Scobie, Elizabeth, 1903-1995. Papers, 1896-1972.

Collection — Hollinger box: 01

Identifier: SMHC Collection 0129

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Volume One – The Chief, (pp 1-62) contains information about Chief Sleepy Eyes and his family. Included are copies of letters, parts of a taped interview with Lazarus Adams, newspaper clippings, and stories about the chief.

Volume Two – Sleepy Eye Platted and Organized, (pp 63-138) contains information about the first railroad in sleepy eye, sketches of the town’s first residents, and the government of Sleepy Eye and Brown County including the building of numerous government buildings.

Volume Three – Businesses, Professions, Churches, (pp 139-222) contains information about several major businesses in Sleepy Eye including the Sleepy Eye Milling Company. Furthermore, this volume documents doctors, lawyers, bankers, legislators, and photographers. The volume ends with the history of the town’s churches with particular attention devoted to the Episcopal Church in Sleepy Eye.

Volume Four – Learning, Reading and Communications and Recalling the Frontier, (223-342) contains information about the public and parochial schools in Sleepy Eye, the town’s library, and histories on telephones and newspapers within Sleepy Eye. Scobie provided the yearly events of the town between 1961 and 1963. She concluded by discussing the farms in Home Township and several family histories.

Volume Five – Recreation, Organizations, Miscellaneous, and Personal, (343-441) contains information about the cultural history of Sleepy Eye included are civic organizations, military organizations, the Boy Scouts, Farm Bureau, and the Four-H. A short history about a defunct town called Red Stone is included along with excerpts from the Peter Geschwind manuscripts and the diary of William R. Brown, a Fort Ridgely soldier. The last section was restricted until 1 January 1980. In this section 1935-1972, Scobie wrote about her experiences in politics and her meetings with political candidates as a member of the Republican Party and a correspondent with the New Ulm Daily Journal.

Folder #1 – The folder contains a history of the School District #21 (then #19) written by Helen R. Schroeder and Elizabeth Scobie (1971). In addition, three letters regarding the school district, the LaFromboise family, and Lloyd Berkner are included. A.C. Von Hagen’s typewritten statement concerning the reburial of Sleepy Eyes’s bones is included.

Folder #2 – The folder contains five plat maps for Evan, Minnesota.

Dates

1896-1972

Creator

Scobie, Elizabeth, 1903-1995 (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on use of this collection for research purposes. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property and libel laws as they apply.

Biographical / Historical

Elizabeth Scobie was born on 11 July 1903, in Chicago to Frank and Alma Scobie. Her father was a photographer who in 1905 bought a studio in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Scobie attended schools in Sleepy Eye and in 1925 graduated from the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, Minnesota. After a year of teaching Latin and French in Montana, Scobie returned to Sleepy Eye to work in her father’s studio until 1949. In 1953, she became a regional correspondent for the New Ulm Daily Journal and in 1962 contributed material for the centennial edition of the Journal. Scobie was active in several civic organizations including the library board. In addition, she participated in the county and district Republican Party.

Biographical information provided by Elizabeth Scobie.

Extent

0.23 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Elizabeth Scobie papers consist of positive photographic copies of her five volume (441L) unpublished history of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Included are copies of some research material, five plat maps of Evan, Minnesota dated 1896-1904, and information about politics, life, and religion in Sleepy Eye.