Robert Valentine Muir [RG1903.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG1903.AM:  Robert Valentine Muir, 1871-1926

Papers: 1869-1913

Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska:  Merchant, politician

Size: 1.5 cu.ft.; 3 boxes

BACKGROUND NOTE

Robert V. Muir was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, on October 24, 1827.  He migrated to New York with his parents in 1835.  In 1856 he was elected treasurer of the Nebraska Settlement Company, and moved to Table Rock, Nebraska, in 1857.  He became owner of a sawmill in 1858, and was involved in real estate around Brownville, where he built a house in 1870.  He was also in the mercantile business, and active in politics.  He was a member of the Whig and Republican parties, and later the Prohibition Party.  He ran under this ticket for Regent of the University, and for governor, unsuccessfully.  He died in Brownville on February 4, 1917 and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery at Brownville, Nebraska.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of three boxes of papers relating to Robert V. Muir’s activities in business and reform movements, especially religion and prohibition in the late 19th to early 20th centuries.  It also relates to his political activities dealing with social reform.  Included in the collection are correspondence, various subject files on prohibition, temperance, anti-imperialism and misc. other types of reform, financial and land documents, etc.  The bulk of the materials in the collection date from ca. 1869 to 1913.

Correspondents include: R.V. Muir, William J Bryan, September 17, 1890; Robert Muir, 1888-1903; C.E. Bentley, 1893-1895; G.B. Beveridge, 1891-1899; John Hipp, 1896-1898; Downie Muir, 1899-1911; Homer Davison, 1873-1900; J. Sterling Morton, Aug. 10, 1899; S.D. Fitchie, 1899-1901; C.H. Gilmore, 1900-1902; C.C. Beveridge, 1902-1903; C.R. Bedford, 1903; Frances A. Beveridge, 1903-1910; Orrin H. Graham, 1909-1910; Charles Ganes, 1911-1912.

Note:  A partial correspondence calendar is available onsite.

INVENTORY

Box 1

Folder

1. 1. Correspondence, 1871-1889

1. 1. Correspondence, 1890-1892

1. 1. Correspondence, 1893-1895

1. 1. Correspondence, 1896-1899

1. 1. Correspondence, 1900

1. 1. Correspondence, 1901-1902

1. 1. Correspondence, 1903

1. 1. Correspondence, 1904-1905

1. 1. Correspondence, 1906

Box 2

Folder

1. 1. Correspondence, 1907-1908

1. 1. Correspondence, 1909-1910

1. 1. Correspondence, 1911-1913

1. 1. Correspondence, undated

1. 1. Prohibition – Temperance materials

1. 1. Prohibition – Temperance materials (see also oversize)

Box 3

Folder

1. 1. Prohibition, temperance, etc., drafts and notes

1. 1. Publishing companies and literary mail order

1. 1. Anti-Imperialism (see also oversize)

1. 1. Reform, misc.

1. 1. Deeds and land transactions

1. 1. Financial materials, 1869-1913

1. 1. Health and wellness

1. 1. Muir house, Brownville

1. 1. Miscellaneous

Subject headings:

Anti-imperialist movements — United States

Muir, Robert Valentine, 1871-1926

Prohibition

Social reform movements

Temperance

DB/js                    08-07-1965

Revised TMM      02-11-2019