Processed by
Emily Castle
1 March 2005
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
|
VOLUME OF |
2 manuscript boxes |
|
COLLECTION |
1863–1969 |
|
PROVENANCE: |
Sally Weir, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, 46205, 23 January 1998 |
|
RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
|
|
REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
|
ALTERNATE |
|
|
RELATED |
|
|
ACCESSION |
1998.0197 |
|
NOTES: |
|
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis was founded in 1924. Indianapolis civic and social leader Mary Stewart Carey offered the motivation which contributed to the museum’s founding. It was incorporated in 1925. Between 1925 and 1926 the museum was housed in a carriage house behind a mansion in Indianapolis’ Old Northside and at the Garfield Park shelter house. In 1927 Carey moved the museum into her house where it stayed until 1946. It then moved to the St. Clair Parry mansion on the corner of 30th and Meridian Streets, where it remains today. In 1976 a 225,000 square foot building was built on the corner to house the museum. Since then there have been numerous additions and the building now includes more than 400,000-square-feet. The museum houses eleven major galleries that explore history, the physical and natural science, world cultures, and the arts.
Sources:
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, [cited 1 March 2005]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://www.childrensmuseum.org)
This collection consists of items dealing with four different subjects and is arranged into series by topic: Railroad, Civil War, World War I, and the writings of William P. Smith. The first three series are organized chronologically. The last series had few dates on the items so is organized by topic of the writings.
Series 1: Railroad This series consists of items from different railroad companies and different time periods. Included is an annual report and stock certificate from the Indianapolis Belt Railroad & Stock Yard Company, railroad passes, ticket inquiries to the Nickel Plate Road, and receipt requests from the New York Central System.
Series 2: Civil War The bulk of this series dates from 1864–1865. Most of the items in the collection are related to the 6th Indiana Light Artillery Battery. This battery was mustered in 7 September 1861 in Indianapolis and left the state 21 October for Henderson, Kentucky. It joined General Sherman’s command in the spring of 1862, and occupied a position at the Owl Creek Bridge when the battle of Shiloh started in April 1862.
During the summer and fall it moved around Mississippi, and was stationed at Fort Pickering until 26 November, when it joined Sherman’s forces at Tallahatchie. It returned to LaGrange, at which point one section was sent to Lafayette and the other to Collierville, Tennessee. In June of 1863 the battery marched to Memphis and took a steamer for Vicksburg, where it was actively engaged until the surrender of the city.
In an expedition to Brownsville, Kentucky in October, it shelled the enemy out of a strong position. It was then at Black River Bridge until March 1864, when it moved on to Vicksburg, Memphis, and into northern Mississippi. The 6th Indiana saw battle at Tupelo in July, and afterwards marched to Oxford. The battery was then assigned to duty at Fort Pickering, where it remained until ordered to Indianapolis and was mustered out 22 July 1865.
Included in this series are issues and receipts from the Quartermaster, military orders for the 6th Indiana, invoices for equipment, and a letter about missing military property.
Series 3: World War I This series includes a letter to the winner of the Win-the-War Recipes Contest sponsored by the Star League of Indiana, certificates, and an original manuscript by Booth Tarkington. There is also a booklet about fighting on the Belgian front and a newspaper about fighting overseas.
Series 4: William P. Smith Writings Smith was born 19 October 1840 to Butler and Sarah Smith. When he was seventeen he entered Northwestern Christian University, now Butler. In December 1864 he studied law with his uncle, Jeremiah Smith, and was admitted to the bar the following year. His mathematical interests prevailed though and he devoted his energies to civil engineering and surveying. He laid out and surveyed the town of Irvington, and played music in social situations. Smith married Elvira Mayhew, daughter of former Treasurer of State Royal Mayhew, 19 November 1867. They had four children.
Smith’s writings espoused the cause of the wage earner and he prepared articles and speeches arguing their trials. He was so extreme in his beliefs he had trouble getting his writings published. The writings that were published were in daily and weekly newspapers. Another topic Smith wrote about was the theory of creation and how the use of math proved his theory. He also founded three secret organizations of an educational nature— The Archery, being one.
His writings collected here cover the organization of fraternal brotherhoods, trials of wage workers, and his theory of creation. It includes letters written to Smith, his speeches, a few plays he wrote, and his writings on creation.
Sources:
Materials in collection.
