DATE: 1820-1858
CREATOR: Peck, John Mason (1789-1858)
EXTENT: 125 books, over 600 pamphlets, and a small collection of bound manuscripts.
SCOPE: The collection documents Peck's educational endeavors and intellectual interests. Included are the earliest known copies of many Illinois newspapers, as well as many other rare nineteenth century Midwestern imprints. The collection also contains original manuscripts and ledgers on subjects like the development of Rockspring Theological Seminary, the first institution of higher education in Illinois, as well as annotations and manuscript commentary throughout the books. Most books were published or printed from the 1820s-1850s, many of which are rare today.
HISTORY: John Mason Peck (1789-1858) was a St. Louis writer, Baptist missionary, and educator. In the 1820's, he founded one of the first Protestant churches west of the Mississippi, the first college in Illinois, and ordained the first African American clergy in St. Louis. Peck was an abolitionist and collaborated with John Berry Meachum, a formerly enslaved minister, to establish schools in St. Louis for both enslaved people and free Black Americans. He also encouraged westward immigration and colonization through his famous gazetteer for Missouri and Illinois and wrote books that celebrated the "pioneer spirit" and history of the "frontier."
PROVENANCE: Peck was a book collector and member of the St. Louis Mercantile Library, which was the first library in the region. He donated this collection to the Mercantile upon his death in 1858.
ACCESS: This is collection M-111. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.
RESTRICTIONS: None
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.”
INVENTORY
This inventory was created as part of a Digital Imaging Grant from the Missouri State Library in 2016-2017. Large portions of the Peck Collection are undergoing digitization and made available online as part of this grant project. When possible, the finding aid has been linked to the corresponding item in the St. Louis Mercantile Digital Collection. This finding aid is being updated regularly as more Peck materials are made available online.
The collection has been catalogued and fully described on OCLC through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Table of Contents
Series 1: The Baptist Pamphlet Collection
Series 2: Other Pamphlets on Miscellaneous Subjects
Series 3: Railroad and Transportation Related Pamphlets
Series 5: Previously Catalogued Items with Evidence of Peck Ownership
