Jackson County
Historical Society
Archives &
Research Library
(Updated 22 December 2011) Jackson
County, Missouri, history in a nutshell: A
River Runs By It: The Story of Independence and Jackson County, Missouri and
Kansas
City Chronicles: An Up-to-Date History NEW! Our “wish list”
of books we’d like to acquire! SCROLL TO FIND OUT … … who we are; … what we have to offer you (including personalized,
historical research; also see “Other Products and
Services” below); … why you should consider helping us; … where we’re located; and, … when we’re available. WHO WE ARE: Although local residents were meeting as “The
Jackson County Historical Society” as early as 1909, the first formal
organization and collecting initiatives was in 1940. The Jackson County
Historical Society officially incorporated in 1958. We are dedicated to the future of the past.
That means we’re busy making sure that Jackson County’s history is saved for
future generations. To do
this, we collect through donations, spend resources to preserve, and make
available to researchers original, historical materials that provide a broad
insight into the county’s civic, social, cultural, economic, and educational
development. A more "catchy" way of saying this
*might* be that the Historical Society is SAVING LIVES! Truly! We're saving historical materials that individually
and collectively bring to life the stories of ordinary people who have made
Kansas City and Jackson County an extraordinary place to live and work and
play. People have locked up in their attics and
closets items that document wonderful and colorful stories about our past.
And, if we may continue to encourage donation of selected documents and
photographs, the Historical Society will see that they are properly
preserved...and made available to a wide audience for future generations to
come. We rely on donations of historical materials as well as financial
contributions by people who recognize the importance of saving our heritage
... and who wish to be remembered for helping keep safe those items that
document our American memory. Through the efforts of many dedicated volunteers and employees, the
Society has managed to save a large quantity of important materials relating
to the county’s illustrious history. WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER YOU: Our records date from 1826 when Jackson
County, Missouri, was formed. These historical and contemporary documents
tell true stories of the daily lives of people who witnessed the westward
traffic during the early trail days ... who suffered through fierce Civil War
battles and endured martial law ... who benefited from Tom Pendergast’s political machinery (and some who did not)
... who cheered their fellow citizen on to become the 33rd
President of the United States ... who welcomed home their Mormon neighbors
after an earlier rift ... who built towns that grew to cities that have
become part of a major metropolitan area … and who today make this unique
area full of history a fun place to live, work and play. The original documents of pioneer
families, some of which describe the journey west itself, represent the
county’s earliest period. Records of clubs and fine arts organizations that
our citizens have fostered reveal our community’s social and cultural
evolution. An exciting collection development focus
is our Women’s
History series. The personal papers of local leaders and
entrepreneurs help document our area’s economic growth. Equally important are
corporate records that document the business activities of the extensive
financial empires founded in Jackson County, Missouri. All of this is made
available to you because of continued interest and support by people like you
who understand the importance of history and its preservation. RECENT
COLLECTIONS ACQUISITIONS ARCHIVES AND RESEARCH LIBRARY
“City, county, state historical societies
and libraries are a wealth of knowledge, artifacts, and resources ready to assist
in finding your roots,” asserts Barry J. Ewell in
his presentation, Effectively Tapping in to Local, County, State
Historical Societies and Libraries, which guides
you on the ins and outs of working with historical societies and how they can
extend your research success. Thank you to Mr. Ewell
for allowing us to post his PowerPoint presentation in pdf
format here.
If you prefer his text document, also in pdf
format, click
here. If you cannot open .pdf documents, you
can download the Adobe viewer for free from Adobe.com.
Indeed, the Jackson County (Mo.) Historical Society’s Archives and
Research Library offers a wide range of primary source material that attracts
a variety of researchers (including: genealogists, students, authors,
journalists, and scholars). Full reference services are provided to researchers
visiting the facility. Our Archives and Research Library maintains these
kinds of records: Abstracts
of Title (historical property abstracts)
More
than 7,000 Abstracts of Title have been donated to the Jackson County
Historical Society over the last 40+ years. Until the advent of title
insurance, the purchaser of a home ordinarily paid a title or abstract
company for an Abstract of Title (abstracts from original property
deed books), which included a chain of title of all property owners back to when
the government sold, or “patented” the land. Our Abstracts describe the
transfer of property from the four corners of Jackson County, Missouri.
Abstracts are useful to genealogists and house/neighborhood historians, and
we are currently extracting names from these files to increase patron access.
Maybe we have an abstract that comes close to the property you are
seeking? Perhaps you have an Abstract
of Title to donate? Architectural
Drawings & Plans
A
very limited selection; the Western Historical Manuscript Collection is the
best source for commercial renderings, and blue prints for highly notable
Jackson County-area architects and developers. Archives &
Manuscripts: Diaries, Letters, & Journals
Diaries,
correspondence and unpublished research reflecting the lives and activities
of individual Jackson County residents are found in our manuscript
collections. The type and scope of these holdings is endless, and is
currently accessed via finding aids and a card catalog.
