Gage, Matilda Electa Joslyn Papers (MF 46) 1 microfilm reel

Microfilm copies of papers belonging to woman suffrage activist Matilda Gage, 1870-1970. The collection contains correspondence, woman suffrage materials, information on Susan B. Anthony, newspaper clippings, and a biography of Mrs. Gage. These papers were microfilmed by the South Dakota Commission on the Status of Women prior to their donation to the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College.

Gage, Matilda Jewell Family Papers (H97-52) 14 cubic feet

Letters, photographs, financial records, scrapbooks, and subject files for the period 1876 through 1986. Included are Aberdeen historical items as well as the papers of her father, Aberdeen pioneer (1881) T. Clarkson Gage and her mother, Sophie Jewell Gage. Her unmarried cousin, Leslie Gage, will her papers to Matilda and they are also included, along with some papers of Leslie’s mother, Helen Leslie Gage. Gage, the granddaughter of prominent suffrage leader Matilda Joslyn Gage, was born in Aberdeen in 1886. It is believed that she was the inspiration for the character Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz books written by her uncle L. Frank Baum.

General Federation of Women's Clubs of South Dakota Records (H92-92, H93-43, H97-56, H98-17, H98-73,  H99-019, H2000-31, H2000-52, H2001-15, H2001-22, H2002-002) 24.5 cubic feet

This collection consists of records of the GFWC of South Dakota, 1899-1958, including the Pioneer Daughters Collection. Club records include by-laws, club histories, minutes, program reports, financial reports, and a treasurer's ledger. The Pioneer Daughters Collection is the result of a statewide GFWC effort to collect and preserve the stories of female pioneers in South Dakota. Arranged by county, this collection is the largest body of women’s histories in the State Archives. Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner describes this collection in "Dakota Resources: The Pioneer Daughters Collection of the South Dakota Federation of Women’s Clubs," South Dakota History, Vol. 19, (Spring, 1989): 95-109. The GFWC of South Dakota was organized January 16, 1900 and joined the national organization March 1, 1900.

The records for this club cover from 1921 to 2002 and  include booklets, minutes, and issues of the South Dakota Clubwoman.

George, W. H. & Edythe Papers (H75-180) 17 items

An article written by the Georges for presentation to the Minnesota Archaeological Society (with the advice of Dr. W. H. Over, director of the Museum at the University of South Dakota) entitled "Villages on the Banks of the Missouri River in South Dakota." Generally, the article describes the excavation of a site at Steamboat Creek, n.d. Besides the manuscript, this collection contains correspondence (1942 & 1964) between the Georges and W. H. Over, and Ernest E. Macgowan, a professional archaeologist. Archaeological methods and conclusions form the basis for the correspondence.

Geertgens Family Papers (H95-32) 5 items

Consists of a reminiscence of Florence Geertgens Simmons about her experiences homesteading in Perkins County in the early 1900s. The family attended the Lutheran Church near Strool. Also in this collection is a photograph of a large group of women (one of which is Mrs. Jacob Geertgens) and children.