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Finding Aids

Finding Aids are descriptions of collections, often down to the item level, for records kept by the Missouri State Archives. Finding Aids include agency or biographical histories, timelines, and information on related collections when applicable.

Click on a link below for a state agency. If you do not find the Finding Aid you need, contact the Archives at (573) 751-3280 or archref@sos.mo.gov. There are many finding aids drafts the staff can access that are not online.

Click on a Record Group below or scroll down to browse.

RG003 Office of the Governor	RG213 Missouri State Penitentiary
RG005 Office of Secretary of State	RG395 State Capitol Commissions
RG102 Department of Agriculture	RG403 Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri
RG103 Department of Conservation	RG405 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri
RG104 Department of Economic Development	RG550 Missouri General Assembly
RG105 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education	RG552 Legislators’ Papers
RG107 Department of Transportation	RG561 Joint, Interim and Special Legislative Committees
RG108 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations	RG600 Missouri Supreme Court
RG114 Department of Corrections	RG951 U.S. Recorder of Land Titles
RG115 Department of Health and Senior Services	RG998 Manuscripts
RG133 Office of Adjutant General

RG003 Office of the Governor

RG003.06 Lilburn W. Boggs, 1836-1840 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.07 Thomas Reynolds, 1840-1844 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.08 Meredith Miles Marmaduke, 1844 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.09 John Cummins Edwards, 1844-1848 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.10 Austin Augustus King, 1848-1853 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.11 Sterling Price, 1853-1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.12 Trusten Polk, 1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.13 Hancock Lee Jackson, 1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.14 Robert Marcellus Stewart,1857-1861 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.15 Claiborne Fox Jackson,1861 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.16 Hamilton Rowan Gamble, 1861-1864 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.17 Willard Preble Hall,1864-1865 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.18 Thomas Clement Fletcher, 1865-1869 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.19 Joseph Washington McClurg,1869-1871 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.20 Benjamin Gratz Brown, 1871-1873 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.21 Silas B. Woodson, 1873-1875 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.22 Charles Henry Hardin,1875-1877 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.23 John Smith Phelps, 1877-1881 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.24 Thomas Theodore Crittenden, 1881-1885 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.25 John Sappington Marmaduke, 1885-1887 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.26 Albert Pickett Morehouse, 1887-1889 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.27 David Rowland Francis, 1889-1893 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.28 William Joel Stone, 1893-1897 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.29 Lawrence Vest Stephens, 1897-1901 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG003.30 Alexander Monroe Dockery, 1901-1905
RG003.31 Joseph Wingate Folk, 1905-1909
RG003.32 Herbert Spencer Hadley, 1909-1913
RG003.33 Elliott Woolfolk Major, 1913-1917
RG003.34 Frederick Dozier Gardner, 1917-1921
RG003.36 Samuel Aaron Baker, 1925-1929
RG003.37 Henry Stewart Caulfield, 1929-1933
RG003.38 Guy Brasfield Park, 1933-1937
RG003.39 Lloyd Crow Stark, 1937-1941

RG005 Office of Secretary of State

Administrative Rules

RG000.005 SOS Administrative Rules State Documents Collection

Business Services (includes Commissions)

RG000.005 Business Services State Documents Collection
RG005.02 Governors’ Proclamations, 1892-2014, 2018
RG005.03 Oaths of Office, 1843-2018
RG005.04 Executive Orders, 1943-2014 | View the orders with the State Library
RG005.05 Writs of Election, 1838-2018
RG005.06 Gubernatorial Appointments, 1838-2012
RG005.07 Extraditions, 1985-2010
RG005.09 Ordinances, 1871-2011
RG005.10 Deeds and Easements, 1851-2011
RG005.11 Oaths of State Auditor Examiners, 1912-2011
RG005.12 Service Awards, 1946-2011
RG005.13 Historic Preservation Certificates, 2000-2011
RG005.14 Special Census Enumerations, 1867-2004 | See also the Archives Census Webpage
RG005.15 Interstate Compacts, 1947-2010
RG005.16 Absences of the Governor, 1920-2009
RG005.17 Certificates of Election, 1838-2018
RG005.20 Pardons, 1836-2018
RG005.21 Itinerant Vendors' Licenses, 1911-1927
RG005.29 County Township Boundaries, 1838-2015
RG005.30 City and County Charters, 1843-2009
RG005.31 Departmental Plans, 2007-2011
RG005.34 Remitters of Fines and Bond Forfeitures, 1840-1990

