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Finding Aids

Finding Aids are descriptions of collections, often down to the item level, for records kept by the Missouri State Archives. Finding Aids include agency or biographical histories, timelines, and information on related collections when applicable.

Click on a link below for a state agency. If you do not find the Finding Aid you need, contact the Archives at (573) 751-3280 or [email protected]. There are also many finding aid drafts the staff can access that are not available online.

Click on a Record Group below or scroll down to browse.

RG003 Office of the Governor	RG322 Board of Public Buildings
RG004 Office of Lieutenant Governor	RG326 Public Service Commission
RG005 Office of Secretary of State	RG336 Division of Professional Registration
RG101 Office of Administration	RG337 State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts
RG102 Department of Agriculture	RG338 State Board of Nursing
RG103 Department of Conservation	RG340 Missouri Board of Pharmacy
RG104 Department of Economic Development	RG389 Board for the Improvement of the State Capitol
RG105 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education	RG391 Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission
RG107 Department of Transportation	RG395 State Capitol Commissions
RG108 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations	RG403 Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri
RG110 Department of Natural Resources	RG404 First State Capitol Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee
RG111 Department of Public Safety	RG405 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri
RG112 Department of Revenue	RG550 Missouri General Assembly
RG114 Department of Corrections	RG552 Legislator Papers
RG115 Department of Health and Senior Services	RG561 Joint, Interim and Special Legislative Committees
RG133 Office of Adjutant General	RG600 Missouri Supreme Court
RG151 Missouri School for the Deaf	RG601 Eastern District Court of Appeals
RG152 Missouri School for the Blind	RG747 Jackson County Records
RG154 Marshall State School and Hospital	RG820 Municipal Records
RG213 Missouri State Penitentiary	RG951 U.S. Recorder of Land Titles
RG214 Algoa Intermediate Reformatory	RG952 U.S. Surveyor General
RG300 Gubernatorial Boards and Committees	RG960 U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps
RG320 Board of the Permanent Seat of Government	RG998 Manuscripts
RG321 State Building Commission

RG 003 Office of the Governor

RG 003.06 Lilburn W. Boggs, 1836-1840 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.07 Thomas Reynolds, 1840-1844 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.08 Meredith Miles Marmaduke, 1844 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.09 John Cummins Edwards, 1844-1848 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.10 Austin Augustus King, 1848-1853 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.11 Sterling Price, 1853-1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.12 Trusten Polk, 1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.13 Hancock Lee Jackson, 1857 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.14 Robert Marcellus Stewart,1857-1861 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.15 Claiborne Fox Jackson,1861 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.16 Hamilton Rowan Gamble, 1861-1864 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.17 Willard Preble Hall,1864-1865 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.18 Thomas Clement Fletcher, 1865-1869 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.19 Joseph Washington McClurg,1869-1871 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.20 Benjamin Gratz Brown, 1871-1873 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.21 Silas B. Woodson, 1873-1875 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.22 Charles Henry Hardin,1875-1877 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.23 John Smith Phelps, 1877-1881 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.24 Thomas Theodore Crittenden, 1881-1885 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.25 John Sappington Marmaduke, 1885-1887 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.26 Albert Pickett Morehouse, 1887-1889 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.27 David Rowland Francis, 1889-1893 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.28 William Joel Stone, 1893-1897 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.29 Lawrence Vest Stephens, 1897-1901 Finding Aid | View Documents
RG 003.30 Alexander Monroe Dockery, 1901-1905
RG 003.31 Joseph Wingate Folk, 1905-1909
RG 003.32 Herbert Spencer Hadley, 1909-1913
RG 003.33 Elliott Woolfolk Major, 1913-1917
RG 003.34 Frederick Dozier Gardner, 1917-1921
RG 003.36 Samuel Aaron Baker, 1925-1929
RG 003.37 Henry Stewart Caulfield, 1929-1933
RG 003.38 Guy Brasfield Park, 1933-1937
RG 003.39 Lloyd Crow Stark, 1937-1941
RG 003.42 Forrest Smith, 1949-1953
RG 003.43 Phillip Matthew Donnelly, 1953-1957
RG 003.44 James Thomas Blair, Jr., 1957-1961
RG 003.45 John Montgomery Dalton, 1961-1965
RG 003.46 Warren Eastman Hearnes, 1965-1973
RG 003.47 Christopher "Kit" Samuel Bond, 1973-1977
RG 003.48 Joseph Patrick Teasdale, 1977-1981
RG 003.49 Christopher "Kit" Samuel Bond, 1981-1985
RG 003.50 John David Ashcroft, 1985-1993
RG 003.51 Mel Carnahan, 1993-2000
RG 003.53 Bob Holden, 2001-2005
RG 003.54 Matt Blunt, 2005-2009
RG 003.55 Jeremiah "Jay" Nixon, 2009-2017
RG 003.56 Eric Greitens, 2017-2018

