Moffett Family Papers, c. 1880s-1985 (C3846)

5 folders

INTRODUCTION

Papers of the Moffett family of Linn County, Missouri, farmers and merchants who migrated from Kentucky and Illinois around 1840. The papers consist of some correspondence relating to family genealogy, family photographs, wedding invitations, and a typescript family genealogy written in 1985.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Moffett Family Papers were donated to the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Imogene Moffett Harris on 10 October 1985. They were transferred to the Columbia campus on 29 October 1986 (Accession No. 4750).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Members of the Moffett family were farmers and merchants in Linn County, Missouri, for over 100 years. William Moffett, Jr. (1794-1852) and his wife, Edith Kendall, migrated from Kentucky to Illinois, and finally settled in Purdin, Missouri, around 1839-1840. They had twelve children, one of whom was Thomas Jefferson Moffett (1830-1898). Thomas, in turn, fathered five children with his first wife and another eight with his second wife, Elizabeth Jennings Hooker, a widow with several children of her own.

Thomas and Elizabeth's children, all born and raised in Missouri, were: Sara Alice (married Peters), Edith Josephine (Kimber), Martha (Buxton/Turner), Clara Dora (Urback), and Elizabeth (Corey). James Thomas (1876-1935), the only son to live past infancy, married Mary Viola Bathgate in 1895. He owned a 160-acre farm near Polo, Missouri, a poultry house and feed store in Polo, and a 320 acre farm in Hamilton County, Kansas. James Moffett died in Polo in 1935.

James and Mary Moffett had five children, also all born in Missouri: Thomas Leon (1895-1982), Imogene (1898- ), James Noel (1900-1969), Kenneth Charles (1902- ), and William Duane (1916- ).

Noel and William were alumni of the University of Missouri and Imogene was the family genealogist. She spent many years documenting the Moffett family history, updating it in 1985, tracing the 16 grandchildren and at least 38 great grandchildren of James Thomas Moffett, who were spread across the country from Boston to California.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Moffett Family Papers consist of some correspondence relating to the genealogy of the Moffett family, photographs of family members, a few wedding invitations, and a typescript genealogy, primarily documenting the descendants of Thomas Jefferson Moffett of Linn County, Missouri, and his second wife, Elizabeth Jennings Hooker Moffett. The papers are arranged into two series: Correspondence, and Photographs.

The Correspondence series, arranged chronologically, is comprised of a few family wedding invitations and some letters, written to Imogene Moffett Harris, concerning Moffett family history. A letter dated 23 May 1946, from Helen Moffett Russell, includes a chart of the family of William Moffett, Jr. (1794-1852) and Edith Kendall who came to Missouri around 1840. Also included in this series is a six-page typescript Moffett genealogy written by Imogene Moffett Harris in 1985. The document begins with William Moffett, Jr., and traces the descent through his son, Thomas Jefferson Moffett (1830-1898), and his grandson, James Thomas Moffett (1876-1935). The genealogy becomes more detailed with the families of James' children, one of whom is Mrs. Harris.

The Photographs series consists of several portraits and snapshots of members of the families of Thomas Jefferson Moffett and of his second wife, Elizabeth Jennings Hooker Moffett (later, Crookshanks). They are arranged according to their relationship to the couple, beginning with any family members not descended from their union, such as siblings and children of former marriages, and continuing with descendants of their marriage, excluding those of their son, James Thomas. Next are the photographs of the children, and then the grandchildren, of James Thomas and Mary Viola Bathgate Moffett. The earliest photos, dating from around the 1880s to early 1900s, are formal family and individual poses, while the later ones consist of less formal portraits and snapshots. Most of the photographs are in good condition and might be of interest to students of fashion or photography, as well as to genealogists.

FOLDER LIST

Correspondence Series

f. 11917-1985

Photographs Series

f. 2Siblings and other marriages
f. 3Descendants (except James)
f. 4Children of James
f. 5Grandchildren of James

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.