Pioneer life in Kansas
Overview
This collection consists of a single, three-page typescript reminiscence by Caroline Updegraff Parker, relating the experiences of her brother William W. Updegraff and her own family in Osawatomie, Kansas from 1855 to 1869, as well as a photograph of her brother William later in his life.
Dates
- Creation: [between 1875-1910]
Creator
- Parker, Caroline Updegraff (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
No access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.
History of the Updegraff and Parker families
The Updegraff family moved to Indiana in the first half of the 19th century. William Updegraff attended medical school--both of his and his sister Caroline's parents were doctors--in Indianapolis before enlisting in the Army and fighting in the Mexican-American War of 1848.
In 1855 Updegraff moved to Kansas after the territory opened for settlement. He joined the free state movement, becoming first lieutenant under John Brown's command of the 5th Regiment. In 1858 his sister Caroline (Updegraff) Parker and her family moved out to Osawatomie as well, and her sons enlisted when the civil war started. One of her sons was killed in the Lawrence, Kansas raid led by William Clark Quantrill.
William Updegraff served as the last president of the Kansas Territorial Council and first speaker of the State House of Representatives. He was also superintendent of both the State Insane Aslyum at Osawatomie and the state institute for the blind at Wyandotte.
Extent
2 folders
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
RH MS P114
Physical Location
RH MS-P P114
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, Mrs. Homer Terry, granddaughter of Mrs. Parker, 1953.
Subject
- Brown, John, 1800-1859 (Person)
- Quantrill, William Clarke, 1837-1865 (Person)
- Updegraff, William W. (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Caroline Updegraff Parker Collection
- Subtitle
- Pioneer life in Kansas
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by kpz, 22 January 1973 and nb, 1989. Finding aid encoded by mg, 2004. Finding aid revised by mwh, 2017. This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2017-03-07 13:48:28 -0600.
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Finding aid writtenin<language> English.</language>
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/9317406196
- Preferred citation
-
Caroline Updegraff Parker Collection, Kansas Collection, RH MS P114, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository