Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 21/8/5
Hill Family
Papers, 1847-[ongoing]


Descriptive summary

creator:

Hill Family

title:

Papers

dates:

1847-[ongoing]

extent:

9.78 linear ft.  (21 document boxes, 1 oversized box)

collection number:

RS 21/8/5

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

Hill Family Papers, RS 21/8/5, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Jesse Billings Hill (1821-1884) and Rhoda Ann Slocum (1826-1910) settled in Minburn, Iowa, in 1866. Their children were Slocum, Elizabeth (Lizzie), Martha Jane (Jennie) (1863-1934), and Edwin Lincoln (1864-1940). Edwin eventually assumed the operation of the family homestead, where he and his wife, Jessie Cook raised their children: Edwin Howard (1908-2002), Clarence Slocum (1902-1993), and Esther (1912-1991).

Clarence took over the management of the family farm from his father. He married Mabel Stine, and they had five children: twin brothers Edwin (Ed) and Arthur (Art), Robert (Bob), Harold, and Eleanor. Clarence's brother, E. Howard Hill, served as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and was a prominent member of the agricultural community in the State of Iowa and the nation.

Members of the Hill Family that attended Iowa State University include: Clarence (class of 1924), E. Howard (class of 1930), Arthur (class of 1958), Robert (class of 1962), Harold (class of 1965), and Eleanor (class of 1967). Clarence was honored with the Iowa State Alumni Merit Award (1975) for a lifetime dedicated to service and promoting a general understanding of the farm.

Arthur passed away on June 24, 2015.

For related information on the Hill Family, see the E. Howard Hill Papers, RS 21/7/44.

 

Collection description

This collection (1847-[ongoing]) consists of letters of the Hill Family between parents, siblings, other family members, and family friends. Also included is an inventory of the letters between Rhoda and her son Slocum, the letters between Slocum and his siblings, and business and miscellaneous correspondence.  The letters between Rhoda A. Hill and her children Slocum, Lizzie, Jennie, and Edwin discuss crops, social events, family visits, and the family's well being.

The collection also contains letters from the members of the Clarence Hill Family.  Letters and a scrapbook document Clarence and his brother E. Howard Hill's trip to Europe in 1930 to visit farms, agricultural colleges, and livestock shows.  Many of the other family letters include family information, Christmas cards, and photographs. In Clarence and Mabel's letters to their son Edwin there is information about Clarence being interviewed by WHO Radio farm director and broadcaster Herb Plambeck (RS 21/7/42) for a family history project. Their letters also discuss family life, retirement, and the farm. Eleanor's letters contain anecdotes about life at Iowa State University and family events. Many of the letters between Arthur and Edwin discuss college life, religion, the family farm, politics, and women's roles in a changing society.  Harold's letters talk about life at Iowa State, family matters, and his plans to buy the family homestead.  Edwin Hill's letters include correspondences with several close friends, including Larry Syndergaard, Ronald Mullins, and Mary Louise Slattery.

In addition to the letters, the collection includes articles and short stories written by Clarence Hill and the wills of Clarence and his wife Mabel Hill.

 

Organization

This collection is listed alphabetically

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

16

5

Address of Clarence Hill at the annual meeting of the Horse Association of America

1929

16

12

Articles regarding Clarence Hill

1928-1993, n.d.

16

11

Articles, essays, and short stories by Clarence Hill

1922-1987, n.d.

19

1

Aunt Martha Boyd Cook: Her Origins and Family in Nebraska and Iowa

2006

19

2

Barn at Hillburn Farm: History and Reminiscences

2003

19

3

Business Cards and Stationery Samples from Clarence Hill's Businesses

n.d.

1

9

Childhood memories of Clarence Hill

1960

16

13

Clarence Hill autobiography

1969

20

1

Clarence Hill Family Tree Information

n.d.

17

9

Clarence Hill's daily cash journal for farm

1926-1927

20

2

Clarence Hill's Iowa State University Scrapbook (65 b/w photographs)

1922-1924

22

12

Clarence Hill materials related to Dallas County Farm Bureau Meetings

1932

17

13

Class reunions

1959-1984

16

7

Essays by Arthur Hill

1955-1961

16

4

Essays, book reports, and high school diploma of Mabel Stine Hill

1926-1929

16

9

Grandpa's Half-Wit: A collection of Clarence Hill's letters to his grandchildren

1964-1983

19

4

Hillburn Farm and Farmhouse: A History

2005

1

1

Inventory of letters between Rhoda A. Hill, Slocum Hill, and family

n.d.

