Huiskamp Family, Papers, 1858-1990 (C3009)

1.6 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

The Huiskamp Family Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Gerard L. Huiskamp, his wife Lillian Barr Huiskamp, and other family members and friends. There are also photocopies of letters written by Henrik C. Huiskamp, while on a trip to Europe in the late 1800s; genealogical information on the Werth family; and an unpublished text by Gerard L. Huiskamp about what United States citizens need to be aware of in regards to labor and communism.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Huiskamp Family Papers were donated to the University of Missouri by Anne H. Hiller on 18 February 1993 and Mary Calhoun Wilkins on 21 December 2000 (Accession No. 5258).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Huiskamp family, consisting of seven brothers, emigrated from Amsterdam in 1854. They founded a shoe factory known as Huiskamp Bros. & Co. in Keokuk, Iowa. One of these brothers was Henrik C. Huiskamp. His son was Henry Werth Huiskamp.

Henry Werth Huiskamp married Anne Eckstein Norton. They had four sons: Norton, Henry Christian, II, Gerard Lawrence, and Benjamin Woodson. Norton was only mentioned briefly in the collection and no information is given regarding him.

Gerard L. Huiskamp was born in Keokuk, Iowa, on 22 March 1896. Gerard, also known as "Puss," attended the University of Pennsylvania until he decided to join the war effort in early 1917. He was transferred to MIT for initial training, and then was transferred several times to a variety of naval air stations for training as an aviator. In the final months of the war he completed training and was transferred to France. When he returned to the states, he completed his degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He then returned to Keokuk to work in his father's shoe business.

In 1921 he married Lillian M. Barr. In the letters between them, Lillian is called "Blue Eyes" or "Cookie." They lived in New York for a few years and then returned to Keokuk, Iowa. They had two children, Anne Barr (occasionally called "Peaches") and Henry Christian, III. Anne Barr Huiskamp married Hiram Hiller (see Hiller Family Papers, C3856). They had no children. Henry Christian Huiskamp, III, married Julia Anne Schmidt and had three children.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Huiskamp Family Papers consist of correspondence, genealogies, photographs, business letters, newsletters, and a book draft. The papers are arranged into four series:

• Correspondence
• Writings
• Photographs and Passports
• Miscellaneous

FOLDER LIST

Correspondence Series

The Correspondence series is the largest series of this collection. The focus of the collection is the correspondence from 1916 to 1922. After 1922 the correspondence begins to taper off and significant gaps begin to develop after the 1940s.

The primary focus of this collection is the correspondence between Gerard L. Huiskamp and his future wife, Lillian Barr, during World War I. There is also a significant amount of correspondence between Gerard and his parents, as well as college friends.

Relatives, college friends, and fraternity brothers are often mentioned by their nicknames. For example, "Deke" or "Deacon" refers to Frank Gard, a fraternity brother of Henry Christian Huiskamp, II, who was known as "Hen" or "Heinie." They attended Stanford University together. Deke was killed in World War I. There were also fraternity brothers that wrote to Gerard. Their nicknames were "Yah" for Harold Pond and "Fats" for Matthias Shaaber. Other nicknames used in the correspondence include "Bud" for Benjamin Woodson Huiskamp, "Aunt Lou" for Louise Norton, "Aunt Ex" for Anne Eckstein Norton, and "Aunt Margaret" for Mrs. B. J. Woodson.

In addition there are letters between Anne, Henry Christian, and Gerard in the 1930s and 1940s. This collection of papers also encompasses a European trip by Henrik Huiskamp in the late 1880s to visit relatives. The correspondence from 1887 and 1889 was written between Henrik (who signed his letters HCH) and Henry Werth. Business correspondence carried on by Gerard L. Huiskamp is also contained in this series. Please note that there are some photographs from World War I contained within this series because they were sent as enclosures in letters.

f. 1	Correspondence, 1858, 1878
f. 2-3	Correspondence, 1887 May-September
f. 4	Correspondence, 1889 October; 1890 November; 1896 March
f. 5	Correspondence, 1905–1910
f. 6	Correspondence, 1911
f. 7	Correspondence, 1912
f. 8	Correspondence, 1913
f. 9-11	Correspondence, 1914
f. 12-14	Correspondence, 1915
f. 15-17	Correspondence, 1916
f. 18-23	Correspondence, 1917
f. 24-33	Correspondence, 1918
f. 34-38	Correspondence, 1919
f. 39-44	Correspondence, 1920
f. 45-49	Correspondence, 1921
f. 50	Correspondence, 1922
f. 51	Correspondence, 1924–1926
f. 52	Correspondence, 1928
f. 53	Correspondence, 1930
f. 54	Correspondence, 1931
f. 55	Correspondence, 1932
f. 56-57	Correspondence, 1933
f. 58	Correspondence, 1934–1936
f. 59	Correspondence, 1937
f. 60	Correspondence, 1939
f. 61	Correspondence, 1940–1941
f. 62	Correspondence, 1943–1944
f. 63	Correspondence, 1945–1946
f. 64	Correspondence, 1947
f. 65	Correspondence, 1948
f. 66	Correspondence, 1949
f. 67	Correspondence, 1950–1954
f. 68	Correspondence, 1961–1968
f. 69	Correspondence, 1970–1976
f. 70	Correspondence, 1977–1978
f. 71	Correspondence, 1981–c. 1990

