Henry W. Williams Collection

Collection

Identifier: A1749

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of papers both belonging to, and collected by, Henry W. Williams, including his correspondence and scrapbooks, various items from the Civil War, and papers regarding steamboats and financial markets.

Dates

1835-1953
Majority of material found within 1848-1890

Creator

Williams, Henry W., 1816-1892 (Creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Born in 1816 in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, Henry W. Williams moved to St. Louis in 1844, where he worked as a lawyer, specializing in the examination of land titles. During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate forces under General Sterling Price and served as acting assistant quartermaster general of Missouri. After the war, he continued his law practice and worked as the recorder of voters for the city of St. Louis. Throughout his life he collected manuscripts, newspapers, and magazines regarding history, religion, literature, etc. He died September 27, 1892, in St. Louis.

Extent

1.5 Cubic Feet ( (2 boxes; 8 volumes))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is divided into the following six series: Correspondence and Papers of Henry W. Williams Series, Civil War Series, Steamboats Series, Currency and Financial Markets Series, Poetry Series, and Miscellaneous Series. The papers within each series are arranged chronologically.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

Henry W. Williams' library and manuscript collection was acquired in 1890 by August H. Gehner, who passed it on to his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mesker, from whom it was donated to the Missouri Historical Society in 1952. The collection was formerly known as the Frank Mesker Collection.