Business Commons^™

Central Of Georgia Railway Records, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

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This collection consists of materials spanning 1941-1947 and includes business records and correspondence of the Central of Georgia Railway Company as well as detailed reports of employees’ United States military service during World War II. These reports include employee military records, interviews conducted by Central of Georgia Railway Company of veteran employees, and letters expressing their gratitude for their service in the war. Find this collection in the University libraries' catalog.

Farneti, Millo, Collection, 1913-1995, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of Millo Farneti’s poetry, writings, correspondence, financial papers, and other personal documents.

Millo (Milo) Farneti was born on July 30, 1921 in Frontenac, Kansas to Ezio and Albina Farneti. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1948, and found work with the Associated Press. Farneti worked for the AP in Kansas City, New York, and Korea-Japan during the Korean War. From 1955 to 1960, Farneti did freelance work in Kansas City until he was hired by McGraw-Hill. Farneti worked in New York and Italy for 20 years for McGraw-Hill, the NY Journal of Commerce, Time-Life, NY Herald …

Maine Business School (University Of Maine) Records, 1978-2015, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

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The record group contains material created and curated by the University of Maine's Maine Business School (MBS). The records include administrative material regarding operations of the Maine Business School including: annual reports, lists of standing committees, copies of the MBS Connects newsletters, publicity material, meeting minutes and lists of members from the School's Advisory Board, and meeting minutes and correspondence from the College of Business, Public Policy and Health Executive Committee, Curriculum Development Committee, and Undergraduate Program Curriculum Committee (UPCC), clippings and publicity material, and photographs.

There's also miscellaneous material regarding the D.P. Corbett building, where the Maine Business School …

Hotel Stilwell Records, 1945-1975, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of guest records, registration cards, financial records and miscellaneous financial documents related to the Stilwell Hotel in Pittsburg, KS.

The city of Pittsburg formed a board of trade in 1889 that concluded that Pittsburg needed a modern hotel. Initial seed money of $100,000 was acquired in July of that year. Arthur E. Stilwell of Missouri, Kansas and Texas Trust company provided further funding, so it was decided to name the hotel after him. In July of 1889, W. C. Lindsey was hired to design the hotel and C. W. Green to build it. The hotel was dedicated …

Mcnally, Martin V., Collection, 1910-1918, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of photographs and a scrapbook relating to the college life of Vincent McNally at the State Manual Training Normal School, circa 1910.

Born on July 10^th, 1892 in Hindsboro, Illinois, Martin Virgil McNally grew up in Olathe, Kansas. In 1910, McNally enrolled at the State Manual Training Normal School in Pittsburg (today’s Pittsburg State University), and was involved several school activities, including basketball, track, baseball, football, and theater. In 1917 he enrolled in Company A, 353^rd Regiment, 89^th Division as a 2^nd Lieutenant. He married M. Alma McNally and in 1942 he began …

Sullivan, Vic, Collection, 1923-1974, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of collection of documents and reports on the planning and construction of the Kansas Technology Center; slides of university trips and family; and miscellaneous.

Frank Victor Sullivan was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1931. He became fascinated with airplanes and flying growing up in Wichita, and was a member of the Boy Scouts. He would go on to earn a private pilot’s license. He received his bachelor’s degree from Friends University (Wichita). He met his wife, Mary-Kate Larson, while he was in graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley. After they married, they moved …

Hobaugh Family Collection, 1872-1940, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection contains photocopies of personal correspondence, receipts, money orders, loans and farm leases of two siblings, William G. Hobaugh and Daniel F. Hobaugh, who lived in Kansas and Oklahoma in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as other family members and descendants.

William G. Hobaugh was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He lived in a variety of places in Kansas, finally settling in Frontenac, where he passed away in 1921. His younger brother, Daniel F. Hobaugh, was born in Iowa in 1860, and worked as a blacksmith. He passed away in Braman, Oklahoma in 1921.

