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.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I share a scrapbook of Kansas news items. Originally a copy of Tommy Trot’s Visit to Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (1908), the book is pasted with various news articles from the early 1900s. Created by Margaret Thomas Henderson, the 91-page scrapbook houses news clippings about topics such as the University of Kansas, the Lawrence community, the history of Kansas, and notable people from the time.
Margaret Thomas Henderson was born in Parsons, Kansas, in 1880. According to the finding aid for the scrapbook, she “enrolled at the University of Kansas in 1898, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a liberal arts degree in 1905.” Margaret gifted the book to the library in 1952, just two years before she passed.
The front cover of – and selected pages from – Margaret Thompson Henderson’s Kansas scrapbook, circa 1908-1924. Call Number: RH MS C90. Click image to enlarges.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a glimpse into the lives of early pioneer homesteaders in Kansas. Coming from the R.H. Gandivan and R. Hugobook collection are photos (1883-1884) of early pioneers in front of their homes in Kansas. The collection consists of 24 photos from around the state. According to the finding aid, “the photographs depict pioneer families and their homesteads in the following Kansas counties: Clay, Jewell, McPherson, Mitchell, Ottawa, and Saline. Subjects include early pioneer houses and farmsteads, family groups, landscapes, and individual portraits.”
An entry in the Kansas Historical Society’s Kansapedia notes that “after the Civil War and before 1890 the population of Kansas increased by the greatest amount in its history. More than one million people streamed into Kansas seeking a new life on the frontier…Free and cheap land provided by the Homestead Act and the railroads attracted many settlers.” The Homestead Act was passed in 1862. Under its provisions, “settlers could claim 160 acres of public land. They paid a small filing fee and then had two options for getting title to the land…The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900.”
Houses in the late nineteenth century came in many shapes and sizes. The Old House Archives provide an idea of just how vast the design range was (though many have been updated as time goes on). Architectural Observer provides a brief glimpse into an empty late nineteenth century farmhouse.
A pioneer family and their farmstead in Mitchell County, Kansas, 1884. R.H. Gandiven and R. Hugoboom Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 547(f). Click image to enlarge.
A pioneer family and their farmstead in Mitchell County, Kansas, 1884. A note on the back of the photo reads “A little farm well tilled A house well filled A little wife well willed Mitchell ct Kansas, 1884.” R.H. Gandiven and R. Hugoboom Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 547(f). Click image to enlarge.
A family in Ottawa County, Kansas, 1884. R.H. Gandiven and R. Hugoboom Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 547(f). Click image to enlarge.
A common school in McPherson County, Kansas, 1884. R.H. Gandiven and R. Hugoboom Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 547(f). Click image to enlarge.
If you would like a glimpse into the life of a Kansan in the late 1800s, check out our earlier post featuring a Kansas farmer’s diary from 1896 or this post about letters and diaries of Kansas women in the 1860s. The library also houses the diary of Maude Egbert (a Kansas farm wife during the 1940s) and many others from throughout history.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am showing something that may not be so relatable today. Below is an image of the first page of a pamphlet titled The Anti-Horse Thief Association: What It Is; What It Is Not. The pamphlet states that the association was founded in Clark County, Missouri, in 1854. According to the finding aid, it “was a grass-roots organization of U.S. citizens that emerged…as a vigilance body for prevention of theft, especially horse stealing.” The “effectiveness of such an organization quickly became apparent,” noted a 1912 history of Kansas, so “the order spread to other states, and in time covered a large expanse of territory. After the [Civil War] was over, when the conditions that called the association into existence no longer existed, its scope was widened to include all kinds of thefts and a national organization was incorporated under the laws of Kansas.” Law-abiding citizens over 21 years old could apply for membership to the AHTA. In 1926, the organization changed its name to the Anti-Thief Association in response to automation replacing horses.
The Anti-Horse Thief Association collection found at Spencer Research Library houses a couple of minute books, the pamphlet shown, a newspaper clipping, and a blank property description form (also imaged below).
The first page of the undated pamphlet The Anti-Horse Thief Association: What It Is; What It Is Not. Call Number: RH MS P860. Click image to enlarge.
An undated Anti-Horse Thief Association blank property description form. Call Number: RH MS P860. Click image to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a collection of Lawrence Bank banknotes. According to the finding aid, “the collection contains four Lawrence Bank notes of three and five dollar denominations. These notes are imprinted with ‘The Lawrence Bank, Lawrence, Kansas’ but were probably issued by the Lawrence National Bank, which was established in the 1860s.”
Incorporated by the territorial legislature in 1858 and located on the east side of Massachusetts street in downtown Lawrence, the Lawrence Bank opened for business in 1860. According to an article in the Lawrence Business Magazine, “the Lawrence Bank issued currency in various denominations, but only bills for $1, $2, $3 and $5 are known to survive.” The existence of the Lawrence Bank was short-lived, as “Quantrill’s raiders robbed and burned the bank. It never reopened after the raid but continued to redeem currency presented for payment until it closed for good in January 1864.”
As seen in the images, the banknotes came into the library’s possession as fragments. They were pieced together and preserved by the Libraries’ conservation department. It’s not often that fragmented items are adhered to a secondary layer, but at times it is deemed necessary by our conservators and curators.
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Fragments of four undated Lawrence (Kansas) Bank banknotes, circa 1860s. Call Number: RH MS P433. Click images to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
With the conclusion of the 2023 football season, I thought it would be fun to share some photos from KU football’s beginning. The football team at the University of Kansas played its first season in 1890, which makes it one of the oldest college football programs in the country. According to Wikipedia, “The most successful era for Kansas football was 1890 to 1952, when the program recorded four undefeated seasons and posted an overall .603 winning percentage, over 300 wins, several conference championships, and made major bowl appearances.” After 1952, the team’s success progressively fell. However, since 2021 the team has had a dramatic change of pace, ending the 2023 regular season with an 8-4 record. The season also led the Jayhawks to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, where they won against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 49-36.
The Jayhawks’ home stadium, David Booth Memorial Stadium, opened in 1921 and is the seventh oldest college football stadium in the country. In December 2023, construction began on the stadium to kick off the Gateway District project. The project includes restructuring of the stadium, the addition of a hotel and a conference center, and more. A livestream of the construction can be viewed online. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be finished in time for the 2025 football season.
Below I am sharing team photos from 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. Interestingly, KU’s first African American football player, Edward Harvey, was a member of the 1893 squad; you can see him in the last photo below. An all-around athlete, Edward also played on the 1890 and 1891 baseball teams. His two brothers were also athletes at KU.
These photos are from University Archives. Located in Spencer, University Archives houses all things KU related; from photos, to ephemera, to manuscripts, much of the history of KU is documented here. Digital collections from University Archives can also be found via Spencer’s website.
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The University of Kansas football team in (from top to bottom) 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/14 1890 Team Prints: Athletic Department: Football (Photos). Click images to enlarge (all redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
