DATE: ca. late nineteenth-twentieth centuries
CREATOR: Ferris, Ruth
SCOPE: The Ruth Ferris Collection of River Life and Lore is a flagship collection of the Pott Library. The collection consists of the materials and personal research of noted St. Louis river historian Ruth Ferris, a friend to many river residents, workers, and enthusiasts alike. The collection consists of photographs, publications, personal ledgers, and large-scale ephemera including pilot wheels and boat parts. This collection covers many aspects of inland river history, particularly the Mississippi River. Included are extensive research files on vessels, particularly the famous steam packets and excursion boats; river locations and communities; and biographical information on hundreds of individuals associated with the rivers. 10,000 photographs dated from 1870 to the 1970s, include rare images of steamboats, river, communities, landings, and people. Ruth Ferris accumulated her research files and manuscript collections, which encompassed information concerning river history, boats, river people, companies, floods, folklore, art and statistics.
HISTORY: Ruth Ferris was a river and steamboat historian and writer, and one of the most respected educators of St. Louis for over a half century. Besides her excellent scholarship, she traveled on the rivers, recording these experiences, and she was a life-long friend to those who worked and lived on the rivers. Her collection of river objects and papers expanded out of her basement to the River Room at the Missouri Historical Society, the Becky Thatcher Museum, and to their ultimate home at the Mercantile Library.
EXTENT: Approximately 200 linear feet and 300 volumes. This is a varied collection of books, photographs, artifacts, manuscripts, prints, and ephemera. Formats include pilot licenses, bills of lading, boat tickets, gingerbread trim and decoration, bells and whistles, china, silver, and gambling devices.
ACCESS: This is collection P-3. 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.
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is "From the collections of the Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library at the University of Missouri - St. Louis.”
INVENTORY
Detailed Finding Aids for the complete collection are in process. Currently, the following are available:
General Subject Index
- Boxes 1-11
- Boxes 12-21
- Boxes 22-31
- Boxes 32-40
- Boxes 42-57
- Boxes 58-74
Name Index
Alphabetical listing of Bills of Landing and related courier papers
Contact a curator for PDF versions of the above detailed finding aids and indexes.
from the Steamship Betsy Ann's pilothouse. (Ruth Ferris Collection)
