Josephine L. Harper - Guide to the Draper Manuscripts

A LTHOUGH more than ninety years have passed since Lyman C. Draper last browsed among his cherished manuscripts and notes on the western frontier prior to 1830, the resources he gathered for his own historical and biographical research comprise the most noted and widely recognized manuscript collection owned by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. To meet the needs of current historical and genealogical researchers a twelve-year Bicentennial project has resulted in a new microfilm edition (1980) of the papers to replace the films issued in 1949; a microfiche edition (1981) of related calendars, documentary selections, and William B. Hesseltines biography of Draper; and finally this new Guide, a general finding aid for the entire collection.

The Draper Project has received cooperation from many people both within and outside the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Enthusiastic support has come from three of the Societys Directors, Leslie H. Fishel, jr., James Morton Smith, and Richard A. Erney; and from the State Archivist, F. Gerald Ham, who headed the Societys Archives Division throughout the project.

The 1980 microfilm edition was produced by the University of Chicago Photoduplication Department. Supervision of the microfilming was carried out there by two department headsCosby Brinkley until his retirement in 1978, and his successor Sang S. Suland by their assistant, Mrs. Gertrud Hartmann. The microfiche of the calendars and other publications was done by Microfilming Corporation of America under the supervision of Jack T. Ericson.

For this Guide, the basic survey of the collections for preparation of volume descriptions and other editorial costs have been financed in part by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The assistance of numerous other Society associates is gratefully noted. The chief of the Societys press, Paul H. Hass, and the Assistant State Archivist, Max J. Evans, provided editorial advice. The Guide draft benefitted also from editorial reading by two of my archivist colleagues, Joanne Hohler and Carolyn Mattem. Katherine Thompson, former reference assistant, often assumed heavier Archives Reading Room responsibilities to free more of my time for the Project, and several part-time assistants, Patti Aronsson, Kathryn Otto, and Eileen Stary, checked references and prepared Guide indexes. The preparation of the unpublished calendars was also aided by Charles Shetler and by several volunteers from the Womens Auxiliary of the Society. Two members of the Societys Word Processing Center, Delores Ducklow and Carolyn Matney, provided the typescript copy. To these, and to all others who have contributed suggestions or comments as the Project progressed, I express my appreciation and thanks.

Josephine L. Harper
Reference Archivist

February, 1982