Draper Manuscript Collection

Record Description

Coverage. This collection also known as the Draper manuscripts, and as the Draper Collection, consists of 491 volumes of manuscripts, papers, and books collected by Lyman Copeland Draper about the history of the trans-Allegheny West in the United States, a region including the western areas of the Carolinas and Virginia, all the Ohio River Valley, and part of the upper Mississippi Valley from the 1740s to 1830. This includes New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Arrangement. The collection was organized by Wisconsin Historical Society staff into 491 volumes divided into 50 series of varying lengths. Each series is titled by a geographic area, by a subject, or by the name of a prominent frontier leader. For further details about the 50 series titles and arrangement see also:

Draper Manuscript Series Coverage Table
Descriptive list table of contents pages
FamilySearch Catalog title description Draper manuscript collection.

Content. The bulk of the collection consists of notes from interviews, questionnaires, and letters gathered during Draper’s extensive travels and research to learn about frontier history.

Availability

Original images can be viewed or ordered through the following:

Microfilm access. For contents of this collection by microfilm number, see the Draper Manuscript Series Coverage Table.

Microfilms are available for viewing at a FamilySearch Center.
For information on ordering films see: Ordering Microfilm or Microfiche

Record Content

Draper Manuscript Collection
Chronological Index of Documents
Genealogical Notes
Historical Notes
Land Record
Newspaper Clippings
Personal Interview

Key facts found in this collection vary from record to record. They may include:

Names
Birth, marriage, or death dates and places
Names of parents or other family members
Residences
Life sketches
Names of neighbors
Notes of involvement in historical events

Related Publications

The following works have been published about this collection:

- Josephine L. Harper, Guide to the Draper Manuscripts (Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press ; London : Eurospan, 2004) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Fiche 6050187; Book 977.583/M1 A3h. Includes index.

Overall Descriptive List and general index

Reuben Gold Thwaites, Descriptive list of manuscript collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin together with reports on other collections of manuscript material for American history in adjacent states (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1906) Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 368687. Includes general index.

More-detailed partial indexes

Reuben Gold Thwaites, and Louise Phelps Kellogg, Documentary History of Dunmore's War, 1774 (Madison : Wisconsin Historical Society, 1905) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 564367 Item 2. Includes index.
Reuben Gold Thwaites, and Louise Phelps Kellogg, The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777 (Reprint, 1992 of Madison : Wisconsin Historical Society, 1908) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 977.1 H2t. Includes index.
Reuben Gold Thwaites, and Louise Phelps Kellogg, Frontier Defense on the Upper Ohio, 1776-1778 (Madison, Wisconsin : Wisconsin Historical Society, c1912) Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 1320772. Includes partial index to series J and SS.

series 1A. Craig L. Heath, The George M. Bedinger papers : volume 1A of the Draper Manuscript Collection (Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, 2002) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 976.9 D29h. Includes index.
series 1Z. Craig L. Heath, The Illinois manuscripts : volume 1Z of the Draper manuscript collection (Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, 2003) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 977.3 H2hc. Includes index.
series J and K. James Alton James, George Rogers Clark Papers, 1771-1784, 2 vols. (Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Historical Library, 1912-1924) Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Fiche 6100186 and 6100187. Includes indexes.
series J and K. Sam McDowell, Calendar of the George Rogers Clark papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts (Utica, Ky. : McDowell Publications, 1985) At various repositories (WorldCat).
series S. Bayless E. Hardin, Index to volume 6S, Draper manuscripts (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Fiche 6018900; Book 976.9 H22h. Indexes vol. 6S (series S) entitled Draper's notes made June 1851. Microreproduction of a photocopy of the original index at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky.
series U. Samuel McDowell, Calendar of the frontier wars papers of the Draper collection of manuscripts (Utica, Ky. : McDowell Publications, 1991) At various repositories (WorldCat).
series CC. Mabel Clare Weaks, Calendar of the Kentucky Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1925) Indexed on Ancestry.com; Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 823866 Item 2. Includes index.
series DD and XX. Edward Earl Bennett, Calendar of the Tennessee and King's Mountain Papers of the Draper Collections of Manuscripts, Vol. 3 (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1929) Indexed on Ancestry.com; Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 896963 Item 2. Includes index.
series NN. Karen Mauer Green, Index to the Draper manuscripts, series NN: the Pittsburgh and northwest Virginia papers (Cooperstown, New York : Frontier Press, 2003) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 A32dnn. This is an index to films 889179 and 889180 of the Draper manuscript collection.
series QQ and ZZ. Mabel Clare Weaks, The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1915) Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 1896964 Item 2. Includes index.
series SS. Leroy Schlinkert, Calendar of the David Shepherd papers : series SS in the Draper manuscripts ([Madison] : Archives Division, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1979) At various repositories (WorldCat)
series TT. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Calendar of the South Carolina papers : series TT in the Draper manuscripts ([Madison] : Archives Division, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1979) At various repositories (WorldCat).
series UU. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Calendar of the South Carolina in the Revolution miscellanies : series UU in the Draper manuscripts ([Madison] : Archives Division, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1979) At various repositories (WorldCat).
series VV. Sandra Howell, Calendar of the Thomas Sumter papers of the Draper collection of manuscripts (Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, 1986) At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 977.5 A3ws v. 5. Includes index.
series DD and XX. Edward Earl Bennett, Calendar of the Tennessee and King's Mountain Papers of the Draper Collections of Manuscripts, Vol. 3 (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1929) Indexed on Ancestry.com; Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 896963 Item 2. Includes index.
series QQ and ZZ. Mabel Clare Weaks, The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts (Madison, Wisc.: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1915) Digital copy online; At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 1896964 Item 2. Includes index.

Related Websites

About the Draper Manuscript Collection at the Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society
Draper Manuscripts: King's Mountain Papers, 1756-1887
Pickler Memorial Library