Finding Aid for the Jackson County, Missouri Collection · Genealogy Gallery

Title

Finding Aid for the Jackson County, Missouri Collection

Rights

Rights Information

Type

Collection

Date

1894-2001

Description

This collection contains items relating to Jackson County, Missouri history. These items cover a wide range of the county with the cities of Independence, Kansas City, and Raytown separated into series. Included within this collection are ephemera from these cities’ school districts and events/programs. Items include commencement programs, reproductions of images, graduation invitations, performance brochures, reunion packet, student directory, football program, and school publications.

Language

English

Place

Jackson County--Missouri

Publisher

Midwest Genealogy Center, Mid-Continent Public Library, Independence, Missouri

Extent

5 boxes

Identifier

MGC 1015

Subject

Jackson County (Mo.)

extracted text

Jackson County, Missouri collection

Collection Summary
Title
Jackson County, Missouri collection
Date
1894-2001
Extent
5 box (3 archival box, 2 oversize archival box)

Name and Location of Repository
Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence (Mo.)
Reference code: MGC 1015-JCM
Processed by: Nicole Pye, 2014; finding aid created by Jolene Clark, 2019

Administrative History
Jackson County was originally part of Lafayette County until the General Assembly of the State of
Missouri passed an act in 1825. The county was officially organized in 1826 and named for Andrew
Jackson, then a U.S. Senator and later the 7th president of the United States. It has two county seats;
Independence and Kansas City. Early settlement was centered in towns such as Fort Osage,
Independence, Westport, and Lone Jack. As the western migration began in the 1830s and 1840s, the
cities of Independence and Westport saw an explosion in population as well as importance. The Santa
Fe, Oregon, and California trails either started or went through western Jackson County. Independence
even gained the nickname “Queen City of Trails”. Kansas City became a city on March 28, 1853. It
quickly grew in population and size. Jackson County was the site of many battles and skirmishes during
the Civil War. The period after the Civil War brought prosperity to Jackson County, especially the
decade 1880-1889. The county has continued to grow in population and national importance.

Scope and Content
This collection contains items relating to Jackson County, Missouri history. These items cover a wide
range of the county with the cities of Independence, Kansas City, and Raytown separated into series.
Included within this collection are ephemera from these cities’ school districts and events/programs.
Items include commencement programs, reproductions of images, graduation invitations, performance
brochures, reunion packet, student directory, football program, and school publications.

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Jackson County, Missouri collection

Collection Inventory
System of Arrangement
These records are arranged in 6 series.
Box 1,
Series 1, Independence
Folder 1, Brochures
Item1, Independence Centennial pageant program, 1927 (donated by Shirley
Dillon)
Item 2, Welcome to Historic Independence booklet, 1950
Item 3, Visitors’ Guide, 1992 [accrual, 2019]
Item 4, Visitors’ Guide, 1993
Item 5, Visitors’ Guide, 1994
Item 6, Visitors’ Guide, 1995
Item 7, Visitors’ Guide, 1996
Item 8, Souvenir Pictures Independence, Missouri: “Queen City of the Trails”
[accrual, 2019]
Item 9, Independence, MO Sesquicentennial [accrual, 2019]
Item 10, Independence Missouri in Historic Jackson County, 1964 [accrual, 2020]
Folder 2, History scrapbook, undated (donated by Shirley Dillon)
Folder 3, William Chrisman High School
Item 1, Student directory, 1944 (2 copies)
Item 2, Football program, 1944
Item 3, Handbook, 1945
Item 4, 40th Reunion Class of 1946 “Freshmen in our hearts” speech
Item 5, 40th Reunion Class of 1946 program
Item 6, High School Song, 1942
Item 7, photo post card
Item 8, Graduation program, 1942
Item 9, Senior Sermon program, 1942
Item 10, Graduation announcement for Warren A. Kernaghan, 1942
Item 11, Class Day Exercises program, 1923
Item 12, Graduation program, 1946
Item 13, 55th Reunion of Class of 1946, letter and photos
Item 14, 60th Class Reunion of Class of 1946 letter (2 pages)
Item 15, 60th Class Reunion of Class of 1946 photo and identification page
Item 16,
Folder 4, Truman High School
Item 1, Football program 1972
Folder 5, Independence High School
Item 2, Commencement program, 1894
Folder 6, Jackson County Court House
Item 1, Dedication pin [accrual, 2018]
Item 2, Jackson County Courthouse print by George L. Lightfoot [accrual, 2019]

