What's New -- March 2025
Newly added accessions this month include the Game and Fish Department Records of Thaddeus Surber and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Letter to Egbert S. Oliver.
Collections with additions or added digital content include the Josephine B. Carpenter and Family Papers; the Conference of Gay/Lesbian Elected and Appointed Officials Records; the House Divided Oral History Project Interviews; the Lindstrom Creamery Association Records; the Links, Inc. Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter Records; the Minnesota Historical Society Institutional Archives; the Minnesota Queer Student Conference Records; the Rochester State Hospital Subject Files; the Otto A. Silha Papers; the Horatio P. Van Cleve and Family Papers; and the Phyllis Wiener Papers.
In addition there are many newly encoded finding aids that are now available online for the first time.
New and Updated Finding Aids
| Name/Abstract | File No. |
|---|---|
| Adjutant General: An Inventory of Its Camp Ripley Files | gr03315 |
| Memoranda, extracts, orders, circulars, newsletters, correspondence, building specifications, and blueprints for the state arsenal and other facilities at Camp Ripley, Little Falls, Minnesota. | |
| Anoka County: An Inventory of Its Birth Records | gr03356 |
| Birth record books (1870-1931, Reels 10.1-11), birth returns sent to the county clerk of court by township and village clerks (1870-1908, Reels 1-6), birth record amendments (1908-1930, Reels 6-10), and delayed birth records (1825, 1870-1930, Reel 10). They cover the entire county. | |
| Anoka County: An Inventory of Its Death Records | gr03357 |
| Death register books, with indexes. They cover the entire county. | |
| Becker County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil Case Files | gr03317 |
| Files numbered 1-14988; boxes numbered 1-74 and 93-116. Files prior to 1889 may include criminal cases. | |
| Becker County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Criminal Case Files | gr03318 |
| Files numbered 1-1732; boxes numbered 75-92 (by the court) and 117-118. Files prior to 1889 may be included with the civil case files. | |
| Becker County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Judgment Dockets | gr03316 |
| Judgment dockets for the Becker County District Court. | |
| Josephine Carpenter and Family: An Inventory of Their Papers | 01578 |
 Family history materials kept by Josephine Benz
("Nicky") Carpenter, granddaughter of George G. Benz, the president of wholesale liquor firm Geo.
Benz & Sons, and of Adolf Bremer, president of the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Co., and great-granddaughter
of St. Paul pioneer brewer Jacob Schmidt. Includes digital content. |
|
| Chisago County: Auditor: An Inventory of its Records | gr03353 |
| Assorted records that were either generated by or accumulated by the county auditor. | |
| Chisago County: Probate Court: An Inventory of its Insanity Records | gr03354 |
| Petitions in insanity, reports of jury or board of examiners, and related orders and commitment documents. | |
| Chisago County: Probate Court: An Inventory of its Will Books | gr03355 |
| Copies or transcriptions of the complete texts of wills probated by the courts, accompanied by certifications of authenticity and of filing signed by witnesses and clerks of court. Original wills are found in the probate case files. | |
| Clearwater County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil Case Files | gr03350 |
| Files numbered 1-3889, and trial transcripts for seven cases. Among the transcripts is State v Red River Lumber Co. and E. W. Backus (1910, File 636), containing substantial data on the northern Minnesota lumbering industry. | |
| Clearwater County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Criminal Case Files | gr03351 |
| Files 1-317, and transcripts for a 1921 homicide case and a 1925 larceny case. | |
| Clearwater County: District Court: An Inventory of its Naturalization Records and Index | gr03352 |
| Personal name index, declarations of intention, final papers, petitions, and related records. | |
| Conference of Gay/Lesbian Elected and Appointed Officials: An Inventory of Its Records | 01576 |
 Records and audio-taped proceedings from a
nonpartisan conference focusing on the mutual concerns and experiences of
lesbian and gay elected and appointed officials, candidates, potential
candidates, and campaign workers.Includes digital content. |
|
| Dakota County: Farmington: An Inventory of Its Ordinances | gr02624 |
 Includes handwritten copies, and clippings from local newspapers.
