Missouri State Archives
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[edit] Address and Contact Info
Address: P.O. Box 1747, 600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65102-1747
Phone: (573) 751-3280
Fax: (573) 526-7333
E-mail: archref@sos.mo.gov
Web page: http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/.
Director: Kenneth H. Winn
Online Finding Aid: http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/findingaids/default.asp
Archivists (principal contacts for advice on the collection):
[edit] Hours and usage restrictions
Access to the archives’ collections is provided through the Reference Room; written requests are answered by the reference staff. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday; and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
[edit] Collection Summary
The Missouri State Archives, established in 1965 as a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is the officially designated repository for government records of permanent and historical value. Its mission is to foster an appreciation of Missouri history and illuminate contemporary public issues by preserving and making available the state’s permanent records to its citizens and their government.
The archives’ vast collections and holdings, dating from 1770, enable scholars and historians to access records critical to understanding the history of Missouri. Currently, the archives holds more than 336 million pages of records of permanent value; 400,000 negatives, prints, and slides; 194,000 reels of microfilm; 270,000 microfiche; 9,000 maps; tens of thousands state government publications; and audiotapes, CDs, and videotapes.
The records document Missouri’s history under French and Spanish colonial rule, as a U.S. territory, and finally as a state. Included are military records of Missourians from the War of 1812 through World War I, with a significant collection of Civil War records detailing the experience of war in the trans-Mississippi West. The role of St. Louis in the international fur trade and the importance of Missouri towns during westward expansion are additional highlights of the archives’ collections.
Official state papers include those of governors, lieutenant governors, and secretaries of state. Also available are extensive collections of legislative papers and Missouri Supreme Court case files from the early 19th century through the 20th century, as well as 19th-century circuit court records. Several large collections are comprised of land records that include colonial Mississippi Valley French and Spanish land grants from 1790 to 1803, as well as U.S. government land sales from 1818 to 1903. Other notable collections include the records of the Missouri State Penitentiary, the oldest prison west of the Mississippi River (1837–1933); expired trademarks, illustrating the culture of marketing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; photographs and papers from the Missouri State Fair, documenting a century of agricultural advancements; and a significant photograph collection depicting Missouri life during the 20th century. In addition, the annotated Guide to African American Records at the Missouri State Archives, available as a web-based publication, identifies records in a variety of archival collections that speak to the African American experience in Missouri history from the territorial era through the 20th century. Also available as a web-based publication is the Guide to the Civil War Records of the Missouri State Archives that makes Missouri’s Civil War history both accessible and meaningful, encompassing the military aspects of the war as well as the social reactions to the fighting, while offering a unique look at a state divided in loyalty.
In its Reference Room, the archives maintains a wide-ranging collection of county records on microfilm; various records are available for each of Missouri’s 114 counties and the independent City of St. Louis. These records begin with county formation and continue into the 20th century. Included are marriages, probate records, births and deaths, and circuit court documents. Municipal records, church records, city directories, maps, and reference books are also available, as well as federal census schedules from 1830 through 1930.
Access to information about the Missouri State Archives is available on the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office web site at http://www.sos.mo.gov and includes educational initiatives, online database projects, history projects and programs, traveling exhibit descriptions and schedules, recent accessions, and frequently asked questions about Missouri and its history.
[edit] Usage Discussion
Suggestions for approaching the material:
Housing and getting by for less in the area:
