Bluemont Central College (later Kansas State University) founders and early professors, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: 1863
This is a photograph of Robert L. Harford, J. G. Schnebly, Washington Marlatt, Joseph Denison, and Isaac T. Goodnow, the first five professors at Bluemont Central College, which later became Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.

Bluemont Central College records
Date: 1855-1869
Series of records in the Isaac T. Goodnow collection relating to Bluemont Central College and its successor, the Kansas State Agricultural College, in Manhattan, Kansas. Goodnow was a land agent for the college from 1867-1873.

C. E. Blood to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Blood, C.E.
Date: June 20, 1859
C. E. Blood wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to Isaac Goodnow, imparting that the steamboat Gus Linn had arrived in Manhattan and a Mr. Devivilvi [Devivaldi] brought along his printing press and other equipment. The newspaper was then a "fixed and permanent fact." Blood updated Goodnow on the status of construction at the College and Joseph Denison's new home. He closed by reporting a rumor that there was a Republican majority in the Constitutional Convention at Wyandotte.

Charles F. de Vivaldi naming Isaac Goodnow as newspaper agent
Creator: de Vivaldi, Charles F.
Date: March 11, 1860
This document, written and signed by Charles F. de Vivaldi, Editor and Proprietor of the Manhattan Express newspaper in Manhattan, Kansas Territory, authorized Isaac Goodnow, as "an agent of Bluemont College and regular correspondent," to sell subscriptions to the paper.

Ellen D. Goodnow to Isaac Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: August 28, 1859
Ellen Goodnow wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to her husband, Isaac, who was traveling in New England. Goodnow mentioned that students, who would attend Bluemont College beginning in November, were coming to the area to board. She told her husband that they would be lodging with the Denisons during the coming winter, and asked him what furnishings they could provide. Goodnow also advised him about purchasing wallpaper and upholstery to decorate their church sanctuary.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: August 16, 1859
Ellen Goodnow wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to her husband, Isaac, who was traveling on the East coast. Ellen updated him on the progress of Bluemont College's construction, and suggested that they move into the school building temporarily to keep watch over loose supplies ("anything moveable is in danger"), especially doors and windows. She recounted an incident in which a housemate's accident left him with a deep head wound and included details of the treatment. Goodnow also listed more supplies that she needed from the East, gave Isaac clothing suggestions to keep healthy, and expressed her fatigue at running the household without him.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: July 25, 1858
Ellen Goodnow wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to her husband, Isaac, while he was traveling. She included news of recent heavy rains, which had washed out bridges and roads, slowing travel and mail delivery. However, the crops were prospering as a result. Goodnow also described much illness and fever in the area, herself included. She closed the letter with a recipe for shaving soap.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: July, 1859
Ellen Goodnow wrote to her husband, Isaac Goodnow, from Manhattan, Kansas Territory, briefly relating the news of a friend's sudden death. She attached a list of items she wished Isaac to purchase while he was in the East, which mostly consisted of clothing items, but also included a clock and a microscope.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: August 8, 1857
Ellen Goodnow wrote from Shannon, Kansas Territory, to her husband Isaac, who was traveling on the East Coast. In this letter, which is largely personal, Ellen Goodnow describes a frightening conflict between white settlers in the area and members of the Cheyenne Indian tribe. A neighbor had awakened her in the middle of the night to enlist men to fight alongside members of the Delaware Indians, who had also been attacked by the Cheyennes. Isaac's brother, William, had lead her to safety in Manhattan.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Douglass Denison, 1812-1890
Date: October 3, 1857
Ellen Goodnow wrote from Shannon, Kansas Territory, to her husband, Isaac, who was traveling in Boston. Ellen asked that he purchase winter supplies for the family and neighbors while he was on the East Coast, and listed their necessities. The letter includes a short note from Joseph Denison, informing Isaac that more money was needed than expected to support the college through the winter.

George S. Park to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Park, George S.
Date: June 7, 1859
George Park wrote from Parkville, Missouri, to Isaac Goodnow in New York City. Park confessed to Goodnow that he would not be able to pay into their investments this season, on account of hard economic times. However, he was willing to sell his property in Manhattan, which had been a "continual drain" on him from the beginning. Park criticized Goodnow's efforts: "I think you are too fast That country hardly wants a college yet. We perhaps had better have waited until times are better."

George S. Park to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Park, George S.
Date: March 29, 1858
George Park wrote from Parkville, Missouri, to Isaac Goodnow, mentioning his efforts to obtain land for Goodnow's "Agricultural College". Park told Goodnow to have his "leading men" write letters to Congress in order to obtain a land grant. He also observed that emigrants were beginning to come in droves.

