Collection #

M 0518

BV 2512

 

 

george and william johnston
collection, 1862–1916

Collection Information

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Series Contents

Cataloging Information

 

 

 

Processed by

Hilary Adams
December 1988

Updated by Emily Castle
February 2006

Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

 

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF
COLLECTION:

Manuscript materials: 1 manuscript box, 1 bound volume
Visual materials: 2 photograph boxes, 1 OVB box, 1 photo album

COLLECTION
DATES:

1862–1916

PROVENANCE:

William G. Johnston, Pasadena, CA, January 1988

RESTRICTIONS:

None

COPYRIGHT:

 

REPRODUCTION
RIGHTS:

Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.

ALTERNATE
FORMATS:

 

RELATED
HOLDINGS:

 

ACCESSION
NUMBER:

1988.0157; 2001.1148

NOTES:

 

BIOGRAPHiCAL SKETCH

George W. Johnston served in the 4th Indiana Battery during the Civil War. After the war he returned to Indianapolis, where he was active in the G.A.R. He served as secretary-treasurer of the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. Upon his retirement he bought some land in Pensacola, Florida. He and his wife traveled between Pensacola and Indianapolis during their latter years.

William M. Johnston was the son of George W. Johnston. The younger Johnston attended the Colorado School of Mines. He traveled extensively, mining in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. He later returned to Indianapolis where he was engaged in business.

Sources:

Indiana Biography Series
Indiana Newspaper Index
1860 Census
Indices to Marion County Histories
Indiana Adjutant General’s Report-- Civil War

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection has been divided into two series: papers and photographs. The papers series have been divided into two parts: those concerned with the business and G.A.R. activities of George Johnston, and letters from George Johnston to his son William. George Johnston’s papers (Box 1, Folders 2–14) are largely concerned with the building of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. They discuss fund-raising activities, the participation of the G.A.R. in the monument project, and correspondence with contractors. Also included are sample checks from the monument project and from Johnston’s personal finances, as well as contracts and deeds. A few of Johnston’s letters written during the Civil War, and pension materials related to his service are also in the collection (Box 1, Folders 15–24).

The second series is of photographs. The photographs are black and white and include scenes of the west from the late-nineteenth to the early-twentieth centuries, family portraits, and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis. There are seven folders of oversize photographs and one photo album with cartes-de-visite of family portraits.

series CONTENTS

Series 1: Papers

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Inventory, n.d.

Box 1, Folder 1

Sarah Alice Holmes diary, 1873–74

Box 1, Folder 2

Executive Committee meeting minutes, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Mar.­–June 1886

Box 1, Folder 3

Civil War letters, 1862–64

Box 1, Folder 4

Military pension records, 1896–1916

Box 1, Folder 5

G.A.R. correspondence, 1887–98

Box 1, Folder 6

Correspondence, 1891

Box 1, Folder 7

Correspondence, 1892

Box 1, Folder 8

Correspondence, 1893–94

Box 1, Folder 9

Correspondence, 1895

Box 1, Folder 10

Correspondence, 1907–11

Box 1, Folder 11

Contracts and deeds, 1884–1912

Box 1, Folder 12

Checks, n.d.

Box 1, Folder 13

Checks, n.d.

Box 1, Folder 14

Correspondence, 1900–02

Box 1, Folder 15

Correspondence, 1903–04

Box 1, Folder 16

Correspondence, 1905–06

Box 1, Folder 17

Correspondence, 1907–09

Box 1, Folder 18

Correspondence, 1910–11

Box 1, Folder 19

Correspondence, 1912–13

Box 1, Folder 20

Correspondence, 1914–15

Box 1, Folder 21

Correspondence, 1916

Box 1, Folder 22

Mine Survey Sheets, 1917–18

Box 1, Folder 23

Miscellaneous papers and letters, n.d.

Box 1, Folder 24

Scrapbook, 1868–87

BV 2512

Series 2: Photographs

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Lake near La Porte, Indiana, stereocard, July 1878

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 1

Miscellaneous Artillery, 1864

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 2

Artillery troops with cannon, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 3

Artillery troops with cannon, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 4

“The Slave,” “The Soldier,” cartes-de-visite, 1862

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 5

Battery A and Indianapolis Light Artillery, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 6

Camping trip (?), Mt. Thunder, 30 Dec. 1898–1 Jan. 1899

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 7

Maryville College football team, Second team, 1902

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 8

Survivors of Fourth Indiana Battery, National Encampment, Toledo, Ohio, 1908

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 9

Grand Army of the Republic parade, Washington D.C., Sept. 1915

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 10

Chipley, Florida residence, 1899

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 11

Pensacola, Florida residence, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 12

Old settlers meeting in Florida, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 13

Florida views (?), n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 14

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 15

Golden, Colorado, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 16

Mining and mills, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 17

Mining snapshots, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 18

Postcards, 1909–15

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 19

Wyoming camping trip, 1907

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 1

Black sulphur springs, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 2

Camping scenes, 1903

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 3

Western snapshots, n.d. (folder 1 of 3)

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 4

Western snapshots, n.d. (folder 2 of 3)

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 5

Western snapshots, n.d. (folder 3 of 3)

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 6

Views of Rawhide, Nevada, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 7

Portraits, George W. Johnston and wife (?), n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 8

Portrait of “Booze,” n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 9

Unidentified portraits, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 10

Unidentified residences, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 11

Holmes family, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 12

Soldiers and Sailors Monument , Circle Park, Indianapolis, 1888

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 13

Family portraits, tintypes, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 14

Soldiers and Sailors Monument , n.d.

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 1

Plaque on Soldiers and Sailors Monument, n.d.

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 2

Models of statues on Soldiers and Sailors Monument, n.d. (folder 1 of 2)

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 3

Models of statues on Soldiers and Sailors Monument, n.d. (folder 2 of 2)

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 4

Holmes family, n.d.

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 5

Parade in Washington D.C., July 1881

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 6

Indianapolis home of Sarah Alice Holmes, ca. late 1860s

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 7

Photo album of family portraits, n.d.

Visual Collections:
Album Storage, PAB

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1.      Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog:  http://opac.indianahistory.org/

2.      Click on the "Basic Search" icon.

3.      Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.

4.      Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0518).

5.      When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.