NTE2ms2021_25.xml Preliminary Guide to the Hirzel Family Papers 1923-2011 Hirzel Family Papers Finding aid prepared by Gayle O'Hara Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2021 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2021 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections MS 2021.25 Hirzel family Preliminary Guide to the Hirzel Family Papers 1923-2011 9.51 Linear feet of shelf space 11 Boxes The Hirzel Family Papers includes materials, both personal and professional, concerning the Hirzel family, who owned and operated a music and hobby store in Lewiston, Idaho for over 60 years. (MASC staff use) 2-3-17-7 Collection materials are in English

Ellwood Hirzel (1907-2005) was born in Asotin, Washington. As a child, he learned to play multiple musical instruments and, after graduating high school in 1927, he formed his first dance band, as well as the first pep band at Clarkston High School. In 1931, his band, Hirzel’s Hoot Owls, toured Asia on a cruise liner. In July 1931, he opened Hirzel’s Music Company in Lewiston, Idaho, which he and his wife Mary were proprietors of until 1991. While music was the focus of this store, they also sold appliances, radios, records, and pianos, later adding toys, games and hobbies.

Mary Hirzel (nee Crozier) (1913-2019) was born in British Columbia and arrived in Washington with her parents in 1921, with the family settling in Clarkston in 1927. After high school, she attended the Kinman Business College in Spokane. Ellwood and Mary met in 1932 and were married for 70 years. They had three sons, all of whom were first generation college students at Washington State University.

The Hirzel Family Papers includes materials, both personal and professional, concerning the Hirzel family, who owned and operated a music and hobby store in Lewiston, Idaho for over 60 years. Business items include piano books and sheet music; music, toy, and hobby catalogs; materials from trips to national conventions; promotional photographs; instructional manuals; and sales records. There are also materials related to Ellwood Hirzel’s initial forays into musical bands, including the Clarkston High School Pep Band and Hirzel’s Hoot Owls, who traveled to Asia on the President Jefferson Cruise Liner in 1931. Personal materials include post cards and other ephemera from family road trips around the country, as well as trips to the 1934 Chicago and 1939 New York World’s Fairs.

This is an unprocessed collection. Any arrangement reflects either a pre-existing order from the records’ creators or previous custodians, or preliminary sorting by staff.

This collection is open and available for research use.

Copyright restrictions apply.

[Item description]

Preliminary Guide to the Hirzel Family Papers, 1923-2011 (MS 2021.25)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

David Hirzel donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 2021 (MS.2021.25). In 2023, an additional five boxes of material were received, most of which is Family Papers. The Business material has been separated out and placed with the Hirzel Music Company Business Records, the family materials have been interfiled and/or placed at the back of this collection as two new boxes.

The repository expects to receive additions to this collection.

Statement on Harmful Content:

This collection contains racist images of blackface in Box 7.

