John E. T. Milsaps Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the personal and professional writings and correspondence of Milsaps, including his journals. In addition, the collection is comprised of many scrapbooks, photographs, and published works that Milsaps collected on his travels across the globe. Several areas of note include materials relating to Hawaii prior to US statehood; the Phillipines in and around the Spanish-American War and Phillipine Insurrection; materials related to the Civil War with perspectives from both sides of the conflict; and early 20th century US history. This collection also contains the only known complete run of the Salvation Army "War Cry" newspaper.
Dates
- 1531-1986
- Majority of material found in 1852-1930
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research. Access to vault materials (such as the War Cry periodical) requires an appointment approved in advance by HMRC. The Milsaps Diaries have been microfilmed and the researchers will be provided with the microfilm to use. A few diaries have also been digitized. Original diaries will only be pulled if staff determine that items are missing from microfilm version or if the microfilm is illegible.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the John E. T. Milsaps Papers must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.
Biographical Note
John Ephraim Thomas Milsaps - bibliophile, salvationist, traveler and diarist - was born in Houston, Texas on January 3, 1852. After leaving his home as a young man to seek his fortune in western mining, Milsaps joined the Salvation Army in 1883 and remained in its service until his retirement. Milsaps died in Houston on November 29, 1932. As a professional salvationist, Major Milsaps travelled widely in this country and abroad as a Salvation Army organizer and (San Francisco) WAR CRY editor. He was among the first representatives of the Army in Hawaii in the 1890's and was the army's spokesman in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine Insurrection.
Extent
75 Linear Feet (131 document boxes, 3 flat boxes, 75 volumes, 9 large volumes, 2 drawers of oversized items, 1 record storage box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The Milsaps papers are arranged in 52 series (A,B,C, D, etc.) according to either material type or subject. The boxes for each series restart at Box 1.
Series A: Personal Material
Series B: Salvation Army Pamphlets and Songbooks
Series C: Photos
Series D: Philippines
Series E: Hawaii
Series F: Hawaiian Language
Series G: Missions-Hawaii
Series H: Missions-Asia
Series I: Missions-Africa and Middle East
Series J: Missions-North, Central and South America
Series K: Mission-Chinese Language
Series L: Missions-General
Series M: Religious Pamphlets-General
Series N: Religious Pamphlets-Baptist
Series O: Religious Pamphlets-Catholic
Series P: Religious Pamphlets-Lutheran, Methodist, Quaker, etc.
Series Q: Religious Pamphlets-Mormon
Series R: Sermons-Author Known
Series S: Sermons-Author Unknown
Series T: Temperance Pamphlets
Series U: Slavery Pamphlets
Series V: African American-Related Pamphlets
Series W: United States History, 1492-1839
Series X: United States-History, 1840-1849
Series Y: United States-History, 1850-1860
Series Z: United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865
Series AA: United States-History-Reconstruction Era, 1865-1877
Series BB: United States-History, 1866-1899
Series CC: United States-History, 1900-1932
Series DD: United States-Economic Policy-Trade, Banking, Revenue
Series EE: United States-Economic Policy-Money and Currency-Free Silver Debate
Series FF: United States-Foreign Relations-Spanish America Canals
Series GG: Texas-History
Series HH: Texas-Railroad and Land Development Literature
Series II: Houston and Suburbs-Boosterism Literature, 1890s-1920s
Series JJ: Davy Crockett Pamphlets (Almanacs), 1786-1836
Series KK: Immigration Pamphlets
Series LL: Peace Pamphlets
Series MM: Germany-World War, 1914-1918.
Series NN: Travel Pamphlets
Series OO: Native Americans
Series PP: Japan-Pamphlets
Series QQ: Language & Languages
Series RR: Language & Languages-Arabic
Series SS: Mines and Mineral Resources
Series TT: Museums and Expositions
Series UU: Libraries-Pamphlets
Series VV: Books, Music, Arts & Crafts, Collecting
Series WW: Bookplates
Series XX: Autograph Collection and Autograph Bible
Series YY: Scrapbooks
Series ZZ: Map Case Items
John Milsaps Diaries, 1852-1930
The Milsaps diaries were microfilmed as part of a cooperative effort between the Houston Metropolitan Research Center and the Salvation Army Archives in New York. As part of the project, the Salvation Army produced these microfilm copies for use by HMRC patrons.
Roll 1 -- Vols. 1-7, 1852-1899
Roll 2 -- Vols. 8-17, 1899-1902
Roll 3 -- Vols. 18-25, 1903-1905
Roll 4 -- Vols. 26-33, 1905-1909
Roll 5 -- Vols. 34-41, 1909-1912
Roll 6 -- Vols. 42-48, 1912-1915
Roll 7 -- Vols. 49-57, 1915-1921
Roll 8 -- Vols. 58-65, 1921-1927
Roll 9 -- Vols. 66-69, 1927-1930
The 1852-1899 diaries have also been digitized on the HPL Digital Archives (https://hmrc.houstonlibrary.org/architecture/).
- African Americans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Afro-American Fair and Inter-state Exposition (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Agriculture -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Aldine Park (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Alvin (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Anti-slavery movements -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Austin (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Burnet Beach (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Camp Logan Riot (Houston, Tex.), 1917 Subject Source: Local sources
- Campaign literature, 1928 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Central Park (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Corpus, Christi (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dallas (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- El Paso (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Falfurrias (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fig -- Texas -- Marketing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fort Worth (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fruit-culture -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Galveston (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Galveston Hurricane, 1900 Subject Source: Local sources
- Galveston Hurricane, 1915 Subject Source: Local sources
- Hawaii -- Description and travel -- 1880-1911 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hawaii -- History -- To 1893 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hawaiians -- Missions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Houston (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Houston (Tex.) -- Industries Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Houston Fair and Exposition (1921) Subject Source: Local sources
- Houston Heights (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hurricanes -- Galveston (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- La Porte (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Magnolia Park (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Missionary work Subject Source: Local sources
- Odem (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Local sources
- Pearland (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Petroleum industry and trade -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Philippines Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Philippines -- Description and travel -- 1880-1918 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Philippines -- History -- Revolution, 1896-1898 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Public libraries -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Railroads -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Real estate development -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Real estate development -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Rice -- Planting -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Riots -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Salvation Army Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- San Antonio (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 Subject Source: Local sources
- San Jose (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- San Leon (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Slavery -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Southampton (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Southland (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Suburbs -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Sugar growing -- Texas Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Sunnyside Farms (Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Temperance -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Texas -- History -- 19th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States -- Race relations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Waco (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Westmoreland Farms (Bellaire, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Winnie (Tex.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- John E.T. Milsaps Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Houston History Research Center Repository
