Finding Aid from the Manuscript Section of the Indiana State Library

William M. Reser Collection
L466
1881-1944
5 mss. boxes, 1 clamshell box

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Processed by: Elizabeth M. Wilkinson, 2004
Additions and revisions by: Elizabeth M. Wilkinson, June 2006

Biographical Note:

William Marven Reser was born 19 June 1863 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana to Harvey and Sarah Waymire Reser. Later in life he decided to go to school to become a physician. He received his M.D. in 1903 from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Mary Erisman on 10 October 1907. He practiced medicine in Lafayette, Indiana where he donated his services to the county orphan’s home for twenty-five years. He retired from medicine in 1940.

He was a prolific speaker on local history, often giving lectures on local, regional, and state historical topics such as "Wabash and Erie Canal and its local importance." He also wrote two monographs: Grist Mills of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1945, and John Rudolph Waymire and the First Three Generations of his Descendents as known March 1, 1925, 1925, as well as articles and pamphlets regarding local and state history for the local newspapers and "Indiana's Second State Fair" for the Indiana Magazine of History. He was a charter member of the Tippecanoe County Historical Society and served as its president and vice-president. Dr. Reser passed away 19 March 1943.

Sources:
Indiana Authors and their Books, 1917-1966.
Lafayette Journal and Courier, "Dr. W. M. Reser Dies; Practitioner, County Historian," March 19, 1943.

Scope and Content Note:

The collection consists of papers from 1881-1940, though the bulk of the materials cover 1920-1935. Dr. Reser corresponded with his relatives in order to compile extensive genealogy charts and family histories, which make up the greater part of this collection. Dr. Reser focused on the Hoover and Waymire branches of his family.

The materials within this collection include correspondence, family histories, clippings, DAR ephemerae, sketches of individuals, family tree charts, and Dr. Reser's research files for the Tippecanoe County Historical Society, lectures, and articles.

Box and Folder Listing:

Box 1.  Correspondence, 1886-1934

1.             Correspondence, 1886, 1921-1923
2.	Correspondence, 1924-1925
3.	Correspondence, 1926
4.	Correspondence, 1927-1928
5.	Correspondence, 1929-1930
6.	Correspondence, 1931
7.	Correspondence, 1932-1933
8.	Correspondence, 1934

Box 2.  Correspondence, 1935-1939

1.             Correspondence, Feb.-June 1935
2.	Correspondence, July-Sept. 1935
3.	Correspondence, Oct.-Dec. 1935
4.	Correspondence, 1936
5.	Correspondence, 1937, 1939

Box 3.  Notes, Family Histories, and Miscellaneous Items

1.             Notebooks, 1922-ca. 1929
2.	Church and Family Histories, 1934-1937
3.	Waymire Reunion Clippings, 1881-1904
4.	The Royal Lineage of the Hamlin’s
5.	Hamlin and Wyman Genealogical Papers
6.	Snell Ancestry
7.	DAR Ephemerae
8.	Sketch of Henry Hoover
9.	Sketch of Catherine Hoover Watson
10.	Publications

Box 4.  Family Tree Charts

1.             Andrew Hoover, Elizabeth Hoover, and Daniel Hoover (scroll)
2.	David Hoover (scroll)
3.	Elizabeth Waymire Hoover (scroll)
4.	Henry Hoover (scroll)
5.	Jacob Hoover (scroll)
6.	John Hoover (scroll)
7.	Jonas Hoover (scroll)
8.	Peter Hoover (scroll)
9.	Frederick Waymire (scroll)
10.	One Branch of Hoover Family, 1908—2 Copies

Box 5.  Family history and Tippecanoe County History

Folder	
1.	Waymire-Reser Genealogy, 1927
2.	Reser family obituaries, 1906-1924
3.	Hoover family information, 1920s
4.	John Rudolph Waymire biography
5.	Lecture "Early Wayne County activities of Waymire family connected therewith"
6.	Durkee biographical file, 1932-1937
7.	Langlois biographical file, 1930s
8.	Reno biographical file
9.	Dr. Jonathan Richmond biographical file
10. 	Miscellaneous biographical files, 1900-1930s
11.	Lecture "White servitude," 1930s
12.	Ft. Ouiatenon information file, 1930s
13.	Indiana Hospital Association information file. 1921, 1936
14.	Lincoln's assassination information file, 1920
15.	Lincoln's inaugural trip address, 1932
16.	Saint Elizabeth Hospital founding and staff history information file, 1933-1943
17.	Battle of Tippecanoe information file, 1907-1944
18.	Tippecanoe County Historical Association, 1930s
19.	Tippecanoe County firsts, 1920s
20.	Tippecanoe County historic sites, 1929-1944
21.	Tippecano3 County medical history, 1930s

Box 6.  Tippecanoe County history and addresses

Folder	
1.	Tippecanoe County: Indiana's Second State Fair at Lafayette, 1940s
2.	Tippecanoe County Mills, 1920s
3.	Tippecanoe County Post offices and towns
4.	Tippecanoe County townships
5.	Tippecanoe County roads
6.	Tippecanoe County railroads
7.	Lafayette and Children's Home history, 1869-1926
8.	Lafayette newspaper article transcripts, 1833-1915
9.	"Wabash and Erie Canal" address, 1933-1938
10.	"Wabash and Erie Canal" address research and related correspondence, 1931-1941
11.	"Paper to be read before the Indiana Law Reporter's Association, July 20, 1909"
12.	Miscellaneous materials
13.	Address by Champ Clark, 1918

Collection Information:

Size of Collection:	5 manuscript boxes, 1 clamshell box
Collection Dates:	1881-1944
Provenance:	Mrs. William Reser, 1945
Access:	This collection is open for research.
Restrictions:	None
Reproduction Rights:	Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library. Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language	Materials are in English and German
Alternate Formats:	None
Related Holdings:
Notes:

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.