AHJ_ah00037 Inventory of the John Roberts Papers, 1882-1963 >Roberts (John) Papers Processed by D.C. Thompson University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2005; 2015

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by John R. Waggener August 2005 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Roberts, John, 1853-1949 John Roberts papers 1882-1963 00037 1.5 cubic ft. (6 boxes) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. Collection is in English, Arapaho, and Shoshoni The collection contains material regarding John Robert’s mission work on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Biography of John Roberts

John Roberts was an Episcopalian missionary who worked among the Arapaho and Shoshone peoples on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. He was born in 1853 at Rhuddlan in North Wales. He was educated in Wales and later received an M.A. from Oxford University in England. He was ordained a deacon in 1878. In 1883, John Roberts was sent to the Shoshone Indian Reservation in Wyoming to work among the Indians and to organize missions among the white settlers in the adjacent territory. While there, he established St. Michael’s Mission for the Arapahos as well as the United States Government Indian Boarding Industrial School for the Shoshones and Arapahos. He translated Biblical texts and church material into the Arapaho and Shoshone languages with assistance from Fremont Arthur, Michael White Hawk, and Charles Lajoe. He died in June of 1949 at his home on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

 Scope and Content

There are numerous notes and drafts as well as printed versions of Robert’s translations of church literature into the Arapaho and Shoshone languages. Other material includes history of the region and biographical information about Roberts and his family, friends and prominent citizens of the area including Sacagawea.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created John Roberts by at the date of processing.

 Acquisition Information

The John Roberts Papers were given to the University of Wyoming by Elinor and Charles Markley between 1946 and 1954. Further material was received from Edward N. Roberts in 1967 and 1968 and from Beatrice Crofts in 1978 and 1980.

 Processing Information

The collection was processed by Elizabeth Hokanson in August 1992. It was revised by D. Claudia Thompson in February 2002 and August 2015.

Links to digitized folders were added in August 2010 by Ben Goldman.

 Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at http://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu:8180/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~36~36.

 Access Terms Sacajawea Episcopalians -- Wyoming Indians -- North American -- Missions Indians -- Wyoming Wind River Indian Reservation (Wyo.) Wyoming -- History -- To 1899 Wyoming -- History -- 1890-1918 Wyoming -- History -- 1919-1945 Diaries Social Life and Customs Religion Missionaries People, Ethnicity, and Culture Native Americans Pioneers Wyoming Container List Series I. Translations

Arranged alphabetically by folder title. Contains manuscripts, working notes and printed versions of John Roberts’s translations into Arapaho and Shoshone of Christian and Episcopalian texts.

1 1 Arapaho Apostle’s Creed undated 1 2 Arapaho Catechism circa 1899 1 3 Arapaho Common Prayer Book (Typed from #1 Tablet) 1900-1905, undated 1 4 Arapaho Common Prayer Book ("Foreign Mail" Tablet) 1902-circa 1915 1 5 Arapaho Common Prayer Book ("Yellow Pencil Tablet") 1905-1931 1 6 Arapaho Common Prayer Book ("Herbert Welsh's Book - #1 Tablet") 1912-1915 1 7 Arapaho Common Prayer Book (miscellaneous manuscripts) undated 1 8 Arapaho Common Prayer Book – Shortened Service circa 1895 1 9 Arapaho Gospel of St. Luke 1901 1 10 Arapaho Gospel of St. Luke undated 1 11 Arapaho Gospel of St. Luke – Printed 1903 1 12 Arapaho Lord’s Prayer 1912 1 13 Arapaho Lord’s Supper undated 1 14 Arapaho Notes undated 1 15 Arapaho Psalms and Songs 1927, undated 1 16 Arapaho Ten Commandments undated 1 17 Arapaho Words undated 2 1 Shoshone Apostle’s Creed undated 2 2 Shoshone Catechism 1899 2 3 Shoshone Catechism 1899-1900 2 4 Shoshone Church Service 1895 2 5 Shoshone Gospel of St. Luke (incomplete) undated 2 6 Shoshone Lord’s Prayer undated 2 7 Shoshone Prayer Service – Shortened circa 1899 2 8 Shoshone Ten Commandments undated 2 9 Shoshone Words undated Series II. Personal Papers

Arranged alphabetically by folder title. Contains biographical information on John Roberts, notes and manuscripts primarily by John Roberts on Lander and Wind River area history and on the Arapaho and Shoshone people, correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, and a notebook.