6

7-8

Letters: Arthur and Edy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1964-1966

6

9

Letters: Arthur and Edy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1967-1970

7

1

Letters: Arthur and Edy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1971-1980

7

2

Letters: Arthur and Edy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1982-1985

5

6

Letters: Arthur and Edwin Hill to family (1 of 3)

1954-1959

5

7

Letters: Arthur and Edwin Hill to family (2 of 3)

1954-1959

6

1

Letters: Arthur and Edwin Hill to family (3 of 3)

1954-1959

7

5

Letters: Arthur Hill and Clarence Hill

1986-1996

7

6

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1956-1965

7

7

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1966-1971

7

8

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1972-1973

7

9

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1974-1978

7

10

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1981-1987

7

11

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1988-1998

7

12

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

1999-2002

8

1

Letters: Arthur Hill and Edwin Hill

2003-2005

3

1

Letters: Arthur Hill to Edwin Hill

1959-1965

3

2

Letters: Arthur Hill to Edwin Hill

1965-1970

3

3

Letters: Arthur Hill to Edwin Hill

1971-1975

3

4

Letters: Arthur Hill to Edwin Hill

1976-1980

6

5

Letters: Arthur Hill to family

1960

6

6

Letters: Arthur Hill to family

1961-1963

7

4

Letters: Arthur Hill to Mabel Hill

1993-1995

5

4

Letters: Arthur Stine (Mabel Hill's father) and Mabel Hill; Arthur Stine funeral program; Mabel Stine wedding invitation

1954-1960

13

3

Letters: Bill Waymack to Clarence Hill

1958-1959

12

2-3

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1956-1966

12

4

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1967-1968

12

5

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1969-1971

12

6

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1972-1975

12

7

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1976-1978

13

1

Letters: Bob and Sue Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1979-1996

9

6

Letters: Bob Hill and Edwin Hill

1960-1995

9

7

Letters: Bob Hill and Edwin Hill

1996-2006

2

3

Letters: Bob Hill to Edwin Hill

1970-1979

2

2

Letters: Bob Hill to Edwin Hill, Arthur Hill, and family

1960-1969

1

4

Letters: Business correspondence to Slocum Hill

1884-1911

7

3

Letters: Clarence and Mabel Hill to Arthur and Edie Hill

1966-1978

1

10

Letters: Clarence and Mabel Hill to son Edwin Hill

1960-1969

1

11

Letters: Clarence and Mabel Hill to son Edwin Hill

1970-1974

2

1

Letters: Clarence and Mabel Hill to son Edwin Hill

1975-1980

9

5

Letters: Clarence and Mabel Hill to son Edwin Hill

1990-1995

5

2-3

Letters: Clarence Hill and E. Howard Hill to parents during trip to Europe; includes letters of introduction from Iowa State faculty

1930

4

10

Letters: Clarence Hill and family

1922-1929

17

14

Letters: Clarence Hill and W. A. Cook

1910-1919

4

7

Letters: Clarence Hill and W. A. Cook; includes W. A. Cook's obituary

1920-1925

4

8

Letters: Clarence Hill to Aunt Jennie

1922-1924

13

2

Letters: Clarence Hill to Bob and Sue Hill

1964-1991

9

4

Letters: Clarence Hill to Edwin and Nancy Hill

1982-1989

17

4

Letters: Clarence Hill to Edwin Hill

1958-1988

9

3

Letters: Clarence Hill to Edwin Hill

1967-1980

11

5

Letters: Clarence Hill to Eleanor Goers

1963-1977, n.d.

4

9

Letters: Clarence Hill to friends

1923-1925

11

6

Letters: Clarence Hill to Harold Hill

1960-1992

5

5

Letters: Clarence Hill to Harold, Bob, Edwin, and Arthur Hill

1959-1963

13

4

Letters: Clarence Hill to others regarding farming, church, and family

1951-1952

22

7-8

Letters: Clarence Hill with friends and family

1932-1937

21

10-11

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding personal and business matters

1926

21

12-15

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding personal and business matters

1927

22

1-3

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding personal and business matters

1928

4

1-2

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding business matters

1929

4

5

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding business matters

1931

4

3-4

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding business matters; also includes receipts and newspaper ads

1930

22

4-6

Letters: Clarence Hill with others regarding business matters

1932-1936

17

8

Letters: Clarence Hill, E. Howard Hill, and Esther Hill regarding the family farm and Clarence Hill's tenancy