RG 004 Office of Lieutenant Governor

RG 004.41 Kenneth Joel Rothman, 1981-1985
RG 004.42 Harriett Woods, 1985-1986

RG 005 Office of Secretary of State

Administrative Rules

RG 000.005 SOS Administrative Rules State Documents Collection
RG 005.44 Administrative Rules - Original Rules

Business Services (includes Commissions)

RG 000.005 Business Services State Documents Collection
RG 005.02 Governor’s Proclamations, 1892-2023
RG 005.03 Oaths of Office, 1843-2021
RG 005.04 Executive Orders, 1943-2023 | View the orders with the State Library
RG 005.05 Writs of Election, 1838-2021
RG 005.06 Gubernatorial Appointments, 1838-2020
RG 005.07 Extraditions, 1857-2023
RG 005.09 Ordinances, 1871-2021
RG 005.10 Deeds and Easements, 1851-2023
RG 005.11 Oaths of State Auditor Examiners, 1912-2023
RG 005.12 Service Awards, 1946-2023
RG 005.13 Historic Preservation Certificates, 2000-2023
RG 005.14 Special Census Enumerations, 1867-2004 | See also the Archives Census Webpage
RG 005.15 Interstate Compacts, 1947-2010
RG 005.16 Absences of the Governor, 1920-2022
RG 005.17 Certificates of Election, 1838-2022
RG 005.20 Pardons, 1836-2023
RG 005.21 Itinerant Vendors' Licenses, 1911-1927
RG 005.29 County Township Boundaries, 1838-2015
RG 005.30 City and County Charters, 1843-2020
RG 005.31 Departmental Plans, 2007-2023
RG 005.34 Remitters of Fines and Bond Forfeitures, 1840-1990
RG 005.50 Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837-1971

Elections

RG 000.005 SOS Elections State Documents Collection
RG 005.18 Presidential Electors, 1872-2020
RG 005.28 Board of State Canvassers Reports, 1948-2022
RG 005.35 Certifications of Candidates and Party Emblems, 1912-2022
RG 005.46 Election Returns, 1836-2022
RG 005.47 Declarations of Candidacy, Certificates of Nomination, Petitions, and Withdrawals, 1890-2022
RG 005.53 Initiative Petitions and Referendums, 1912-2024

Missouri State Library

RG 000.005 SOS Missouri State Library State Documents Collection

Publications

RG 000.005 SOS Publications State Documents Collection
RG 005.033 Official Manual Contest Photograph Collection, 1987-2018
See also photographs from the Publications Non-Portrait Collection
See also the Official Manual of the State of Missouri (Blue Book)

Records Services

RG 000.005 SOS Records Services State Documents Collection
RG 005.51 State Records Commission, 1965-2023
RG 005.54 Missouri Board of Geographic Names
RG 005.55 Missouri Historical Records Advisory Board
RG 005.56 Missouri State Archives Court Operating Rule 8 Letters
RG 005.57 Record Service Administrators

