Allen County, Kansas, floods--1951
Date: July 1951
These numerous photographs show flooding and flood damage from the Neosho River in Allen County, Kansas. High water marks can be seen on many buildings, as well as debris and destruction left by the water. Many homes, businesses, and public buildings were affected. These photographs were part of a preliminary survey by the Flood Control Committee of the Iola Chamber of Commerce on August 10, 1951. Many of the photos have additional information on their backs.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's freight depot, Humbolt, Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: May 1931
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's freight depot, built in 1870, at Humbolt, Kansas.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Humboldt, Kansas
Date: 1959-1972
These two photographs show the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Humboldt, Kansas. The one-story "county seat" style depot features a gabled roof, with a operator's bay, waiting room, and a enclosed freight room. The facility was part of the Eastern Lines, Eastern Division, Third District rail line.

Billboard showing businesses, Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1950
A curtain hanging in the Dewitt School, showing business advertisements for Iola and Humboldt, Kansas. Businesses shown are the Lehman Clothing Store, Bill Dauster Radio Sales and Service, Ira B. Frank Optical Co., Redfield-Cannon Insurance Agency, Wilcox Service Station, Johnson Funeral Home, Parisian Cleaners, Giles Beauty and Barber Shop, The Style Shop, Ehrig Plumbing Electric, Pickarts Bros. Confectionary, Humboldt National Bank, Leflers Jeweler, The Modern Dress Shop, Gibson Studio, J.H. Osborn Lumber Co., Humboldt Brick and Tile, Clark Lumber, Lymons Café, Richardson's, and Shannon and Shannon.

Bird's eye view of Humboldt, Kansas
Date: 1872
A bird's eye view of Humboldt, Kansas showing the town's layout and a portion of the Neosho River.

Business buildings in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1900
A photograph showing two businesses in Humboldt, Kansas, one being the Central Grocery.

Businesses in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: 1870
A view of businesses in Humboldt, Kansas, including E.N. Wert Manas' and Humboldt's Livery Stable.

Businesses in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1879
Two photographs of businesses in Humboldt, Kansas, including a gymnasium, hardware store, billiard hall, and bank.

Championship of Woman
Creator: Train, George Francis, 1829-1904
Date: 1867
This pamphlet contains excerpts from and/or newspaper accounts of thirty speeches that George Francis Train, a supporter of women's rights, gave in Kansas over a two week period in October and November of 1867. Train came to Kansas after participating in an excursion to the Rocky Mountains with approximately 200 newspapermen to hunt buffalo. Numerous Kansas women's suffrage supporters are mentioned in the booklet. Train gave speeches in Leavenworth, Lawrence, Olathe, Paola, Ottawa, Mound City, Fort Scott, LeRoy, Humboldt, Burlington, Emporia, Junction City, Topeka, Atchison, Wyandotte, and possibly other communities. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were also campaigning in Kansas and shared the podium and/or communicated with Train. Train was an author, speaker, and a celebrity for his eccentricity.

City Square Park Bandstand
Creator: Kansas State Historical Society. Historic Preservation Office
Date: 2013
City Square Park Bandstand is located in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas. It was built in 1907 by John Nessell (builder) and Charles M. Smith (designer) and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Dickinson Bros. Grain and Hay Co., Humboldt, Kansas
Creator: Hess Drug Company
Date: Between 1900 and 1902
A photograph of the Dickinson Bros. Grain and Hay Co. in Humboldt, Kansas. Also visible is a team of horses and wagon.

Disctrict 16 school building, Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1866 and 1890
Two photographs of the first public school in Humboldt, Kansas. This District 16 school building was built in 1866.

Ephraim Nute to Edward Everett Hale
Creator: Nute, Ephraim
Date: April 28, 1857
Rev. Ephraim Nute, minister of the Lawrence Unitarian Church, wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory to Edward Everett Hale, a member of the New England Emigrant Aid Company's Executive Committee. Nute observed that Francis Serenbetz, a German Congregational minister, and his party of thirty German immigrants were in Lawrence and getting ready to head south to establish a colony on the Neosho River that they planned to name Humboldt. Nute was not optimistic that the Serenbetz party would succeed due to their lack of financial resources. Nute commented that immigration into Kansas continued to increase and estimated that nearly 1,000 people per day entered the territory. He stated that most of the new immigrants were from Western states and "of the right kind to stay." Nute also commented on the lack of saw and grist mills in the territory and blamed the New England Emigrant Aid Company for the deficiency.

Excursion on the Neosho River, Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: 1899
A large group of people taking an excursion boat out on the Neosho River.