The volume was also used from time to time for other miscellaneous records: constitution,
bylaws, minutes, and a membership list of the Grant and Wilson Club (Republican) of Polk
Township, Nodaway County, Missouri (July-Sept. 1872); articles of incorporation and bylaws
of the Farmington Mill Co. (March 6, 1874, printed notice); ordinance no. 4 (1905) of the
Village of Randolph; and miscellaneous entries that appear to constitute an evaluation of
the credit-worthiness of certain individuals and firms (otherwise unidentified and somewhat
illegible).Includes digital content. |
|
| Game and Fish Commission: An Inventory of Its Records of Thaddeus Surber | gr03341 |
| Includes correspondence and subject files. | |
| House Divided Oral History Project: An Inventory of Its Oral history interviews of the House Divided Oral History Project | oh41 |
| These interviews document the 1979 Minnesota House of Representatives.
For the first time in history the Minnesota House was evenly split between representatives of the
Democratic-Farmer Labor Party and the Independent Republican Party. The interviews reflect the
resulting conflicts and the subsequent resolutions. Includes digital content. |
|
| Lindstrom Creamery Association (Lindstrom, Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records | 00280 |
| Minutes (1895-1969), annual reports (1949-1964), stock records, tax, and accounting records documenting a rural cooperative creamery located in Lindstrom and serving dairy farmers in the Chisago County area. | |
| Links, Inc. Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter: An Inventory of Its Records | 01225 |
 Administrative files,
event files, debutante cotillion files, and president's files, sound recordings
of letters to former president Pamela Alexander, program reports, treasurer's
files, and certificates and awards of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the
Links, Incorporated, an international, nonprofit volunteer service organization
made up of professional women of color. Includes digital content. |
|
| Minnesota Historical Society: An Inventory of Its Institutional Records | 00513 |
 The
archives of the Minnesota Historical Society contains historically valuable
records from all of its administrative and program units. They reflect and
document the history of the organization from its 1849 beginning as the first
private corporation chartered by the territorial legislature. Includes digital content. |
|
| Minnesota Queer Student Conference: An Inventory of Its Records | 01577 |
| Audio-taped proceedings and other records of the
Minnesota Queer Student Conference, held on the campus of the University of
Minnesota in May of 1994. Includes digital content. |
|
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Indictment Records | gr03319 |
| Indictment records of the Polk County District Court. | |
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Judgment Dockets | gr03320 |
| Judgment dockets of the Polk County District Court. | |
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Judgment Records | gr03321 |
| Judgment records of the Polk County District Court. | |
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Minutes | gr03322 |
| Minutes of the Polk County District Court. | |
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Miscellaneous Court Filings | gr03323 |
| Petitions and related papers for incorporation of St. Hilaire and Thief River Falls; petition to divide Polk County; papers regarding vacation of townsites; and petitions to create new counties named Nelson, Mill, Columbia, and Red Lake. | |
| Polk County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Naturalization Records and Index | gr03324 |
| Personal name index, declarations of intention, final papers, petitions, and related records. | |
| Polk County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Decree Record Books | gr03325 |
| Include final decrees of distribution. | |
| Polk County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Will Books | gr03326 |
| Copies or transcriptions of the complete texts of wills probated by the courts, accompanied by certifications of authenticity and of filing signed by witnesses and clerks of court. Wills for 1897-1923 and 1925-1947 are missing. Original wills are found in the probate case files. | |
| Public Welfare Department: Social Welfare Division: Public Assistance Unit: An Inventory of Its Alien Aid and Civilian War Assistance Files | gr03253 |
| Case files and general correspondence of the Social Welfare Division as the agency designated to administer two federal wartime emergency assistance programs: 1) aid to enemy aliens and others in need because of restrictive actions of the U.S. government (primarily relocated Japanese-Americans); and 2) aid to U.S. citizens evacuated or repatriated from areas under the direction of U.S. civil or military authorities (primarily the Philippines and Hawaii), or in need as a result of enemy action. | |