Secretaries of State

RG 000.005 SOS Administrative State Documents Collection
RG 005.36 Cornelius Roach, 1909-1917
RG 005.37 Dwight H. Brown, 1933-1944
RG 005.38 Wilson Bell, 1945-1947
RG 005.39 Edgar C. Nelson, 1947-1949
RG 005.40 Francis A. Rodman, 1865-1871
RG 005.41 Charles U. Becker, 1921-1933
RG 005.58 James C. Kirkpatrick, 1965-1985
RG 005.42 Roy D. Blunt, 1985-1993

Securities

RG 000.005 SOS Securities State Documents Collection

Session Laws

RG 005.08 Session Laws, 1838-2024 | Read the published Laws of Missouri

Special Collections

RG 005.01 Mormon War Papers, 1837-1841 | Mormon War Exhibit
RG 005.32 Missouri-Kansas Border War, 1858-1862

RG 101 Office of Administration

RG 101.01 Board of Fund Commissioners
RG 101.02 Ferguson Commission
RG 101.03 Governor's Council on Disability
RG 101.04 Citizen's Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials
RG 101.05 Division of Accounting St. Louis and Kansas City School Desegregation

RG 102 Department of Agriculture

View the Department of Agriculture Reports
View the Missouri State Fair Exhibit

Animal Health

RG 102.01 County Brand Books, 1836-1971

RG 103 Department of Conservation

RG 000.103 Department of Conservation State Documents Collection
RG 103.01 Department of Conservation
RG 103.05 MDC William Pflieger Collection
See also the Photograph Collection

RG 104 Department of Economic Development

See the Division of Tourism Photograph Collection

RG 105 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

See the Annual Reports of Public Schools
RG 105.01 Kansas City Public Schools Desegregation
RG 105.03 Division of Instruction

RG 107 Department of Transportation

RG 107 Department of Transportation Photograph Collection, 1920-1985

RG 108 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

See the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (Red Book) Reports

RG 110 Department of Natural Resources

RG 110.05 Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
RG 110.06 Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission
RG 110.07 Clean Water Commission
RG 110.09 Missouri Well Installation Board
RG 110.11 Abandoned Mine Lands

RG 111 Department of Public Safety

RG 111.01 Missouri Horse Racing Commission

RG 112 Department of Revenue

RG 112.01 State Tax Commission

RG 114 Department of Corrections

(See also RG213 below)
RG 000.114 Department of Corrections State Documents Collection

RG 115 Department of Health and Senior Services

RG 000.115 Department of Health and Senior Services State Documents Collection
RG 115.02 Death Certificates, 1910-1972 Finding Aid | Death Certificate Database
RG 115.03 Missouri Women's Health Council
RG 115.05 On-Site Sewage Law Stakeholder Advisory Committee

RG 133 Office of Adjutant General

RG 133.02 National Guard Records
RG 133.03 Missouri Veterans Home (St. James), 1897-1973 Finding Aid | View the Registers
RG 133.06 Soldiers' Bonus Commission (World War I)
RG 133.10 Civil War Claims Commissions, 1874
RG 133.11 Naval Militia, 1905-1960
RG 133.36 World War I Biography and Service Records
RG 133.38 Spanish American War Biography and Service Records
RG 133.44 Confederate Soldiers Home (Higginsville) and Confederate Pension Records
Soldiers’ Database

Civil War Regimental Returns

RG 133.30 Citizen Guards Regimental Returns
RG 133.13 Enrolled Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG 133.14 Home Guards Regimental Returns
RG 133.35 Invalid and Veterans Reserve Corps Regimental Returns
RG 133.33 Missouri Militia (General Order #3) Regimental Returns
RG 133.34 Missouri Militia (State Convention) Regimental Returns
RG 133.17 Missouri State Militia Regimental Returns
RG 133.18 Artillery, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG 133.19 Cavalry, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG 133.20 Engineers, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG 133.21 Infantry, Missouri Volunteers Regimental Returns
RG 133.23 Organized Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG 133.24 Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia Regimental Returns
RG 133.25 Provisional Enrolled Militia (Order 107) Regimental Returns
RG 133.29 Quartermaster General Records
RG 133.26 Six Months Militia Regimental Returns
RG 133.31 United States Colored Troops Regimental Returns
RG 133.27 United States Reserve Corps (Three Months Service) Regimental Returns
RG 133.28 United States Reserve Corps (Three Years Service) Regimental Returns

