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Charles R. Manassa Collection

 Collection
Identifier: A3044

Scope and Contents

The collection is arranged in alphabetical order by folder title. The collection is comprised of items relating to Mary Brotherton Manassa, Charles R. Manassa, and John Walker, Mary’s maternal grandfather. Folders relating to Mary Brotherton Manassa contain a program for a musical and Washington University’s 1916 commencement program. Also included are items relating to her engagement and marriage to Charles including newsclippings, wedding invitations, and their marriage certificate. Items relating to Manassa’s WWI service include a Lewis machine gun handbook for the guns used on military airplanes and several military documents (certificate of graduation from U.S. School of Military Aeronautics, discharge papers and correspondence, and his commission as 2nd lieutenant). The Pilot’s Book records Manassa’s grades at aeronautics school (March-June 1918); his training flights at Scott field including date, durations, type of plane, type of engine, training purpose (June-October 1918); and his flights at Love Field (November-December 1918). Manassa logged 102 hours flying at Scott Field and 11 hours at Love Field. Two items were found in a pocket in the back of the Pilots Book: (1) Manassa’s Individual Record Card, Aviation section Signal Corps, which delineates his training and grades/evaluations, and (2) Manassa’s Aviator’s Certificate issued by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (18 December 1918). There is also a blueprint flight map of the area surrounding Scott Field in Illinois. Upon discharge from the Army, Manassa formed the Manassa Timber Company, which was incorporated on 7 January 1919, and was voluntarily dissolved on 31 August 1995. There are minutes for stockholders and directors meetings, including the first meetings, from 1919 to 1932. There is one folder of WWII mileage coupons issued to the company by the Office of Price Administration in 1945. Additional items relating to Charles R. Manassa are his individual state and federal tax returns, 1919-1929, his Master Mason certificate dated 4 February 1918, and a few travel documents, 1936-1938. The earliest travel document is an itinerary for a trip to New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Jaquarta, China, and Japan. The other two documents are a first class passenger list booklet from the Rex, which sailed on 29 May 1937; and a menu from the S.S. Columbus from a South American cruise dated 7 February 1938. The John Walker folder contains biographical notes on Walker, two letter transcripts, and a photocopy of a letter written by John Walker to his parents during the California Gold Rush (14 May 1850, 15 August 1850, 27 April 1851 photocopy). The location of the original letters is unknown.

Dates

  • 1850-1945
  • Majority of material found within 1916-1929

Creator

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

Charles Ruthvan Manassa was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Victoria Virginia Adelade (Karr, 1864-1935) and Charles Rothfield Manassa on November 15, 1889. He had an older sister, Mary L. (1887-1934). Their father died in 1896 in Idaho. The family lived in Iowa when Charles and Mary were young children and by 1910, they moved to St. Louis. Charles worked as a clerk at George M. Griffen Lumber when he registered for World War I service on 5 June 1917. He entered the U.S. Army as a ground school cadet in the U.S. School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL) on 16 March 1918. Charles took classes there until 8 June 1918, then he went to Scott Field (Belleville, IL) for flying school. Upon completion of flight school, he was classified as a bomber pilot and on 22 October 1918, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. In November, Charles went to Love Field (Dallas, TX). He only logged 11 hours flying before being discharged at the war’s end on 13 December 1918. In January 1919, Manassa, James Milne, and W. W. Milne formed the Manassa Timber Company. The trio were the only stockholders, directors, and officers of the company. James and W. W. Milne were officers of the Milne Lumber Company and W. W. Milne was voted president of the St. Louis Lumber Exchange in 1912. Manassa married Mary A. Brotherton (1892-1983) on 30 October 1919. Mary was the daughter of Agnes Elgen (Walker, 1866-1946) and William Scott Brotherton (1856-1924). She was a 1916 graduate of Washington University. The couple had two children: Mary (1921-1976) and Charles Ruthvan (1922-2000). They travelled extensively in the 1930s, touring the south Pacific in 1936. Charles R. Manassa died in 1974 and Mary died in 1983. Mary Manassa’s maternal grandfather, John Walker (1824-1897) left Howard County, Missouri, in 1850, to seek his fortune in the California Gold Rush. He wrote about his experiences to his parents and to his sweetheart from Rough & Ready, Yuba County, California. Walker returned to Howard County and married Eliza H. Robinson (1824-1864) on 13 April 1852. He married his second wife, Eliza Arnold (1835-1896), on 25 January 1866.

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet ( (1 box; 1 oversize folder))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in alphabetical order.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The collection was donated by Charles Manassa (acc.no. 2018-038).

Separated Materials

Please also consult the Photograph and Prints Department and the Multimedia Collection.

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2018.

Title
Inventory of Charles R. Manassa Collection
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
Date
2018
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510