Overview of the Collection
UUS_COLL MSS 471
Milton C. Abrams papers
1872-1998
Abrams, Milton C. (Milton Charles), 1918-.
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives
Manuscript Collections
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-3000
Phone: 435 797-8248
Fax: 435 797-2880
Email: scweb@usu.edu
14 boxes
6.75 linear feet
This collection consists of materials that Abrams collected throughout his career with the Utah Historical Society, as Director of the Merrill Library at Utah State University, as Chairman of the Executive Board of the Utah Bicentennial District 1, and as a community leader.
Material in English
Processed in December of 2016
This collection consists of two donations. The first, found in boxes 1 to 12, was transferred to USU Special Collections from Milton Abrams' office shortly after his death in 1998 and processed in May 2013. The second, housed in boxes 13 and 14, was donated by Milton Abrams in 1990 and processed in December 2016.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Milton C. Abrams papers must
be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections
Department Head.
Initial Citation:
Milton C. Abrams papers USU_COLL MSS 471,
Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 471,
USUSCA.
Biographical Note
Milton Charles Abrams was born November 22, 1918 to George Franklin and Nettie Rebecca Schenk Abrams. From 1939 to 1941 he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern States Mission. He was married to Lucille Pixton with whom he had three children. They later divorced, after which he married Lois Allred, who passed away. He then married Mattie Ann Robinson Callister. Milton Abrams served as an officer in Europe during World War II, receiving military honors for his bravery. During the Korean War he trained troops.
After leaving the military Abrams began his lifelong career in education. He worked as a high school teacher and later at Utah State University. Over his 40 years there he served in various capacities, including chair of the Educational Policies Committee and Director of the Merrill Library and Learning Resources Program. He was active in civic and community affairs, including an extended tenure as the chair of the Board of State History. A staunch Democrat, Abrams held both county and state offices and even ran for Utah's first congressional seat in 1985, but was handily defeated by Republican incumbent James V. Hansen.
The Milton C. Abrams papers consist of 14 boxes of materials that Abrams collected throughout his career with the Utah Historical Society, as Director of the Merrill Library at Utah State University, as Chairman of the Executive Board of the Utah Bicentennial District 1, and as a community leader. These materials are beneficial to anyone interestsed in the Utah Historical Society's work with historic sites, the history of Manti, Utah, Utah's American Revolution Bicentennial celebrations, or Milton Abrams' life and career. The materials are split into four sections: the Utah Historical Society, the Manti Public Library, correspondence, and the Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commission.
The first eight boxes contain the Utah Historical Society records that Abrams accumulated over his time as a member of the organization. These files include reports on historical sites and committees, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other materials related to the Society.
The next two boxes hold information concerning Sanpete County, Utah. During Abrams' time as Director of the Merrill Library, he became interested in acquiring historical materials from various counties in Utah to place in the Library's archive. The bulk of the Sanpete County records appear to have been transferred from the Manti Public Library. Among the materials are papers of the Mothers of the Boys in Service, a service organization started during World War II by Bertha Christiansen. The group's files include minutes of the organization, poems written by the mothers and wives, and letters written by the boys of the 145th Field Artillery to the organization. Also included in the Manti files are biographies of residents such as John Haslem Clark and Foster Kenner, as well as records from the Manti Commercial Club, the Manti first Presbyterian Church, and other organizations and institutions.
Boxes 11 and 12 include correspondence from Milton Abrams' 1985 congressional campaign and his participation in the Democratic Party as well as letters from the Peace Institute, the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies and other organizations and individuals.
The last two boxes, containing the 1990 donation, hold material pertaining to the Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commmission (UARBC), in which Abrams was involved as a UARBC Heritage Committee member and as Chairman of the Executive Board of the Utah Bicentennial District 1. These files include meeting minutes, memorandums, reports, letters, newspaper clippings and promotional material, as well as UARBC grant project proposals and planned events.
This collection has been arranged by document type.
Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commission papers (Coll Mss 92)
USU Libraries photograph collection (P0420)
Political Campaigns
Civic Activism
Protestantism
Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Pioneers
Colleges and Universities
Clubs and Societies
Correspondence
Abrams, Milton C. (Milton Charles), 1918-
Abrams, Milton C. (Milton Charles), 1918---Correspondence.
Utah State Historical Society
Democratic Party (Utah)
Merrill Library--History--Sources.
Utah State University--History--Sources.
Historic preservation--Utah.
Manti (Utah)--History.
Sanpete County (Utah)--History.
Utah--Politics and government--20th century.