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Jackson County, Missouri collection
Folder 7, “Goose Hunting with Harry Truman” By Gene Rinacke as told to James Rinacke
[accrual, 2019]
Folder 8, Rock Creek Elementary School
Item 1, commencement exercises program, 1938 (2 copies)
Item 2, Commencement exercises program, 1951
Folder 9, Maywood Baptist Church 75th Anniversary 1905-1980
Folder 10, Funeral memorial books
Folder 10, Funeral memorial
Item 1, William H Wells [1866-1936] of Independence, MO
Item 2, Nicholas McPherson of Independence, MO [1836-1914]
Folder 11, DAR, Independence Pioneers Chapter, Supplement, 2001-2002 [accrual,
2019]
Folder 12, Cross stitch pattern from Waggoner-Gates Milling Company with envelope
[accrual, 2020]
Series 2, Kansas City
Folder 1, Program from Dedication of the Liberty Memorial, 1926
Folder 2, Great American luncheon at Muehlebach Hotel, 1966 (12 photographs)
Folder 3, East High School
Item 1, East High School 1948-1949 Reunion photograph, 1998
Item 2, East High School 50th & 51st Class reunion program, 1999
Item 3, High School Graduating Classes East reproduction from Kansas City Star,
1937
Folder 4, Southwest High School
Item 1, Commencement program, 1926
Folder 5, Argentine High School
Item 1, Commencement program, 1927
Folder 6, Northeast High School Alumni newsletter
Folder 7, Northeast High School Class of 1943 Reunions
Item 1, 40 year re-union, 1983
Item 2, 45th re-union, 1988
Item 3, 50th re-union, 1993
Item 4, misc. reunion papers
Box 2,
Folder 8, Pinkerton School
Item 1, Photograph of Principal, 1978
Item 2, Photograph of Principal, 1979
Folder 9, Pitcher School
Item 1, History of Pitcher School, 1961
Folder 10, Publications
Item 1, Teachers College Scout-Magazine Edition, 1931
Item 2, The Parent=Teacher Bulletin, 1933
Folder 11, Southeast High School
Item 1, Southeast High School graduate invitation, 1950
Item 2, Southeast High School performance brochures, 1950
Item 3, Southeast High School Reunion packet, 2000
Item 4, Southeast High School 50th anniversary Photograph, 2001
Folder 12, Class book of Bernice Essmueller of Kansas City, MO [1928]
Folder 13, Scrapbook of newspaper clippings about real estate in Kansas City, 1925-1927
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Jackson County, Missouri collection
Folder 14, Skelly service station blue print, Gregory Blvd and Oak St, Kansas City, 1960
Folder 15, School Days and Dates scrapbook belonging to Mildred Jeanne Wood, Kansas
City, 1973
Folder 16, J.C. Nichols Company
Item 1, J.C. Nichols Company 75 Years
Item 2, A Scrapbook of the Country Club District
Folder 17, Memorial book for Bessie Ann Pointer, Kansas City, MO 1980 [accrual, 2018]
Folder 18, List of nurses at the Willows Hospital, 1922-1923 along with notes
Folder 19, Marriage Certificate, Charles A Roth and Lola Belle Highley, MO, 1911
[accrual, 2018]
Folder 20, Prom Magazine [Kansas City, MO]
Item 1, June 1950
Item 2, Oct 1950
Box 3,
Folder 21, Cub stage show schedule and map [Kansas City, MO], 1947
Folder 22, Memorial book for Betty Matthews, Kansas City, MO, 2003 [accrual, 2018]
Folder 23, Operation Handshake: A Guide to the Open House and Air Show, July 25-26,
1987 Richards-Geaur AFB, MO [accrual, 2019]
Folder 24, The Kansas City Museum at “Corinthian Hall” print by George L. Lightfoot
[accrual, 2019]
Folder 25, Elmwood Cemetery [accrual, 2018]
Item 1, Beautiful Elmwood
Item 2, Rules and Regulations Elmwood Cemetery
Item 3, Elmwood Cemetery tour brochure
Item 4, 20 burials at Elmwood Cemetery
Item 5, Grave dowsing instructions
Item 6, Copy of cemetery map