Writings Series

The Writings series contains editorials penned by Gerard L. Huiskamp for "The Pinion," a newsletter of the Rotary Club of Keokuk, Iowa. Later in life he also wrote a book draft on issues facing the American citizen. The draft text addresses such issues as socialism, communism, labor issues, and the societal responsibilities of the media and of government.

f. 72	"The Pinion", Rotary Club newsletter
f. 73-75	Gerard L. Huiskamp, Book draft
f. 76	Miscellaneous Writings

Photographs and Passports Series

The Photographs series primarily documents the Werth family, although there are some Huiskamp family members included. The only photographs pertaining directly to Henry Werth Huiskamp's descendants are those attached to the passports in this series. For photographs of Gerard during 1917 and 1918, please see folders 22 and 24. There are also some holiday cards from family friends that contain photographs.

f. 77	Passports
f. 78	Photos and picture postcards
f. 79	Werth Family photographs

Miscellaneous Series

The Miscellaneous series contains patents, a 1953 flight log, a genealogy of the Werth family, school documents, documents dealing with land in Palmyra, and other miscellaneous items.

f. 80	School Papers
f. 81	1953 Flight log
f. 82	Palmyra land documents
f. 83	Werth genealogy
f. 84	Aeroplane Wing Patents
f. 85	Miscellaneous documents