| Rochester State Hospital: An Inventory of Its Subject Files and Miscellaneous Records | gr01168 |
| Files documenting a wide variety of activities and functions at the hospital including administrative files, financial records, reports, correspondence, committee files, staff files, patient files, treatment and illness files, superintendent's correspondence, subject files, publications, project and program files, news clippings, and photographs. | |
| Sibley County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil and Criminal Case Files | gr03342 |
| Civil and criminal case files nos. 1-10,639 (ending in April, 1949); supplemented by several separately filed large case files, transcripts of trial proceedings, and civil coroner inquest files. | |
| Sibley County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Naturalization Records and Index | gr03343 |
| Personal name index, declarations of intention, final papers, petition and record, lists of citizenship petitions granted and denied, application to take oath of allegiance, and loose naturalization papers. | |
| Otto A. Silha: An Inventory of His Papers | 00833 |
| Biographical information, speeches, articles, correspondence, and other papers of Otto A. Silha, a Twin Cities journalist, president (1973-1979), publisher (1975-1976), and chairman (1979-1982) of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune newspaper, and chairman of Cowles Media Company (1982-1984). After retiring from Cowles, he formed Silha Associates, a national media and management consulting organization, and he also founded and chaired the urban expertise organization City Innovation. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Administrative Conference Minutes | gr03328 |
| Minutes of meetings of the prison administration regarding prison industry and finances, supplies, personnel, maintenance, and other matters concerning the operation of the prison. Also included are monthly and weekly reports on the prison industries' production and sales. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Attorney General's Opinions | gr03329 |
| Primarily opinions of the attorney general's office regarding such prison related matters as prisoners' rights, convict labor, personnel, pardon and parole, prison finances and property, sentencing, jurisdiction, and prison industries. The files include correspondence, legislation, contracts, and related documents. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Parole Records | gr03332 |
| Record books, reports, and statistics on inmates paroled. The majority of parolees are male, but a number of women appear, as well. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Physical Condition Record | gr03333 |
| Inmates' medical records, listing personal and family medical history, physical description, mental and physical condition at time of entry and discharge, inmate number, and related information. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Transcripts of Trials of Inmates | gr03327 |
| Files in boxes 1-17 have old and new cases interfiled. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Warden's Subject Files | gr03334 |
| Miscellaneous correspondence including files relating to medical tests done on inmates; minutes of prison and Corrections Department meetings; and other subject files. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Board of Managers: An Inventory of Its Minutes | gr03335 |
| Minutes of the board of managers' monthly meetings, dealing with finances, prison industries, applications for parole, and related topics. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Balance Sheets | gr03330 |
| Monthly accounts recording cashbook, voucher record, sales and consignment, trial balances, and repair settlements data. The early accounts (1917-1922) also contain journal entries. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Correspondence and Visitor Registers | gr03331 |
| The visitor registers (1898-1899, 1911-1914) list the names and addresses of visitors to the prison. The correspondence register (1892-1901) and registers of inmates' mail (1914, 1924-1926, 1936-1946, 1949-1950) record what the inmates received in the mail. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Industrial Conference Minutes | gr03336 |
| The industrial conference was formed when the farm machinery and the hemp and twine industries' conferences were merged. Minutes include weekly reports of twine and machinery sales, expense reports, and machinery contracts. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Prison Industries Cashbooks | gr03337 |
