Kenneth Spencer Research Library

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.

This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a Civil War-era item from the Kansas Collection. My research for this post sent me down a rabbit hole of sorts finding new and interesting information at every turn. It has been a while since I have found an item that has piqued my interest as much as this one has and I am truly excited to be able to share it on the blog for others to see. At face value, the item itself might seem quite boring, but it is the story the item tells that truly resonates with the viewer. That’s the thing with housing rare materials: much of it might seem “useless,” but you never know what that one newsletter, postcard, banknote, diary, etc. might mean to someone and their research. Much of what the library houses is about preserving history for future generations to access.

The item I am highlighting is a daily journal (diary) that belonged to Aaron Pugh. From the finding aid, Aaron Pugh was born in Carrol County, Ohio, on January 21, 1833. Aaron enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 4, 1863, at the age of 30. The 1860 federal census says that, prior to joining the Army, Pugh was a (married?) farmer in Marcy, Iowa. Preliminary research indicates that the diary follows Pugh’s life from approximately July 4, 1863 to March 25, 1984. As a side note, I actually stumbled upon this item by looking for Fourth of July items. That’s the fun of finding aids; sometimes search terms bring up somewhat unrelated but still quite interesting results. Once enlisted in the Army, Pugh was a soldier in Company M of the 8th Regiment of Iowa Cavalry. IAGenWeb, a side project of the free genealogical website USGenWeb, lists a roster of the members of the 8th, which includes an entry for Pugh. The roster says that Pugh entered the Army as a Fourth Corporal and was promoted to Second Corporal March 26, 1864. March 26th is where the diary entries come to an end.

Much of the diary contains basic daily entries commenting on the weather or stating that the unit had stayed at camp or moved camp. Some entries are more in-depth about trips Pugh went on or letters he wrote. The diary is slightly larger than my palm with three days per page, which leaves little room for entries. When first looking over the diary, I thought it was cool but didn’t feel it was worth sharing. I wasn’t sure there was much to write about or anything that would draw users in. However, through a basic search of Aaron’s name and the dates of the diary I found that the University of Iowa houses a collection of letters that he wrote during his time in the Army. A few of those letters coincide with entries in Pugh’s diary. I one letter, from December 8, 1863, he writes to his friends about where his unit had been camping and how things were going. He notes that they had taken some thirty prisoners in recent times. He also states that in the last few days “we chased some forty [,] five or six miles and captured several there.” This is where it gets interesting because looking back in the diary, there is an entry on December 4, 1863, that says “chased Bushwhackers caught four or five.” The combination of the letter and the diary really gives you a glimpse into what Pugh was experiencing at the time. The next few days in the diary go back to mentioning being at camp all day as if nothing ever happened. Another letter on January 16, 1864, also coincides with the diary. While the letter seems to just be a general update to his friends, Pugh notes in his diary that he “wrote a letter home.” Making the connection between the letters and the diary adds a layer of excitement to the journey the items take the reader on.  

Between the diary, letters, and online resources one can follow the journey of Aaron Pugh and his regiment through the Civil War. On July 30, 1864, Pugh was captured as a prisoner-of-war during McCook’s raid on the Atlanta and West Point Railroad near Newnan, Georgia. Pugh died a prisoner-of-war at Andersonville, Georgia, on October 4, 1864. Records from the time list his cause of death as “scorbutus,” i.e. scurvy. Pugh is buried in Andersonville National Cemetery, plot 10297. There is also a memorial to Pugh in Hill Cemetery in Boone, Iowa. Historic photos of Andersonville prison – taken when Pugh was there – are available online through the National Park Service.

It took a lot of digging to find some information on Pugh and the events he may have endured but in the end, I feel it was worth it. Until I stumbled upon it, the item had no past transactions of being used. I feel like now it has a new level of meaning and might someday be of use to a researcher.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.

This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing some items out of the Herd Family Papers. I have used the Herd Family Papers a couple of times in the past to highlight baseball trading cards and Thanksgiving postcards, and I plan to continue to use them more in the future. It is one of those collections that just keeps on giving. Consisting of over 37 boxes and 47 volumes, the collection contains plenty to be explored. The collection spans the dates of 1817-2013 and documents many events from throughout the family’s lives. The finding aid notes that “materials were processed in the order they were found, which means that bound bundles of letters, often from the same source, can be found in sequence, while other correspondence of the same time period may turn up several boxes away.” Much like exploring an old house, the collection has many nooks and crannies hiding little gems between the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The items shown today are two Confederate bank notes from the 1860s. One is from 1862, and the other is from 1864. The Confederate States of America was established when seven Southern states seceded from the Union in 1860 following the election of President Abraham Lincoln. Four more states followed after the April 1861 attack on Fort Sumter, which prompted the Civil War. Feeling that their slavery-based economy was threatened, the southern states adopted their own constitution establishing a government of “sovereign and independent states.” Though the Confederacy struggled with legitimacy, it existed from 1861 to 1865.