Elections

RG000.005 SOS Elections State Documents Collection
RG005.18 Presidential Electors, 1872-2016
RG005.28 Board of State Canvassers Reports, 1948-2018
RG005.35 Certifications of Candidates and Party Emblems, 1922-2018

Missouri State Library

RG000.005 SOS Missouri State Library State Documents Collection

Publications

RG000.005 SOS Publications State Documents Collection
RG005.033 Official Manual Contest Photograph Collection, 1987-2018
See also photographs from the Publications Non-Portrait Collection
See also the Official Manual of the State of Missouri (Blue Book)

Records Services

RG000.005 SOS Records Services State Documents Collection

Secretaries of State

RG000.005 SOS Administrative State Documents Collection
RG005.36 Cornelius Roach, 1909-1917
RG005.37 Dwight H. Brown, 1933-1944
RG005.38 Wilson Bell, 1945-1947
RG005.39 Edgar C. Nelson, 1947-1949
RG005.40 Frances Rodman, 1865-1871
RG005.41 Charles U. Becker, 1921-1933

Securities

RG000.005 SOS Securities State Documents Collection

Session Laws

Session Laws, 1838-2018 | Read the published Laws of Missouri

Special Collections

RG005.01 Mormon War Papers, 1837-1841 | Mormon War Exhibit
RG005.32 Missouri-Kansas Border War, 1858-1862

RG102 Department of Agriculture

View the Department of Agriculture Reports
View the Missouri State Fair Exhibit

Animal Health

RG102.01 County Brand Books, 1836-1971

RG103 Department of Conservation

RG000.103 Department of Conservation State Documents Collection
RG103.01 Department of Conservation
See also the Photograph Collection

RG104 Department of Economic Development

See the Division of Tourism Photograph Collection

RG105 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

See the Annual Reports of Public Schools

RG107 Department of Transportation

Department of Transportation Photograph Collection, 1920-1985

RG108 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

See the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (Red Book) Reports

RG114 Department of Corrections

(See also RG213 below)
RG000.114 Department of Corrections State Documents Collection

RG115 Department of Health and Senior Services

RG000.115 Department of Health and Senior Services State Documents Collection
RG115.2 Death Certificates, 1910-1967 Finding Aid | Death Certificate Database

RG133 Office of Adjutant General

RG133.02 National Guard Records
RG133.03 Missouri Veterans Home (St. James), 1897-1973 Finding Aid | View the Registers
RG133.06 Soldiers' Bonus Commission (World War I)
RG133.10 Civil War Claims Commissions, 1874
RG133.11 Naval Militia, 1905-1960
RG133.12 Civil War Courts Martial, 1862-1877
RG133.36 World War I Biography and Service Records
RG133.38 Spanish American War Biography and Service Records
Soldiers’ Database

Civil War Regimental Returns

RG133.30 Citizen Guards Regimental Returns
RG133.13 Enrolled Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG133.14 Home Guards Regimental Returns
RG133.35 Invalid and Veterans Reserve Corps Regimental Returns
RG133.33 Missouri Militia (General Order #3) Regimental Returns
RG133.34 Missouri Militia (State Convention) Regimental Returns
RG133.17 Missouri State Militia Regimental Returns
RG133.18 Artillery, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG133.19 Cavalry, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG133.20 Engineers, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG133.21 Infantry, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG133.23 Organized Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG133.24 Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG133.25 Provisional Enrolled Militia (Order 107) Regimental Returns
RG133.26 Six Months Militia Regimental Returns
RG133.31 United States Colored Troops Regimental Returns
RG133.27 United States Reserve Corps (Three Months Service) Regimental Returns
RG133.28 United States Reserve Corps (Three Years Service) Regimental Returns

