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Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

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Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.

Throwback Thursday: Early Campus View Edition

February 28th, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

Photograph of a view of the KU campus, 1890s

View of campus looking south along Oread Avenue, 1890s. University Archives
Photos. Call Number: RG 0/24/P 1890s Prints: Campus: Panoramas (Photos).
Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

From left to right are Spooner Hall, Old Blake Hall, Old Fraser Hall (roughly where modern Fraser Hall is located), and Old Snow Hall. Also visible is Marvin Grove – the area of trees on the right side of the photo. The empty area on the right is where Dyche Hall and the Kansas Union now stand.

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Seedy Business: History of the Barteldes Seed Company

February 26th, 2019

 ‘Barteldes’ stands for quality and we spare no expense or labor to keep up this high standard of quality.
1912 Barteldes seed catalog

In 1860, six years after the first settlers arrived in Lawrence, Friedo Barteldes was the proprietor of a small grocery business on Massachusetts Street. He added a few seed packets to his inventory, and this aspect of his business grew rapidly. It became the Kansas Seed House, the largest seed firm west of the Mississippi. The business employed four salesman on the road, plus fifteen to twenty employees who worked at the House, cleaning and shipping seeds.

Photograph of the Barteldes Groceries & Provisions and Seed Store, 1864

Barteldes Groceries & Provisions and Seed Store, 1864. Douglas County Historical Society
Manuscript Collections. Call Number: Call Number: RH MS-P 1435. Click image to enlarge.

Friedo’s nephew F. W. Barteldes joined the business in 1874. Upon Friedo’s death in 1887, F. W. Barteldes and Max Wilhelmi became the company’s proprietors. In 1906, the Kansas Seed House was incorporated as the Barteldes Seed Company. It expanded that same year, adding locations in Denver and Oklahoma City. The company’s headquarters moved to Denver in 1961.

Cover of the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1897 Page from the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1897

Pages from the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1897. F. W. Barteldes published his company’s first
seed catalog in 1876. He took them along as he traveled during the summer months, taking seed orders
that he filled once he returned to Lawrence. Call Number: RH C4970. Click images to enlarge.

Cover of the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1901 Page from the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1901

Pages from the Kansas Seed House catalog, 1901. Call Number: RH C4971. Click images to enlarge.

Cover of the Barteldes seed catalog, 1915 Page from the Barteldes seed catalog, 1915

Pages from the Barteldes seed catalog, 1915. Call Number: RH Ser C1257. Click images to enlarge.

Barteldes Seed Company was located at 804 Massachusetts Street. Its warehouses – where seeds were stored and tested for germination – were located at 805-811 New Hampshire Street. The store was connected to the warehouses by a walkway over the alley. In 1999, the steel beam walkway was still visible. Today, 804 Massachusetts Street is occupied by Sunflower Bike Shop.

Photograph of the Kansas Seed House storefront, 1886

Kansas Seed House storefront at 804 Massachusetts Street, 1886. Owner F. W.
Barteldes is in the middle, wearing a hat. Douglas County Historical Society Manuscript
Collections. Call Number: Call Number: RH MS-P 1435. Click image to enlarge.

Fire was a persistent concern for the Barteldes Seed Company. The first fire occurred in 1863 during Quantrill’s Raid. Friedo Barteldes was the first shop owner to rebuild and accounts state that the work was completed within seven days. Fire struck again in 1904, and the two-story building was rebuilt with a third floor. As a result of these incidents, the warehouses were reconstructed with fire safety in mind. Seeds were stored in steel cabinets with wire trays. All the doors and walls were fireproofed, and at least some of the ceiling and floors were glass. Each floor was equipped with a large fire hose, and each aisle had a fire extinguisher.

At times during the twentieth century, Barteldes sold more than seeds. In December, the basement of Warehouse A was used to store Christmas trees, and nearly all of the Christmas trees in Lawrence were from Barteldes. For many years, Barteldes also processed and marketed popcorn under their registered name TNT Food Products, Inc., which was formed in 1952.

Meredith Huff
Public Services

Throwback Thursday: Spring Preview Edition

February 21st, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

The first day of spring is less than one month away! Who’s ready for some warmer weather?