Henry L. Denison to Joseph Denison
Creator: Denison, Henry
Date: August 2, 1860
Henry Denison wrote from Bluemont College in Manhattan, Kansas Territory, to his uncle Joseph Denison, a Trustee of the College. Henry informed him that dry summer conditions had significantly impeded crop growth. The drought also affected the construction of the College, as the plasterers depended on the water supply of a nearby creek to mix their plaster; carpenters, however, moved forward with their work. Henry closed with a mention of a recent eclipse.

Homes in the West!
Creator: Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company
Date: 1875
This broadside of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway promotes the sale of railroad lands in Neosho County. The advertisement claims the lands are suitable for agriculture and close to natural resources and established settlements. The terms of sale are outlined as is the price per acre. The poster lists the railway's branch offices and its land commissioner, Isaac T. Goodnow, of Neosho Falls. This advertisement illustrates the important role railroad companies played in promoting Euro-American settlement and agricultural industries in the Great Plains.

I. F. Collins to Isaac Tichenor Goodnow
Creator: Colletta, John Philip, 1949-
Date: June 30, 1858
I.F. Collins wrote from Atchison, Kansas Territory, to Isaac Goodnow, informing him that his appointment as Agent for Bluemont Central College had been approved. The College was the predecessor to the Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, now Kansas State University.

Indenture, purchase of town lots by Bluemont College Trustees
Date: December 21, 1858
This indenture outlines the terms of a sale of thirteen acres of land, sold by Thomas and Eleanor Wells to the Trustees of the Bluemont Central College Association, which included as its members Joseph Denison, Isaac Goodnow, Samuel D. Houston, Washington Marlott, C.E. Blood, and William A. McCullow.

Isaac Goodnow
Date: Between 1840s and 1860s
Cased daguerreotype portrait of Isaac Goodnow. Isaac Goodnow was an early resident of Manhattan, Kansas, and was a free-state supporter. He was a delegate to the Leavenworth Constitutional Convention and was one of the founders of Bluemont College.

Isaac Goodnow correspondence
Date: 1826-1940
This series of the Isaac Tichenor Goodnow collection includes sent and received correspondence of Isaac T. Goodnow (1814-1894) and also the correspondence of his brother, William E. Goodnow (1807-1876). This correspondence includes early courtship letters between Isaac and his future wife, Ellen Denison, as well as letters between William and his future wife, Harriet Paddleford. There are also several letters written by their brother, Jotham Goodnow. The correspondence is arranged in chronological order. Box 6 includes undated letters arranged by the first letter of the correspondent's last name. Isaac Goodnow moved to Kansas in 1855 and established the town of Manhattan and Bluemont Central Colllege. He died on March 20, 1894.

Isaac Goodnow diaries
Creator: Goodnow, Isaac T. (Isaac Tichenor), 1814-1894
Date: Between 1856 and 1860
These diaries, written by Isaac Goodnow, describe his daily life and his community activities. He settled near Manhattan, Kansas Territory, and was involved in promoting the town and in establishing and promoting Bluemont College, which was the predecessor to Kansas State University. Although many of the entries are somewhat mundane, dealing with weather, illness, neighbors, etc., others describe activities in Kansas aimed at making it a free state, as well as the land speculation involved with both towns and farm land.

Isaac Goodnow lectures and writings
Date: Between 1838 and 1893
A series of manuscripts from the Isaac T. Goodnow collection that includes lectures, poems, and reminiscences. These manuscripts include those written, used, and collected by Isaac Goodnow.

Isaac Goodnow residence, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: 1938
A photograph showing the backyard of the Isaac Goodnow residence in Manhattan, Kansas. Isaac T. Goodnow, a native of Vermont, came to Kansas in 1855 with the New England Emigrant Aid Company. They had the idea of building a community, which would eventually become Manhattan. Goodnow became heavily involved in the free state disputes that argued whether Kansas ought to become a free or slave state. He became a co-founder and the first president of Bluemont College. Perhaps Goodnow's greatest contribution to the educational climate of Manhattan was his work in locating the Kansas Agricultural College there. The building and grounds of Bluemont College were donated to the state to serve as the foundation for the new institution, which has developed into the present-day Kansas State University. Some 82,000 acres of land were given by the federal government to support the agricultural college. Goodnow converted more than half of this acreage into much needed cash during his tenure as land agent for the college from 1867 to 1873. Goodnow spent most of his life in service to the state of Kansas, until his passing in 1894. The house that he and his wife Ellen occupied is now Goodnow House State Historic Site, administered by the Kansas Historical Society.