RG213 Missouri State Penitentiary

(See also RG114 above)
Missouri State Penitentiary, Female Inmate Files, 1890s-1960s
View the Missouri State Penitentiary Inmate Registers

RG395 State Capitol Commissions

RG395.1 State Capitol Commission Board, 1911-1924 (First Board)
RG395.1 State Capitol Commission Board Photograph Collection, 1913-1917 (First Board) | View the Capitol Construction images
RG395.2 Missouri State Capitol Commission, 2002-2015 (Second Board)
RG395.2 Missouri State Capitol Commission Photograph Collection, 1911-2017 (Second Board)

RG403 Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri

Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri, 1958-1967

RG405 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri

American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri, 1969-1976

RG550 Missouri General Assembly

Session Records

(see also RG005 above for Session Laws)
(see also RG561 below)
RG550.90-2 General Assembly, 2000
RG550.91-1 General Assembly, 2001
RG550.91-2 General Assembly, 2002
RG550.92-1 General Assembly, 2003
RG550.92-2 General Assembly, 2004
RG550.93-1 General Assembly, 2005
RG550.93-2 General Assembly, 2006
RG550.94-1 General Assembly, 2007
RG550.94-2 General Assembly, 2008
RG550.95-1 General Assembly, 2009
RG550.95-2 General Assembly, 2010
RG550.96-1 General Assembly, 2011
RG550.96-2 General Assembly, 2012
RG550.97-1 General Assembly, 2013
RG550.97-2 General Assembly, 2014
RG550.98-1 General Assembly, 2015
RG550.98-2 General Assembly, 2016
RG550.99-1 General Assembly, 2017

House Communications

RG550.01 House Communications Collections, 1895-2002

House and Senate Journals

Read the Missouri House and Senate Journals

RG552 Legislators’ Papers

RG552.01 Thomas D. Graham, 1951-1973
RG552.02 Martin (Bubs) Hohulin, 1991-2003
RG552.03 Carl M. Vogel, 1991-2003
RG552.04 Bill Boucher, 1992-2003
RG552.05 Michael J. Reid, 1991-1993
RG552.06 Sidney Johnson, 1991-2003
RG552.07 Randall Relford, 1996-2003
RG552.08 James L. Mathewson, 1975-2005
RG552.09 John W. Cauthorn, 2001-2007
RG552.10 Jerry T. Howard, 1973-1977, 1987-1999
RG552.11 Bill I. Foster, 1993-2005
RG552.12 Ken Legan, 1981-2002
RG552.13 Bill Skaggs, 1983-2003
RG552.14 Tim Van Zandt, 1995-2001
RG552.15 Elizabeth Long, 1990-2001
RG552.16 James V. Froelker, 1989-2003
RG552.17 Mary L. Gant, 1967-1981
RG552.18 Albert M. Spradling, 1953-1976
RG552.19 Emory Melton, 1973-1997
RG552.20 Thomas B. Littlejohn, 1921-1922

RG561 Joint, Interim and Special Legislative Committees

RG561.01 Joint, Interim, and Special Committees, 1842-2015
RG561.02 Joint Committee on Corrections, 1959-2014
RG561.03 Missouri Atomic Energy Commission, 1961-1982

RG600 Missouri Supreme Court

See the Missouri Judicial Records Database
See the Supreme Court Case Files

RG951 U.S. Recorder of Land Titles

RG951.01 First Board Papers of Original Claimants, 1777-1851
RG951.02 Second Board Papers of Original Claimants, 1785-1857

RG998 Manuscripts

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The Missouri State Archives collections are non-circulating. Permanent state government records housed in the Missouri State Archives stacks area are available for use in the Archives Research Room. Advance request must be made for use of records from the stacks on Thursday evenings, Saturdays, and holidays. Microfilm and a limited selection of printed works are available in the Archives Research Room to researchers at all times.