 2 10 Biographical Material, Certificates and Diplomas 1884-1933 2 11 Biographical - General: Includes Roberts Family 1884-1941, undated 2 12 Biographical - Passports 1922-1923 2 13 Biographical - Wyoming State Flag, Presentation in Honor of John Roberts 1933-1934 2 14 Biographical - Wyoming State Journal Tribute Issue (photocopy) Feb. 8, 1933 2 15 Clippings – “Pioneer Landerites” 1911-1955 2 16 Clippings – Sacajawea 1904-1963 2 17 Clippings – Washakie 1900-1960 2 18 Clippings – Wind River Mission 1892-1899 5 Correspondence to and from John Roberts 1885-1941 5 Correspondence to and from John Roberts 1882-1945 5 Correspondence to and from John Roberts regarding Sacajawea 1905-1937 2 20 Financial Documents: bills, invoices, checks 1884-1912 2 21 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Black Coal (includes photograph) undated 2 22 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Enos, John (includes photograph) undated 2 23 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Murder of Mrs. Richards and Mrs. Hall 1914, undated 2 24 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Myers, Barbara, undated 5 Historical Notes and Manuscripts - Sacajawea undated 2 25 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Sherod/Cook/McCabe (includes news clipping and photograph) 1926, undated 2 26 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Shoshone and Arapaho Character and Traditions 1899, undated 2 27 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Shoshone Indian Cemetery undated 2 28 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Shoshones and Arapahos, undated 2 29 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – Washakie (includes news clipping and photograph) undated 2 30 Historical Notes and Manuscripts – White Hawk, Michael and Sacred Pipe of the Arapahos undated 2 31 Mission Schools – Controversy Includes correspondence, petition draft, and transcript regarding directorship of the Shoshone Mission School 1939 2 32 Mission Schools – Pupil List (incomplete) 1901 2 33 Notebook of John Roberts Contains list of Lander residents, expenses, sermon texts, translations, etc. 1883-1888 Series III. Photographs

Arranged alphabetically by folder title. Includes mission schools, pupils, and employees. Also contains images of the Roberts and Brown families and events and people on the Wind River Reservation.

2 34 Arapahos; includes Black Coal, Sharp Nose, Lizzie Fletcher Broken Horn, Sally Coolidge, a sun dance, etc. undated 2 35 Assistants; Fremont Arthur, Michael White Hawk, circa 1900 2 36 Brown Family; Laura Brown, parents, siblings, Brown home in Nassau circa 1880s 2 37 Churches – Wind River Reservation Includes mission staff, students, Grace R. Hebard 1889-1931 2 38 Fort Washakie; includes Capt. Baird, Dr. Wakeman, 1886, undated 3 1 Lander and South Pass City undated 3 2 Roberts Family; includes John Roberts, Laura Brown Roberts, children circa 1880s-1923, undated 3 3 Schools – Shoshone Mission School 1896-1949 3 4 Schools – U.S. Government Boarding School (location unknown) 1892 3 5 Schools – U.S. Government Boarding School – Wind River Reservation circa 1880s 3 6 Shoshone Cemetery undated 3 7 Shoshones (includes O-at-ah, Moo-yah-voo, women, a sun dance, etc.) undated 3 8 Washakie undated 3 9 Washakie Family, Anne Bazil Washakie, John Enos, ca. 1900, no dates 3 10 Washakie Funeral 1900 Series IV. Manuscript 3 11-13 "Sixty Six Years on the Wind River Indian Reservation: A Ministry", typed manuscript biography of John Roberts by Elinor Roberts Markley undated Series V. Oversize material and Artifacts 4 Wyoming State Journal, Lander, Wyoming, Pages 1-2, 5-6 of newspaper containing information about John Roberts 1933 4 Fort Washakie, Shoshone Mission School, unidentified school, group portrait 1892-1901, undated 6 Buffalo Robe undated