Letters, diaries, reminiscences, photographs, and organizational records bring history alive through the voices of women who participated in events as they happened. Whether it be a description of day-to-day activities on a family farm or letters which chronicle the lives of a prominent family, each is a part of our history. Donors to the State Archives are aware of the significance of women and their contributions to the history of our state, which can be seen in the increasing volume of women’s resources added to the archives collections in the past twenty years.

Clifton H. Jones reported the limited number of manuscript sources in women’s history at the State Archives predecessor, the Historical Resource Center, in his 1976 article in South Dakota History. While he noted that only one-third of the manuscript collections were processed, he focused the problem of identifying women’s sources on the concept of "hidden women." He attributed this problem to incomplete processing and the larger issue of identifying women’s voices in collections whose main emphasis did not reflect their presence.

The following alphabetical list of manuscript collections at the State Archives is a testament to the work of many over the past twenty years who have created an awareness of women’s role’s in South Dakota history. It also illustrates the growing body of knowledge now available in the field of women’s history. Not only have archives staff taken steps to acquire women’s resources, but the public at large has also taken an interest in preserving such resources.

In addition to the collections cited here, the State Archives has many other resources in which women’s voices are found. Church records, county, city, and family histories, census records, naturalization records, school census records, the biographical file, the general photograph collection, the South Dakota Authors file, and South Dakota newspapers are some of the sources available.

Still more materials are found in other government record groups. Department of Education records documenting teacher certifications, Secretary of State photographs, Cosmetology Commission licensing records, County Mother’s Pension records, Board of Nursing records, the WPA nursery project, and the Commission on the Status of Women records all provide insight into the lives of South Dakota women.

Photographs are unique research tools for a variety of researchers. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. both used photographs of Indian women from the State Archives for exhibits. Publishers and film companies frequently use archives photographs for books and documentaries, and even for educational CD-ROMs and computer games. On a more personal level, genealogists search for photographs of their ancestors to enhance their family histories.

In addition, scholars have used archives collections for a number of interesting topics devoted to women. Second generation homesteaders, women’s suffrage, the League of Women Voters, Congregational missionaries, South Dakota First Ladies, prohibition, women attorneys in South Dakota, lifestyles of pioneer women (daily duties and hygiene), and west river depression are a few of the subjects researched recently.

Similarly, biographical research relating to South Dakota women has increased. In particular, former First Lady Patricia Nixon’s tie to South Dakota was the focus of research by Nevada State Archives staff preparing an exhibit. Nixon’s family lived in Lead, South Dakota before moving to Ely, Nevada prior to her birth in 1913. Other prominent South Dakota women who were subjects of biographical research include Mary Collins, Susan Bordeaux Bettelyoun, Zitkala-Sa, Jane Waldron, Alice Alt Pickler, Calamity Jane, Catherine Weldon, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mercedes MacKay, Ella Deloria, Mary Hart, Mamie Van Doren, and Barbara Bach.

The following list, compiled from manuscript accession records in the archives, includes the collections cited in the Jones article. Just as the information in the files themselves varies, so do the content notes for each collection. Some collections are well organized while others are partially organized, and some remain unprocessed. The size of the collections vary from one item to several cubic feet. The units of measure listed reflect the system in use at the time the collection was processed, whether it was number of items, folders, linear inches, or cubic feet. Married and maiden names are not cross-referenced; instead, each entry is listed under the individual’s most commonly recognized name.