Isaac Goodnow residence, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: 1938
A photograph of a Mr. Charlson in the driveway of the Isaac Goodnow house in Manhattan, Kansas. Isaac T. Goodnow, a native of Vermont, came to Kansas in 1855 with the New England Emigrant Aid Company. They had the idea of building a community, which would eventually become Manhattan. Goodnow became heavily involved in the free state disputes that argued whether Kansas ought to become a free or slave state. He became a co-founder and the first president of Bluemont College. Perhaps Goodnow's greatest contribution to the educational climate of Manhattan was his work in locating the Kansas Agricultural College there. The building and grounds of Bluemont College were donated to the state to serve as the foundation for the new institution, which has developed into the present-day Kansas State University. Some 82,000 acres of land were given by the federal government to support the agricultural college. Goodnow converted more than half of this acreage into much needed cash during his tenure as land agent for the college from 1867 to 1873. Goodnow spent most of his life in service to the state of Kansas, until his passing in 1894. The house that he and his wife Ellen occupied, is now Goodnow House State Historic Site, administered by the Kansas Historical Society.

Isaac Goodnow residence, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: Between 1938 and 1939
This is a photograph of the Isaac T. Goodnow house well. Isaac T. Goodnow, a native of Vermont, came to Kansas in 1855 with the New England Emigrant Aid Company. The company had the idea of building a community, which would eventually become Manhattan. Goodnow became heavily involved in the free state disputes that argued whether Kansas ought to become a free or slave state. He became a co-founder and the first president of Bluemont College. Perhaps Goodnow's greatest contribution to the educational climate of Manhattan was his work in locating the Kansas Agricultural College there. The building and grounds of Bluemont College were donated to the state to serve as the foundation for the new institution, which developed into the present-day Kansas State University. Some 82,000 acres of land were given by the federal government to support the agricultural college. Goodnow converted more than half of this acreage into much needed cash during his tenure as land agent for the college from 1867 to 1873. Goodnow spent most of his life in service to the state of Kansas. He died in 1894. The house that he and his wife, Ellen, occupied is now Goodnow House State Historic Site, administered by the Kansas Historical Society.

Isaac Goodnow residence, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: 1938
These are two photographs of the Isaac Goodnow property. Isaac T. Goodnow, a native of Vermont, came to Kansas in 1855 with the New England Emigrant Aid Company. The company had the idea of building a community, which would eventually become Manhattan. Goodnow became heavily involved in the free state disputes that argued whether Kansas ought to become a free or slave state. He became a co-founder and the first president of Bluemont College. Perhaps Goodnow's greatest contribution to the educational climate of Manhattan was his work in locating the Kansas Agricultural College there. The building and grounds of Bluemont College were donated to the state to serve as the foundation for the new institution, which developed into the present-day Kansas State University. Some 82,000 acres of land were given by the federal government to support the agricultural college. Goodnow converted more than half of this acreage into much needed cash during his tenure as land agent for the college from 1867 to 1873. Goodnow spent most of his life in service to the state of Kansas. He died in 1894. The house that he and his wife, Ellen, occupied is now Goodnow House State Historic Site, administered by the Kansas Historical Society.

Isaac Goodnow's residence, Manhattan, Kansas
Date: October 15, 1938
A photograph of the Isaac T. Goodnow house in Manhattan, Kansas. Isaac T. Goodnow, a native of Vermont, came to Kansas in 1855 with the New England Emigrant Aid Company. They had the idea of building a community, which would eventually become Manhattan. Goodnow became heavily involved in the free state disputes that argued whether Kansas ought to become a free or slave state. He became a co-founder and the first president of Bluemont College. Perhaps Goodnow's greatest contribution to the educational climate of Manhattan was his work in locating the Kansas Agricultural College there. The building and grounds of Bluemont College were donated to the state to serve as the foundation for the new institution, which has developed into the present-day Kansas State University. Some 82,000 acres of land were given by the federal government to support the agricultural college. Goodnow converted more than half of this acreage into much needed cash during his tenure as land agent for the college from 1867 to 1873. Goodnow spent most of his life in service to the state of Kansas, until his passing in 1894. The house that he and his wife Ellen occupied, is now Goodnow House State Historic Site, administered by the Kansas Historical Society.