Powers Museum Library Resources

City/County history books available for self-directed research are:

1883 History of Jasper County, Missouri by F. A. North

1901 Biographical Record of Jasper County Missouri by Malcolm  McGregor

1912 History of Jasper County, Missouri, and its People by Joel Livingston, 2 volumes

1995 Jasper County: First Two Hundred Years by Marvin VanGilder

1923 Jasper County, Missouri, in the Civil War by Ward Schrantz

2000 Carthage, Missouri (Images of America book) by Michele Newton Hansford (Limited copies of this book are for sale at the Museum Gift Shop and at Oldies and Oddities on the westside of the Carthage square.  Please call the museum if you wish to purchase by mail order.)

2008 A Pictorial History of Carthage, Missouri by the Carthage Press

2003 Then and Now: An Architectural History of Carthage, Missouri Square and Nearby by Sue Vandergriff

1888 Carthage City Directory

Among Carthage city directories held by the museum are the years: 1888, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1909, 1917, 1919, 1923, 1925, 1937, 1941, 1947, and selected directories from 1950–1999. City directories are available at the Carthage Public Library (local history section in old library area, 2nd floor) on microfilm and as hardbacks on the shelves. A limited collection of city directories is found at the Jasper County Record Center, too.  Access to city directories prior to 1950 is by appointment only since these are not stored in the immediate area of the library/meeting room.

The Reference Library/Meeting Room features an 1895 map and the 1891 Carthage Bird's-eye view on display, (click here for a preview).  Reproductions of the 1891 Bird's-eye view/print can be purchased by mail order or  at the Power Museum Gift Shop.  (Our sales case inside Oldies and Oddities on the westside of the Carthage Square also has these prints and a selection of books.)

A limited number of Carthage High School yearbooks and Ozark Wesleyan College yearbooks are available for consultation, too. Check Carthage High School and College Yearbooks for updated holdings as well as links to other Carthage school websites and histories. (Be advised that both the Carthage Public Library and the Jasper County Records Center also have yearbooks.) 

Additional Local History Resources in Reference Library Collection (available for self-directed research)

Other original and photocopied books and booklets on Carthage, including selected church histories, view books, and other special subjects can be found in the library as well.

The Powers Museum also has an ever-growing reference collection of books on non-Carthage topics related to special research interests or collection holdings.  These are available for research during public hours.  The museum's strongest subject areas:  Highway 66 and the Jefferson Highway  (and related transportation themes), World War I and World War II.  Lesser subject areas include: American Music, Historic Photographs, Leisure Activities, Ozarks Region, Women's History and the Tri-State Lead, Zinc and Limestone Industry.

If you are looking for information on Famous Carthaginians, please consult this section of our website.  It will guide you on whether or not there are additional resources on these individuals at the Powers Museum.

Vertical File holdings now require advance appointment for access (like all other archival collections).  Vertical Files are no longer available for walk-in, on-demand use.  However, some of the most requested files (such as Carthage Cave, Lakeside Park, etc.) have been copied and are found in notebooks in the Reference Library.

Also, the Powers Museum no longer provides free research services for those unable to travel to the museum to use either the Reference Library Collections and/or Archival Collections. We will be happy to discuss your project by email, phone or mail, but research work and photocopying can no longer be conducted by staff.  This excludes cooperative projects between non-profit and/or educational institutions but services are performed for such groups as permitted by our own staff/volunteer availability.

If you fee-based research services are required, please contact the museum for a list of such providers available in the nearby area. 

Archival Resources at the Powers Museum

Note:  All archival resources listed below require advance appointment for use.  This also includes the holdings of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project Collection. 

Carthage Browns player Jimmie Bilbrey

This online guide includes descriptions of several several large archival donations from the community covering various organizations or topics including the Pollard Estate (rental records and bills for the Pollard I & II buildings on Main Street), Carthage baseball teams Photograph Collection of the 1930s-50s, selected construction and loan records for the Jasper County Building & Loan Association, and historical records of the Bank of Carthage Bank of Carthage as well as other Carthage banks and businesses the Bank of Carthage was connected with or took over.  Other smaller gifts have added to the postcard and photograph collections featuring other Carthage subjects.  Several local men's and women's organizations such as , Carthage Council on Social Agencies, and Rhoda Fairchild Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution for example, have donated club records and scrapbooks as groups disband or move to new meeting facilities.

Please note the museum's archival holdings continue to be processed and computerized as time permits by staff and volunteers and sometimes and not everything we own is covered in the online guide.  Also due to on-going collection processing, some materials may not be available for consultation.

Again, prior appointment is required for use of all archival collections including the vertical file collection of museum research. This material is not available for walk-in, on-demand use. 

Also, the Powers Museum no longer provides free research services for those unable to travel to the museum to use either the Reference Library Collections and/or Archival Collections. We will be happy to discuss your project by email, phone or mail, but research work and photocopying can no longer be conducted by staff.  This excludes cooperative projects between non-profit and/or educational institutions but services are performed for such groups as permitted by our own staff/volunteer availability.

If you need fee-based research services are required, please contact the museum for a list of such providers available in the nearby area.

Archival Collection of Wright-Powers Correspondence (1880s - 1980s)

The original bequest from Marian Powers Winchester's estate includes a large collection of family correspondence, photographs, and other memorabilia related to the Wright, Powers and Winchester families.

Guide to Correspondence Collection

Prior appointment is necessary for use of this archival collection. This material is not available for walk-in, on-demand use.