Sub-series H: Research notes, 1937-1970

Sub-Series — Box: 47-83

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This series is comprised of Rochester City Historian, Blake McKelvey's research notes, used to write his four volume history of Rochester, New York. The materials were assembled between 1937 and 1970. The series includes handwritten transcriptions of newspaper articles and journals; newspaper clippings, source and illustration citations, pamphlets, and notes. McKelvey’s four volume history of Rochester is possibly, the most comprehensive historical study of any mid-sized American city.

The intellectual content dates of the sub-series; data, articles, and anecdotes, are between 1784 to 1970. The assembly and transcription of the sub-series was created by McKelvey between 1937 and 1970. A bulk of the material consists of information regarding Rochester between 1834 and 1945.

The research notes cover a variety of topics such as, World War I and World War II, the Civil War, transportation, industries, the pioneer and early days of the village of Rochester, labor unions, and important Rochester personalities. It also covers Rochester’s social, civic, cultural, and economic environment from 1834 to 1970.

Dates

Creation: 1937-1970

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this series.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is held by the Office of the City Historian, Rochester Public Library. Copyright of the papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors’ heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder[s] of copyright and the Office of the City Historian before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Biographical Note

Blake McKelvey’s four volume history of Rochester includes:

Rochester, The Water-Power City: 1812-1845. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1945.

Rochester, The Flower City: 1855-1890. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1949.

Rochester, The Quest for Quality: 1890-1925. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1956.

Rochester, An Emerging Metropolis: 1925-1961. Rochester, NY: Christopher Press, 1961.

Extent

15.0 Cubic Feet (37 custom boxes )

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This series is comprised of Rochester City Historian Blake McKelvey's research notes used to write his four volume history of Rochester, New York. The materials were assembled between 1937 and 1970. The series includes handwritten transcriptions of newspaper articles and journals; newspaper clippings, source and illustration citations, pamphlets, and notes.

Arrangement

This sub-series consists of 37 boxes divided into 33 sub sub-series:

Sub Sub-series i: Pioneer Times to 1820, Village days to 1820

Sub Sub-series ii: Rochester Village 1820-1934, Monroe County Area

Sub Sub-series iii: Rochester 1834-1934

Sub Sub-series iv: Rochester 1844-1854

Sub Sub-series v: Rochester 1855-1866 Miscellaneous for Volume II

Sub Sub-series vi: Rochester in the Civil War

Sub Sub-series vii: Notes on Civil War

Sub Sub-series viii: Rochester 1865-1876

Sub Sub-series ix: Rochester 1875-1890 Economic and Civic

Sub Sub-series x: Rochester 1875-1890 Social and Cultural

Sub Sub-series xi: Rochester 1890-1900 Economic

Sub Sub-series xii: Rochester 1890-1893 Civic and Cultural

Sub Sub-series xiii: Rochester 1894-1900 Civic and Spanish War

Sub Sub-series xiv: Rochester 1894-1900 Social and Cultural

Sub Sub-series xv: Rochester 1900-1915 Civic

Sub Sub-series xvi: Rochester 1900-1915 Cultural

Sub Sub-series xvii: Rochester 1900-1915 Industry and Trade

Sub Sub-series xviii: Rochester 1900-1915 Religion, Charity, and Recreation

Sub Sub-series xix: Rochester 1915-1925 1st World War and Miscellaneous

Sub Sub-series xx: Rochester 1925-1930

Sub Sub-series xxi: Rochester 1930-1940

Sub Sub-series xxii: World War II

Sub Sub-series xxiii: Rochester 1946-1952

Sub Sub-series xxiv: Rochester 1950’s

Sub Sub-series xxv: Rochester Biographical to 1890

Sub Sub-series xxvi: Rochester Biographical 1890-1970

Sub Sub-series xxvii: Rochester Press History, Miscellaneous, and Clothing Industry

Sub Sub-series xxviii: Ethnic Groups

Sub Sub-series xxix: Labor History – Late 1800’s, Early 1900’s

Sub Sub-series xxx: Mayors, Populations Trends, and George Eastman

Sub Sub-series xxxi: Monroe County and Western New York

Sub Sub-series xxxii: Railroads and Transit Lines

Sub Sub-series xxxiii: Miscellaneous

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This series was created during the daily operations of the City Historian's Office.

Processing Information

This project was made possible by a grant from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund.

Processing Information

The collection of boxes were originally found scattered in storage. The boxes have been arranged, by the archivist, chronologically and then by subject based in part on the organization of the books. The boxes labelled "Civil War" and "World War II" were inserted between the correct years. The boxes that were labeled by subject instead of by time period were arranged alphabetically by the archivist and placed after the chronological boxes.

The original individual folders were discarded and new folders were created. All identifying information from the boxes and folders were copied verbatim onto the new boxes and folders. The folders were kept in the original order.

All metal fasteners were removed; newspaper clippings were placed into acid-free envelopes or inter-leaved with acid-free paper. Each box has a multitude of individual folders containing notes that are separated by subject. Each box is its own section of time in Rochester's history, while each folder is a subject from the aforementioned time period.