| Revolving fund (1901-1953) and contingent fund (1916-1956) cashbooks, and cash receipt books (1908-1958), documenting operation of the prison industries in general and in particular the hemp and twine, farm machinery, repair, rope and ply goods, and printing departments. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Prison Industries Expense Journals | gr03338 |
| Records of the expenses incurred in the operation of the prison's industries. The journals list individual payments for salaries, travel, promotion, supplies, repairs, and other expenses for the farm machinery, repair, hemp and twine, rope and ply goods, and printing departments. Also included is an expense distribution volume (1918-1924) that lists commercial and selling expenses. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Prison Industries Journals and Ledgers | gr03339 |
| Journals (1893-1896, 1916-1933) and ledgers (1908-1916, 1922-1936) recording financial transactions involved in the general operations of the prison industries, particularly the farm machinery, hemp and twine, repair, rope and ply goods, and printing departments. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: An Inventory of Its Prison Industries Voucher Records | gr03340 |
| These record financial transactions involved in the general operation of the prison industries, particularly the farm machinery, hemp and twine, repair, rope and ply goods, printing, and cordage deartments. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Farm Machinery Department: An Inventory of Its Farm Machinery Consignment and Sales Journals | gr03344 |
| These document sale of farm machinery made at the prison, including date of shipment, to whom shipped (dealers, warehouses, transfer houses, individuals), type and number of pieces of equipment, consignment shipments, returned shipments, transfers from consignment to sales, and remarks. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Farm Machinery Department: An Inventory of Its Farm Machinery Manufacturing Burden Records | gr03345 |
| These record both actual manufacturing expenses and departmental support expenses. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Farm Machinery Department: An Inventory of Its Patent Papers | gr03346 |
| Patents, application papers, patent attorney reports, minutes and reports of meetings, and correspondence documenting patents on farm machinery manufactured at the prison. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Hemp and Twine Department: An Inventory of Its Hemp and Twine Manufacturing Burden Records | gr03347 |
| These record both actual manufacturing expenses and departmental support expenses. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Hemp and Twine Department: An Inventory of Its Hemp and Twine Miscellaneous Records | gr03349 |
| Daily account book (1892-1895); cashbooks (1901-1916) and receipts (1911-1914); records of rope stock purchased (1924-1932) and twine manufactured (1898-1910, 1932-1972); photographs of the rope and twine factory showing equipment, products, and personnel (1930s-1950s); and hemp and twine conference minutes (1911-1920). The latter detail twine sales, expenses, and contracts. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: Prison Industries: Hemp and Twine Department: An Inventory of Its Hemp and Twine Sales Records | gr03348 |
| Twine sales journals (1895-1955, incomplete) and cordage sales journals (1942-1957), documenting type, grade, and weight of product sold, shipment location, and cost of shipment. | |
| Horatio P. Van Cleve and Family: An Inventory of Their Papers | 00791 |
Correspondence, genealogical and biographical data,
diaries, financial records, clippings, and miscellany of Horatio Phillips Van
Cleve, a military officer and early Minnesota settler, his wife Charlotte
Ouisconsin Clark, and various family members.Includes digital content. |
|
| Phyllis Wiener: An Inventory of Her Papers | 01579 |
 Papers of Iowa-born abstract expressionist
artist and educator Phyllis Wiener. The papers include sketchbooks (1987-2012), exhibition materials
(approximately 1951-2013), biographical information (1952-2012), photographs (approximately 1956-2006),
and photograph albums (1960-2005).Includes digital content. |
|
New and Updated Catalog Records
| Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott), 1896-1940. F. Scott Fitzgerald letter to Egbert S. Oliver, 1934. |
| Two page typewritten letter to scholar Egbert S. Oliver from F. Scott Fitzgerald. The letter is in response to a request from Oliver to better understand Fitzgerald's writing influences. In the letter, Fitzgerald outlines four major influences: his father; Charles Nathan Brooks Wheeler, headmaster at St. Paul Academy; Mr. Hume at the Newman School; and Courtland Van Winkle, a professor at Princeton. |
| Indexed. |
Archives - New Finding Aids
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