Meissner Family Papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists primarily of family correspondence to Gustave Meissner and his wife, Alvina Meissner. Principal correspondents include Gustave’s brother Wilhelm Meissner and Wilhelm’s wife, Elfriede Meissner; Gustave’s brother Fritz Meissner; and Gustave’s business partner Isidor Bush and Isidor’s wife, Teresa Bush.
Dates
- 1862-1953; no date
Creator
- Meissner family (Creator, Family)
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
Gustave Edward Meissner was born March 16, 1843, in Muehlhausen, Germany, and came to the United States with his parents (Carl August Meissner and Amelia Roebling Meissner) in 1851, settling on Staten Island, New York. He married Alvina Niemeyer of Staten Island in 1867, and soon thereafter they moved to Waterloo, Iowa. In 1870 he took a position with Isidor Bush & Son, wine growers, in St. Louis. Two years later he became a partner in the firm, now known as Bush & Son & Meissner. In the 1870s, the firm sent vine cuttings to France to help that country reestablish their vineyards, which had been ravaged by attacks of phylloxera. Gustave Meissner became a well-known horticulturist and viticulturist. He died January 2, 1898, at his home in Bushberg, Jefferson County, Missouri. His wife, Mrs. Alvina Meissner died March 22, 1934, in Jefferson County.
Extent
0.5 Cubic Feet ( (1 box))
Language of Materials
German
English
French
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically. English translations of the German letters are available in the PDF finding aid.
Physical and Technical Requirements
There are no physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
The papers were donated to the Missouri Historical Society by Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Merkle in November 1967.
Processing Information
Processed by Dennis Northcott, June 2016. Translations by Sven Eliasson.
- Bush & Son & Meissner (Associated name)
- German Americans -- Missouri
- Meissner, Alvina Niemeyer, -1934 (Associated name)
- Meissner, Gustave Edward, 1843-1898 (Associated name)
- Viticulture -- Missouri
Creator
- Meissner family (Creator, Family)
- Bush, Isidor (Author, Person)
- Bush, Teresa (Person)
- Meissner, Elfriede (Creator, Person)
- Meissner, Fritz (Author, Person)
- Meissner, Wilhelm (Author, Person)
- Title
- Inventory of Meissner Family Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- EAD by Jaime Bourassa using ArchivesSpace
- Date
- English
- 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