Photograph of women students in a car talking to an officer, 1940-1949

Women students in a car on Jayhawk Boulevard, 1940-1949.
Bailey Hall is visible in the background. University Archives Photos.
Call Number: RG 71/0 1940s Negatives: Student Activities (Photos).
Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Spencer Research Library and Archaeology

February 19th, 2019

This month’s temporary exhibit in Spencer’s North Gallery – titled “Spencer Research Library and Archaeology”features a collection of materials available through Spencer that could or have proven to be useful in archaeological research. Spanning from tomes written during the developmental days of archaeology as a science to modern articles on the forefront of archaeological investigations, the collections at Spencer Research Library offer a broad assemblage of knowledge not available through most library settings.

The first display case demonstrates the spectrum of resources available to archaeological researchers by highlighting a sample from each of Spencer’s collections. This includes documents of early Old World archaeology, books on regional archaeology, archaeological reports, and serial clippings and publications featuring archaeological findings and collections. Such materials are often used as supplementary materials in extant studies, though there is plenty potential for new studies to be conducted as well.

Image of pages from Archaeologia cambrensis, January 1846

Archaeologia cambrensis (Welsh Archaeology), volume 1, number 1, January 1846.
Published by the Cambrian Archaeological Association with the goal of interpreting cultural significance
over material value, Archaeologia cambrensis illustrates a transitional period
in the development of archaeology as a science. Call Number: C16530. Click image to enlarge.

Cover of the book Kansas Archaeology, 2006

Kansas Archaeology, 2006. This work offers a broad perspective of the
archaeological history of Kansas. It is accessible to those with or without a
strong background in archaeology. Call Number: RH C11685. Click image to enlarge.

The second display case features materials available at Spencer Research Library that have been used in archaeological projects. One such project is the Douglas County Cellar Survey, known colloquially as the “Caves Project.” The Caves Project is a survey funded by the Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program with the goal of locating and documenting stone arched cellars. The cellars (referred to as “caves”) – constructed from the 1850s into the 1920s – represent a cultural phenomenon unique to the region; thus, archaeologists hope to properly document these caves before they are lost to time. The Caves Project has utilized Spencer Research Library materials such as plat maps, deed records, and topical books on regional history.

Map of Lecompton Township, 1909

Plat map of Lecompton Township in Plat Work and Complete Survey of Douglas County, Kansas, 1909.
This map was used in the Caves Project to locate potential cave structures. In addition to
revealing site locations, the map was also superimposed with older plat maps of the same area to
indicate images that were no longer extant. Call Number: RH Atlas G32. Click image to enlarge.

Also included in the second display case is an artifact, known as a projectile point base, that comes from the Clovis Paleoamerican culture of North America. Likely a broken spear tip, this artifact is likely around 13,000 calendar years old. Found during a 1976 pedestrian survey of site 14DO137 near Clinton Lake in Douglas County, Kansas, this point base is one of the only remaining items left by some of – if not the – first people to ever walk in eastern Kansas. Reviewed as part of an ongoing survey of literature for the Caves Project, multiple archaeological reports indicated that the point was donated to the University of Kansas Archaeological Research Center. Thanks to their cooperation, the point has been loaned to Spencer Research Library for this current exhibit and, as seen below, three-dimensionally scanned. The point has been used in a number of archaeological investigations, including a report on the presence of Clovis people in southeastern Kansas by KU’s Dr. Jack Hofman.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/14do137-02823a31be3c479291888da220191b9a

Frank Conard
Spencer Research Library Public Services Student Assistant and KU Anthropology Major

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World War I Letters of Milo H. Main: February 18-24, 1919

February 18th, 2019

In honor of the centennial of World War I, this is the second series in which we follow the experiences of one American soldier: twenty-five year old Milo H. Main, whose letters are held in Spencer’s Kansas Collection. On Mondays we’ll post a new entry featuring selected letters from Milo to his family from that following week, one hundred years after he wrote them.

Milo Hugh Main was born in or near Pittsfield, Illinois, on November 21, 1892 to William and Rose Ella Henry Main. The family moved to Argonia, Sumner County, Kansas, in 1901. After his mother died in 1906, Milo remained in Argonia with his father and his two sisters Gladys (b. 1890) and June (b. 1899). His youngest sister Fern (b. 1905) was sent to live with relatives in Illinois.

As Milo reported to the Kansas State Historical Society in 1919, after graduating from high school he worked as a store clerk. He resigned in July 1917 and took a position at Standard Oil Company, possibly co-managing a gas station in Argonia.