Preliminary Guide to the Hirzel Music Company Business Records, 1931-2004 (MS 2021.01)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Hirzel, Ellwood, 1907-2005 -- Archives Hirzel, Mary, 1913-2019 -- Archives Hirzel, Ellwood, 1907-2005 Hirzel, Mary, 1913-2019 Hirzel family -- Archives Hirzel Music Company -- Records and correspondence Hirzel Music Company Music trade -- Idaho Music Music Idaho Businesses and Corporations 1 1 Piano books circa 1923-2011 1 2 Piano books circa 1923-2011 1 3 Piano books circa 1923-2011 1 4 Piano books circa 1923-2011 1 5 Piano themed books, WWII, Jazz, Cowboys circa 1923-2011 1 6 Band Music circa 1923-2011 1 7 Sheet music piano solos circa 1923-2011 1 8 Saxophone method book Hit Parade circa 1923-2011 1 9 Musical theater programs circa 1923-2011 1 10 Piano sheet music circa 1923-2011 1 11 Sheet music movies and musicals circa 1923-2011 1 12 Sheet music popular circa 1923-2011 1 13 The ultimate Jazz fakebook circa 1923-2011 1 14 Guitar books, manuals circa 1923-2011 1 15 Toys and Hobbies catalogs 1953-1984 2 1 Trains catalogs 1965-1975 2 2 Musical instrument catalog of Sherman, Clay and Company 1929 2 3 Small appliances catalogs 1963 2 4 Orion blue book guitars and musical instruments 1991 3 1 Road maps Northeast circa 1982 3 2 Road maps Southeast circa 1923-2011 3 3 Road maps Central circa 1966 3 4 Road maps Canada circa 1923-2011 3 5 United States road atlas 1954 3 6 Road maps cities West circa 1923-2011 3 7 Road maps cities West circa 1923-2011 3 8 Road maps Northwestern states circa 1923-2011 3 9 Road maps Northwestern states circa 1923-2011 3 10 President Liners Jefferson labels and cards circa 1931 3 11 President Liners Jefferson postcards circa 1931 3 12 President Liners Jefferson brochures and itinerary circa 1931 3 13 President Liners Jefferson music programs circa 1931 3 14 President Liners Jefferson contract circa 1931 3 15 President Liners Jefferson menus and guest list circa 1931 3 16 President Liners Jefferson newspapers circa 1931 3 17 President Liners Jefferson foreign newspapers circa 1931 3 18 President Liners Jefferson diary photo circa 1931 4 1 Pamphlets Washington D.C. circa 1950 4 2 Pamphlets New York circa 1923-2011 4 3 Pamphlets Washington state 1949-1974 4 4 Pamphlets miscellaneous circa 1923-2011 4 5 Pamphlets Georgia, Southeast circa 1923-2011 4 6 Pamphlets Oregon circa 1959 4 7 Pamphlets Idaho circa 1923-2011 4 8 Pamphlets Massachusetts circa 1985 4 9 Pamphlets Central, Omaha, Nebraska circa 1923-2011 4 10 Pamphlets Michigan circa 1950 4 11 Pamphlets Delta Airlines circa 1966 4 12 Pamphlets Seattle Worlds Fair 1962 4 13 Pamphlets China circa 1923-2011 4 14 Pamphlets miscellaneous East circa 1923-2011 4 15 Pamphlets West BC miscellaneous circa 1923-2011 4 16 Pamphlets inspirational advice circa 1934-1946 4 17 Pamphlets California circa 1953 4 18 Pamphlets California circa 1934 4 19 Pamphlets California Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm circa 1959 5 1 Postcards women circa 1923-2011 5 2 Postcards foreign travels 1981-1990 5 3 Postcards China circa 1983 5 4 Postcards Yellowstone 1960 5 5 Postcards Yellowstone continued circa 1923-2011 5 6 Postcards Wyoming and Colorado 1937-1969 5 7 Postcards Montana 1965 5 8 Postcards Hawaii 1980-2008 5 9 Postcards Arizona and New Mexico 1970-2008 5 10 Postcards Alaska circa 1940s-2001 5 11 Postcards Idaho 1972-2011 5 12 Postcards Utah 2002 5 13 Postcards Nevada circa 1950's 5 14 Postcards California 1935-2010 5 15 Postcards California continued 1935-2010 5 16 Postcards Disneyland circa 1970 5 17 Postcards Washington 1962-2006 5 18 Postcards Oregon 1980-2007 5 19 Oversized postcards circa 1923-2011 6 1 New York Worlds Fair photo book circa 1923-2011 6 2 New York Worlds Fair entertainment circa 1923-2011 6 3 New York Worlds Fair town of tomorrow circa 1923-2011 6 4 New York Worlds Fair hotels circa 1923-2011 6 5 New York Worlds Fair magazine feature circa 1923-2011 6 6 New York Worlds