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

• "The Birth of a Nation"
• "The Pinion"
• A. De Pinna Co.
• Agriculture
• Air bases
• Air pilots--Training--1917-1918
• Airplane
• Allen, Kay
• Anthony, Wayne
• Automobiles, 1910s
• Barr, Emma L.
• Barraud, G.
• Baugh, H. A.
• Bell, Fame
• Boats
• Brink, Henrietta Brazleman
• Brown, Robert E.
• Brush shop, H. P. Hicks
• Buchanan, Patrick
• Burdick, Claude O.
• Burdick, Margaret H.
• Chawner, Mary Margaret
• Civil Engineering–Levees
• Civil rights, 1970s
• College sports
• College students, 1910s
• College students, 1920s
• College students, 1940s
• Collins, Vincent A.
• Communism
• Cowles, R. J. (Bud)
• Dating (Social Customs)
• Depressions, Economic, 1930s
• Diseases
• Duncan, Peter D. C.
• Economics--Curricula
• Education
• Elliott, Roland L.
• Engines, 1910s
• Eppers, Charles
• Europe--Description and travel
• Farm tenancy
• Forsyth, J. Harvey
• Fran, Lyda
• Fraternal lodges
• Fraternities--Phi Gamma Delta
• Gard, Frank
• Gardiner, Carroll
• Garlich, Elizabeth
• Gillette, Guy M.
• Glass, Blown
• Greeting cards--Christmas, 1970s
• Grieken, S. Van, Keokuk, Iowa
• Grigg, John
• Griswold, Hulda H.
• Griswold, Hulda Huiskamp
• Hamilton, David K.
• Hansche family
• Harbison, Helen
• Hassal, Keokuk, Iowa
• Hawkins, J. L.
• Hayden, Van B.
• Haydon, Michael E.
• Hermann, A. B.
• Hertel, Fr., Weimar, Germany
• Hess family
• Hess, Lela
• Hicks, R. S.
• Hiller, Anne Barr Huiskamp (1926 – )
• Hiller, Hiram M.
• Hinckley, H. C.
• Houses
• Huber, Michel T.
• Huiskamp Bros. Co., Keokuk, Iowa
• Huiskamp Hardware Co.
• Huiskamp Shoe MFG. Co.
• Huiskamp, Anne Eckstein Norton
• Huiskamp, Benjamin Woodson "Bud" ( -1971)
• Huiskamp, Dorothy Lou
• Huiskamp, Gerard L. (1896-1992)
• Huiskamp, Gerard Lawrence
• Huiskamp, Henrik C.
• Huiskamp, Henry Christian "Heinie" "Hen" (1890- )
• Huiskamp, Henry Christian (1890- )
• Huiskamp, Henry Christian (1930- )
• Huiskamp, Henry Werth5
• Huiskamp, Henry Werth--Home
• Huiskamp, Herman
• Huiskamp, Herman J.
• Huiskamp, Hulda Werth
• Huiskamp, James W.
• Huiskamp, Janet M.
• Huiskamp, Johanna Hermina
• Huiskamp, John E.
• Huiskamp, John M.
• Huiskamp, Julia
• Huiskamp, Julia Anne Schmidt
• Huiskamp, Lillian M. Barr ( –1986)
• Huiskamp, Lucia
• Huiskamp, Lucretia
• Huiskamp, Maria P. Werth
• Huiskamp, Maud
• Huiskamp, Norton
• Hutton, E. F.
• Illick, Martha E.
• Iowa, Keokuk
• Iowa, Palmyra--Land
• Irwin, John N., II
• Irwin, John R.
• Kerrick, Howard C.
• Kingsbury, Wally
• Labor unions
• Landaal, family
• Landaal, Lotta
• Landlord and tenant, 1930s
• Lang, Bert
• Leib, Carl E.
• Lentz, Harold H.
• Logan, W. A.
• Lounsberry, Harold R.
• Lugar, Richard G.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1917-1918
• Matless, James
• Matless, L.
• Mattucks, Mark H.
• McKnight, S. F.
• McReynolds, W. U. "Bill"
• Men's Societies--Rotary Club
• Meyerson, Martin
• Middle East--Travel and Description
• Military Training Camps
• Millar, David C.
• Millar, Elizabeth B.
• Millar, Malcolm G.2
• Millar, Mary Ellen
• Millard, Cora Poor
• Montgomery, H. E.
• Motion pictures--"The Birth of a Nation"
• Noble, Helen E.
• Norton, Elijah Hise
• Norton, Jno. W.
• Norton, Louise
• Norton, Mary Hise
• Norton, William F.
• Odell, Robert P., Jr.
• Passports, American
• Patents--Aeroplane wings
• Patton, George Smith, Jr. (1885-1945)
• Pen drawing
• Personnel management
• Peters, Lester L.
• Photographs
• Polarcan Sales Corporation, Keokuk, Iowa
• Politics
• Pond, Harold
• Postcards
• Potter, Lynn
• Private schools
• Racism
• Ravlin, F. F.
• Ray, Ralph W.
• Reagan, Ronald (1911-)
• Reiner, Richard
• Rendlen, Branham
• Republican National Finance Committee
• Ricketts, C. L.
• Rivers, T. L., St. Louis, Missouri
• Roberts, Rachael
• Rosenbaum, J.
• Rotary Club, Keokuk, Iowa
• Rugby
• Rusk, Dean (1909-1995)
• Sampson, Jerry P.
• Schlapp, Julie
• Schmidt, Julia Anne
• Scholten's, St. Louis, Missouri
• School sports
• Schwengel, Fred
• Seeley, N. F.
• Shaaber, Matthias
• Sheaffer, Craig R.
• Sheahan, Mary
• Shoe industry
• Snyder, T. R.
• Socialism
• Stanford University
• Star Gallery, Spirit Lake, Iowa
• Stark, J. C.
• Stewart, Ray1
• Swafford, Keokuk, Iowa
• Taxation
• The Huiskamp Bros. Co., Keokuk, Iowa
• Thomas, Frank
• Traveling salesman
• Travel-Wit and humor
• Troost family
• U.S.--Armed Forces--Military Life
• U.S.--Economic conditions, 1916-1920s
• U.S.--Economy, 1930s
• U.S.—Economy, 1940s-1970s
• U.S.--Social life and customs
• Uniforms, Naval
• United Nations
• University of Pennsylvania
• Vail, William Penn
• Vermeulen, A. A., Utrecht, Netherlands
• Vietnam War
• Wages--Minimum wage
• Webber, Helen L.
• Wells, Dick
• Werth family
• Werth, Duncan
• Werth, Freida
• Werth, G. Louis
• Werth, John E.
• Werth, Julia Troost
• Weyen, Anna C.
• Whitney, R. W.
• Wilkins, Mary Calhoun
• Williams & Cornwell, Photographers, St. Louis, Missouri
• Wilson, Woodrow (1856-1924)
• Winks, Willa
• Women--Politics
• Women—Societies--Y. W. C. A.
• Woodson, Margaret
• World War, 1914-1918--Correspondence
• Wyman family
• Y. W. C. A., Keokuk, Iowa