, some with transcripts, photocopied and original diaries, photocopied and original sermons, addresses, real property records, poems, lexicons, a Dakota grammar, genealogies, an autograph album, reminiscences, account books, photocopied and microfilmed scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings.
Public Safety Department: Criminal Apprehension Bureau: An Inventory of Its Criminal Justice Information System Records	gr00194
Annual reports, correspondence, subject files, crime statistics, and newsletters documenting the bureau's activities in criminal justice information and crime statistics. Includes materials of the Minnesota Crime Information System [MINCIS] and the Criminal Justice Information Services/Systems [CJIS]. Includes digital content.
Public Safety Department: Criminal Apprehension Bureau: An Inventory of Its Published Records and Reports	gr01229
Annual and biennial reports, laws and statutes, training manuals, bulletins, newsletters, and miscellaneous print and near-print items of or about the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The records cover various aspects of the bureau's duties and activities, particularly as relating to legislation, crime information, and law enforcement. Includes materials of the Commission on Criminal Apprehension.
Wilkin County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil and Criminal Case Files	gr00764
Civil case files (1883-1973) and criminal case files (1917-1955). The civil case files prior to 1917 may include criminal cases. Also includes unnumbered civil case files (1909-1943) and one 1922 civil case file transcript.
Yellow Medicine County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its School Censuses	gr01230
Arranged in chronological order, there under by school district number. School censuses for the years 1919-1924 are not included.