Henry and Mattie Craig—Photograph Collection—Pierre (S.D.)

Content Description

The collection consists of two photo albums and numerous photographs and postcards mainly associated with the Pierre (S.D.) area compiled and associated with by Henry and Mattie Craig. Henry Francis “Frank” Craig was born April 2, 1867 in Charleston (IL) to Vanison and Eliza (Voris) Craig. He and his mother move to Dakota Territory in 1885 and would later move to the Pierre area. Henry married Martha “Mattie Bell” Seelye in 1904 in Pierre. Mattie Bell was born September 6, 1878 in Central City (IL) to Charles and Sarah Parsons. Henry and Mattie had four children, Robert, Lila, Dorothy and Francis. Henry was a salesman for the Albright Company, the first salesman to work west of the Missouri River, and his wife Mattie was a school teacher in Pierre. Henry was a volunteer fireman in Pierre and is buried near the Fireman’s Memorial in Riverside Cemetery in Pierre. He was also a city commissioner (1913-1921) and served two terms as the Register of Deeds for Hughes County. Mattie died on December 15, 1942. Henry died on March 1, 1947. The collection contains numerous photographs and postcards of Pierre and various places in South Dakota from the 1890s to 1940s. A leather covered photo album with the name “Pierre” carved on the front cover includes the following topics: the South Dakota State Capitol (interior and exterior), Firemen’s Monument (Riverside Cemetery, Pierre, S.D.), Civil War Monument (Pierre, S.D.), St. Charles Hotel, Locke Hotel, Riverview Hotel, numerous images of Pierre Street along with Pierre commercial and residential buildings, Hughes County Courthouse, Parades, Chicago and Northwestern Depot, Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Bridge, Chicago and Northwestern Roundhouse, Carnegie Library, High School, Central and Elementary Schools, Pierre Indian School, St. Mary’s Hospital, local Pierre churches, a tornado scene in Pierre, Native American dancers, Scotty Philip’s buffalo herd, Washington Monument stone, City Park and Tourist Camp, panoramic views of Pierre, souvenir photo books, Verendrye Monument and the Geographic Center of North America monument. Loose postcards in the collection include Carthage (S.D.), Pedro (S.D.), Bison (S.D.) and other Pierre images. The second, larger, photo album is associated with the Pierre Fire Department and other fire department groups, meetings and conventions held throughout the state. Topics include the Pierre Fire Department, annual fire schools and conventions, firefighters, fire engines and firefighting scenes, hook and ladder groups, Decoration Day (Memorial Day) parade and flood scenes near Pierre from 1912, 1913 and 1943. Other images in the photo album include a fireman’s convention in Mobridge (S.D.) from June 1921, Firemen’s Picnic at Armour (S.D.), a fireman’s parade at Rapid City (S.D.), photographs of Henry Craig and other Pierre firefighters, Native Americans in a parade at Pierre, photo of the Washington Monument Stone, Mystic (S.D.), General Electric railroad trains and cars, winter scenes, female “cow girls” on horses, Wall (S.D.) main street, first train in the Badlands, Tivis (S.D.), Tivis baseball team, winter on Sulphur Creek, Zeal (S.D.) images, images of oversized grasshoppers, Harding Grove (S.D.), ration day at Cherry Creek (S.D.), Pedro (S.D.) images, horse drawn freighting images, automobiles, Badlands, Milesville (S.D.), Ashcreek (S.D.), views of the Black Hills, Marcus (S.D.), Brushie (S.D.), Wellsburg (S.D.), Cherry Creek (S.D.), Cooper (S.D.), HAP Ranch, Grindstone (S.D.), Fort Sully markers and dedication, Verendrye Monument, Craig Family scenes, camping in the Black Hills 1910, first train engine into Faith (S.D.) January 6, 1911, Pawnee City (NE), Albuquerque (N.M.), Central Fire Station (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Pierre Indian School students, President Taft visit to Pierre 1911, Frontier Days (Pierre, S.D.) 1924, additional parade images, hook and ladder teams, Fire Convention at Hot Springs (S.D.) 1913, Verendrye Monument plates, Pierre Fire Department hook and ladder team in uniform, various ranching and branding scenes, Philip (S.D.) 1907, airplane images, Philip (S.D.) train wreck 1911, and an image of Faith (S.D.). Because of its deteriorated condition, the photo album was taken apart, while being kept chronologically intact, and separated out into four acid free folders. Another loose collection of photographs in Flat Box 735 include photographs from South Dakota State University (Brookings, S.D.) from the 1890s, Washington Elementary school taken in 1902 by P. H. Kellogg (Rushford, N.Y.), a photograph of Dorothy Craig, daughter of Henry and Mattie, in an American Red Cross uniform during World War II and a photograph of the steamboat “City of Fort Pierre.” The items in box 6570A include various images including Company A First South Dakota Infantry of Pierre taken during the Spanish American War, Pierre Indian School baseball team June 1896, a country school and school children located near Blunt (S.D.), Pierre Indian School band ca. 1900s, Pierre Indian School football team ca. 1900s, Pierre Hook and Ladder team ca. 1900s (Schreiber Photo Studio—Pierre (S.D.)), an unknown group of individuals and bicycles 1896, Capitol City Band (Pierre) 1929, a cabinet card of Henry Craig in a uniform (O.G. Oyloe—Photo Studio Brookings, S.D.), a cabinet card showing a group of male South Dakota State University classmates 1893 (Abraham T. Lewis Photo Studio (Brookings, S.D.), Firemen’s Convention at Mobridge (S.D.) June 1911, two images of Washington Elementary school students at Pierre in 1911 and 1913, Snow storm and trains, images of both Henry and Mattie Craig, East Pierre Women’s Club photograph from 1936 by (Miller Studio—Pierre, S.D.), Pierre Hook and Ladder No. 2 taken in 1944 by (Miller Studio—Pierre, S.D.), the new Washington Elementary school in Pierre, Vorris Family photos and various images of Henry Craig as an employee of the Albright Company.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Restrictions Apply

No