Reid, Dudley A. (1872-1957), Papers, 1898-1958 (C3855)
2 linear feet
INTRODUCTION
Papers of Dudley Alver Reid, an editor and publisher of weekly newspapers in Missouri and Iowa. The papers consist of correspondence, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous material.
DONOR INFORMATION
The Dudley A. Reid Papers were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by his son, Loren Reid, on July 6, 1981 (Accession No. 2375). An addition to the papers was made on April 1, 1989 (Accession No. 2739).
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Dudley Alver Reid was born on February 21, 1872, to Daniel and Sarah Reid. At the age of seven he contracted rheumatic fever and as a result was lame for the remainder of his life. It was during this time he developed a passion for reading, literature and history. Reid lived on his father's farm near Victoria, Daviess County, Missouri, until 1897. In 1896 and 1897 he attended Grand River College, Gallatin, Missouri. He taught school in Daviess County from 1897 to 1899 and served as an enrolling clerk for the Missouri legislature from 1899 to 1901, when he became editor and publisher of the Winston Sentinel, Winston, Missouri. In 1903 he became a reporter and political writer for the Gallatin Democrat, Gallatin, Missouri, and in 1904 became editor and publisher of the Gilman City Guide, Gilman City, Missouri. From 1907 to 1910 he was editor and publisher of the Nodaway Forum, Maryville, Missouri. During 1911 he served as secretary to Missouri congressman Joshua W. Alexander in Washington, D.C. From 1912 to 1921 he was again editor and publisher of the Gilman City Guide. In 1921 he became editor and publisher of the Osceola Tribune, Osceola, Iowa. In 1931 he became editor and publisher of the Valley Junction Booster-Express, later renamed the West Des Moines Express, where he remained until his death in 1957.
Dudley Reid married Josephine Tarwater in 1904 and they had two sons, Loren Dudley and Donald Jennings Reid. Dudley Reid published three books, Ups and Downs, Tarcomeda and The Perfect Man, during his life. He also served as a postmaster in Missouri and Iowa during Woodrow Wilson's and Franklin D. Roosevelt's administrations.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Reid was a devoted Democrat and this is strongly evident in his writings. His pen name for his early writings was Tarcomeda, "A Democrat" spelled backwards. His articles, columns, poetry and editorials reflect his opinions on politics, World War II, books, historical heroes and events, family, friends and his childhood. Material from his life was often used in his columns.
The papers are divided into three series: Correspondence, Miscellaneous, and Scrapbooks. The Correspondence series is a mixture of personal and professional documents, arranged chronologically from 1898 to 1955. The personal correspondence is from family and friends. The letters before 1940 mostly praise or thank him for his poetry or column. The later personal correspondence from the 1940s and 1950s covers such topics as family news, his son Donald's career in the newspaper business, religion, doctors, post office and local or national politics. The earlier professional correspondence discusses mortgages, rentals and contracts. The majority of the professional correspondence is from the 1950s and concerns his historical research about local people. The research was probably used in his columns. Loren Reid has written comments on a few of his father's letters. The correspondence also contains programs, legal papers and receipts as enclosures.
The Miscellaneous series consists of biographical information, miscellaneous material and newspaper clippings. The biographical information contains newspaper clippings, biographical sketches, and photographs of the Reid family, arranged chronologically, 1937-1953. The miscellaneous folders contain genealogical research on the Miller family (maternal relations of Dudley Reid), inventories, etc. In these folders the expenses of running a small town newspaper from 1913 to 1952 are partially documented. The newspaper clippings are divided into four sections. The first section is undated articles, columns and poems by Dudley Reid, arranged alphabetically. The second is columns by Donald and Dorothy Reid, arranged chronologically, 1958. The third is editorials by Dudley Reid, arranged chronologically, 1916-1947. The fourth is an undated manuscript from columns of the "Old Stamping Grounds," arranged in chapters.
The Scrapbooks series comprises three scrapbooks that were put together by Reid to support his application for the postmastership at Valley Junction, Iowa, in the 1930s and consist of correspondence, editorials, and poems. Much of the correspondence is from Democratic politicians thanking him for his support or recommending him for the office of postmaster. These scrapbooks have been disassembled and put into folders but retain their original order. Some correspondence and pictures from these scrapbooks were missing when the scrapbooks were donated.