American Civil War Research Database. Duxbury, MA: Historical Data Systems, Inc., 2005 [cited 1 March 2005]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://civilwardata.com/)
|
CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
|
Railroad ticket inquiries, Nickel Plate Road, 1928 |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
|
Belt Railroad & Stock Yards Company, Annual Report and stock certificate for 30 shares, 1931, 1956 |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
|
Railroad Passes, 1936, 1965, 1969 |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
|
Return receipt requests, New York Central System, 12 Apr. 1965 |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
|
CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
|
Quartermaster Issue for supplies for Company F, 132nd Infantry, 10 Sept. 1864 |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
|
Fifth Ind’a Cavalry, in East Tennessee; From Sept. 1st 1863 to Jan. 1st 1864, by H.G. Russell, Booklet, 1864 |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
|
Quartermaster Property Receipts, Dec. 1864–Mar. 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
|
Invoices of clothing, camp and garrison equipment, for 6th Indiana Battery, 22 Dec. 1864–15 Mar. 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
|
Quartermaster Receipts for clothing and equipment, 6th Indiana Light Artillery, Jan.–25 Oct. 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
|
Volunteer Enlistment form for Henry Lapp to join 6th Battery Indiana, 24 Feb. 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
|
Military Issues Receipt, 28 March 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
|
Military Orders for 6th Indiana Battery, 25 Mar. 1864–7 July 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
|
Letter, re: missing military property, 21 June 1865 |
Box 1, Folder 13 |
|
Property Account form from Quartermaster General’s Office, 3 Jan. 1867 |
Box 1, Folder 14 |
|
Claim form for illness of Jacob Wurtz, 14 Oct. 1887 |
Box 1, Folder 15 |
|
CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
|
Letter to Mrs. Harry A. Bell from the Star League of Indiana, re: winning the Win-the-War Recipes Contest, 26 June 1918 |
Box 1, Folder 16 |
|
Certificate of Commission in Marion County Legion, to Harry Bell, 28 Sept. 1918 |
Box 1, Folder 17 |
|
The Belgian Front and Its Notable Features, Captain Willy Breton, Booklet, 1918 |
Box 1, Folder 18 |
|
Red Triangle Overseas, Newspaper, 4 Jan. 1919 |
Box 1, Folder 19 |
|
Fox Terrier or Something, Booth Tarkington, original manuscript, 1934 |
Box 1, Folder 20 |
|
Certificate of Membership in United States Citizens Service Corps. of Marion County, to Mrs. Lionel Artis, 29 Jan. 1943 |
Box 1, Folder 21 |
|
CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
|
Letter from T.W. Taylor, re: wanting information on Archery, 3 May 1889 |
Box 1, Folder 22 |
|
Letter, re: particulars and instructions for organizing a fraternal organization, 23 May 1889 |
Box 1, Folder 23 |
|
Letter from M. Nolan, re: information about Archery, 25 May 1889 |
Box 1, Folder 24 |
|
Letter from James D.P. Nouboard (?), re: organization of Archery, 31 May 1889 |
Box 1, Folder 25 |
|
Letter from T.A. Rardin, re: information about Archery, 10 June 1889 |
Box 1, Folder 26 |
|
Letter from Library of Congress Copyright Office, re: registering works, 3 Dec. 1909–19 Mar. 1910 |
Box 1, Folder 27 |
|
Letter to Brother Scott from W.P. Smith, re: life, 3 Sept. 1891 |
Box 1, Folder 28 |
|
Letter from W.P. Smith, re: his book about creation, 23 Nov. 1898 |
Box 1, Folder 29 |
|
St. Paul’s Home Mission, certificates to purchase goods at reduced price, ca. 1883 |
Box 1, Folder 30 |
|
Invitation to dedication ceremony of the Cincinnati Press Club’s new building, 28 May 1888 |
Box 1, Folder 31 |
|
Letter to Frank G. Jeier from his son, 16 June 1909 |
Box 1, Folder 32 |
|
Notice of Survey, for land owned by Smith in Marion County, 26 Dec. 1899 |
Box 1, Folder 33 |
|
Envelopes and copyright applications, ca 1900s |
Box 1, Folder 34 |
|
Bylaws for the Building & Loan Assoc. of Indianapolis, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 35 |
|
Hand-written biography & obituary of W.P. Smith, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 36 |
|
Newspaper clippings, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 37 |
|
Newspaper clippings and notes, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 38 |
|
Maps, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 39 |
|
Drafts (handwritten), n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 40 |
|
Writings, re: labor and the workplace, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 41 |
|
Writings on fraternal organizations, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 42 |
|
Subject proposals for magazine articles, 28 Mar. 1905 |
Box 1, Folder 43 |
|
A Dark Night and a Dark Plot, Chapter 1 (handwritten), n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 44 |
|
The Magnetic Pole, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 45 |
|
The Magnetic Pole, Part 2, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 46 |
|
The Magnetic Pole, Part 3, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 47 |
|
Mercury, Venus, and the Planets Generally, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 48 |
|
Planets? Satellites & Suns, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 49 |
|
Relations of Earthquakes to Rain, Draft, n.d |
Box 1, Folder 50 |
|
Solar Light, Draft, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 51 |
|
Buncomville Bank, Play, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 52 |
|
Uncle Sam & Shylock, Play, n.d. |
Box 1, Folder 53 |
|
Letters, articles, and original manuscripts, ca. 1890s–1915 (1 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
|
Letters, articles, and original manuscripts, ca. 1890s–1915 (2 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
|
Part of a manuscript (?), n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 3 |
|
Mammalian Age–Glacial and Interglacial Epochs, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
|
Smith’s ideas on creation, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
|
Smith’s Creation. From an Atom to a Sun: the Truth of Scripture Confirmed by Scientific Discoveries, Handwritten draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
|
Smith’s Creation. The Truth of Scripture Confirmed by Scientific Discoveries, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
|
The Ancient Azoic Age, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
|
The Ancient Azoic Age: where the Diamonds Grew, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
|
Beginning of Creation: Azoic Age, Formless Void, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 10 |
|
Smith’s Creation. The Six Days of Creation, Manuscript draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 11 |
|
Second, Third, and Fourth Days Creation, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 12 |
|
Fifth and Sixth Days of Creation, No. 2 for publisher, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 13 |
|
Sixth Day’s Creation, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 14 |
|
The Seventh Day: the Day of Rest, Manuscript, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 15 |
|
From and Atom to a Sun, Wonders of Creation, Lectures and flyers, mid-1890s |
Box 2, Folder 16 |
|
A Speech, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder17 |
|
Beginning of eight hour speech before the Knights of Labor, Draft, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 18 |
|
Springfield Speech, 18 June 1887 |
Box 2, Folder 19 |
|
Speech, re: fraternal brotherhoods, n.d. |
Box 2, Folder 20 |
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 0831).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.