MDNP

Electric Farming

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:37:00 +0000

Agriculture is—and always has been—a major part of Missouri life while electricity has become essential to Missouri homes and farms. But have modern farmers ever wondered if zapping their crops with electric volts would improve their harvest? Some early Missouri farmers did, and their curiosity led to a practice known as "Electric Farming."

While not as common today, "Electric Farming" appeared to be gaining steam in the early twentieth century. According to an article written by Robert H. Moulton of the Kansas City Sun, an increasing number of farmers were discovering the benefit of applying electrical charges to their fields, which they believed would produce a better yield of vegetables as well as help stabilize drinking water for livestock. In describing how future farmers would also have to be electrical engineers, Moulton wrote that they "will have to not only know the use of violet rays in drinking water, but will also have to know whether ground wires are better for beets, ruby lights for radishes, mercury vapor for tobacco, and electric sprinkling for something else."

This same style of agriculture was also mentioned in the November 3, 1912, edition of the New York Sun ("Electric Farming: The Next Great Advance") and the September 15, 1904, edition
of the Mexico Missouri Message ("Electric Aids in Farming"). In the latter, the author states, "…like an engine driver, regulating the supply of energy in the form of electric current according to certain determined rules, the agriculturist will take his place with the other large users of electricity under modern conditions."

Issues of the Kansas City Sun from 1914-1920 and the Mexico Missouri Message from 1899-1918 are available online through the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project.

EXTRA! EXTRA! NHD and Chronicling America

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:02:00 +0000

National History Day (NHD) is pleased to announce a new Special Prize, the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers Prize! Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), this prize will be awarded at the national contest to an outstanding entry in any NHD category—both junior and senior divisions—that utilizes Chronicling America. NEH will award one cash prize of $1,000 in each of the two divisions. Additionally, every entry using Chronicling America will receive acknowledgement. Learn more about National History Day and this special prize.

The digitized newspapers in Chronicling America are keyword searchable and freely available to the public. Produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a long-term partnership between NEH and the Library of Congress, Chronicling America currently offers over 5 million pages—published between 1836 and 1922—in its growing collection.

Chronicling America Posts 5 Millionth Page

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:30:00 +0000

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress have announced a new milestone for Chronicling America: posting its 5 millionth page!

According to the press release, the site now includes more than 800 newspapers from 25 states.

Explore Chronicling America today!

Mark Twain, newspaper man

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:36:00 +0000

One of Missouri's most famous writers—Mark Twain—is well-known for his novels and short stories, but this celebrated author, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, actually started work as a newspaper man.

In 1851, he became a typesetter and editorial assistant at the Hannibal Western Union, his brother Orion's newspaper, where he published his first known sketch, "A Gallant Fireman." Clemens continued to punctuate the paper (and its succeeding titles) with his pieces, including:

"A Family Muss"

Hannibal Journal, September 9, 1852

AND

"Connubial Bliss"

Hannibal Journal, November 4, 1852

Read more about this Historic Missourian's experience as a journalist and as a riverboat pilot during the years he was becoming Mark Twain.

Twain's most famous work—which can be found both in classrooms and the banned book list—is, of course, Huckleberry Finn.

Sedalia Weekly Bazoo, March 17, 1885

From its initial publication, the novel inspired both admiration and controversy, and Huck is still found on the Top Ten Censored Books list while Twain continues to generate lively conversation.

SHSMO receives $200,000 for third NDNP award

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:23:00 +0000

The State Historical Society of Missouri has been awarded a third National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) grant! The NDNP is a joint program of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

With this continuing award (2012-2014), the Society will receive $200,000 to digitize an additional 100,000 pages of historic Missouri newspapers published 1836-1922. Title selection will focus on the Ozark and Upper Plains geographic regions which will complement previous projects’ focus on the development and history of Missouri in the metropolitan and river regions.

The Society is also planning to consider German-language newspapers which can now be supported by the program.

The digitized newspapers—freely available and keyword-searchable—will be online in 2014 through the Society’s growing Missouri Digital Newspaper Project which was launched in February 2012 and currently provides access to 300,000 newspaper pages. Researchers can explore the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project holdings by title or county map.

The newspapers digitized through this grant will also be available via Chronicling America which currently hosts over 4 million newspaper pages from NDNP projects in its expanding collection.

The Society’s Assistant Director, Gerald Hirsch, will again serve as project director for Missouri’s NDNP, and Patricia Luebbert will return as grant administrator.

Deeper than the Skin: 1902 and 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:31:00 +0000

With the summer season upon us, the usual pressure is on to look youthful, be healthier, and achieve a fitter form. However, some people may not be reaching for the usual toners, serums, and creams to achieve their summer glow.

On December 14, 2011, the New York Times featured an article about "a new beauty product that you don't massage, smooth or brush onto your face. You eat it."

Many new bars, chews, drinks, etc. have hit the market, and Skin Deep: Beauty by the Bite explores these products—and the public reaction to them. Although some people are shaking their heads about these new trends, "consumers seeking sophisticated ways to turn back the clock" is nothing new.

Dive into the August 24, 1902 issue of the St. Louis Republic to read tips and trends from over 100 years ago!

