Missouri State University Libraries
Historic Springfield Collection
Volume: 12.5 cubic feet
Dates: 1837-2005
Provenance
The first accession was acquired in 2007, with numerous additions. It was processed in 2008 by Tracie Gieselman-Holthaus with assistance from Aaron Geary, Amanda Nichols, and D.J. Reece.
Copyright
This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).Access
The collection is unrestricted. Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be obtained from the Department of Special Collections and Archives. Citations should be as follows: Identification of the item, Historic Springfield Collection [M026], Department of Special Collections and Archives, Missouri State University.
Biographical/Historical Sketch
Historic Springfield was formed in 1999 by Richard Burton as a not-for-profit corporation promoting the preservation of Springfield’s “cultural resources” and providing historic consultation throughout the community. The collection contains the records from Historic Springfield, including photographs of properties, publications, and various Abstracts of Deeds. A small amount of materials from outside Springfield can also be found in the collection.
Historic Springfield aspired to demonstrate historical preservation through the restoration of The Mosher House on East Walnut Street as the Living History House Museum (now a private residence). The collection also houses materials given to The Mosher House, such as the diary of Frances Ann Bishop, who lived on Walnut Street in the 1890s.
Scope and Content
The bulk of the collection was delivered to Special Collections and Archives in 2007, with additional materials incorporated into the collection. The majority of the collection consists of photographs, generally from downtown Springfield. Other materials in the collection were created or collected by Historic Springfield, including pamphlets and binders. Oversized items can be found in the Oversized Materials Box. The collection is divided into six series as listed below.
Series I: Photographs: This series consists of photographs of properties, the bulk of which are local. The photos are arranged alphabetically in two different ways. The first group of folders are arranged by street name, while the others are arranged by the name of the building. Folder labels and roll numbers are based on the original photo envelopes.
Note that photographs of Route 66 motor courts can be found in this series.
Please also note that some photographs suffered from water damage and were photocopied for the collection. In some cases, only negatives documented a property and those negative images were printed. Reprints of these photos can be made from the negatives, which can be found in Series V. However, reprints of photographs will primarily be in the form of digital images.
Series II: Proof Sheets and Negatives: Arranged alphabetically, this series houses the proof sheets and negatives of local properties.
Series III: Publications and Binders: Materials in this series include binders and publications created and collected by Historic Springfield. Binders were unbound and foldered, while reports remain intact. The materials are arranged chronologically. Note the collection of postcards and the Frances Ann Bishop diary.
Series IV: Abstracts of Title: The Abstracts of Title to various properties are housed in this chronologically arranged series.
Series V: Negatives: Negatives separated from the photographs in Series I are located in this series. Each folder is labeled with the first and last property found in the corresponding box of photos.
Series VI: Oversized Materials: This series contains items requiring an oversized box, including items separated from the collection. Note that the oversized color copies of photographs of East Walnut Street have property information on the back of the paper.
Container List
The container list for this collection is available in PDF format. Adobe Reader is required to view the container list.