RG 151 Missouri School for the Deaf

RG 151.01 Missouri School for the Deaf

RG 152 Missouri School for the Blind

RG 152.01 Missouri School for the Blind

RG 154 Marshall State School and Hospital

RG 154.01 Marshall State School and Hospital

RG 213 Missouri State Penitentiary

(See also RG 114 above)
RG 213.02 Missouri State Penitentiary, Female Inmate Files, 1890s-1960s
RG 213.03 Courts Martial Records
View the Missouri State Penitentiary Inmate Registers

RG 214 Algoa Intermediate Reformatory

(See also RG114 above)
RG 214.01 Algoa Intermediate Reformatory

RG 300 Gubernatorial Boards and Commissions

RG 300.03 Spanish American War Trust Fund
RG 300.05 Missouri School District Reorganization Commission (Spainhower Study)

RG 320 Board of the Permanent Seat of Government

RG 320.01 Board of the Permanent Seat of Government

RG 321 State Building Commission

RG 321.01 State Building Commission

RG 322 Board of Public Buildings

RG 322.01 Board of Public Buildings

RG 326 Public Service Commission

RG 326.02 Public Service Commission Photograph Collection

RG 336 Division of Professional Registration

RG 336.01 Missouri Dental Board

RG 337 Board of Registration for the Healing Arts

RG 337.01 Board of Registration for the Healing Arts

RG 338 State Board of Nursing

RG 338.01 State Board of Nursing

RG 340 State Board of Pharmacy

RG 340.01 State Board of Pharmacy

RG 389 Board for the Improvement of the State Capitol

RG 389.01 Board for the Improvement of the State Capitol

RG 391 Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission

RG 395 State Capitol Commissions

RG 395.01 State Capitol Commission Board, 1911-1924 (First Board)
RG 395.01 State Capitol Commission Board Photograph Collection, 1913-1917 (First Board) | View the Capitol Construction images
RG 395.02 Missouri State Capitol Commission, 2002-2015 (Second Board)
RG 395.02 Missouri State Capitol Commission Photograph Collection, 1911-2017 (Second Board)

RG 403 Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri

RG 403 Civil War Centennial Commission of Missouri, 1958-1967

RG 404 First State Capitol Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee

RG 404 First State Capitol Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee, 1963-1973

RG 405 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri

RG 405 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri, 1969-1976

RG 550 Missouri General Assembly

Session Records

(see also RG 5 above for Session Laws)
(see also RG 561 below)
RG 550.90-2 General Assembly, 2000
RG 550.91-1 General Assembly, 2001
RG 550.91-2 General Assembly, 2002
RG 550.92-1 General Assembly, 2003
RG 550.92-2 General Assembly, 2004
RG 550.93-1 General Assembly, 2005
RG 550.93-2 General Assembly, 2006
RG 550.94-1 General Assembly, 2007
RG 550.94-2 General Assembly, 2008
RG 550.95-1 General Assembly, 2009
RG 550.95-2 General Assembly, 2010
RG 550.96-1 General Assembly, 2011
RG 550.96-2 General Assembly, 2012
RG 550.97-1 General Assembly, 2013
RG 550.97-2 General Assembly, 2014
RG 550.98-1 General Assembly, 2015
RG 550.98-2 General Assembly, 2016
RG 550.99-1 General Assembly, 2017
RG 550.99-2 General Assembly, 2018
RG 550.100-1 General Assembly, 2019
RG 550.100-2 General Assembly, 2020
RG 550.101-1 General Assembly, 2021
RG 550.101-2 General Assembly, 2022
RG 550.102-1 General Assembly, 2023