St. Louis Republic, August 24, 1902

The Republic invites ladies to "rub out the wrinkles, exercise a little, have the hair groomed, take a simple nightcap, and sink into a repose from which you wake up prettier than you were the day before."

From drinking hot milk or apple tea, to engaging in neck-twisting exercises, to drawing a rose vinegar bath, the article proclaims that "Beauty may be only skin deep, but you have to go deeper than the skin to preserve it."

Destruction of Presses

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 19:17:00 +0000

While the French—and Francophiles round the globe—will be celebrating Bastille Day on July 14 with toasts and fireworks and the military parade on the Champs-Elysées, we are also remembering le quatorze juillet as a day of conflict in California, Missouri.

Seventy-two years after the Bastille, it was a press—not a prison—that was stormed.

In the July 20, 1861 issue of the Weekly California News, editor C.P. Anderson chronicled the "Destruction of our Office by a Mob." He reported that on July 14, 1861, "some 200 United States troops...threw our office into a complete wreck, scattering our type in masses all over the floor...and finally took off with them several important parts of the machinery of our press."

Weekly California News, July 20, 1861

However, Anderson's press was only one of many casualties during the Civil War. Many presses were suppressed or destroyed.

As noted the following year, in the July 18, 1862 issue of the Charleston Courier, editor George Whitcomb wrote that the "paper was suspended last winter, in consequence of the occupation of this place by Government troops. The office was broken into and much of the type and material destroyed or carried away."

Charleston Courier, July 18, 1862

State Historical Society of Missouri awarded Civil War newspapers digitization grant

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:27:00 +0000

The State Historical Society of Missouri has been awarded a Digital Imaging grant to digitize several Civil War era (1854-1876) Missouri newspapers. The forthcoming digital collections will complement over thirty previously digitized titles, including urban St. Louis and Kansas City newspapers, from the Civil War period.

Through this Missouri Civil War Newspaper Digitization Project, the SHSMO will expand its services for learning and research. Digitization will allow the newspapers to be viewed online and will serve a much larger user community through easily accessed media. The grant period begins July 16, 2012, and the newspapers will be available electronically in 2013.

All newspapers digitized through the grant will be freely available and keyword-searchable within the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project and highlighted on the SHSMO American Civil War in Missouri website which currently features over 120,000 newspaper pages and 10,000 manuscript pages.

This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library.

Civil War Workshop!

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:43:00 +0000

The State Historical Society of Missouri presents:

Finding the Individual and the Iconic in Civil War Documents

Columnist Rudi Keller will speak about the resources he turns to time and again for accurate information in a hurry.

Dr. Joan Stack will share with you how to draw important conclusions from historical records such as patriotic envelopes, printed currency, and illustrated newspapers.

Reference Specialist Amy Waters will show you how to use government records to determine the part your ancestors played in this national conflict.

Saturday, June 16, 2012
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia Research Center

Reserve your spot by June 14 at 573-882-7083

$15 members/$25 nonmembers

Spies!

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:13:00 +0000

During the Civil War sesquicentennial, scholars and students have brought a renewed interest to the activities of those who were under-represented in early war histories, especially African Americans and women.

Women held both open and covert positions during the war, serving as nurses, soldiers, and spies.

Our fascination for these spies was evident in 1867:

Missouri Weekly Patriot, September 12, 1867

...and has not diminished.

On May 9, 2011, Smithsonian featured an article on Women Spies of the Civil War which highlights six women "who risked their lives in daring and unexpected ways."

Read the remainder of "Female Federal Spies," and explore the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project to find additional newspaper accounts of undercover agents.

American Civil War in Missouri

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Explore the American Civil War in Missouri!

Spanning the Border War through the adoption of Missouri's third constitution (1854-1875), the site features over 120,000 newspaper pages and 10,000 manuscript pages which are keyword-searchable and freely available to the public. Users can also explore Civil War era books and images, investigate events and materials by region, and scroll through history with the interactive timeline.

Civil War--Scenes--Civilian Activities, c. 1861
The State Historical Society of Missouri

Funded in part by the Missouri State Library through the Library Services and Technology Act and by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress, the American Civil War in Missouri website provides a central, accessible location for multi-media Civil War era materials and will assist patrons, researchers, and students in their work.

The Unterrified Democrat

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:56:00 +0000

When you opened your newspaper this morning, were you reading the Times?

Chronicle? Fair Play?
Perhaps the Quill? Or the Spinal Column?

If you've ever wondered about your newspaper's title, you might want to investigate Jim Bernhard's Porcupine, Picayune & Post: How Newspapers Get Their Names. Bernhard explores the etymology of numerous English-language newspapers, from "commonly found newspaper titles, as well as the most whimsical and arcane."

One of the most legendary titles in Missouri is the Unterrified Democrat.