Smoot, Grady, Collection, 1938, 1951-2003, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The collection includes Blueprints, Catalogs, Development Plans, Donor Memorabilia, Financial Records, Maps, Magazines, Meeting Minutes, Newsletters, Newspapers, Newspaper Clippings, Personal & Professional Correspondence, Photocopies, Photographs, Programs, Recordings, Reports & Studies, Resumes, Miscellaneous Documents & Paperwork, and Miscellaneous Materials relating to Dr. Smoot’s career at Pittsburg State University.

Joseph Grady Smoot was born on May 7, 1932 in Winter Haven, Florida to Robert M. and Vera E. (McNutt) Smoot. Smoot received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Missionary College in Collegedale, Tennessee in 1955, a Masters of Arts in History and a Ph.D. Degree in History from the University of …

Jayhawks Ordnance Works Collection, 1941-1945, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of correspondence, newspapers, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and transcripts relating to the Jayhawk Ordnance Works.

The Jayhawk Ordnance Works were built near Galena, Kansas during World War II to produce ammonium nitrate. After the war it was privatized by its operator Kenneth Aldred Spencer and at one point was the world’s largest producer of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. The plant is still in operation as the Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corporation.

International Association Of Machinists, Local Lodge #1030, Collection, 1918-1922, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and notes relating to the Local Lodge #1030 of the International Association of Machinists, Chanute, Kansas.

The International Association of Machinists (IAM) was formed in 1888 in Atlanta, GA. By 1918, IAM had a membership of 331,000. Lodge #1030, named the “Liberty Lodge” was organized on March 20, 1918 in Chanute, Kansas by J.J. Dowling.

Exley, Grover, Collection, 1921-1958, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes newspaper, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, photographs and other miscellaneous materials related to the postal service industry.

Grover Exley was born in 1885 to Thomas and Martha (Morris) Exley. He married Carrie Belle Raymond (1879 - 1960). Together the two had a son named Thomas Raymond Exley (1916 - 1998). Thomas served as an Aeronautical Engineer in San Diego, California during World War II. Grover was a postal worker in Pittsburg, Kansas. Grover Exley passed away in 1961.

Pittsburg Porcelain Artists Collection, 1977-1996, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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Newspaper clippings, photos, meeting minutes, yearbooks, books, and other records relating to the Pittsburg Porcelain Artists organization.

The Pittsburg Porcelain Artists was founded by Rosalie Talley and 15 other porcelain artists in 1977. The goal of the organization was to share ideas, techniques, and improve their skills.

Kendell, David J., Collection, 1933-1974, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The David J. Kendell Collection consists of photographs, letters, diplomas, contracts certifications, pamphlets, new clippings, and other items all pertaining to Kendall’s time as a student at the Kansas State Teacher’s College, and his subsequent teaching career.

David Kendall was born to David E. “Al” and Lottie Kendall in 1929 in Pittsburg, Kansas. In 1933, his father opened a small grocery store (Al’s Grocery) on 112 E Williams St, where Hughes Hall on the PSU campus is now located. Kendall attended the Horace Mann School and the College High School, both run by the college. He then attended the …

Pittsburg Industrial Revenue Bonds Collection, 1971-1994, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of legal and corporate paperwork, correspondence, and industrial revenue bonds granted by the city of Pittsburg, Kansas from 1971-1994.

Maxwell And Panknin Coal Company Collection, 1900-1919, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Maxwell & Panknin Coal Company Collection (also spelled Pankinin on some documents) consists of a ledger book, letter, receipts, meeting minutes, and a loose ledger pertaining to a business operation with the Clabourn & Baugh Drill Contractors.

Approximately 1916, Henry W. Panknin (1885-1944) and John Maxwell (1853-1924) and their brothers took over a mine on a 40-acre lot south of Scammon, Kansas. The mine, which was about 50 feet deep (dug by Grant Clabourn and Hale Baugh’s drills operated as the Maxwell and Panknin Coal Company until the late 1920s.

Kemper, Lucille Sturm, Collection, 1912-1994, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The is collection consists of photos, post cards, and newspaper clippings largely relating to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad and the “Katy” depot and office in Parsons, Kansas.

