The Chariton Collector
Encyclopedia
The Chariton Collector was a local history
and folklore
magazine published biannually between 1980 and 1989 by students at Kirksville High School
, Kirksville, Missouri
. The magazine took its name from the Chariton River
, which flows through northeast Missouri.
and the larger northeast Missouri area. This was inspired by the success of the Foxfire
books and magazines along with an increased interest in local history brought about by the U.S. Bicentennial
. In the summer of 1980, realizing that the stories written and interviews conducted during the class year should be preserved and published for the general public to enjoy, Mrs. Trowbridge and student volunteers compiled and edited the first issue of The Chariton Collector, which was released in Fall, 1980.
and circus impresario William Preston Hall
, or the unknown like local basket weavers and former residents of a coal mining camp.
, The Chariton Collector experienced a rebirth of sorts in 2006. All stories and photographs from each of the eighteen issues were scanned and placed online for free use by the general public via the website of Truman State's Pickler Memorial Library. Additionally, Kirksville High School donated interview tapes, transcripts, and photographs associated with The Chariton Collector to Pickler Libraries' Special Collections department. Rare copies of the Collector can sometimes be found for sale online or at public auctions, but always for many times the original cover price.
Local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
magazine published biannually between 1980 and 1989 by students at Kirksville High School
Kirksville High School
Kirksville High School is a public high school located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school serves grades 9 through 12, and is part of the Kirksville R-III School District. Current enrollment is 827 students, with a staff of 74 teachers, paras and administrators...
, Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
. The magazine took its name from the Chariton River
Chariton River
The Chariton River is a tributary to the Missouri River in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri.It has been called Missouri's "Grand Divide" because streams west of the Chariton flow into the Missouri and streams east of it flow into the Mississippi River....
, which flows through northeast Missouri.
The beginnings
In Fall of 1979 a new class, Local History, was offered as an elective at Kirksville High School under the direction of Mrs. Carol Trowbridge. Instead of standard textbook instruction Mrs. Trowbridge envisioned an interactive learning experience where students would collect oral histories from the people of Adair CountyAdair County, Missouri
Adair County is a county located in northeast Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,607. Its county seat is Kirksville. The county was organized in 1841 and is named in honor of Kentucky Governor John Adair....
and the larger northeast Missouri area. This was inspired by the success of the Foxfire
Foxfire (magazine)
The Foxfire magazine began in 1966, written and published as a quarterly American magazine by students at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a private secondary education school located in the U.S. state of Georgia...
books and magazines along with an increased interest in local history brought about by the U.S. Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
. In the summer of 1980, realizing that the stories written and interviews conducted during the class year should be preserved and published for the general public to enjoy, Mrs. Trowbridge and student volunteers compiled and edited the first issue of The Chariton Collector, which was released in Fall, 1980.
A decade of success
From the first issue the general public greeted The Chariton Collector with eagerness, all of the initial printing of 1,250 magazines selling out within a few weeks time. A change in leadership took place in Fall, 1982 as Mrs. Mary Grossnickle took over the renamed "Local and State History" class from the departing Mrs. Trowbridge. Operated on a non-profit basis, any proceeds from sales of Collector issues were used to fund the next issues printing as well as purchase supplies needed to fulfill the classes primary mission of recording and cataloging oral histories. Over a ten year period a total of eighteen issues, comprising over 150 stories were published. Little-known or forgotten tales from the whimsical to the gruesome found their way into the pages of the Collector. A typical issue might include the famous, like author Lester DentLester Dent
Lester Dent was a prolific pulp fiction author, best known as the creator and main author of the series of novels about the superhuman scientist and adventurer, Doc Savage. The 159 novels written over 16 years were credited to the house name Kenneth Robeson.-Early years:Dent was born in 1904 in...
and circus impresario William Preston Hall
William Preston Hall
William Preston Hall aka "The Colonel", "Diamond Billy", and "Horse King of the World" was an American showman, businessman, and circus impresario. His home in Lancaster, Missouri is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, or the unknown like local basket weavers and former residents of a coal mining camp.
Premature demise
In the late 1980s the Kirksville R-III school district was facing substantial budget shortfalls, necessitating cutbacks in various classes, programs, and extracurricular activities. Despite the fact that The Chariton Collector was largely self-funded, the class responsible for its publication, now named "Missouri History", was removed from the elective offerings and the final issue of the Collector published in Spring, 1989. Thanks to the internet and the work of Ms. Katherine Goodwin, a student at Truman State UniversityTruman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
, The Chariton Collector experienced a rebirth of sorts in 2006. All stories and photographs from each of the eighteen issues were scanned and placed online for free use by the general public via the website of Truman State's Pickler Memorial Library. Additionally, Kirksville High School donated interview tapes, transcripts, and photographs associated with The Chariton Collector to Pickler Libraries' Special Collections department. Rare copies of the Collector can sometimes be found for sale online or at public auctions, but always for many times the original cover price.