HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG1404.AM: McMahon Family
Papers: 1882-1957, and undated
Blair, Washington County; Norfolk, Madison County; and Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska
Size: 1.5 cu.ft.; 2 boxes + oversize
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John H. McMahon was born in New York in 1866 to James McMahon. John married Maggie Foley in 1891 and they had six children: Gracie, born, January 1892; Clara, born November 1895; Harold, born January 1897; and Bryon, born October 1898; two of their children died at young ages. John and Maggie resided in Blair Township, Washington County, Nebraska.
John and his family lived on a farm and taught school in Blair, Norfolk and Lincoln schools. John and Gracie were involved in local politics. Correspondence to Gracie shows that John died in February of 1905. The papers following his death, relate mainly to Gracie McMahon’s life.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection of the records of the McMahon Family is arranged in four main series:
Series 1 – Correspondence, 1882-1952, & undated
Subseries 1: Grace McMahon Correspondence, 1910-1952, & undated
Subseries 2: John McMahon Correspondence, 1885-1889
Subseries 3: Clara McMahon Correspondence, 1918, 1923, 1945
Subseries 4: Maggie McMahon Correspondence, 1905
Subseries 5: Miscellany, 1882-1942 Correspondence, & undated
Series 2 – Business records, 1894-1920, & undated
Series 3 – Teaching records, 1884-1957, & undated
Subseries 1: Teaching Certificates, 1885-1887, 1889, 1891
Subseries 2: Teacher’s Institute Materials, 1884-1917
Subseries 3: Contracts, 1914, 1917
Subseries 4: Notebooks, 1888, & undated
Subseries 5: Papers, 1919, & undated
Subseries 6: Rules, 1918, 1921, & undated
Subseries 7: Miscellany, 1899-1957, & undated
Series 4 – Politics, 1916, 1922, 1934, & undated
The collection relates to the lives, activities and interests of McMahon Family, who were involved in farming, teaching and local politics in Blair, Lincoln, and Norfolk, Nebraska. The collection is comprised mostly of correspondence from family and friends received by members of the McMahon Family. Business records for the family, mostly maintained in Blair, Washington County, Nebraska, and a few records from their teaching and political lives are also included.
Acc. 1990.816
INVENTORY
Series 1 – Correspondence, 1882-1952 & undated
Subseries 1: Grace McMahon Correspondence, 1910-1952 & undated
Box 1
Folder
- Personal, 1910, 1914-1916, 1918-1920, 1923-1924 & undated
- School, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1930, 1952 & undated
Subseries 2: John McMahon Correspondence, 1885-1889
- Personal, 1885-1889
Subseries 3: Clara McMahon Correspondence, 1918, 1923, 1945
- Personal, 1918, 1923, 1945
Subseries 4: Maggie McMahon Correspondence, 1905
- Personal, 1905
Subseries 5: Miscellany, 1882-1942 & undated
- Church, 1904, & undated
- Weddings, 1890, 1892, 1913-1914, 1918, 1921 & undated
- Graduations, 1909, 1911, 1914-1915
- Anniversary, 1882, 1909
- Parties, 1893, 1919, & undated
- Sympathy, 1912
- Christmas Cards, 1913-1918, 1942 & undated
Series 2 – Business records, 1894-1920 & undated
- Ledger Books, 1890, & undated
Cattle Mortgage, 1898 (see OB033) - Farm Lease, 1903
- Tax Receipt, 1911
- Account Books, 1894, 1909, & undated
- Check Receipts, 1894-1901
Box 2
Folder
- Expenditure Receipts, 1898, 1903, 1905, 1912, 1919-1920 & undated
Ditch Construction (see oversize) - Miscellany, 1911
Series 3 – Teaching records, 1884-1947 & undated
Subseries 1: Teaching Certificates, 1885-1887, 1889, 1891
- John McMahon, 1885-1887, 1889, 1891
Subseries 2: Teacher’s Institute Materials, 1884-1917
- John McMahon, 1884, 1886-1889, 1894
- Maggie Foley (McMahon), 1888
- Brochure, 1917
Subseries 3: Contracts, 1914, 1917
- Grace McMahon, 1914
- Notification, 1917
Subseries 4: Notebooks, 1888 & undated
- John McMahon, 1888 & undated
- Grace McMahon, undated
Subseries 5: Papers, 1919, & undated
- John McMahon, undated
- Grace McMahon, 1919 & undated
- Students, undated
- Unknown Authorship, undated
Subseries 6: Rules, 1918, 1921 & undated
- Students, 1921 & undated
- Teachers, 1918
Code of Ethics, undated (see OB033)
Subseries 7: Miscellany, 1899-1957 & undated
- Programs, 1899-1900, 1918, 1928, 1932, 1957
Programs of Study, undated (see OB033)
Series 4 – Politics, 1916, 1922, 1934 & undated
- Broadcast Release – Senator Norris, 1934
- Speech Against Women’s Suffrage, undated
- Elections, 1916, 1922, & undated
Subject headings:
Blair (Neb.) — History
McMahon family
McMahon, Clara, 1894-1991
McMahon, Grace, 1893-1984
McMahon, John Henry, 1866-1905
McMahon, Margaret “Maggie” (Foley), 1868-1958
Politics — Nebraska
Teachers — Nebraska
Washington County (Neb.) — History
PJE/ksa 06-1991
Revised kfk 07-17-2003
Revised TMM 05-27-2020