Central Plains Region: Kansas City, MO
Press Release, November 21, 2005
Documents of the Season
This image is a telegram sent to one of the inmates at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
To view this item along with others in the
Documents of the Season display please visit the
National Archives in Kansas City.
Just in time for the holidays, the Central Plains Region of the National Archives has created a small exhibit showcasing some of the more festive items in its holdings. Highlights of the exhibit include: a court case against fruit cake (really!); a colorful collection of holiday telegrams sent to prisoners at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary; charming thank you letters written by children of the Wahpeton Indian School in North Dakota, thanking the Butternut Coffee Company for Christmas presents sent to them; the World War II draft registration card for Santa Claus; and "Saint Nicholas" listed in the 1880 census. "While you don't necessarily expect to find holiday items in federal records, they certainly do exist," said Archives Specialist Lori Cox-Paul. "We have an amazing array of documents in our holdings here."
"Documents of the Season" will be on view in the main lobby of the Central Plains Region, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from November 21 - December 31, 2005. View some of the highlights of the display.
The Central Plains Region is one of 14 facilities nationwide where the public has access to federal archival records. It is home to more than 43,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by nearly 100 federal agencies. The Central Plains Region houses records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The facility is located at 2312 E. Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131. It is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (816) 268-8000 or visit our web site at www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city/
