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Manuscript Collections - Glenn And Mildred Speight Papers

GLENN AND MILDRED SPEIGHT PAPERS, 1824-1982
3 linear feet, 1 linear inch (6 LGA-S, 1 oversize box)
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Glenn Speight was born on May 28, 1895. Mildred Wetherell was born on April 23, 1896. They married in September 1919. They jointly operated a farm outside Oasis and were early growers of hybrid corn and beans. The Speights were interested in local history, writing, and photography.  They wrote on John Brown and the Coppock brothers, West Branch history, and the Society of Friends in Cedar County. Glen Speight photographed Cedar County sites and buildings and collected photographs of businesses, streets, and people. Mildred Speight died April 2, 1972 and Glen Speight died April 23, 1986.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The papers provide information on the Speight and Wetherell families, the Speight farm, West Branch, Cedar County, and the development of the Herbert Hoover historic site. The papers are arranged into three series: 

The LOCAL HISTORY FILES (1856-1980) series totals nearly ten linear inches of material; these are arranged alphabetically by topic.  The Speights’ early interest in family history later branched out to include Cedar County figures (John Brown, Edwin Coppock, and Herbert Hoover) and institutions (schools, and Society of Friends meetings).  This series includes files on the West Branch Heritage Committee, a group co-chaired by the Speights.

The PERSONAL FILES (1824-1982) series consists of five linear inches of material; these are arranged alphabetically by type and topic (artifacts, Civil War, correspondence, finances, poetry, etc.).  This series contains family letters saved by the Speights.  These include the Civil War letters of George Wetherell, surgeon of the 26th Iowa Infantry, and John Archer of the 13th Iowa Infantry.  Other interesting items in this series are the literary efforts of Jesse Negus and Ruth Negus as young adults in the mid-nineteenth century.

The AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS (1880s-1960s) series consists of twenty linear inches of photographs, tintypes, and slides; these are arranged alphabetically by type of image and thereunder alphabetically by topic, family name or town.  This series was created by and collected by Glen Speight.  It reflects his interest in Cedar County institutions (particularly schools), organizations, and towns (particularly West Branch).

FOLDER LIST

Box      Contents

LOCAL HISTORY FILES
1          Articles on Gruwell and Worrell Families, undated
            Articles on Society of Friends Meetings, 1892-1910
            Articles on West Branch and Cedar County, 1917-1970
            John Brown and Edwin Coppock
                     Correspondence, 1856-1896 (copies)
                     History and Biography, circa 1960
            Herbert Hoover Historic Site – Publications, 1948-1960
            Herbert Hoover’s Hometown by Maud Stratton, 1948
            Hoover, Herbert – West Branch Times, 1927-1954
            Programs for Performances, 1912-1918
            Property Records – Abstracts, Deeds, Plat Book), 1924-1939
            Schools
                     Miscellaneous records, 1882-1942
                     Oasis, 1873-1919 (Number 7 Graham Township, 3 folders)
                     West Branch High School – History and Alumni Records, 1937-1980
                     West Branch High School – School Play Programs, 1914-1921
            West Branch Centennial Days program, 1951
            West Branch Heritage Committee
                     Correspondence, 1963-1970                
                     Minutes, 1963-1966 and undated

2          Scrapbooks on Herbert Hoover, 1928-1929 (oversize box)

PERSONAL FILES
3          Artifacts: County Fair Ribbons, 1915-1932 (5 folders)
            Civil War
                     Archer/Wetherall family, 1863-1864
                     Financial Records, 1864-1865
                     Hospital and Medical Records, 1864-1865
                     Wetherell, George, 1862-1865 (2 folders)
            Correspondence
                     Chryst (Crist), John, 1824-1838
                     Cook Family, 1866-1871
                     Jephson, Henry, 1848 (Jepson)
                     Other Families, 1865-1897
                     Speight, Glen, 1929-1982
                     Speight, Henry, 1882-1914
                     Speight, Mildred, 1963-1972
                     Speight, W. D., 1928-1929
                     Wetherell Family, 1860-1914 (Wetherall)
            Finances
                     Corn and Wheat Contracts, 1923-1941
                     Real Estate – Glen and Mildred Speight, 1947-1965
                     Real Estate – Henry Speight, 1880-1915
            Pleasant Hill Magazine by Jesse Negus and Joseph Coppock, 1857
            Poetry Journal by Ruth Negus, 1836-1882
            World War II Ration Books and Coupons, 1942-1945

AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS
4          Cedar Valley Quarry and Lime Works, circa 1910
            Churches – West Branch, Downey, Oasis, circa 1910-1940s
            Hoover Family, 1891-1937
            John Brown Home – Springdale, circa 1900-1920
            Schools
                     Buildings, 1890-1950s (primarily West Branch)
                     Classes – Elementary – Oasis and West Branch, 1900-1931
                     Classes – Secondary – West Branch, 1887-1941
                     Indian schools – West Branch and Salem, circa 1880s
                     West Branch High School
                              Music, 1910-1950s
                              Social Events and Dances, 1940-1945
                              Sports – Baseball and Basketball, 1910-1945
                              Sports – Football, 1914-1955
            Social Clubs – Priscilla Club, Spartan Club, circa 1890-1910
            Sports – Hunting and Fishing, 1930-1940s
            Transportation – Automobiles, 1914-1940
            Travel – Iowa and US, 1920-1950s
            Miscellaneous, circa 1930-1950s (includes Hoover’s crib)

5          Portraits – Identified Individuals, circa 1890-1950s (8 folders)
            Portraits – Unidentified, 1870s-1900 (2 folders)
            Portraits – Family
                     Albin
                     Anderson
                     Cochran
                     Crowe
                     Dixon
                     Enlow
                     Haight
                     Klahn
                     Knease
                     Phelps
                     Schiele
                     Speight
                     Wetherell

6          Slides
                     Hoover Funeral, 1964 (2 boxes)
                     Hoover Birthday, 1954, 1962 (2 boxes)
                     Hoover Site and Library Construction, 1962-1964 (2 boxes)
            Tintypes of people, circa 1860s (4 folders)

7          Towns
                     Ames, 1914
                     Atalissa, 1910
                     Downey, 1909-1950s
                     Elmira Train Station, circa 1930s
                     Hale, Missouri – Business Interiors, 1910
                     Iowa Towns – Early, Hickory Grove, Centerdale, 1910-1913
                     Lisbon, circa 1880-1910
                     Oasis, 1900-1950s (includes Speight farm)
                     Rochester, circa 1920-1940s
                     West Branch
                              Business – General, 1890s-1960s
                              Business – Emmons and Smith Lumber, 1900
                              Business – Hoover House, 1880-1910
                              Business Interiors (bank, general store), ca. 1920s
                              Cemetery, undated
                              Flood, 1915
                              Hoover Birth Place, 1930s-1950
                              Hoover Birth Place Dedication (Shambaugh), 1929
                              Hoover Funeral, 1964
                              Hoover Library and Park, 1940s-1960s
                              Hoover Visit – Campaign Celebration, 1928
                              Hoover Visit, 1948
                              Hoover Visit – 80th Birthday, 1954
                              Main Street, 1900-1940s
                              Municipal Buildings, 1940s-1960s (city hall, library)
                              Panoramas, 1880
                              Parks – Peanut Park, Horseshoe Park, circa 1910-1940s
                              Presidential Visits to Hoover Library, 1969-1973
                              Private Homes, circa 1880-1910
                              Railroad Depot, circa 1890-1930
                              Social Events - Parade, Centennial, 1928-1951
                     West Liberty