FOLDER LIST
| f. 1 | 1898 December-1913 August |
| f. 2 | 1914 February-1916 October |
| f. 3 | 1916 December-1918 March |
| f. 4 | 1918 June-1920 March |
| f. 5 | 1920 August-1916 January |
| f. 6 | 1926 February-December |
| f. 7 | 1927 February-1930 February |
| f. 8 | 1930 March-1933 November |
| f. 9 | 1933 December-1936 October |
| f. 10 | 1936 November-1937 March |
| f. 11 | 1937 April-December |
| f. 12 | 1938 January-1939 January |
| f. 13 | 1939 April-September |
| f. 14 | 1939 October-December |
| f. 15 | 1940 January-February |
| f. 16 | 1940 March-July |
| f. 17 | 1940 August-1941 February |
| f. 18 | 1941 March-May |
| f. 19 | 1941 June-August |
| f. 20 | 1941 September-November |
| f. 21 | 1941 December-1942 March |
| f. 22 | 1942 April-August |
| f. 23 | 1942 October-December |
| f. 24 | 1943 January-April |
| f. 25 | 1943 May |
| f. 26 | 1943 June-October |
| f. 27 | 1943 November-1944 March |
| f. 28 | 1944 April-1945 January |
| f. 29 | 1945 February-June |
| f. 30 | 1945 July-December |
| f. 31 | 1946 January-April |
| f. 32 | 1946 May-July |
| f. 33 | 1946 August-1948 March |
| f. 34 | 1948 April-1949 June |
| f. 35 | 1949 July-1950 January |
| f. 36 | 1950 February-March |
| f. 37 | 1950 April-June |
| f. 38 | 1950 July-August |
| f. 39 | 1950 September |
| f. 40 | 1950 October-November 21 |
| f. 41 | 1950 November 22-December 23 |
| f. 42 | 1950 December 24-1951 January 11 |
| f. 43 | 1951 January 12-22 |
| f. 44 | 1951 January 23-31 |
| f. 45 | 1951 February 1-11 |
| f. 46 | 1951 February 12-23 |
| f. 47 | 1951 February 24-March 10 |
| f. 48 | 1951 March 11-21 |
| f. 49 | 1951 March 21-April 8 |
| f. 50 | 1951 April 9-May 1 |
| f. 51 | 1951 May 9-18 |
| f. 52 | 1951 May 19-31 |
| f. 53 | 1951 June |
| f. 54 | 1951 July 2-26 |
| f. 55 | 1951 July 27-August 4 |
| f. 56 | 1951 August 6-17 |
| f. 57 | 1951 August 20-September 7 |
| f. 58 | 1951 September 8-30 |
| f. 59 | 1951 October 1-15 |
| f. 60 | 1951 October 16-27 |
| f. 61 | 1951 October 29-November 5 |
| f. 62 | 1951 November 6-November 25 |
| f. 63 | 1951 November 26-December 17 |
| f. 64 | 1951 December 18-1952 January 9 |
| f. 65 | 1952 January 11-31 |
| f. 66 | 1952 February 1-20 |
| f. 67 | 1952 February 21-March 5 |
| f. 68 | 1952 March 6-25 |
| f. 69 | 1952 March 29-May 5 |
| f. 70 | 1952 May 6-June 4 |
| f. 71 | 1952 June 5-27 |
| f. 72 | 1952 June 30-July |
| f. 73 | 1952 August-September 8 |
| f. 74 | 1952 September 13-October 16 |
| f. 75 | 1952 October 17-November 9 |
| f. 76 | 1952 November 18-December 18 |
| f. 77 | 1952 December 20-1953 January |
| f. 78 | 1953 February-April |
| f. 79 | 1953 May-October 22 |
| f. 80 | 1953 October 24-December |
| f. 81 | 1954 January-March |
| f. 82 | 1954 March 29-July 11 |
| f. 83 | 1954 July 15-1955 February 25 |
| f. 84 | 1955 February 28-December |
| f. 85-90 | n.d. |
| f. 91 | Biographical information, 1937-1953 |
| f. 92 | Biographical information, family pictures, 1904-1942 |
| f. 93 | Genealogical research, inventories, etc., 1913-1952 |
| f. 94 | Genealogical research, inventories, etc., n.d. |
| f. 95 | Newspaper clippings, articles, columns and poems, A-G, n.d. |
| f. 96 | Newspaper clippings, articles, columns and poems, H-O, n.d. |
| f. 97 | Newspaper clippings, articles, columns and poems, P-Z, n.d. |
| f. 98 | Newspaper clippings, articles, columns and poems, untitled, n.d. |
| f. 99 | Newspaper clippings, columns by Donald and Dorothy Reid, 1958 |
| f. 100 | Newspaper clippings, editorials by Dudley Reid, 1916-1947 |
| f. 101 | Newspaper clippings, manuscript, "The Old Stamping Grounds," n.d. [1940-1945] |
| v. 1 | Post Office, 1934 |
| v. 2 | Post Office, 1936 |
| v. 3 | Post Office, 1938 |
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.
- Arne family
- Bryan, William Jennings
- Clemens, Samuel Langhorne
- Colden, Charles J.
- Herring, Clyde L. (1879-1945)
- Missouri, Bethany
- Missouri, Daviess County
- Missouri, Gallatin
- Missouri, Victoria
- Missouri, Winston
- Newspapers, Missouri
- Ozarks
- Politics, 1876-1956
- Politics, Iowa
- Politics, Missouri
- Presidents, U.S., Election, 1876-1946
- Reid, Dudley Alver (1872-1957)
- Reid, Loren D. (1905- )
- Religion, Attitudes toward
- Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919)
- Segregation
- World War, 1939-1945, Public Opinion