1951-1969

1

8

Letters: Cousins and other relatives to Rhoda Hill and her children

1887-1912

17

3

Letters: Dr. Judson McGehee to Edwin Hill

1964-1969

8

8

Letters: Edwin and Nancy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1974-1978

9

1

Letters: Edwin and Nancy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1979-1984

9

2

Letters: Edwin and Nancy Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1985-1996

9

8

Letters: Edwin Hill and Eleanor Hill Goers

1981-1991

9

9

Letters: Edwin Hill and Eleanor Hill Goers

1992-2003

10

1

Letters: Edwin Hill and Eleanor Hill Goers

2004-2005

8

2

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1956-1957

17

5-6

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1959-1962

8

3-4

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1962-1966

8

5

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1967-1968

8

6

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1969-1971

8

7

Letters: Edwin Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1972-1974

19

5

Letters: Edwin Hill to Harold and Carol Hill

1988-1990

17

1-2

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins

1958-1960

13

9-10

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins

1961

14

2-3

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins

1963

14

4

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins

1964

14

5

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins

1965-1975

13

11

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins (1 of 2)

1962

14

1

Letters: Edwin Hill to Ronald Mullins (2 of 2)

1962

19

6

Letters: Edwin L. Hill from J. B. Slocum

1923

19

7

Letters: Edwin L. Hill from John Wallace

1927

22

9

Letters: Edwin L. Hill to A. M. Slocum

1932-1935

1

5

Letters: Edwin, Jennie, Lizzie, Grace Hill to Slocum Hill

1884-1910

10

9

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill (1 of 2)

1973-1974

10

4

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1963-1966

10

5-6

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1967-1969

10

7-8

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1970-1972

11

2

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1977-1979

11

3-4

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1980-1999

11

1

Letters: Eleanor and Dick Goers to Clarence and Mabel Hill (2 of 2)

1973-1974

2

4

Letters: Eleanor Goers to Edwin Hill

1962-1969

2

5

Letters: Eleanor Goers to Edwin Hill

1970-1980

22

10

Letters: Family members

1936

6

2

Letters: Family to Arthur and Edwin Hill

1954-1958

6

3

Letters: Family to Arthur and Edwin Hill

1959-1960

6

4

Letters: Family to Arthur and Edwin Hill

1961-1965

11

7-8

Letters: Harold and Carol Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1960-1966

12

1

Letters: Harold and Carol Hill to Clarence and Mabel Hill

1967-1987

10

2

Letters: Harold Hill and Edwin Hill

1982-2004

10

3

Letters: Harold Hill and Edwin Hill

2005-2007

3

5

Letters: Harold Hill to Edwin Hill

1960-1963

3

6

Letters: Harold Hill to Edwin Hill

1964-1969

3

7

Letters: Harold Hill to Edwin Hill

1970-1980

19

8

Letters: Hill Family to Susie Hill

1902-1936

13

5

Letters: Larry Lorenz to Edwin Hill

1961-1969

14

8-9

Letters: Larry Syndergaard to Edwin Hill

1957-1968

14

10

Letters: Larry Syndergaard to Edwin Hill

1969-2006

15

1

Letters: Mary Louise Slattery to Edwin Hill

1963-1965

15

2-3

Letters: Mary Louise Slattery to Edwin Hill

1966-1982

15

4

Letters: Mary Louise Slattery to Edwin Hill

1983-1993

13

6

Letters: Members of Hill family to the entire family

1972-1992

13

8

Letters: Ray Campbell to Edwin Hill

1968-1972

17

7

Letters: Rhoda Hill (includes some writings)

1847-1910

1

7

Letters: Rhoda Hill to children

n.d.

1

2

Letters: Rhoda Hill to Slocum Hill

1884-1890

1

3

Letters: Rhoda Hill to Slocum Hill

1890-1904

14

6

Letters: Ronald Mullins to Edwin Hill

1984-1993

14

7

Letters: Ronald Mullins to Edwin Hill

1994-2007

1

6

Letters: Slocum Hill to siblings

1879

13

7

Letters: William and Glenda Patton to Edwin Hill

1962-1970

17

12

Living will and funeral wishes, funeral arrangements, obituaries, private property division of Clarence and Mabel Hill

1983-1999

4

6

Mabel Stine and Clarence Hill family tree information

1902-1999

19

9

Mabel Stine Hill Public School Diploma and High School Commencement Memories

1922-1926

19

11

Memorial Record of Martha Jane "Jennie" Hill

1934

19

10

Memorial Records for Edwin L. Hill and Slocum Hill

1940-1941

20

4

Middle Iowa Bulletin (Article by A. M. Stine)

1924

20

3

Minburn Methodist Church: Lists of Sponsors and Programs

1878-1950

20

5

Newspaper Clippings

1907-2008, n.d.