Flour mill industry in Humboldt, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1879
Two photographs showing a flour mill next to the Neosho River in Humboldt, Kansas.

Funeral in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1900
A funeral procession in Humboldt, Kansas. Horse drawn wagons are visible as well as the Humboldt business district.

Governor's proclamations
Date: 1869-1977
This collection of proclamations issued by Kansas Governors declares first, second or third-class status for Kansas towns and cities. Proclamations are arranged in alphabetical order by town name. Included are descriptions of city limits, plat maps and censuses.

Grasson DeWitt
Date: Around 1897
Portrait of Grasson DeWitt, Republican, 19th District House of Representatives, Allen County, Kansas.

Hotel in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1900
This photograph shows a hotel that was built in 1870 on the southeast corner of the town square in Humboldt, Kansas.

Humboldt Band Association, Kansas
The Humboldt Band Association. Not dated.

Humboldt Brick and Tile Co. in Humboldt, Kansas
Creator: Kansas Industrial Development Commission
Date: 1960
A car of bricks is pushed into a kiln for firing at the Humboldt Brick and Tile Co., in Humboldt, Kansas.

Humboldt Methodist Sunday school, Allen County, Kansas
Creator: Gibson Photo
Date: May 01, 1938
A photograph of the Methodist Sunday school in Humboldt, Kansas. It's noted that there were 221 people in attendance.

Humboldt Ready-Mix Concrete in Humboldt, Kansas
Date: 1962
Five photographs of the Humboldt Ready-Mix Concrete company working in Humboldt, Kansas.

John Brown, Jr., correspondence
Creator: Brown, John, 1821-1895
Date: February 14, 1861-November 29, 1863
John Brown, Jr., wrote these letters to his wife Wealthy Brown during the early years of the Civil War. He enlisted and served as a Captain of Company K, 1st Kansas Cavalry (later the 7th Kansas Cavalry). Colonel Charles Jennison headed this regiment. It appears his wife and son John were living in Ohio, probably Ashtabula. The letters start while Brown is on a recruiting trip in Canada and Michigan. Many of the letters in January 1862 are written from Camp Jackson and Camp Johnson near Morristown, Cass County, Missouri. Brown's letters from February and March 1862 were written from Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas. Brown writes from Camp Wendell Phillips near Lawrence from most of April and May 1862. The last few letters are written from Madison, Indiana, on his way home to Ohio. The letters are very descriptive of camp life and names of many of the men in his company are mentioned. Several letters mention associates of his father's such as William Partridge and Richard Hinton. Almost every letter mentions how much he misses his family. Native American scouts are also mentioned by Brown as valuable to the war effort. Brown discusses the problems of determining local residents loyalty in the war on the Kansas Missouri border in his letter written January 21, 1862. In the letter dated January 26, 1862, and continued on the 27th, Brown writes that he sent ten black soldiers to save a slave mother and children whose owner was planning to take them further south. In his letter dated March 9, 1862, Brown describes the execution of a soldier named Driscol from Company H who stabbed another soldier, was court martialed, and shot. Brown sent a letter of resignation, because of his continued poor health, to Gen. James Blunt in May 1862. NOTES ABOUT THE IMAGES: Brown frequently made notes in the margins. To make it easier to read these images, the pages with these notes are included twice--first with the original orientation and then again rotated ninety degrees to aid in reading the note. A letter from Hannibal, Missouri, is dated December 7, 1861, but the content of this latter and subsequent letters makes it apparent that this letter was written sometime in January 1862 but before the letter dated January 11, 1862. The images for this letter are placed in the correct order for content but will seem out of order chronologically based on date. The last letter in the group is missing its first page however the content, about primarily family matters, makes it apparent it was written in late 1861 or early 1862. The text version is one file that presents the letters in chronological order, except for the the exceptions noted above. It is necessary to scroll to the appropriate date. SEVERAL PAGES IN VARIOUS LETTERS ARE WRITTEN IN A NUMERIC CODE. This code, between John Brown Jr. and his wife, encrypt private messages between the couple. A key to the code and transcriptions of the coded letters can be found filed with the original letters. The code key and transcriptions are available at the repository upon request. Access is restricted to these particular letters; researchers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or provide written permission from same, to see those transcriptions.

Kansas City, Lawrence and Southern Railroad
Creator: Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Railroad
Date: 1880
Map and timetable of the Kansas City, Lawrence and Southern Railroad lines in Kansas and neighboring states. The company advertised itself as the shortest and fastest route from Kansas City to Winfield and Wellington. The company also sold acres of farmland in the Neosho Valley.