The Confederate government first began printing banknotes in March 1861. The first notes were printed in New York and smuggled across Union lines. Subsequent notes were then printed in the South. The first circulation of banknotes had a total sum of $1 million. With limited engravers and printers on hand, early designs were often unrelated to their purpose. Some designs were abstract depictions of mythical gods and goddesses while others included naval ships and historical figures. Of the 72 designs put out, five included depictions of enslaved people; one of them can be seen on the note shared today from 1862. Confederate notes were not backed by hard assets. According to Wikipedia, the banknotes were backed by the “promise to pay the bearer after the war, on the prospect of Southern victory and independence.” However, as the war progressed and the road to victory diminished, so did the value of the currency. Once the Confederacy accepted defeat, the money had no value and individuals and banks alike were left with nothing. Today, Confederate banknotes (also known as “greybacks”) are prized collector items.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.

This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a University of Kansas campus map from August 1947. Usually KU related items are housed in University Archives, but this particular map belongs to the Kansas Collection. It was created by Frank A. Russell with contributions by KU’s Department of Engineering Drawing. The map was donated by Clayton Crosier, who has other collections at Spencer Research Library. This includes a collection of photographs and papers in the Kansas Collection and a collection of personal papers related to his time at KU in University Archives. Crosier (1903-1984) received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas. Later, in 1945, he joined KU as a faculty member teaching Applied Mechanics and Civil Engineering. He retired in 1971.

Upon close inspection, one can see that some buildings remain in the same place today while others have moved around quite drastically. Some notable buildings that can still be found in the same location today include the Memorial Union, Spooner Hall (though it is listed as the art museum), and Watson Library. Some buildings that have moved locations include Green Hall and Robinson Gymnasium. Additionally, there are some buildings now on campus that did not yet exist such as Joseph R. Pearson Hall and, most notably, Spencer Research Library. Before the library opened in 1968, several annex buildings occupied the space behind Strong Hall.

Looking at the way campus has changed over time can be interesting given we are so used to the way it is now. As a former religious studies student, I find it interesting that the former religious studies building known as Smith Hall is titled on the map “Bible Chair.” It implies that the building served the same purpose, but the name shifted over time. Smith Hall was slated to be demolished in the 2023 fiscal year, but plans to do so have been postponed. In 2022 the University Daily Kansan (UDK) published an article about initial reactions to the announcement of the potential demolition. Smith Hall has since been added to the University of Kansas East Historic District.  

Looking at the map, it is also interesting to think about why buildings moved significantly rather than staying where they were. The ways in which campus has shifted over time tell a story about the needs of the university. Despite all the changes, I hope there is something on the map you find interesting or did not know before.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.

This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a book from Special Collections. Special Collections holds a wide array of rare books and manuscripts from throughout time. The collection “presently holds about 250,000 volumes printed since the mid-fifteenth century and about 250,000 manuscripts dating from antiquity to the present.”

The book, titled Boy: Tales of Childhood, is an autobiography written by Roald Dahl and published in 1984.  According to Wikipedia, the book “describes [Dahl’s] life from early childhood until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to writing children’s books as a career.” Throughout the book are photos from Dahl’s life. The book was followed up by a second autobiography titled Going Solo.

In one chapter of the book, “The Bicycle and the Sweet-shop,” Dahl remarks on his time at a private school. Though he does not remember much about the Llandaff Cathedral School, Dahl has two distinct memories from his two years there. The first memory he mentions is that of a boy riding a bicycle when he suddenly zooms by pedaling backward and not holding the handlebars. He then wishes to himself that someday he could do the same. The second memory is that of walking home from school with his friends and stopping at a candy shop any time they had the funds. One of his friends would frequently tell tales of how the sweets were made.

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a British author who is well known for many popular children’s books including Fantastic Mr. Fox, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda. Many of Dahl’s books have been adapted into popular films.

I chose to highlight this book because it gives a glimpse into the author’s life in ways that regular children’s stories might not. I had not heard of the book before finding it in the library. I was simply looking for books by Roald Dahl and this title popped up. Many of Dahl’s children’s books bring back memories from my own childhood, whether it was wishing I had magic powers like Matilda or hoping Wonka’s chocolate factory could be real. Interestingly enough, Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my favorite movies as an adult. I even have it on DVD, so it is readily available at all times.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.

This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing a book from our children’s book collection. The children’s book collection was founded in 1953 and has been built largely through gifts to the library. The collection consists of over seven thousand children’s books from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries.

The book shared today, titled Tales of the Fairies, was written by Lewis Marsh and illustrated by Lilian A. Govey. Probably published in 1912, the book highlights fairy tales from various countries. Little can be found about the book online, but I stumbled upon it by searching terms for mythical creatures in the KU Libraries catalog. I chose to highlight this book over others for a couple of reasons. First, given the book’s condition, it is clear that it is quite old. Older books tend to grab my attention more because of the histories and stories they hold, both physically and metaphorically. My second reason was that the illustrations in the book are quite intriguing. The artistic style shifts from illustration to illustration, which adds variety to the book. Additionally, some illustrations are in color while others are grey and white.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services