16

10

Newspaper Clippings

1924-1996, n.d.

19

12

Notebooks Belonging to Edwin L. Hill, Lizzie Hill, and Jennie Hill

1917-1927

5

1

Passport, passenger list, and diary of Clarence Hill

1930

16

2

Photographs: Clarence Hill and surface silos (11- 5x7" b/w, 14- 8x10" b/w, 1- 5x9" b/w, and 1- 3.5x4.5" b/w photographs)

1940-1950 ca.

19

18

Photographs: Clarence Hill and family (39- 5x7" b/w, 1- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1991

20

6

Photographs: Clarence Hill and family (22- 3.5x5" b/w photographs)

1992

19

17

Photographs: Jesse Billings Hill family and descendents (1- 3.5x5" b/w, 22- 5x7" b/w, 11- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1860 ca.-1935

15

7

Photographs: Hill and Stine families (19- 8x10" b/w, 2-8x10" color, 7- 5x7" b/w, and 1- 4x6" b/w photographs) (1 of 2)

1884-2001, n.d.

16

1

Photographs: Hill and Stine families (3- 5x7" b/w, 2- 5x7" color, 20- 4x4" b/w, 8- 3.5x5" b/w, 6- 2.5x3.5" b/w, 3-2.5x3.5" color, 12- 3.5x5" color, 2- 4x6" color, 4- 3.5x7" color, and 1- 4x5" b/w photographs) (2 of 2)

1884-2001, n.d.

19

19

Photographs: Hill family members (1- 2x3" b/w, 5- 3x4" b/w, 1- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1946, n.d.

20

6

Photographs: Hill family members and family homes (27- 5x7" b/w, 19- 8x10" b/w, 2- 4x6" b/w)

1876-1976, n.d.

20

7

Photographs: Hill family residences (39- 5x7" b/w, 8- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1884-1990

16

3

Photographs: Hill family taken for publication of Clarence Hill's "How to Raise a Boy" article in Farm Journal (9- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1952

18

1

Photographs: Hill Salvage (19- 2x3" b/w photographs)

n.d.

15

6

Photographs: Horses seen while on trip to Europe (16-3x5" b/w photographs)

1930

15

5

Photographs: Included in letters from family friends (6-3.5x4.5" b/w, 1- 3.5x3.5" b/w, 3- 3.5x5" color, 1- 3.5x5" b/w, 6- 4x6" color, 1- 3.5x7" color, and 1- 4x8" color photographs)

1961-2004

21

3

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa (6- 3x5" b/w, 1- 5x7" b/w, 1- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1909-1915, n.d.

21

4

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa (13- 3.5x5" color photographs)

1983

21

5

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa (12- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1994-1999

21

6

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa (8- 5x7" b/w photographs)

2003-2008

21

7

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa, Fourth of July Parade (43- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1999

21

8

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa, Methodist church (28- 5x7" b/w, 2- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1877 ca.-2008

21

9

Photographs: Minburn, Iowa, Myers Cemetery, Kimrey Cemetery, Voas Wildlife Refuge (30- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1996

21

1

Photographs: Slocum family (8- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1860-1870 ca.

21

2

Photographs: Stine family (8- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1900-1950 ca.

19

13

Poetry by Clarence Hill

1917

17

10

Receipts and records

1935

16

6

Report cards of Arthur Hill

1942-1954

18

1

Scrapbook: Clarence and E. Howard Hill's trip to Europe (545- 3x4.5" b/w photographs)

1930

18

2

Scrapbook: Loose photographs from trip to Europe (6-3x4.5" b/w photographs)

1930

19

14

Story of Cousins Susie, Sadie, and Dan Hill

2005

16

8

"Uncle Nick" quotes for Nixon & Company (possibly authored by Clarence Hill)

1959

19

15

Wallet made by Rollings Hill

n.d.

16

14

War ration book for Hill children

n.d.

19

16

Will of Peter Hill (Photocopy)

1770

17

11

Wills of Clarence and Mabel Hill and papers relating to sale of their farm to their son Harold Hill

1943-1976

22

11

Writings by Clarence Hill

n.d.