Utah Historical Society
1950-1984
1
1
State History review
1977-1983
1
2
Utah Historic Preservation Office local government certification process
1984
1
3
Roster of historical and cultural sites in Utah, Beaver to Rich County
undated
1
4
Roster of historical sites in Utah, Salt Lake City to Weber County
undated
1
5
Reports on Goals for Utah
1965-1971
1
6
A People's History of Utah
1980
1
7
National Historic Publication and Records Commission
1977-1980
1
8
Cathedral of Madeleine
1975
2
1
Historical Sites, "Cobble Knoll", the Cannon/Evans home
undated
2
2
Utah's historic preservation plan
1970-1973
2
3
Historic sites preservation
1977-1983
2
4
Historical Sites, reports
1972
2
5
Historical Sites, miscellaneous
1971
2
6
Accession sheets
1977-1978
2
7
General Historical Society awards
1967
2
8
Appropriations
1973
2
9
Annual Appropriation Request Development Services - State History
1973 July 1-1974 June 30
3
1
Follow-up committee, Utah Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services
1980-1982
3
2
Fine Arts Executive Mansion Policy Committee
1977-1982
3
3
Historical and Cultural Sites Review Committee
undated
3
4
Preservation Section Review Committee
1982
3
5
Historical and Cultural Sites Review Committee
undated
3
6
Antiquities Committee
1975-1982
3
7
Antiquities Committee
1980-1981
3
8
Antiquities Committee
1982
4
1
Committee reports, Utah Historical Society
1950-1965
4
2
Committees
1975-1977
4
3
Utah Historical Society reports
1972-1982
4
4
Utah Historical Society reports
1968-1972
4
5
Utah Historical Society reports
1971-1973
5
1
Utah Historical Society reports
1970-1971
5
2
Utah Historical Society reports
1978-1983
5
3
Utah Historical Soceity reports
1977-1978
5
4
Utah Historical Society - miscellaneous
1974-1980
6
1
Historic Sites - minutes
1971-1972
6
2
Utah Historical Society minutes
1971-1972
6
3
Utah Historical and Cultural Sites Review Committee
1984
6
4
Minutes and agenda
1970-1971
6
5
Historical Sites Committee minutes
1972-1975
6
6
Utah Historical Society minutes and agendas
1965-1981
6
7
Utah Historical Society minutes and agenda
1978-1983
6
8
General Utah Historical Society
1969
7
1
Historic Sites correspondence
1972
7
2
Historic Sites Committee correspondence
1979-1983
7
3
Historic sites, Sevier County
1975
7
4
Utah Historical Society Committee
1968
7
5
State archives
1978-1979
7
6
State history correspondence
1979-1983
7
7
Statehood Day celebration
1974-1983
7
8
Census program
1981
7
9
H.B. 373
1979
8
1
Utah Historical Society correspondence
1968-1969
8
2
Utah Historical Society correspondence
1970
8
3
Utah Historical Society correspondence
1971-1972
8
4
Utah Historical Society correspondence
1971-1973
8
5
Utah Historical Society correspondence
1974-1979
8
6
Utah Historical Society - miscellaneous
1971-1972
Manti Public Library
1800-1987
9
1
Brief sketch of R. Clair Anderson
1902-1972
9
2
Funeral services for R. Clair Anderson
1972
9
3
A sketch of the life of John Haslem Clark
1840-1923
9
4
"Frederick Walter Cox Sr.: Frontiersman of the American West", by John Clifton Moffitt
1800-1862
9
5
"Condelie Morley Cox: Woman of the Wilderness", by John Clifton Moffitt
1823-1907
9
6
The Early History of Manti
1849-1854
9
7
The Epidemiologic Transition in a Frontier Town, Manti, Utah
1849-1977
9
8
Records of the First Presbyterian Church, Manti, Utah
1877-1881
9
9
House Types of Southern Utah
1978
9
10
Biography of Foster Kenner
1889-1957
9
11
Luke Family of Manti
1759-1975
9
12
The Manti co-op sheep herd
1979
9
13
History of Manti North Ward Chapel
1908-1973
9
14
The Mormon Miracle Pageant, Manti, Utah
1982
9
15
"One Foot in the Old World", by Albert Antrei
undated
9
16
Autobiography by Alma C. Peterson
1892-1980
9
17
"Reminiscences of Early Manti: History of South Sanpete", by Adelia B. Sidwell
undated
9
18
Article by Betty Ramsey from the Saga of the Sanpitch
undated
9
19
Sanpete County summer recreation
1987
9
20
Utah Cattle: A Time Honored Industry
1967
9
21
Veterans of World War I
undated
9
22
The F.W. Cox home, First North and First West, Manti, Utah
undated
9
23
Manti History, Mothers and Wives of the Boys in Service
1941 May-1943 January
9
24
Letters from the boys in service to the mothers of the boys
1941-1943 January
9
25
Mayfield, Utah commencement exercises
1905
10
1
Captain Augustus Erastus Dodge
undated
10
2
Book of remembrance, the Jens Hansen family
undated
10
3
Manti Commercial Club Record
1908-1914
10
4
Manti Commercial Club Record
1914-1923
10
5
Elvira Pamela Mills
undated
10
6
Roll call of the pioneers by Albert Antrei