In 1870 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (M.K.T.) Railroad was incorporated in Junction City, Kansas. The railroad connected several military forts in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. In 1870, the town of Parsons, Kansas was founded for the purpose of being a hub where the lines to Junction City, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri met. The original M.K.T. Station was built in 1871 and was torn down and replaced by a new building in 1895. On March …

Hashbarger, Elmer E., Photographs, 1890-1895, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Elmer E. Hashbarger photographs consist of several albumen print photographs of Hashbarger’s work as a cattle driver.

Elmer Ellsworth Hashbarger was born in Richland, Ohio in 1866 to Andrew and Mary Hashbarger. His family eventually moved to Kincaid, Kansas. Harshbarger worked as a cattle driver in the Oklahoma panhandle. In Beaver, Oklahoma, he married Ida Scott, a marriage that produced four children. In his later years he moved back to the township of Rich, east of Kincaid. Elmer died in 1935.

Cowgill Family Collection, 1861-1880, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of the personal writings of Mary Alma (Stevens) Cowgill, Paulena (Stevens) Janney, and Lillian (Cowgill) Blair.

Henry Clay Cowgill (1844-1914) was born in Ohio. He married Mary Alma (Stevens) Cowgill (1845-1907) in Ohio on September 19, 1865. They moved to Carthage, Missouri in November 1868. Henry owned milling, banking and mining operations in and around Carthage, including the Cowgill Milling Company. He and Mary Alma had three children: Lillian (Cowgill) Blair (1866-1931), Henry Stevens Cowgill (1877-1946), and Lloyd Cowgill (1881-1930). Mary Alma & her sister Paulena (Stevens) Janney (1840-1873) attended Earlham College in Indiana. Paulena married William …

Memorial Auditorium Collection, 1999-2004, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of Personal correspondence, newspaper photocopies, newsletters, brochures and other miscellaneous materials relating to the Memorial Auditorium & Convention Center of Pittsburg, Kansas.

Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium was built as the Mirza Temple (Masonic) for the Pittsburg Chapter. Construction of the building began in 1923 and finished in 1925. In 1945, the temple was purchased by the city of Pittsburg after voters approved the use of bonds in the purchase. The Memorial Auditorium was dedicated to the servicemen of WW1 and WW2, as well as the devoted women and Red Cross nurses who accompanied them. Various influential entertainers have …

Simoncic, Anthony, Collection, 1884-1941, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of photocopies of records of mining locations, accidents, maps of southwestern, Kansas, and the memoir “WW-1 Baby” by Anthony Simoncic.

Anthony John Simoncic was born in Weir, Kansas in 1907, and grew up in Ringo, Kansas during the 1920s. As an adult, he worked as a truck driver. Anthony married Rose Ann Oblak (1908 - 1991) and together they had a son in 1939. Simoncic passed away in his home in 1993, unable to complete his memoir. This collection was donated to PSU in 2000 by Linda Knoll.

Ruff, Walter Glen, Collection, 1883-1962, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of sheet music, guides, books, and other materials related to W. Glen Ruff and his music shop.

Walter Glen Ruff (1904-1989) was born in Kansas and graduated from Fort Hays State Teachers College. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1940. Following this, he taught instrumental and vocal music on both the high school and college level. Ruff served with the American Red Cross in India and Ceylon during World War II. Afterwards, he was head of the music department at Western Carolina Teachers College. In 1950, he moved back to Kansas at opened …

Coffeyville, Kansas Schools Collection, 1915, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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Photographs of various grades in the Coffeyville, Kansas Schools from 1915 depicting students in classes and clubs.

Beginning in 1907, the National Education Association began a movement to combine industrial and commercial education with the present education systems to prepare students for jobs within their communities. By 1914, Kansas incorporated “Industrial Training” into the standardized Course of Study for Graded Schools Having Nine Month Terms. The classes were implemented at every grade level to “train constructive imagination” and “to prepare more directly for industrial efficiency.” Though schools in Coffeyville were not officially integrated in 1915, four African American students …

Bowen, Sarah R., Ledger, 1897-1908, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Sarah R. Bowen Ledger consists of a ledger book, three loose ledger sheets, three deposit receipts, five new clippings, three photograph negatives, and a letter.

Sarah R. (Baird) Bowen was born in 1843 in New York. She married Thomas C. Bowen (1841-1875) in 1867. They ran a shipping company together in Colfax, Illinois. Sarah died in 1919.

