Jackson County Historical Society
Archives & Research Library
Women’s
History Collections (2/10)
The
Jackson County Historical Society began actively assembling a more comprehensive
collection of materials focusing on women’s history in 1997. Specifically,
the Society began soliciting archival materials of individual women and women’s
organizations in order to preserve and make available primary source material
on the women of the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. The project
initiated after research revealed that the contributions of women to the
development of American culture and its institutions had not been adequately
included in most history accounts. Further, what has been retained is in
fragmented locations, and not easily accessible to the public. A
determination to reverse this trend, and to reserve the 20th
century women’s legacy in the Kansas City region, prompted Historical Society
volunteers Barbara Potts (a former mayor of Independence and executive
director of the Historical Society), and Jane Fifield
Flynn (a former administrator of Kansas City’s Landmarks Commission,
president of Historic Kansas City Foundation and author of two books Kansas
City Women of Independent Minds and Kansas City Style: A Social and
Cultural History of Kansas City as Seen Through Its Lost Architecture) to
launch this venture. Thus,
the Jackson County Historical Society began its work to fill a major void in the
recorded history of the metropolitan Kansas City region. Potts
said, “The preservation of the history of women’s contributions to our
community is very important to future generations
ability to understand the women of the 20th century.” Flynn added, “We
have long suspected that invaluable primary sources were being lost to us
because of inattention to the historical perspective of women. [The women’s
history collections at the Jackson County Historical Society] will provide
the first opportunity in our area to gather together in one location the
documentation of the contributions made by individual women and women’s
organizations, which reveal the presence of not only city fathers but city mothers.” Efforts
to increase awareness of the importance of women in the history of Kansas
City And Jackson County has led to the
collection of a number of prominent women’s collections. A broad range of
original materials comprise these collections, which includes among other
types of historical objects: letters, diaries and journals, memoirs,
scrapbooks, reports, minutes, memoranda, labeled photographs, speeches,
audio- and videocassettes, slides, films, and oral history interviews. Represented
here are the personal, business and professional papers of women who have
contributed to the heritage of the greater Kansas City metropolitan from all
walks of life. Pioneers, politicians, writers, teachers, suffragettes,
artists, homemakers, athletes, businesswomen, journalists, and volunteers are
among those represented in these collections: A
Alternate Tuesday Club Records, 1880s to
present American Association of University Women,
Independence Chapter, 1940-1994 Association for Women in Communications (formerly
Theta Sigma Phi), Kansas City Chapter, 1914-1990s Association of High School Women,
Independence Chapter Association of Women Lawyers of Greater
Kansas City B
Blanch Barnes Scrapbook Collection Matilda Caroline Bidstrup
Papers, 1874-1939 Mattie Lykins
Bingham Reminiscences, 1880s Black Women of Justice, Inc. Papers Beulah L. Boone Papers, 1760-1960s Roberta Leinweber
Bonnewitz Collection Dolly Breitenbaugh
Papers, 1848-1948 Evelyn Duncan Brown Papers Skiley
Briggs Papers, 1860s-1970s Business and Professional Women’s Club
Records, 1930s-1960s Dorothy Pierson Butler Papers, 1910-1970s Dorothy Butler Scrapbook Collection,
1973-1976 C
Anna Parker Campbell Scrapbook Collection Central Exchange Records Adrienne Christopher DAR Scrapbook
