Wheatley School Yearbooks Wanted

Do you, or someone you know, have any copies of Wheatley School yearbooks? 

The library is looking to digitally preserve any copies of these irreplaceable pieces of history for future generations.

Currently, we have two copies on loan to the library, one each of the years 1954 and 1956, for this purpose.

If you would like to assist the library or have any questions, please email Shon Griffin (shon@poplarbluff.org) or Sue Crites Szostak (szostak@poplarbluff.org) or call 573-686-8639.

The deadline for this temporary loan to the library is February 28, 2018.  We guarantee the physical safety and integrity of your items will not be compromised.

Missouri State Veterinarian Ledger, 1889-1893

Example page from the Missouri State
Veterinarian Ledger, 1889-1893.

The Missouri State Veterinarian Ledger, 1889-1893 contains information on the early practice of veterinary medicine. Occupational details and travel expenses for doctors Paquin, Turner and their associates comprise the ledger. The volume also contains log entries detailing owner, location of visits, animals, nature of diseases, characteristic symptoms, and treatments; quarantine regulations pertaining to the Texas cattle fever outbreaks of 1890, 1892, and 1893; and financial reports submitted by deputy state veterinarians and livestock inspectors.

Learn more about these interesting tidbits of history by visiting the Missouri Digital Heritage website.  The database can be browsed page by page or searched by keyword. 

Contained in the ledger include the following counties:

Audrain County (Mo.)
Buchanan County (Mo.)
Grundy County (Mo.)
Jackson County (Mo.)
Marion County (Mo.)
Oregon County (Mo.)
Pettis County (Mo.)
Saint Louis (Mo.)

Butler County Archives Has Moved!

Yep, this is the right place!

The Butler County Archive has a new home!  Over the winter, the Archive moved from the basement of the old State Bank building across the street into the basement of the courthouse at 100 N. Main St.  The move isn't complete yet.  Approximately 60% of their holdings have made it across the street as of this post.

An example of how the Archive
appear when visiting.

As you can see in the photo to the left, their hours are still 9-3 Tuesdays.  Thankfully, they have heat in the winter and a/c in the summer unlike their previous location where the conditions were reversed!

When preparing for a visit to an archive or library it's always important to be informed of what's available.  The MO State Archives provides a list of which records exist on microfilm and therefore should be available locally.  Use this link to browse what's available:  State Archives - Butler County

Happy researching!

Now Playing at the Rodgers Theatre and Poplar Bluff Drive In - July 1965

Perfect for a Flashback Friday, the title says it all!

We never know what we'll find when receiving donated materials.  This gem is a perfect example of some of the happy surprises we come across from time to time.

How many of these movies have you seen?  Did you perhaps even see them at these locations?

BCGS now on Facebook!

The Butler County Genealogical Society can now be found on Facebook!  Find them here:
 https://www.facebook.com/ButlerCountyMOGenealogicalSociety/

Stop by and give them a "like", a "share", or leave a comment on their posts ranging from tips to humor.  You will also find meeting dates and topics as they are announced.

Library / Genealogy Humor

If only research could be this easy!!  

Photographs do provide important clues though.  A calendar in the background would be perfect but in lieu of that, style of dress, signs, automobiles, or objects in the background can provide important clues to a narrowing down the time frame the photo was taken.  Today we often think of paying attention to our surroundings for our safety but pay attention to the surroundings in those old photographs and you might discover a new clue in your research.

The link to this can be found here: http://www.unshelved.com/2015-11-1  At the Unshelved website, you can sign up to receive more library humor in your Inbox each day.

Missouri State Penitentiary Database

Looking to add a little excitement to your family history?  Tired of finding farmers, store clerks, and housewives?  There's a database that might just provide you with a dash of spice to add some variety to your family tree!

The Missouri State Penitentiary database, contributed by the Missouri State Archives, is now available on the Missouri Digital Heritage website. The site offers access to 62,758 records of inmates who served in the prison from 1836 to 1931, including the names and ages of the prisoners, their crimes and sentences, as well as the years they entered and were released from the prison. A limited number of inmate photographs is available because mug shots of incoming inmates were not required until 1928.

Crimes committed cover a large ranges of incidents, from commonly thought of crimes such as murder and rape to the unexpected "larceny of fowl at night" and at least on instance of "Conveying into Butler County jail certain package with intent to aid and facilitate escape of prisoners".  (Apparently there was quite the crime wave of chicken theft over a century ago across the state.)

The Missouri State Penitentiary was the first state penal institution west of the Mississippi River. It opened its doors in 1836 and operated continuously until 2004.  If you would like additional information on the penitentiary and its history, look for "The Missouri State Penitentiary : 170 years inside the walls" by Jamie Pamela Rasmussen on your next visit.