Mock, Eugene P., Collection, 1927-1928, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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Eugene P. Mock was born on August 28, 1904 in Illinois. Early in life, he lived in Zanesville, Ohio before joining the new formed Air Corps. He later became a train conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad in Los Angeles, California. Late in life he was a mail carrier in Trona, California. Mock married Juanita Charlotte Wikoff in 1938 and had two children. Eugene Mock died while visiting Colorado on September 11, 1970.

The Eugene Mock letters consists of letters to Eugene Mock from his future wife Juanita Charlotte Wikoff (who signed them as “Lulu” or “Lu”), and includes some …

Skelton, Edward, Collection, 1875-1879, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The Edward Skelton diary consists of daily entries from January 1^st, to November 14^th, 1875 with purchases and expenses registered from 1878-1879. Most diary entries mention daily farm work, hangouts, the weather and Sunday School. The entries are short and also describe daily activities of plowing, cutting timber, going to the market, and visiting the neighbors.

Edward Skelton was born in 1854 and lived in Labette County, Kansas with his parents. Edward worked as a farmer and was married to Artie Storey in 1880. Edward Skelton died in 1915.

Kennedy, Mary, Collection, 1935-1985, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of Correspondence, Newspaper clippings, Photographs, and other miscellaneous materials related to Mary (Goble) Kennedy.

Mary B. (Goble) Kennedy (1918-2008) was born and raised in Weir, Kansas to J. C. (Jonah Corban) and Evah Butler Goble. In 1935 she was crowned as Coal Queen II, during the Pittsburg Coal Festival. Mary was one of the first hostesses on the Kansas Southern Railroad. After attending school at Kansas State University and the University of Oklahoma, she began a career in teaching. In 1944 she married Jack A. Kennedy, who had served the Marine Corps in the Pacific during WWII. Mary …

Mcnally Pittsburg Collection, 1952-2013, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of records, guides and booklets, and photographs related to the McNally Company of Pittsburg, Kansas.

Thomas McNally Sr. and his wife, immigrants from Ireland and boilermakers in Wisconsin, accepted the Pittsburg Board of Trade’s offer to build a 40’ by 80’ wooden boiler shop for the McNally’s. Local coal mines needed his trade because they ran on steam engines and were growing in size and number. McNally expanded business to general repairs and machinery. Following his father’s death in 1906 Thomas McNally Jr. took over the business at the age of 23 and studied and worked under other …

Mccune Fraternal Organizations Collection, 1886-1962, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection includes forms, notes, by laws, checks, and journals related to the McCune, Kansas Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America fraternal organizations.

The Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) was founded in Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1868 by John Jordan Upchurch as an organization to improve work environments and provide insurance for its members. By 1869, insurance became a main priority of the group as it was usually reserved for businessmen and manufacturers. By 1885, the AOUW was the largest fraternal group in the United States.

The Modern Woodmen of America (MWoA) was named after …

Fort Scott Foundry Collection, 1894-1919, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of record and ledger books of payments and shipments from the Fort Scott Foundry and Machine Works of Fort Scott, Kansas.

The Fort Scott Foundry and Machine Works was established in 1869 by George A. Crawford, proprietor, and Frank J. Nutz, superintendent, in Fort Scott, Kansas. A. W. Walburn (1852-1930) built up the factory and foundry in the 1870s, later becoming proprietor with F. J. Nutz as superintendent. The foundry produced processing equipment that serviced many fields of production, including boilers, mining machinery, stoves, coal trucks, evaporation systems, sugar processors, saw mills, ore treatment, and farm equipment. The …

Andrade, Audrey B., Collection, 1862-2014, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of genealogical records, school records, work documents, music, photographs, and books related to Audrey Andrade and her friends and family.

Audrey Beatrice Edge Andrade was born in Stockton, Missouri on January 15, 1917 to George W. and Maud Ritter Edge. Andrade grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas, attended Lakeside Elementary School, and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1934. She received her two-year education degree from Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) in 1936. She married John F. Andrade who served as a staff sergeant in the US Army during World War II. They had five children. …