Jarboe family papers
Overview
The Jarboe family papers, dating from 1865 to the 1950s, document the history of an upperclass, educated family over a period of three generations. The family lived throughout Kansas and Oklahoma and were involved in banking, the mercantile business, farming, and gold prospecting.
Dates
- Creation: 1865 - 1950
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
No access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.
Biography of Henry Lee Jarboe (1839-1920)
Henry Lee Jarboe, also known as Lee, was born December 19, 1839, in Ralls County, Missouri. His father was James M. Jarboe. On September 20, 1861, at the age of 22, he joined the 11th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company H and served as quartermaster until his discharge in 1865. After his discharge, he moved to Burlington, Kansas, where he lived until his death.
The first correspondence in the Jarboe collection is between Lois Adaline Webster and Lee Jarboe dating from August 1869. They were married September 14, 1869. Lee established the Burlington Dry Goods Store in Burlington in 1865. He also helped establish the town's first bank under the name Jarboe, Garretson, and Co., which opened for business on April 16, 1870. The bank was later reorganized and reopened under the name of Burlington National Bank on April 29, 1872.
Jarboe appears to have retired by the early 1890s and was struck with cancer in the late 1900s. He died October, 9, 1920 at the age of 81.
Chronology of Henry Lee Jarboe's life:
- 1839
- Born in Ralls County, Missouri
- 1842
- Moved to Warsaw, Illinois, with parents
- 1847
- Moved to Muscatine, Iowa, with parents
- 1858
- Moved to Rochester, Iowa, with parents
- 1860
- Moved to Muscatine, Iowa, with parents
- 1861-1865
- Served in the 11th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company H
- 1865
- Moved to Burlington, Kansas, and opened a dry goods store
- 1869
- Married Lois Adaline Webster
- 1870
- Opened first bank in Coffey County, "Jarboe, Garretson, and Co."
- 1872
- Bank reorganized under the name "Burlington National Bank"
- 1873
- Son Frank born
- 1874
- Son Harry born
- 1876
- Daughter Maude born
- circa 1890s
- Retired
- 1920
- Died of cancer
Biography of Lois Adaline (Webster) Jarboe (1848-1927)
Lois Adaline Webster was born January 19, 1848 in the city of Vermont, Illinois. She was the first of 8 children born to Isaac Kinsey Webster and Jane Anderson Webster. There is little known about Lois before her marriage to Henry Lee Jarboe in September 1869. After the wedding she moved with her husband to Burlington, Kansas, where she lived until her death.
It should be noted that correspondence from her family and friends in Illinois addressed her as Addie or Ada. Only her husband and children addressed her as Lois.
The Jarboe collection contains Lois' personal correspondence with her children and grandchildren. In her letters she speaks of family concerns and social events in and around Burlington. The collection also contains marching patterns or processional diagrams, and speeches given by Lois in the Order of the Eastern Star, an organization in which she was active.
A family tree for the Webster-Jarboe family is available at ksrl.kc.webster-jarboefamilytree.pdf.
Chronology of Lois Adaline Jarboe's life:
- 1848
- Born in Vermont, Illinois
- 1869
- Married Henry Lee Jarboe and moved to Burlington, Kansas
- 1873
- Son Frank born
- 1874
- Son Harry born
- 1876
- Daughter Maude born
- 1927
- Died
Biography of Frank Webster Jarboe (1873-?)
Frank Webster Jarboe was born April 11, 1873, in Burlington, Kansas. In 1892, at the age of 19, he left Burlington and went to Fredonia, Kansas, where he worked as a bookkeeper for a canning company. He returned to Burlington in 1894 but was evidently unemployed. He held many jobs including banking, farming, and ownership of a hardware store, but he rarely kept a position for more than two years. He also traveled a great deal, including taking a dog sled trip through British Columbia and a mining trip to Nicaragua.
The Jarboe collection contains a large amount of Frank's correspondence. However, despite his many jobs and travels, his letters most often speak of his daily routine activities and his health. Additionally, the collection contains a large amount of correspondence to Frank, nearly all of it being from women, although he never married. The collection also contains the business records from Frank's hardware store and his personal financial materials.
Chronology of Frank Webster Jarboe's life:
- 1873
- Born in Burlington, Kansas
- 1892-1894
- Bookkeeper at Fredonia Canning Company
- 1898
- Partner in Jarboe-Woolley Hardware and Implement Co.
