The Missouri State Archives Where History Begins Winter/Spring 2020 The Missouri State Archives Manuscript Collection Page 6 Published by John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State in partnership with the Friends of the Missouri State Archives Contents The Friends of the Missouri State Archives The purpose of the Friends of the Missouri State 3 From the State Archivist Archives is to render support and assistance to the Missouri State Archives. As a not-for-profit 4 Archives Afield The Conniving Dr. Dunn corporation, the Friends organization is supported by memberships and gifts. 6 Picture This The Missouri State Archives Please address correspondence to Manuscript Collection Friends of the Missouri State Archives PO Box 242 8 Predecessors to the Board of Registration Jefferson City, MO 65102 for the Healing Arts www.friendsofmsa.org 10 National History Day 11 2020 William E. Foley Research Fellowship Friends of the Missouri State Archives Board of Directors 12 In Case You Missed It... (Facebook Edition) 14 Upcoming Thursday Evening Speaker Directors Series Events Vicki Myers, President Gary Collins, Vice President 15 Donations William Ambrose, Secretary Tom Holloway, Treasurer Missouri State Archives Evie Bresette Sean Murray Cathy Dame Arnold Parks 600 W. Main St. Wayne Goode Rachael Preston Jefferson City, MO 65101 Nancy Grant Bob Priddy Ruth Ann Hager Robert M. Sandfort (573) 751-3280 Gary Kremer David Sapp www.sos.mo.gov/archives Nancy Ginn Martin [email protected] Ex officio Directors Monday to Friday John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. John Dougan, Missouri State Archivist Third Thursday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Second Saturday (September–May) Staff Brian Rogers, Principal Assistant for Boards and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Commissions and Newsletter Editor Second and Fourth Saturdays (June–August) Email: [email protected] 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Phone: (573) 526-1981 facebook.com/missouristatearchives flickr.com/missouristatearchives On the Cover The Missouri State Archives’ oldest photograph shows future Missouri Gov. Joseph McClurg posing with a few companions at Niagara Falls in 1855. From the Governor Joseph McClurg Manuscript Collection. 2 From the State Archivist By John Dougan Sometimes we get so busy that we fail to reflect on our recent accomplishments. This would be a real shame for us here at the Missouri State Archives because our last year rivaled that of Missouri professional sports. (Can you tell I’m still riding high after the Super Bowl?) than 4.8 million digital images of historical records, And while it might be too much to ask the Cardinals and including nearly 3.4 million from local government the Royals to face each other in the World Series, or entities (counties, cities, special districts, etc.). Our for the Blues and Chiefs to repeat their championship conservators, meanwhile, completed 105 treatment seasons, I believe that the next year will bring us just as projects, including a collection of World War I posters, much success! the original plat of Hannibal and all of the original New Staff traveled the state representing the archives at a host Madrid Land Claims. of archives, history and genealogy events in 2019, but Our work is essential not only to preserving Missouri’s our largest impact was on May’s National Genealogical records, but also to providing public access. The Society Family History Conference in St. Charles. archives’ greatest impact in this area is perhaps through The public response to five staff-led sessions was both our website and Missouri Digital Heritage, with our extraordinary and the popularity of the six-generation online databases recording a combined 21.3 million charts we distributed at the event has us planning searches in 2019 alone! We plan to stay busy in the to print more copies later in 2020. In the meantime, a coming months and hope you’ll continue to use and find fillable PDF version is available for download here: value in the materials we make available. www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Archives/MHRAB/ GenealogyPosterFillable.pdf. I’m often asked about the secret of our success here at the Missouri State Archives and I invariably answer that Though last year was busy in terms of travel, we aren’t it’s the skill and dedication of our staff and volunteers, slowing down in 2020. We’ll have a presence at many along with the generous support of our wonderful of the state’s major gatherings of historians, archivists Friends. Thank you all for an excellent 2019 and here’s and genealogists, including the March 15–17, 2020, to a 2020 full of brand new accomplishments (and just Missouri Conference on History in St. Charles, the maybe a World Series