C George, Todd M. (1879- ), Papers, 1890-1968 3770 0.5 cubic feet (33 folders, 8 photographs)

This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri. If you would like more information, please contact us at [email protected].

INTRODUCTION Correspondence, newspaper articles, book manuscript, and photographs of a realtor from Lee's Summit, MO, who was an authority on the history of Jackson County and the Civil War. The typescript deals with George's memories of life in Jackson County, while the correspondence concerns primarily his business and family.

DONOR INFORMATION The papers were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by Todd M. George on 7 Jun 1968 (Accession No.0550).

RESTRICTIONS [Insert restriction statement if needed.]

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Todd Menzies George was born 26 February 1879 in Versailles, Kentucky, the son of Richard Bohannon and Martha Ann Todd George. His family moved to Lee's Summit, Missouri, in 1882, where George lived the rest of his life. He began work in the real estate and insurance business in 1903 and remained active in it until his late eighties. In 1916 George was elected mayor of Lee's Summit; he served six terms in that office over the next sixteen years. He was also treasurer of Jackson County from 1916 to 1921. George married Florie Andrews in 1911, and they had five children. She was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1882 and died in 1952.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The collection is divided into two major parts--the correspondence, which deals primarily with George's real estate business and family; and the typescript, newspaper articles, and photographs on Jackson County's history. The correspondence gives a good view of how George conducted business and the problems he faced, while the letters from his family tell of events in their lives and include some George family history. The material on the history of Jackson County concerns primarily the period from the Civil War to World War I. The book George wrote contains a number of stories about his life and events in the county around the turn of the century. The newspaper articles describe the impact of the Civil War on the county and also include stories on its later history.

C3770 George, Todd M. (1879- ), Papers, 1890-1968 Page 2

FOLDER LIST

f. 1-27 Correspondence, 1952-1968. Letters from family members, friends, business associates, and people Interested in family or local history. The majority of the letters concern George’s real estate business, dealing with rent payments and land and house purchases, and his personal life, with letters from family and friends concerning children, new jobs and homes, reminiscences of the past, and George’s health. Other topics include the history of Lee’s Summit, the Civil War, Cole Younger, and local families; opinions of George and his friends on blacks and urban renewal; and the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization. The letters are organized alphabetically by correspondent. f. 1-4 A-B f. 5-9 C-F f. 10-16 G-K f. 17-20 L-P f. 21-24 R-S f. 25-27 T-Z f. 28-31 Book Manuscript. Typescript copy of a book George wrote in 1952. The book is a collection of stories concerning Cole Younger, the Battle of Lone Jack, the Civil War, and reminiscences by George concerning his job selling government bonds during World War I, Lee's Summit, a speech given at a political meeting, old burial customs, tramps, grocery stores and a barber shop, harvest time, and dancing. Topics discussed in other stories include blacks and segregation, religion and homeownership. Also included are reminiscences by George that were not a part of the book. f. 32-33 Jackson County History, 1890-1962 Newspaper articles, photographs, and a program on the history of Jackson County. The newspaper articles deal with such topics as the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport, the men who followed William Quantrill, Joseph Shelby, veterans, slavery in Kansas, and the centennial commemoration; the Jackson County jail and old homes in Independence; Cole Younger and the James brothers; and veterans of World War I. The photographs are of a band and baseball team and a group of people in Kansas City during the 1890s. Also included are a program for the dedication of the Jackson County courthouse in 1933 and a booklet on the life of Robert E. Lee.

C3770 George, Todd M. (1879- ), Papers, 1890-1968 Page 3

INDEX TERMS

Subject Folders Green

Allen family 29 Amusements 32 y Anderson, Bill ( -1864) 12,14,32 Autobiographies 28-31 Bands (Music), c. 1890s 32 y Baseball clubs, c. 1890s 32 y Blacks--Attitudes toward 2,6,27,29 Blacks--Segregation 29,32 Bohannon family 14 Bridges--Missouri 32 y Carlton family 29 Carlton, Ezekiel 29 Civil War--Battle of Lone Jack, 1862 28,29,33 Civil War--Battle of Westport 32 Civil War--Missouri 28,29,31-33 Dicus, Clarence H. 6,7 Donnelly, Bernard J. ( -1880) 33 Duncan family 32 y Funeral rites and ceremonies 29 George family--Genealogy 4, 11, 28 George, Beauford James, Sr. (1896-1975) 10, 33 George, Todd Menzies (1879-1969) 1-33 George, Todd Menzies, Jr. (1911- ) 11 Gordon, John Brown (1832-1904) 24 Grocery trade 30 Haynes, John Holbert 11, 13 Historic buildings--Missouri, Jackson County 33 Hoffman, Harvey C. "Harry" 32 James, Frank (1844-1915) 32 James, Jesse Woodson (1847-1882) 32 Kelly, Helen Younger 32 y Lee, Robert Edward (1807-1870) 32 Locusts--Missouri 31 Miller, Osceola, Missouri (Photographer) 32 y Missouri, Independence 32, 33 Missouri, Jackson County. Courthouse, Independence--Dedication, 32 1933 Missouri, Jackson County--History, Local 32, 33 Missouri, Lee's Summit--History, Local 17, 30 Missouri, Lone Jack 28 C3770 George, Todd M. (1879- ), Papers, 1890-1968 Page 4

Subject Folders Green

Osage River, Bridges 32 y Outdoor recreation 32 y Photographers, Missouri, Osceola 32 y Pioneer Gun Club, Kansas City, Missouri 20 Quantrill, William Clarke (1837-1865) 32, 33 Real Estate Business 1-27 Riley, James Francis (1838-1918) 33 Robbers and outlaws 28, 32 Shelby, Joseph O. (1830-1897) 32 Slavery, Kansas 32 Sons of Confederate Veterans 23 Tramps 30 y Unity School of Christianity, Lee's Summit, Missouri 26 Urban Renewal, Public opinion 8, 17, 21 Williams, George A. 32 y World War, 1914-1918, Missouri 29, 32 Younger, Coleman (1844-1916) 6, 9, 10, 25, 28, 32