House Communications

RG550.01 House Communications Collections, 1895-2002

House and Senate Journals

Read the Missouri House and Senate Journals

RG 552 Legislator Papers

RG 552.01 Thomas D. Graham, 1951-1973
RG 552.02 Martin (Bubs) Hohulin, 1991-2003
RG 552.03 Carl M. Vogel, 1991-2003
RG 552.04 Bill Boucher, 1992-2003
RG 552.05 Michael J. Reid, 1991-1993
RG 552.06 Sidney Johnson, 1991-2003
RG 552.07 Randall Relford, 1996-2003
RG 552.08 James L. Mathewson, 1975-2005
RG 552.09 John W. Cauthorn, 2001-2007
RG 552.10 Jerry T. Howard, 1973-1977, 1987-1999
RG 552.11 Bill I. Foster, 1993-2005
RG 552.12 Ken Legan, 1981-2002
RG 552.13 Bill Skaggs, 1983-2003
RG 552.14 Tim Van Zandt, 1995-2001
RG 552.15 Elizabeth Long, 1990-2001
RG 552.16 James V. Froelker, 1989-2003
RG 552.17 Mary L. Gant, 1967-1981
RG 552.18 Albert M. Spradling, 1953-1976
RG 552.19 Emory Melton, 1973-1997
RG 552.20 Thomas B. Littlejohn, 1921-1922
RG 552.21 Morris Westfall, 1971-2003
RG 552.22 Mary Groves Bland, 1981-2005
RG 522.23 Christopher Graham, 1983-1990
RG 552.24 Wayne Goode, 1962-2005
RG 552.25 Steve Gaw, 1993-2000
RG 552.26 Fred Spearman, 1925-1955
RG 552.27 Betty Sims, 1995-2002
RG 552.28 Mary Hagan-Harrell, 1986-2002
RG 552.29 Norma Champion, 2005-2008
RG 552.30 Joan Bray, 1993-2010
RG 552.31 Marvin E. Proffer, 1962-1986
RG 552.32 Annette Morgan, 1980-1996
RG 552.33 Larry Thomason, 1989-1998
RG 552.34 Philip Barry, 1972-1990
RG 552.35 James N. Riley, 1972-1992
RG 552.36 Karen McCarthy, 1976-1994

RG 561 Joint, Interim and Special Legislative Committees

RG 561.01 Joint, Interim, and Special Committees, 1842-2019
RG 561.02 Joint Committee on Corrections, 1959-2014
RG 561.03 Missouri Atomic Energy Commission, 1961-1982
RG 561.04 Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement

RG 600 Missouri Supreme Court

See the Supreme Court Case Files

RG 601 Eastern District Court of Appeals

RG 601.01 Eastern District Court of Appeals

RG 747 Jackson County Records

RG 747.01 Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools

RG 820 Municipal Records

RG 820.01 Kansas City Parks and Recreation

RG 951 U.S. Recorder of Land Titles

RG 951.01 First Board Papers of Original Claimants, 1777-1851
RG 951.02 Second Board Papers of Original Claimants, 1785-1857
RG 951.03 New Madrid Claims, 1815-1855

RG 952 U.S. Surveyor General

RG 952.01 New Madrid Claims, 1816-1856

RG 960 U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps

RG 960.01 U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps

RG 998 Manuscripts

These are posted on a separate page. Click HERE to access our manuscript finding aids.

The Missouri State Archives collections are non-circulating. Permanent state government records housed in the Missouri State Archives stacks area are available for use in the Archives Research Room. Advance request must be made for use of records from the stacks on Thursday evenings, Saturdays, and holidays. Microfilm and a limited selection of printed works are available in the Archives Research Room to researchers at all times.