title). St. Louis Genealogical Society’s April 4, 2020, Family History Conference and the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ Blazing Trails in the Heart of America Conference, scheduled for Sept. 2–5, 2020, in Kansas City. Staff will also be crisscrossing the state teaching workshops and speaking on various archives-related topics. It’s impossible to look back on the last year without reflecting on the extraordinary output of our Imaging and Conservation labs. Imaging staff captured more 3 The Conniving Dr. Dunn By Field Archivist David Snead Lyrics to The Grave of Bonaparte, a mid-19th century song, written in the hand of Dr. James L. Dunn. Originally filed in the Hannibal Court of Common Pleas, Dunn traveled to Cuba where he was employed as the the replevin suit of Nancy S. Depew v. Archibald S. Robards personal physician of the Taylor family for nine or 10 years. was transferred to the Marion County Circuit Court on a He then traveled to Wisconsin, where he made claim to change of venue in November 1851. In question was the lands he was owed for his military service. Despite his ownership of a mahogany piano, stool and cover valued extensive new land holdings, he soon realized that he at $315, but the real story was in how Mr. Robards came did not like the cold weather or living in a free state, so to possess the property. he decided to move again, this time settling in Fayette where he met of Ms. Depew. In the spring of 1848, Ms. Depew traveled from her home in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Fayette in Howard After receiving the Depew family’s blessing, the couple County, to visit her uncle, Uriel Sebree. During her stay, were married on Nov. 8, 1848. Returning to Missouri she met a Dr. James L. Dunn and the two soon began after the ceremony, Nancy brought with them her a courtship. By August 1848, the couple were engaged piano, stool and cover, as well as other furniture and to marry and returned to Indianapolis for the blessing belongings to establish the couple’s new home. Upon of Nancy’s family. To assuage any fears or concerns, arriving in St. Louis, they found “much ice running in the Dunn shared with them his life story—at least a version Missouri River,” so, after leaving Nancy’s possessions in of his life story—including how he was born and raised storage, they traveled by boat up the Mississippi River in Wheeling, Virginia, where his father had worked as a to Hannibal and took a stage overland to Fayette. After lawyer. After studying medicine, Dunn joined the Texas a few days in Fayette, Dunn inexplicably returned to St. Revolution (1835–36) and served as an assistant surgeon. Louis and had the furniture shipped to Hannibal, where During the conflict, he received a long scar on his right he then sold it to Archibald Robards. Following the sale, leg, possibly from a saber. Following the revolution, Dunn disappeared, never to be heard from again. 4 The Conniving Dr. Dunn By Field Archivist David Snead Letter from Robert B. Campbell, the U.S. consol based in Havana, Cuba, to Depew Family attorney John S. Mattis, Esq., of Bloomington, Indiana, dated Feb. 10, 1850, in which Campbell describes how no one he’s contacted in Cuba has ever heard of a Dr. James L. Dunn. Curiosity soon replaced shock over the abandonment. was still married to Mary Bowen in Wisconsin, and that Seeking more information about Dunn, the Depews he therefore had no legal authority to sell Robards her followed-up on his story, which rapidly unraveled. They property. However, the court concluded that at the time first received a letter from Cuba stating that there was of the sale, Robards acted in good faith, believing Dunn no local knowledge of Dunn. Then, from Wisconsin, to be her lawful husband and that he was, therefore, the story took an even more unexpected turn. A man the rightful owner of the property. Our tale ends on a by the name of Dr. Frederick Preston, answering the sad note; justice served Robards, but Depew was left description and telling the same story as Dunn, had defrauded and abandoned, apparently only one in a been a land speculator in the area. While there, he string of victims across the nation. Although not always had married one Mary C. Bowen, who was still living fair, the stories told by historical county court records in Wisconsin and remained his legal wife. Tracking his offer an unblemished view into the lives of those that story back even further, it appeared that Dunn/Preston came before us. was known in Virginia as Dr. William Boothe. Although his trail went cold after selling Robards the property in The Local Records Program assists local governments Hannibal, there were unsubstantiated rumors of a “Dr. throughout Missouri with records management and Blume” answering his description in Pennsylvania.