As Bernhard writes:

Dating from the post-Civil War era, there is a newspaper in Osage County, Missouri, known as the Unterrified Democrat. The paper was founded in 1866 by Colonel Lebbeus Zevely, a native of North Carolina, who refused to sign the "Ironclad Oath" of loyalty to the Union, required in Republican-controlled Missouri's postwar constitution; as a result, he was dubbed an "unterrified Democrat" and used the nickname for his newspaper. Under its present ownership, the political affiliation of the Unterrified Democrat is listed in the Official Manual of the State of Missouri as Republican—though whether of the terrified or unterrified variety is difficult to say.

View The State Historical Society of Missouri's microfilm holdings of the Unterrified Democrat.

Another Missouri newspaper note from Bernhard:

Today [2007], except for the largest of metropolises, most cities are lucky to have one surviving daily paper, or two at most. With a population of about 85,000, Columbia, Missouri, is the smallest U.S. city with two competing daily newspapers (the Tribune and the Missourian).

Bernhard, Jim. Porcupine, Picayune & Post: How Newspapers Get Their Names. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 2007. Print.

The Missouri Flag

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:30:00 +0000

On April 7, 1913, the University Missourian reported that "Missouri Has a Flag Now!"

However, the article made no mention of the woman behind the flag: Marie Watkins Oliver.

In 1908, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) noticed that Missouri did not have an official flag, and Oliver was appointed chairperson of the committee to research and design a flag for Missouri.

Discover details about her life, her work, and the history behind the Missouri flag.

As this now Historic Missourian wrote:

The design I offer embraces all the colors of the national flag—red, white and blue—which recognizes that the State of Missouri is a part and parcel of the Federal Government. At the same time, it represents the state as possessing a local independence, a local self-government, but in perfect harmony with the great national compact as shown by the mingling of the colors red, white and blue, on every side of it.

Read more of what Marie Watkins Oliver had to say about her design.

Newspaper Women

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:50:00 +0000

When the Dispatch commenced publication in Commerce, Missouri on March 2, 1867, it had two women on its staff. The Dispatch appointed Mrs. Julia Eversol and Mrs. Adda Lynch as "editresses" of the literary content.

They, in turn, promised to "make the outside of the Dispatch pleasant and entertaining to the public generally, and our lady readers may always expect to find something for their especial benefit."

Dispatch, March 2, 1867

Although these women were locked into working with the "literary" content and assumed their roles with "trepidation," they are still notable for being an active--and credited--part of their post-Civil War newspaper.

Since the days of Eversol and Lynch, newspaper women have made great strides...and run into some roadblocks...as they have increased their numbers and their roles in the field of journalism.

Check out Historic Missourians to read about Lucile Bluford's success as "a well-respected editor and publisher of the Kansas City Call" and her struggles to be admitted into the University of Missouri School of Journalism's graduate program due to her race.

Women have continued to excel in journalism, and on September 6, 2011, Jill Abramson was the first woman to be named executive editor of the New York Times.

Although Abramson herself posed the question When Will We Stop Saying 'First Woman To'? in 2006, it seems it is not quite time to stop. There are still some female firsts, and in honor of Women's History Month, we celebrate both past and present achievement.

Civil War Newspapers

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:02:00 +0000

The State Historical Society of Missouri invites you to explore its growing collection of digitized Civil War era newspapers.

These digital images of historic Missouri newspapers are keyword-searchable and cover events from the Missouri-Kansas border war through Reconstruction.

You can track accounts of the Civil War in Missouri, including Camp Jackson:

Daily Missouri Republican, May 13, 1861

...and the Palmyra Massacre:

Weekly California News, November 1, 1862

You can also discover how Missouri reported on national events like Fort Sumter:

Daily Missouri Republican, April 14, 1861

...and Lincoln's assassination:

Weekly California News, April 22, 1865

Through the digitization of these titles, the Society is able to serve a larger user community via a more accessible media, and we invite patrons, researchers, and students to explore and utilize these historic newspapers in their work.

The Golden Lane: How Missouri Women Gained the Vote and Changed History

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:37:00 +0000

State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-St. Louis

On June 14, 1916, the Columbia University Missourian reported:

Come out to the State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Columbia on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 5:30 pm, and join author Margot McMillen as she discusses how Missouri women contributed to the suffrage movement and helped make "Votes for Women" a reality.

Photograph, 1916. Missouri History Museum Photographs and Prints Collections.

Swekosky-Notre Dame College Collection. N30088

"Well done, Sister Suffragette!"

Welcome to the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project!

noreply@blogger.com (The State Historical Society of Missouri) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:25:00 +0000

The State Historical Society of Missouri welcomes you to the

MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWSPAPER PROJECT

　

Since its founding in 1898, the Society has been committed to providing access to its extensive Missouri newspaper collection, working with print, film, and now digital media to serve an ever wider community of researchers, historians, and students.

The Society is pleased to present its expanding digital newspaper collection through the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project.

Explore our collection, and follow our new blog which aims to showcase historic reporting and contribute to current conversations via highlights from our digital newspapers.

From Civil War presses:

Weekly California News, July 20, 1861

—to the World’s Fair:

The St. Louis Republic, April 30, 1904

　

…we invite you to explore the MDNP!

While you are investigating the MDNP, remember that The State Historical Society of Missouri has many other newspapers available that are not yet part of its digital collection. You can discover these additional holdings by visiting our Newspaper Collection.