Recent State Archives Acquisitions: December 2011
Background Information
Government records added this month to the State Archives will be valuable for several types of research, with many of the records continuing existing records already preserved in the collection. The Anoka County District Court transferred adoption case files (dated 1957 and 1978), and criminal case files (dated 1949) that continue existing sets of records preserved in the State Archives.
Received from a private donor is a clerk’s book (dated 1869-1875) for a joint school district in Carver and Hennepin Counties; the school district was located in the Excelsior and Chanhassen area.
Also received from a private donor are photographs (dated 1924-1925, 1933-1934) of students and teachers of the Rich Valley School in Dakota County. Apparently, the land where the school building was located was later used for the Gopher Ordnance Works in Rosemount. All of these records will be valuable for family and local history research.
Useful for studying the development of public health care in Minnesota, are the records of the late Robert Hiller, an assistant commissioner for the state Health Department; the records were donated by his widow. Mr. Hiller was a champion in advocating the passage of the Community Health Services Act of 1976, which was the foundation for building the statewide community-based public health system in Minnesota. His records include selected subject files and program files (dated 1966-1990) which document his responsibilities for budgeting, organizational change, health policy development, community health planning, and program evaluation.
Also valuable for family and local history research is a photograph (dated 1926-1928) of the Crowley School 7th and 8th graders with their teachers in St. Paul.
Records of the Mattocks School in St. Paul (dated 1950s-2003) were donated and include a school history, lists of the school’s principals and PTA presidents, and other background information about the school. The records were transferred by Highland Park Junior High School staff. These records will inter-file with existing sets of Crowley School and Mattocks School records preserved in the State Archives.
Documenting an important topic, and critical for researching land ownership, are state land resurvey records (dated 2009-2011) of the Secretary of State; the records continue an existing set of records, dating from the early 1900s, already preserved in the State Archives.
And received from the State Law Library, are briefs (dated 1960-2010) on microfiche, which are important to protect the civil rights of Minnesota citizens. The microfiche is master negative microfiche, which can be used to produce user copies; a partially complete user set is available in our Library, and a complete user set is available at the State Law Library.
Finally, another critical function of the state, building roads and bridges, is nicely documented and illustrated in records (dated 1918-1971) received from the family of the late Henry Bray. Mr. Bray was a state highway engineer and a county engineer in Nobles and Martin Counties. The records include a engineer’s report (dated 1924-1925) documenting bridge and road construction in Kittson County, including black and white photographs of the equipment, operations, engineering crew and the completed road and bridges. Photographs of Mr. Bray, and photocopies of his U.S. Army discharge certificate and other personal documents are also included.
Acquisitions
1. Anoka County. Anoka County. District Court. Adoption case files (dated 1957, 1978), and criminal case files (dated 1949). 7 folders.
2. Carver County School District No. 10 (Chanhassen Township) and Hennepin County School District No. 59 (Excelsior Township) were apparently a joint school district. Clerk’s Book, 1869-1875. 1 bound volume.
3. Dakota County. School District No. 88 (Greenvale Township). Photographs (dated 1924-1925, 1933-1934) of the Rich Valley School students and teachers, who are identified. 3 items.
4. Health Department. Community Health Services Division. Records (dated 1966-1990) of Assistant Commissioner Robert Hiller,. Include subject files from Mr. Hiller’s term as Assistant Commissioner and Director of Community Health Services Development, and program files concerning the development and implementation of the Community Health Services Act of 1976. 6 boxes.
5. Ramsey County. Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul). Photograph (dated 1926-1928) of the Crowley School 7th and 8th graders with their teachers. 1 item.
6. Ramsey County. Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul). Records (dated 1950s-2003) of the Mattocks School. 1 folder.
7. Secretary of State. Land resurvey records (dated 2009-2011). 1 folder, 1 oversize folder.
8. Supreme Court. Briefs of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals (dated ca. 1960-February 2010). Approximately 40,000 master negative microfiche. 7 boxes.
9. Transportation. Records of Henry R. Bray (dated 1918-1971), who was a state highway engineer and a county engineer in Nobles and Martin Counties. 3 folders.
Back to Recent Acquisitions.
January 4, 2012