Fair circa 1923-2011 6 7 New York Worlds Fair travel Union Pacific, Plymouth road maps circa 1923-2011 6 8 Chicago World Fair travel brochures circa 1923-2011 6 9 Chicago Worlds Fair road maps circa 1923-2011 6 10 Chicago Worlds Fair postcards circa 1923-2011 6 11 Chicago Worlds Fair travel, itinerary, budget, honeymoon circa 1923-2011 6 12 Chicago Worlds Fair postcards from fair circa 1923-2011 6 13 Chicago Worlds Fair materials circa 1923-2011 7 1 Connecticut dealers national music merchants travel maps circa 1923-2011 7 2 Connecticut dealers national music merchants travel maps continued circa 1923-2011 7 3 Elkhart National Association music merchants Chicago convention materials circa 1923-2011 7 4 National music merchants diary, itinerary, budget circa 1923-2011 7 5 National music merchants New York City activities circa 1923-2011 7 6 National music merchants Milwaukee Road circa 1923-2011 7 7 National music merchants hotels and activites (Elkheart, Chicago, Washington D.C. circa 1923-2011 7 8 Musical performance Lewiston, Clarkston Washington 1939 7 9 Hirzel's first Lewiston store 1939 7 10 Hoot Owls Stationary 1939 7 11 Hoot Owls orchestra, CHS band 1939 7 12 Hirzels general store Asotin 1939 7 13 Hirzels general store Asotin 1939 7 14 Hirzels manuals instructions, radio, television, misc. 1939 7 15 Music program second tour 1934 7 16 Hirzels misc. musical items 1934 7 17 Cherry orchard Asotin Washington 1934 7 18 CHS pep band 1934 7 19 Charles Libbey photos 1934 7 20 Promotional movie photos (contains racist images of blackface) 1934 7 21 Charles Libbey photos Sherman and Clay Spokane 1936 7 22 Promotional photos musicians 1936 7 23 Promotional photos musicians continued 1936 7 24 Inland Empire School Bands 1936 7 25 Promotional photos movies 1936 7 26 Hirzels appliance introductions 1936 7 27 Inventory list provided by Hirzel family with context notes circa 1923-2011 8 1 Pictures circa 1923-2011 8 2 Postcards Canada circa 1923-2011 8 3 Postcards Mexico circa 1923-2011 8 4 Postcards North and South Dakota circa 1923-2011 8 5 Postcards Kansas, Missouri, Iowa circa 1923-2011 8 6 Postcards Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia circa 1923-2011 8 7 Postcards Texas, Oklahoma circa 1923-2011 8 8 Postcards Florida 1954 8 9 Postcards North Carolina circa 1923-2011 8 10 Postcards Virginia 1948 8 11 Postcards Washington D.C. 1928 8 12 Postcards Georgia 1929 8 13 Postcards Ohio circa 1923-2011 8 14 Postcards Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin circa 1923-2011 8 15 Postcards Connecticut circa 1923-2011 8 16 Postcards Rhode Island circa 1923-2011 8 17 Postcards Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine 1928-1929 8 18 Postcards Massachusetts circa 1923-2011 8 19 Postcards New York, New Jersey circa 1923-2011 8 20 Postcards Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey circa 1923-2011 OS 1 Promotional photos musicians Paul Whiteman circa 1923-2011 OS 2 Promotional photos movies circa 1923-2011 OS 3 Promotional photos musicians circa 1923-2011 OS 4 Hoot Owls posters circa 1923-2011 OS 5 Hirzels music service poster circa 1923-2011 OS 6 Hirzels General store Asotin 1923 sales record oversize 1923 OS 7 Music career Sherman Clay circa 1923-2011 OS 8 Asotin High School graduation circa 1923-2011 OS 9 National music merchants Chicago Convention pub's circa 1923-2011 OS 10 Chicago Worlds Fair viewbook/ guide book circa 1923-2011 OS 11 New York Worlds Fair music conventions circa 1923-2011 10 Miscellaneous items belonging to Ellwood and Mary Hirzel; Miscellaneous Sherman Clay & Co. ephemera; Newspaper articles and obituaries; Mary Hirzel diaries; family notes and cards; travel receipts and brochures; WWII food rationing cards. circa 1923-2011 11 Miscellaneous items belonging to and regarding CP Hirzel, David C. Hirzel, Juanita Hirzel, Matilda Hirzel ne: Morrow, James B Crozier, Edith Crozier ne: Lownsborough; Bibles; miscellaneous books. circa 1923-2011