Established in 1846, the Mercantile Library is the oldest library west of the Mississippi and the grandparent of all cultural institutions in St. Louis. Known for its focus on Western Expansion, the Mercantile is a fitting place for the archives of the Western History Association.

Since its first meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October of 1961, the WHA has been keeping records. All of these records, fifty-three boxes in all, are now stored and maintained at the Mercantile Library. As a research library, the goal of the Mercantile is to make its collections available to the widest number of local and national users.

The WHA archives contain papers and other information dating from the founding of the organization up until 2003. A great percentage of these records deal with aspects of the WHA's annual conference. This is hardly surprising since the conference is the biggest event of the year at the WHA. Session papers, correspondence, programs and other mailings, as well as financial records and preparations for the very first conference are all contained within the archives. The small amount of photographic material in the archives also deals with past conferences.

For researchers, the WHA archives contain a wealth of information; not only about the various conferences, but also about the growth and history of the organization. Business matters and the daily workings of the WHA can be found in the archives. More revealing are the papers of several past presidents, including Rev. F. Prucha, Robert Utley, Howard Lamar, Walter Rundell, and Mary Lee Spence, to name a few.

The archives of the WHA, at the Mercantile Library, give researchers a rare chance to go behind the scenes of the organization. From an early draft of the constitution to the more mundane business of running a national organization, the archives represent a wealth of information for anyone interested in the WHA. A detailed finding aid is available to enable researchers to better access the archives in the reading room of the Mercantile Library.

For further information about the WHA collection, contact:

Charles Brown
Reference Librarian
St. Louis Mercantile Library
314.516.7243

Box 1-Correspondence (1967-1969)

Box 2–Officers Correspondence (1967-1970)

Box 3-University Dues (1964-1984)

Box 4-Publishing and Correspondence (1962-1968)

Box 5-Financial (1962-1986)

Box 6-Finance & Programs and Newsletter (1967-1975)

Box 7-Meetings & Misc. (1962-1967)

Box 8-Early 1970s Meetings & Misc. (1970-1973)

Box 9-Business (1971-1987)

Box 10-Business (1962-1980)

Box 11-Meeting Minutes & Misc. (1970-1989)

Box 12-Membership (1961-1967)

Box 13-Mailings (1964-1967)

Box 14-Sponsoring Members (1963-1986)

Box 15-Membership (1963-1967)

Box 16-Membership (1965-1969, 1991)

Box 17-Membership (Unknown)

Box 18-Addresses (1990s)

Box 19-Robert Utley and Howard Lamar Papers (1961-1977)

Box 20-The American West: Appraisal Papers (1929, 1962-1963)

Box 21-The American West & Hollon Papers (1961-1968)

Box 22-Early Papers (1961-1966)

Box 23-Early Papers, 1980 Sessions (1961-1980)

Box 24-Early Papers, Conference Sessions, Misc. - Walter Rundell (1961-1968)

Box 25-Conference Publications (1962-1966)

Box 26-Conference (1962-1970, 1993)

Box 27-Conference Pamphlets & Personal Papers (1962-1982)

Box 28-1971 Conference & Rev. F. Prucha Papers (1969-1983)

Box 29-Committees (1962-1982)

Box 30-Prizes, Misc., Spence Papers (1964-1988)

Box 31-Conference Files, Ads and Exhibits (1983-1991)

Box 32-1991 Conference & Papers for Submission (1985-1991)

Box 33-1991-1992 Conference (1991-1992)

Box 34-1993 Conference (1992-1993)

Box 35-1994 Conference (1992-1994)

Box 36-Personal Papers (1971-1986)

Box 37-Conferences (1992-1996)

Box 38-Conferences (1994-1998)

Box 39-Conference Files -Portland (1999)

Box 40-San Antonion Conference Materials (1996-2000)

Box 41-2001 Conference Materials (2001)

Box 42-Colorado Springs Conference (2002)

Box 43-Conference (2003)

Box 44-Conference Registration and Ballots (1997, 2005-2006)

Box 45-Conference Programs (2004)

Box 46-Conference Programs (1992, 1995-1996)

Box 47-Conference Programs(1996, 1998)

Box 48-Conference Programs (1998-1999)

Box 49-Conference Programs (1999, 2002-2005)

Box 50-Conference Programs & Newsletters (1962-1989, 1992)

Box 51-Publications and Newsletters (1974-1975, 1992-1995, 1997-2005

Box 52-Photographs (1960-1970)

Box 53-Photo Scrapbook (1989)