- 1900-1901
- Partner in Jarboe, Woolley, & Kelly Hardware
- 1902
- Mined for gold in Corely Gold Mine, Nicaragua
- 1903-1904
- Worked with a liquidating agency
- 1904-1906
- Assistant Cashier at the Duncan National Bank at Duncan, Indian Territory [Oklahoma]
- 1905
- Agent of New York underwriting agency in Duncan, Indian Territory
- 1908
- Moved to Seattle, Washington
- 1909
- Took a dog sled trip in British Columbia
- 1912
- Moved to Wood, South Dakota, farmed
- 1917
- Vice-President at First State Bank, Wood, South Dakota
- 1919
- Moved back to Burlington, Kansas
- unknown
- Death date unknown
Biography of Harry Lee Jarboe (1874-?)
Harry Lee Jarboe was born July 20, 1874, in Burlington, Kansas. He worked as a banker throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. He eventually became president of the Drovers National Bank in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1901 he married Pearl(e) Haight and they had 3 children. His death date is unknown.
Chronology of Harry Lee Jarboe's life:
- 1874
- Born in Burlington, Kansas
- 1897-1901
- Cashier at Bank of Marlow, Marlow, Indian Territory [Oklahoma]
- 1901
- Married Pearle Haight
- 1901-1902
- Partner in Gilkey-Jarboe Hardware
- 1902
- Son Lee born
- 1902-1910
- Secretary-Treasurer at Chickasaw Trust Co., (Oklahoma State Bank) Chickasha, Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
- 1906
- Son Wade born
- 1908
- Daughter Lillian born
- 1910-1911
- Jr. Vice-President at National Stock Yards Bank, National, Illinois
- 1911-1935
- President, Drovers National Bank, Kansas City, Missouri
- unknown
- Death date unknown
Biography of Maude (Jarboe) Pratt (1876-1937)
Maude Jarboe was born March 21, 1876, in Burlington, Kansas. In 1894 she attended St. Mary's Institute, an academic finishing school, in Quincy, Illinois. She graduated in 1896(?) and returned to Burlington. She married Ara Pratt in December 1901 and they had 3 children. Ara deserted Maude in 1927 and divorced her in 1928. She died of cancer in 1937.
The Jarboe collection contains Maude's correspondence to her family spanning the years 1890 through 1937. In her letters she discusses daily activities, her children, and her health.
Chronology of Maude Jarboe Pratt's life:
- 1874
- Born in Burlington, Kansas
- 1894-1896
- Attended St. Mary's Institute, Quincy, Illinois
- 1901
- Married Ara Pratt
- 1902-1903
- Lived in Kansas City, Missouri
- 1903-1909
- Lived in Burlington, Kansas
- 1903
- Daughter Lois born
- 1908
- Son Lee born
- 1910-1916
- Lived in Chickasha, Oklahoma
- 1912
- Son Harry "Jarboe" born
- 1916-1919
- Lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- 1919-1927
- Lived in New Orleans, Louisiana
- 1927
- Deserted by husband Ara
- 1928
- Divorced
- 1937
- Died of cancer
Extent
7 Linear Feet (8 boxes + 11 volumes, 5 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence between family members and friends, centering on the years 1890 through 1920. There is also personal financial materials (i.e. checks, bank statements) from several family members; newspapers and newspaper clippings; statements of condition from banks across Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska; and photographs of family members and friends.
Also in the collection are some business records from the various businesses in which the Jarboe men were involved. However, these records are limited and do not give a complete insight into the day-to-day workings of the businesses. The strength of the collection lies in the family information. Through the correspondence the researcher is able to make an in-depth study of family life in Kansas and Oklahoma during the turn of the 19th century to the 20th.
The bulk of the collection is housed at RH MS 294. Oversize materials are located at RH MS S5, and newspapers are located at RH MS R36. Some family volumes are located at RH MS G41, and some oversize photographs have been physically transferred to RH MS-P 294(f).
Physical Location
RH MS 294
Physical Location
RH MS R36
Physical Location
RH MS S5
Physical Location
RH MS G41
Physical Location
RH MS-P 294(f)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchases, Smoky Hill Bookseller, July 1963, August 1977, April 1979.
Processing Information
Some portions of the collection formerly located at RH MS 73, RH MS D128, RH MS C48, and RH MS P278.
hsss
Subject
- Jarboe family (Family)
- Title
- Guide to the Jarboe Family Collection
- Subtitle
- Jarboe family papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by lt, January 1983. Finding aid encoded by amh, 2004; mg, 2004. Finding aid revised by mwh, 2019, 2020.
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Finding aid written in English.
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/6723549526
- Preferred citation
-
Jarboe family papers, RH MS 294, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository