Abzuga (Zu) Adams diary
Creator: Adams, Abzuga (Zu), 1859-1911
Date: 1908-1910
This is the fourth diary in Abzuga (Zu) Adams' papers from November 19, 1908 to October 9, 1910. It contains family, domestic and work news with several entries about building the Memorial building in Topeka, Kansas. Zu Adams was born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1859, and named after for her father's mother who also went by the nickname Zu. As a child, she lived in various Kansas towns including Waterville, Wichita, and Topeka. In 1876, when Zu was seventeen, her father became Secretary of the Kansas Historical Society where she worked as his unpaid assistant. Later she was given a salary and the title of librarian. At the time of her father's death in 1899, Zu and her late Father had hoped she would succeed him as secretary but when George Martin emerged as a candidate, Zu withdrew her candidacy. She worked as Martin's assistant until her death in 1911. From her experience as a secretary, the diary contains sections of short hand unique to Zu and are left to interpretation by the reader. Zu never married, remaining in the family home and raising her younger brothers and sisters and Helen who she adopted in 1896.

Children of Franklin G. and Harriet C. Adams
Date: Unknown
This is a family portrait of the children of Franklin G. and Harriet C. Adams. The girls, from left to right, are Margaret, Harriet E. and Zu (Abzuga). The boys are Paul, Samuel, and Henry. Franklin G. Adams was the first secretary (executive director) of the Kansas State Historical Society. Most of the children grew up in Topeka, Kansas.

Christmas in the 1870s
Creator: Adams, Harriet Elizabeth, 1867-1938
Date: June 20, 1928
Harriet E. Adams wrote this reminiscence in 1928 about her childhood memories of Christmas. The story describes the family's preparations for Christmas, the activities of her older sister Zu Adams in creating an atmosphere appealing to her younger siblings, and their typical Christmas morning. Though the family lived in Topeka, Kansas at the time this reminiscence was written, they were living near Marysville in Marshall County when Harriet was seven. The story was written as part of the efforts of Lilla Day Monroe to collect reminiscences concerning the women's perspective in settling Kansas. Zu Adams was a long time employee of the Kansas State Historical Society and her father Franklin Adams was the first secretary (executive director) of the Society.

Fannie E. Cole to Zu Adams
Creator: Cole, Fannie E.
Date: October 20, 1895
Fannie Cole wrote about slaves in Kansas Territory that she remembered from her childhood. Her family came to the territory in the spring of 1855 and settled in Shawnee County. The families with slaves that she mentioned were George L. Young and his mother, John Young, Louis Harris, and Perry Fleshman. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Helen Adams, adopted daughter of Zu Adams
Creator: Downing, George
Date: January 1897
This is a photograph of Helen Adams, adopted by Zu Adams in 1896. In 1876, when Zu was seventeen, her father became Secretary of the new Kansas Historical Society, and she became his unpaid assistant. Later she was given a salary and the title of librarian. At the time of her father's death in 1899, both she and he hoped that she would succeed him as Secretary. When George Martin emerged as a candidate for that position, however, Zu reluctantly withdrew her own candidacy. She worked as Martin's assistant until her own death in 1911. Zu never married, remaining in the family home and raising her younger brothers and sisters and Helen.

Isaac Maris to F. G. Adams
Creator: Maris, Isaac
Date: July 22, 1895
Isaac Maris was responding to a request for information about slaves in Kansas Territory. He provides the names of several families who had slaves and describes the escape of one female slave and her child with indirect references to the underground railroad. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

John Speer's reminiscences of James Skaggs
Creator: Speer, John, 1817-1906
Date: July 13, 1895
Mr. Speer described his knowledge of the slaves owned by James Skaggs. Mr. Skaggs lived on Kaw half-breed lands about a mile from Lecompton. Speer also described an encounter he had in 1870 or 1871 with a former slave of Mr. Skaggs who owned property near Parker in Montgomery County. The former slave apparently rented a house and some farm land to his former owner Mr. Skaggs. Speer also described slaves owned by Judge Rush Elmore. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Kansas Woman's Press Association correspondence
Date: 1890-1894
This item is correspondence related to the Kansas Woman's Press Association. The postcards are, primarily, a listing of the names of female newspaper editors, typesetters, reporters, publishers, and contributors from Kansas counties. The other correspondence deals with the work of the organization. Miss Zu Adams, who assisted her father as secretary of the Kansas Historical Society, acted as secretary for the Kansas Woman's Press Association in Topeka, Kansas.

Marcus Lindsay Freeman, reminiscence of a former slave
Creator: Freeman, Marcus Lindsay
Date: 1895
Mr. Freeman came to Kansas Territory as the slave of Thomas Bayne. Mr. Freeman described his childhood memories with his owner, who was about three months older and to whom he had been "given" as a baby. He provided information about his life and that of other family members and slaves during the Territorial era. This account was prepared by either F. G. or Zu Adams after an interview with Mr. Freeman. The penciled corrections were apparently made by Thomas Bayne. They contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society.

Minutes of the first, second, third and fourth annual meetings of the Kansas Equal Rights Suffrage Association
Creator: Kansas Equal Suffrage Association (1884-1913)
Date: January 6, 1887
This pamphlet contains the minutes of the first four annual meetings of the Kansas Equal Rights Suffrage Association. The meetings were held in 1884 in Topeka, in 1885 in Salina, in 1886 in Topeka, and in 1887 in Newton. The minutes for the 4th annual meeting contain a paper presented to the convention by F. G. Adams titled "The Women's Vote in Kansas." Adams, who was secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society at the time, compiled information about Kansas women voting the elections of April 1887. The minutes for each annual meeting include details of the meeting, the speakers, and who attended. The publication includes information on suffrage activities in all parts of the state and on women working suffrage. This was an important period for women's suffrage in Kansas because the voters in Kansas amended the constitution to permit women to vote in municipal elections in 1886.

Reminiscence of John Sedgwick Freeland
Creator: Freeland, John Sedgwick
Date: 1895
Mr. Freeland gave a detailed account of the slaves owned by Judge Rush Elmore and his wife. The reminiscence contained some stereotypical views and phrases concerning African Americans. This account was prepared by either F. G. or Zu Adams after an interview with Mr. Freeland. They contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society.

Reminiscences of Mrs. James Burnett Abbott
Creator: Abbott, Mrs. James Burnett
Date: September 1, 1895
This reminiscence, apparently, was based on an interview by Miss Zu Adams with Mrs. J. B. Abbott in 1895 and typed from notes she had taken during the visit. Mrs. Abbott states that their home was one of the Underground Railway stations. She described the escape of a young male slave who came to the house while her husband was absent. Miss Adams was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Reminiscences of Slave Days in Kansas
Creator: Armstrong, John
Date: circa 1895
John Armstrong assisted a slave named Ann Clarke, owned by G. W. Clarke, to escape into Iowa. He described the event in detail, including how she escaped, was captured, and escaped again. He also described slaves owned by a Mr. Bowen who lived on Washington Creek in Douglas. Armstrong lived on Washington Creek and later in Topeka. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Samuel L. Adair to Zu Adams
Creator: Adair, Samuel Lyle, 1811-1898
Date: September 16, 1895
Samuel Adair, Osawatomie, Kansas, described the two slaves that he had encountered. One was an eight to ten year old boy that had been hired by a merchant from Kansas City. The other slave of which he was aware was a woman owned by an Indian interpreter named Baptiste. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Thomas R. Bayne to Zu Adams
Creator: Bayne, Thomas R.
Date: September 11, 1895
Mr. Bayne wrote from Williamstown, Kansas, describing slaves that he had owned. He also listed a number of other families who owned slaves in Kansas during the territorial period in southern Jefferson and northern Douglas counties. He offered a southerners' perspective on owning slaves. This item is from information collected by F. G. Adams and Miss Zu (Zoe) Adams in 1895. They contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society.

William Leamer to F. G. Adams
Creator: Leamer, William
Date: July 13, 1895
Writing from Lecompton, William Leamer described several families who had slaves when he arrived in Kansas Territory in 1856. The information is very brief. This item is from information collected by Miss Zu Adams in 1895. She was researching the topic of slaves in Kansas and contacted a number of early Kansas settlers requesting information about slaves brought to Kansas Territory. While all of the information she collected was based on reminiscences, it still provides useful information that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Miss Adams and her father F. G. Adams were employees of the Kansas State Historical Society and the information received was donated to that institution.

Zu Adams
Creator: Stone, George (George Melville), 1858-1931
Date: Between 1890 and 1899
A portrait of Zu Adams, librarian at the Kansas State Historical Society for 35 years. The original painting is in the Historical Society's museum.

Zu Adams
Date: Between 1905 and 1910
This is a photograph of Zu Adams taken in the front yard of the family home at 1501 Mulvane in Topeka, Kansas. She was born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1859. Named Abzuga for her father's mother, she was always known as Zu. As a child she lived in various Kansas towns including Waterville, Wichita, and Topeka. In 1876, when Zu was seventeen, her father became Secretary of the new Kansas Historical Society, and she became his unpaid assistant. Later she was given a salary and the title of librarian. At the time of her father's death in 1899, both she and he hoped that she would succeed him as Secretary. When George Martin emerged as a candidate for that position, however, Zu reluctantly withdrew her own candidacy. She worked as Martin's assistant until her own death in 1911. Zu never married, remaining in the family home and raising her younger brothers and sisters. In addition, she adopted a daughter of her own in 1896.

Zu and Helen Adams
Creator: Taylor & George
Date: Circa 1896
This is a photograph of Zu Adams (left), Helen Adams (center) and an unidentified girl. Zu adopted Helen in 1896. In 1876, when Zu was seventeen, her father became Secretary of the new Kansas Historical Society, and she became his unpaid assistant. Later she was given a salary and the title of librarian. At the time of her father's death in 1899, both she and he hoped that she would succeed him as Secretary. When George Martin emerged as a candidate for that position; however, Zu reluctantly withdrew her own candidacy. She worked as Martin's assistant until her own death in 1911. Zu never married, remaining in the family home and raising her younger brothers and sisters and Helen.