Books
Nearly 2,000 volumes document the history of Jackson County and
metropolitan Kansas City area. The bookshelves include many rare titles, and
reflect the rich history found throughout the communities of Jackson County.
These books do not circulate, and must be used in the Research Library.
Consider adding to our Research Library by checking out our current “wish list” of desired
books. Whether you have a book to donate, or would like to provide us
with the funds to purchase a desired book, there’s an opportunity for us to
improve what we have to offer to the public. Business
Ledgers & Records
Ledgers of selected area
business and industries, describing the daily activities of many early
Jackson County businesses date back to mid-1850s. Census Printed enumeration indexes
and/or access to electronic records of Jackson County in the U.S. Census,
1830-1920; and, statistical data for Jackson County, Missouri, and her
municipalities. A fairly complete
collection of city directories that list businesses and individuals residing in
Kansas City and surrounding communities starting in 1859. Other information
in these directories includes business and home addresses, occupations,
spouses’ names, cross index to street names, classified advertisers, and
sometimes death dates of individuals. City directories complement telephone
directories (see below). County and City Records Selected record
series no longer retained by Jackson County and Independence, Missouri.
County records include but are not limited to: election records; early Jackson
County Circuit Court records [in process of being organized and indexed;
therefore, limited access presently]; and, Jackson County Probate Records.
City of Independence records include, but are not limited to: tax records;
community development records; and property assessment records. Presently,
there are no indexes to any of these materials. Genealogical Indexes to Vital
Statistics
We have access to Jackson County, Missouri,
genealogical-related indexes including: marriages, 1827-present; African-American
marriages from 1865; early pioneer cemetery tombstone inscriptions; births,
1883-1895; deaths, 1874-1895, and 1910-1956; wills and administrations,
1860-1870; and early land deeds, 1827-1836. Plats,
Printed
Maps and Atlases & Jackson
County Highway Maps A variety of printed maps
and atlases, as well as Jackson County Assessment Department plat maps detail
property in Jackson County, Missouri. Some maps include landowners’ names,
and others also reveal the location and shape of buildings on a property. We
may be able to help you determine the legal description of a parcel of land
you are researching, which is necessary when looking into land records. (We
also offer for sale a booklet on how to
research the history of your house in Jackson County.) Newspapers
A variety of newspapers are available, including
a nearly complete run of the Independence Examiner, and its predecessor,
the Jackson Examiner. Newspapers are not usually indexed, and if the
date of an event is not known, you must resort to searching day-by-day. One
alternative is to research our Subject Files (described below). Periodicals
Complementing the book
collection is the Library’s core collection of serials, including several
periodicals, journals, and newsletters devoted to local history, including
the Historical Society’s JOURNAL. If you are affiliated with a Jackson
County, Missouri, business or non-profit organization that produces a
newsletter or regular publication, consider adding the Jackson County
Historical Society to your distribution list so that copies may be preserved
and made available to researchers into the future. Photographic and Audio/Visual Collections
The photograph and slide
collection contains roughly 20,000 images, dating primarily from the 1870s to
1960s, that depict a variety of local scenic views, portraits, events, and
structures. Another 10,000 images comprise a set of glass plate negatives
from the illustrious Kansas City-based Strauss-Peyton Photographic Studio
(dating from 1908-1950s), which captured the likenesses of prominent and
not-so-prominent Kansas City residents . . . even early motion picture stars
and entertainers who visited Kansas City in the 1920s. Our audio/visual
collection consists of more than 1,500 oral history interviews of local
veterans and civilians who participated in wartime, as part of the Veterans
History Project, promulgated by the Library of Congress. Post Cards
A fine collection of post
cards depicting views from Jackson County, Missouri, sites, structures, and
tourist destinations. The Jackson County Historical Society is always
interested in acquiring views of local scenes, so please consider the Society
as a repository for postcards you may have, and want to make available to a
wider audience for viewing, research, and education. School Records
Teachers’ Reports and
census and report cards for students attending various rural Jackson County
school districts (excepting Kansas City schools) date from the early 1900s to
the 1950s. Due to privacy issues, there may be restrictions to access to
portions of these collections. Scrapbooks
Scrapbooks, when dated and indexed, are helpful
in discovering the activities of an individual or organization. Scrapbooks
present a challenge to preservationists, however, because they are usually
created with very poor quality paper, and either glue or adhesive tape is
used to attach items. Obtain a copy of our booklet on Practical
Preservation to discover how you can better organize and preserve your
personal or organizational belongings. Subject Files
The subject files contain mostly
clippings relating to persons, places, organizations, and topical subjects
relating to Jackson County, Missouri. The Jackson County Historical Society
has maintained subject files since the early-1940s, although there are
clippings dating back to the late 1800s in some cases. In a sense, the
subject files may be thought of as the Society’s scrapbook, and is a storehouse of basic information on a wide variety of persons
(grouped in a classification of BIOGRAPHY and there under by surname),
subjects, and organizations. While this information is not unique or usually
very extensive, it is assembled in the subject files in such a way as to
provide fast, easy access for many research needs. Reference staff uses the
subject files for "quick fixes" for many routine reference
questions. And, patrons who may not want to conduct a lengthy study of some
subject might find just what they need in our subject files. In recent years,
due to space considerations and lack of staff support, the subject files have
not been added to as extensively as in the past, so current articles may not
be well represented in these files. The subject files are arranged by a
general topic, and there under into a more finite category (i.e.: EDUCATION: Ott Elementary School; MILITARY: Border War; or,
BIOGRAPHY: James). For obvious reasons, researchers are directed to review a
variety of subject in order to be more thorough. For instance, someone
researching the Santa Fe Trail might pull the TRAILS: Santa Fe Trail folder;
but, also might pull biographical files for specific individuals known to
have been instrumental with the Trail (i.e. BIOGRAPHY: Sibley; or BIOGRAPHY:
Bent).