1849-1850
10
7
Biography of George Sidwell by Mecham
1833-1883
10
8
The Westenskow families of Manti
undated
10
9
List of registered, Local Board of the County of Sanpete
1918
10
10
Veterans of World War II
1941-1946
10
11
"Historic Spots in Utah", by Howard R. Driggs and "The Railroad Accident", by Orville Day
1919
Correspondence
1972-1987
11
1
Arnold Friberg home and studio preservation
1976
11
2
Arnold Friberg home and studio preservation
1976
11
3
Arnold Friberg home and studio preservation
1976
11
4
State Division of History on exploration and excavation of historic ruins
1983
11
5
Utah Department of Development Services
1979
11
6
Theron Luke letters
undated
11
7
De Vere Hinckley letter
undated
11
8
Peace march (Peace and Human Environment Foundation)
1986
11
9
Eathel L. Winkelman letter
undated
11
10
Melvin T. Smith
1972
12
1
Abrams, personal correspondence
undated
12
2
Abrams, personal correspondence
undated
12
3
Committee - City of Logan Board
undated
12
4
Democratic correspondence
undated
12
5
Democratic Party (committees and candidates) correspondence
undated
12
6
Government correspondence
undated
12
7
Henrietta Locke
1987
12
8
Jerold Sorensen
undated
12
9
Letter to Mattie and "Mick" Abrams from the Swensons
undated
12
10
Mountain West Center for Regional Studies
1987
12
11
Peace Institute
1984-1986
Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commission
1972-1976
Organizational Files
13
1
Commission roster
1974
13
2
Organization and memorandum
1974
13
3
Staff reports
1973-1974
13
4
District letters
1974
13
5
District 1 correspondence
1975
13
6
District 1 meeting minutes
1973-1975
13
7
Commission meeting minutes
1973-1975
13
8
Bicentennial Heritage Library Committee correspondence
1974
13
9
Annual report of the UARBC
1973
13
10
Utah Bicentennial guidelines
1973
13
11
Utah Bicentennial newspaper clippings
1973-1976
13
12
Bicentennial promotional material
1972-1975
Grant Projects
13
13
Planned Bicentennial projects
1975
13
14
Weber State College proposed Bicentennial activities
1974-1976
13
15
"Publication of Membership Applications of the Utah Society, SAR"
1975
13
16
"Botanical Garden, Gallery of History and Art, Cache Public Library"
1975
13
17
"Bicentennial Expedition Commemorative Postage"
1975
13
18
"Impez-Topex 1979"
1975
13
19
"'Old Glory's' Bicentennial Festival"
1975
13
20
"Laketown Relief Society Building Restoration"
1975
13
21
"Avalon Bicentennial Community Center"
1975
13
22
"Marking of the Carter Trail"
1975
13
23
"Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum"
1975
13
24
"1866 Grantsville Meetinghouse"
1975
13
25
"Old Glory and Her Predecessors in Utah"
1975
13
26
"Preservation and Restoration of Historic Peace Treaty Marker at Fish Lake, Sevier County, Utah, and Creation of Public Access Trail to Marker"
1975
13
27
"Restoration of Richfield's Old Academy Hall Bell, Richfield's First Community Bell"
1975
13
28
"Historic Monument for the Town of La Sal"
1975
13
29
"Sociable 'Bi-Centennial' Publication"
1975
13
30
"Restoration of Drown Cabin"
1975
13
31
"Continuing Demontrations - 'Sheep to Shawl' Heritage"
1975
13
32
"Wheeler Living Historical Farm"
1975
13
33
"Murray City Park Amphitheater Restoration"
1975
13
34
"Bernard P. Brockbank Bicentennial Park"
1975
13
35
"An Exhibit: 'The Jew in American History'"
1975
13
36
"Beautification and Preservation of the Fort Union Pioneer Cemetery"
1975
13
37
"Fitness America"
1975
13
38
"Our Pioneer Heritage"
1974
13
39
"The Heritage Theatre"
1974
13
40
"Preservation of School Bell and Installing Name Plate"
1974-1975
13
41
"Laketown Cemetery Beautification"
1975
13
42
"Arts and Crafts of the Utah Pioneers"
1975
13
43
"Restoration of the Castle"
1975
13
44
"The Collection, Publication, and Exhibition of the Sculptural Works of Cyrus E. Dallin (1861-1944)"
1975
13
45
"Provo Patriotic Reader"
1975
13
46
"American Fork City Memorial Park"
1975
13
47
"Preservation and Renovation of Pioneer Church Building and Relief Society Building"
1975
13
48
"Milford Historical Park"
1975
13
49
"Indian Artifact Collection"
1975
13
50
"Jensen Bicentennial Cemetery Beautification and Restoration Project"
1975
14
1
"Bi-centennial Coal Mining Museum"
1975
14
2
"Completion of 'Southwest Chicano Heritage Mural'"
1974-1975
14
3
"Old Tooele City Hall - Museum, Plaza Restoration"
1974
14
4
"Utah Indian Village Amphitheatre in Pioneer Trail State Park"
1975
14
5
"A Collection of Heritage Tales from Midway, Utah, USA"
1975
14
6
"Northern Box Elder Museum Development"
1974-1975