Item 7, Sample copies of Interment cards, cremation cards and accompanying
death certificates
Folder 26, Kansas City postcards [accrual, 2018]
Item 1, Interstate Viaduct, postmarked 1909
Item 2, Colonnade at the Paseo, postmarked 1912
Item 3, Scene on Cliff Drive, postmarked 1911
Item 4, Baltimore Hotel, postmarked 1912
Item 5, The Bellerive Hotel
Item 6, Kansas City Power and Light Company
Item 7, William Rockhill Nelson Art Gallery Atkins Museum of Fine Arts
Item 8, Union Station and Skyline
Item 9, Liberty Memorial
Item 10, Home of Harry S. Truman, Independence, Missouri [circa 1947]
Item 11, Japanese Garden, 1934
Item 12, Scene on Ward Parkway in Beautiful Country Club District, 1932
Item 13, Country Club Plaza, 47th and Mill Creek Boulevard, 1934
Item 14, Marble Fountain in Country Club District, 1937 (2 postcards)
Item 15, Rose Garden, Jacob L. Loose Park, 1938
Item 16, Kersey Coates Drive, 1938
Item 17, Inter-City Viaduct Connecting Kansas City, Mo. And Kansas City, Kansas,
1937
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Jackson County, Missouri collection
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Item 18, 12 and Main Looking North, 1938
Item 19, Country Club Plaza at Night
Item 20, Spring Cliff Dr
Item 21, Flower Garden and Fountain, Loose Park
Folder 27, PTA Newsletter, Feb 1948, Kansas City Missouri Council
Folder 28, Envelope from Harzfeld’s, Petticoat Lane, Kansas City, MO [accrual, 2020]
Series 3, Lee’s Summit
Folder 1, Lee’s Summit High School graduation program, 1938
Series 4, Buckner
Folder 1, United Methodist Church information
Folder 2, Methodist Episcopal Church information
Box 4, [oversized]
Series 5, Framed prints
Item 1, The Truman Home/Independence, MO by George Lightfoot
Item 2, Westport High School, Kansas City, Missouri by Michael D. Eifler, 1996
Item 3, Harry S. Truman portrait
Box 5, [oversized]
Series 6, Oversized items
Folder 1, Border Star School
Item 1, Commencement Exercises program, 1938
Item 2, Class photo, 1938
Folder 2, General Conference, 1903 Stone Church, Independence, Missouri print by Jack
W. Garnier
Folder 3, Frank W. Curtis, High School Diploma, William Chrisman High School,
Independence, MO, 1922
Folder 4, “Thanks Bill”, Art tribute to Bill Brewster for 36 years of parks and recreation
and 30 years as teacher and coach in Independence, MO, 1993

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Jackson County, Missouri collection

Rights and Access
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use by appointment.
Physical Access
Most records within this collection are housed in file folders. Some documents and pictures are in
plastic sleeves or tissue paper. Some items are oversized and are housed in MGC’s oversize archival
storage.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Languages and Scripts of the Material
Materials in the collection are entirely in English.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Portions of this collection were donated by Shirley Dillon and also by Ted Nelson. The other sections of
this collection were donated anonymously.
Accruals
Accruals, 2018, 2019, ,2020.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals owned by the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Notes
The following books were consulted during preparation of the administrative history:
Hickman, W.Z. History of Jackson County. Topeka, KS: Historical Publishing Company, 1920.
Wilcox, Pearl. Jackson County Pioneers. Independence, MO: Jackson County Historical Society, 1990.

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