Milo entered into military service on September 21, 1917. He served as a wagoner – a person who drives a wagon or transports goods by wagon – in Battery F, 130th Field Artillery. He was stationed at Camp Funston (September-October 1917) and Camp Doniphan (October 1917-May 1918). On May 19, 1918, he boarded the ship Ceramic in New York City and departed for Europe.

In this letter, Milo discusses a harrowing experience he had in battle the previous September. “About 4 A.M. [the Germans] put over a real barrage,” he writes. “It was then I found partial safty [safety] from flying fragments in an old gun position. Had I staid out as Randall did I would no doubt of got mine.”

Image of Milo H. Main's letter to his family, February 18, 1919 Image of Milo H. Main's letter to his family, February 18, 1919

2/18 1919
Ernecourt, France.

Dear Father and All:-

Your letter of 1/26 rec’d [received] yesterday evening. Cannot understand about our home-going mail. Some have not heard from the A.E.F. for three weeks. Possibly due to Christmas mail in States.

Also received clippings about 35th Divn [Division]. Gov. Allen has some poor line of dope [information] on us, especially the 60th Brigade of Artillery. We can tell the truth about the Argonne if we ever come home (1).

Yes, I remember Gov. Allen, he “mootched a square [meal]” off the mess next day after we left the big push.

Yesterday the 35th division passed in review before Gen. Pershing and Prince of Wales. To be sure Gen. complimented all the troops. He only wants a Presidental vote from us in 1920. But he will be S.O.L.

Will close, promising to write before we leave for Russia.

I am your son,
Mike

(1) One of the clippings may have been a lengthy January 14th article from the Wellington Daily News that reported on a talk given by Governor Allen in Topeka the same day. Allen talked about “the experiences of the Thirty-fifth and Eighty-first divisions” based on his time with the units while he was in France with the Red Cross. “Quite informally and in his inimitable style,” the article stated, “Governor Allen began his story of the deeds of Kansas men in the great war for humanity…The story held the audience almost breathless at times. At other moments they cheered or laughed. It was a story that Kansas had been waiting for.”

Feb. 20th 1919
Ernecourt, France.

Dear Father and Sisters:

Last night I received one letter from you under date of 1/24, also one from W.E. Hankins (1), and Roy McClure (2). Roy’s address is Rumelange, Luxembourg.

The clipping you enclosed about the return of the 35th and 89th divisions is quite true. Don’t think we will leave here until Mar. 15th now.

Mrs. J.W. Reams (3) surely was getting very old and feeble. Fine old lady to be sure.

The article about Ralph Randall is quite true, I can vouch for his statement, for I was Johnny on the spot. It was about 4 o’clock on the morning of Sept. 24th after our arrival late the night evening before. Ammution [ammunition] trucks had been bringing up high explosives all night and Jerry [Germans] had been sending us a few reminders of war all night, but about 4 A.M. he put over a real barrage, it was then I found partial safty from flying fragments in an old gun position. Had I staid out as Randall did I would no doubt of got mine. After the boy was shot up he was brought in this old gun position for 1st aid and it was there that I gave the Lt. Dr. and Red Cross boys one of my blankets to wrap him in. He was rushed to hospital soon, same as several others were that morning. It was early that night that I was sent to mud hole by one of the Hun’s [Germans’] big shells. Some concussion I witnessed.

How is Genevieve getting along? Bet she is some girl now.

Will close for now, only hoping you have received some of the many letters I have written since returning from Paris.

Assuring you I am well and have any kind of a tonic here in this cafe necessary for perfect health and happiness.

I remain
Yours truly,
Milo H. Main.

(1) Born in Missouri around 1870, W. E. Hankins was living in Sumner County by 1895. He was a longtime resident of Argonia.

(2) Milo has mentioned Roy McClure in several previous letters. Biographical information about Roy can be found in the blog post featuring Milo’s letter of July 24, 1918.

(3) The Argonia Argosy reported on January 23, 1919, that “Mrs. Rebeccah A. Ream, aged 78 years old, who has been living alone on her farm 9 miles southeast of Argonia since the death of her husband about four years ago, was found dead, Tuesday morning by Emery Young, a neighbor, who had gone to her home to see her about a colt she had asked him to break for her. When Mr. Young knocked on the door it swung back and he saw Mrs. Ream sitting in a chair by the stove dead.”

Meredith Huff
Public Services

Emma Piazza
Public Services Student Assistant