HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG0872.AM: Arthur Carmody, 1899-1987
Papers: 1854-1987; mostly 1926-1987
Trenton, Hitchcock County, Nebraska: Politician, collector
Size: 0.75 cu.ft.; 2 boxes
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Arthur Carmody, Sr. was born December 16, 1899 at Trenton, Nebraska to Michael and Rosa (Jones) Carmody. He was educated in the Trenton schools. On December 30, 1940, Carmody married Grace Palmer in Grand Island, Nebraska. The couple had one son, Arthur Carmody, Jr., who preceded his parents in death on February 28, 1972.
From 1941 to 1955 Carmody served as a state senator for Nebraska. In addition to his political activities, he found time for real estate and farming ventures. During his fifty years of service to the Nebraska State Historical Society, he served several years as the President. Carmody’s interest in the history of Hitchcock County and in the history and folklore of colorful Nebraska characters led him to collect both published materials and original documents relating to Nebraska history and the West.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The materials in the Carmody collection relate Arthur Carmody’s interest in the history of frontier life in Nebraska, as well as folklore or stories related to families and incidents of the pioneer time period. The collection consists primarily of correspondence between Carmody and several informants familiar with the stories and histories of Nebraska settlers. The collection is arranged in three series: 1) Correspondence from William Shelley; 2) Miscellaneous Correspondence; and 3) Miscellaneous.
Series 1 contains correspondence with William Shelley, a pioneer and amateur historian. It relates mainly to the history of Frontier County and especially to the Ballantine Family. Series 2, Miscellaneous Correspondence, includes letters from the following: Luther H. North, C.G. Wallace, Donald Danker, Lulu C. Brown, William F. Schmidt, Paul D Riley, and Ray G. Sparks, etc. Numerous topics such as the Whistler Killings, the Indian Wars, Pawnee Scouts, etc. are discussed in the letters. Among the miscellaneous items in Series 3 are political campaign materials, State Historical Society building dedication, family account book (1854-1866), Print Olive information, etc.
INVENTORY
Series 1 – William Shelley correspondence, 1953-1964
Box 1
Folder
- 1953-1954
- 1955-1959
- 1960
- 1961-1964
- Undated
Series 2 – Miscellaneous correspondence, 1926-1987
Series 3 – Miscellaneous
- Print Olive information
- Account Book, 1854-1866
Box 2
Folder
- Political Campaign Materials
- State Historical Society Building Dedication
- Typescript letter, A.D. Shultz to his father, 1872
- Miscellaneous
Subject headings:
Ballantine, David Coulter, 1843-1882
Ballantine Family
Custer, George Armstrong, 1839-1876
Danker, Donald Floyd, 1922-2005
Dauchy Family
Hitchcock County (Nebraska) — History
Indians of North America — Great Plains — Nebraska
Indians of North America — Wars
Indians of North America — Wars — Beecher Island, Battle of, 1868
Nebraska — History, Military
McClary, Annie Eliza “Ena” (Palmer) Ballantine, 1849-1884
Medicine Creek (Hitchcock County, Nebraska)
Miles, Paddy
Military art and science
Olive, Isom Prentice, 1840-1886
Pawnee Scouts
Scouts and scouting
Sheldon, Addison Erwin, 1861-1943
Shelley, William McKinley, 1897-1978
Sparks, Ray G.
Trenton (Nebraska)
Utah, Expedition of, 1857-1858
Whistler Killings
Revised TMM 12-26-2006; 01-27-2022