Collection, 1932 Church Women United, Independence Chapter Church Women United, Kansas City Chapter Mr. and Mrs. Kersey and Sarah (Chandler)
Coates Collection Marcella
Martha Conrad Papers and "Dollie Dolls"
Collection, 1930s Alberta Wilson Constant Papers, 1855-1978 Mize and Lucy Conway Papers, 1856-1962 D
Nancy DeLaurier
Papers Mary Mildred DeWitt Scrapbook Collection E
Joanne Chiles Eakin
Collection Englewood Live and Learn Club scrapbook Loula
Grace Erdman Manuscript, 1966 Nancy M. Ehrlich papers, 1830s-1980s F
Jane Fifield
Flynn Papers, 1990s to present Mrs. Frank (Pauline) Fowler Papers,
1940s-1970s G
Nadine Harness Garner Family Papers,
1960s-1970s Susannah Gentry Papers, 1880s-1980s Mrs. George (Claude) Gorton Papers,
1919-1975 Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs,
Independence Chapter Mary Fitzgerald Green Papers, 1890-1964 H
Mrs. Horace S. (Georganne)
Hedges, 1950s-1980s Hickman Mills Homemakers Club Scrapbook
Collection, 1918-1978 Mollie Hughes Scrapbook Collection,
1880-1900 Hyatt Manuscripts (recipes), 1871-1940 I
Independence Garden Club Scrapbook Collection,
1945-1972 Independence Junior Service League
Records, 1940s to present Independence Music Club Independence Young Matrons, 1941-present J
Miss Cammie
Johnson Papers, 1941-1935 Lizzie Price Johnson Papers, 1860s-1930s K
Edna Virginia Kinnamann
Papers, 1779-1960s L
League of Women Voters-Tri County Chapter Landon and Mary Graham Minor Laird
Papers, 1930s-1940s Anna Marie Lentz Papers, 1880-1940s John
and Susan Lewis, Sr. Family Papers, 1832-1884 [1917] Margaret Bird Luce Scrapbook Collection,
1883-1933 M
Gilda Zoe Harrell-Gilda Manning Papers,
1941-1999 Ruby Short McKim
Papers (see also www.rubyslegacy.com
and www.mckimstudios.com) Mattie Rhodes Center Records Mid-Continent Council of Girl Scouts
Records Grace Minor Papers, 1830s-1988 Berta E. Montgomery Scrapbook Collection,
1906-1909 O Biographical files for John M. and Mitzi
(Watt) Overman P
Carole Roper Park Papers Sallie Jane Parker Papers, 1880-1918 Mary Paxton Study Class Records,
1890s-1980s Phi Omicron Society-Rho Sigma Phi Chapter Mayor Barbara J. Potts Papers, 1980s-2001 R
Rho Sigma Phi (formerly Phi Omicron
Sorority) Hazelle
Hedges Rollins Papers, 1930s-1950s S
Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Papers Mary Gentry Shaw Family Papers, 1851-1972 Mathilda
Dallmeyer Shelden
Scrapbook Collection, 1914-1929 Sorsis
Club Papers William
Franklin and Fannie (Ware) Smith Collection of Family Papers, 1840s to 1880s Sybil Burris Snyder Papers, 1924-1974 Stratler-Mifflin
Papers, 1910-1930s T
Ethel Tiffy
Scrapbook Collection V
Mrs. John Van Brunt Papers, 1906-1941 W
Mrs. George P. Wallace Scrapbook
Collection Westport Ballet Theater Papers Woman’s Athletic Club Records, 1921-2010 Ann Prewitt Wright Scrapbook Collection Y
Lucy Sparks Yantis Papers, 1850s-1960s Z
Mary Mercer Zick
Scrapbook Collection The
women’s history collections at the Jackson County Historical Society are
available for research by the public. The Society
collects, preserves, and makes available to researchers materials that
provide a broad insight into the county’s civic, social, cultural, economic,
and educational development. Individuals
and organizations interested in preserving their collections at the Jackson
County Historical Society’s Archives facility are encouraged to follow this
two-step process: STEP ONE Begin
the process by taking a few moments to survey their records and write down as
much of the following as possible: Name
(and any previous names) of the creating individual or institution The
quantity of materials (an approximate number of folders, boxes, or drawers) The
dates the materials cover The
types of materials (artifacts, correspondence, diaries, photographs, reports,
etc.) STEP TWO
Contact the Jackson County Historical
Society to discuss your interest in making a donation. Jackson
County Historical Society Archives,
Research Library and Bookshop 112
West Lexington Ave, Ste 103 Independence,
MO 64050 816.252.7454 816.461-1510
(fax) |