Telephone
Directories
Telephone books complement
the city directories, and are helpful in locating individual and business
addresses. School annuals, or yearbooks, for schools in
Jackson County provide valuable visual images of students and their
curricular and extracurricular activities. Our yearbooks are not for sale and
do not circulate; but, we can research into those which have been generously
donated to our collections in an attempt to answer specific inquiries. The list provided on the link above reveal those schools and
years currently represented in our collections. We welcome donations of
missing schools/years! BOOKSHOP
Hundreds of
book titles relating to local history are for sale in the Society’s bookshop.
Visit the Bookshop in person, or browse all available titles online in our virtual bookshop. OTHER SERVICES AND PRODUCTS Personalized
historical research Researcher’s
Forum (Can you provide information to help answer these unanswered
research queries?) Encapsulation (document preservation) Special ordering of books Photocopying and
photograph reproduction Basic preservation advice
and supplies (folders, boxes, etc.) Consulting in archives management A Brief
Timeline of Jackson County History A
lending library of materials specializing in the conservation of archival
and museum collections Researching Your
House History Speaker’s Bureau
with topics on local history, and its preservation Society members may also receive discounts on certain products and
services. Ask about fees when contacting us with extensive research
questions. WHY YOU SHOULD
CONSIDER HELPING US: Most all of our holdings have come from
generous donations, which is why we continually ask visitors, members,
businesses, and other interested parties to consider donating original, historical
materials to our holdings. The Jackson County Historical Society Archives and
Research Library welcome donations of historical materials that relate to the
creation and development of Jackson County and its citizens. The Society also welcomes bequests and
monetary gifts, which help us vigorously pursue our
mission. These bequeaths, along with annual membership dues, are our primary
sources of income. All gifts, donations, and contributions to the Society are
tax deductible. Contact our Executive Director, Steve Noll, personally
(via e-mail snoll “@” jchs.org (see NOTE at
bottom), or by calling 816.461.1897) for more information about how you may
make a lasting gift. We would not be as effective in reaching our goals and objectives if
it were not for the dedication and service of the men and women who
voluntarily give their time and talent each day of the week. If you are
looking for volunteer or
internship opportunities, consider joining us. There are a variety of
exciting tasks that you may undertake, depending on your availability and
interests. WHERE WE’RE LOCATED: NOTE: The building in which our
Archives, Research Library and Bookshop is located is locked at all times. Pre-scheduled
appointments, therefore, are required. Contact
us if you have any questions or comments using the appropriate link posted here. Also,
it should be noted that at this time there are no restroom facilities on
site. Thank you for your patience and understanding. So that our staff and
volunteers may enjoy year-end holidays and vacations, we are closed and unavailable
until Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Happy holidays! The Jackson
County Historical Society invites you to visit its Archives, Research Library
& Bookshop located in the heart of Independence, Missouri. We are located
inside the old Jackson County Truman Courthouse in the middle of Independence
Square. Driving Directions: From I-70, take Noland
Road north 4 miles to Truman Road; the square is one block west to Main
Street and south one block. From I-435, take Truman Road east 4 miles to Main
Street and south one block. Our surface
mailing address: Archives
Research Library, and Bookshop Jackson P.O. Box 4241 Independence, WHEN WE’RE AVAILABLE: Our
Archives, Research Library and Bookshop are available to the public by advanced appointment only. Generally, we may schedule
appointments Tuesday through Friday. So that our staff and
volunteers may enjoy year-end holidays and vacations, we are closed and unavailable
until Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Happy holidays! We are pleased to announce that our antiquated card catalog is in the
process of being retrospectively converted to an electronic, online database.
To facilitate research access into the card catalog while this process is
taking place, we have microfilmed our card catalog for patron use.
In the interim, this step of using the microfilmed card catalog increases
research time significantly, and precludes multiple patron access. Patron access
to collections in the Archives and Research Library is $10 per visit for each
non-member. Society
members who support the mission of our nonprofit organization
enjoy many benefits, including FREE admission to all
sites, subscriptions to the JCHS JOURNAL and newsletters, purchase discounts,
special invitations and more. Become
a member of the Jackson County Historical Society NOW!! Contact us if
you have any questions or comments using the appropriate link posted here. |
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