THOMAS LOWE HUGHES:

An Inventory of His Family Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Hughes, Thomas Lowe, 1925-
	Title:	Thomas Hughes and family papers.
	Dates:	1845-2007.
	Language:	Materials in English, Welsh
	Abstract:	Correspondence, diaries, notes, photographs, manuscripts, maps, documents, scrapbooks, genealogical records and related ephemera of Thomas Hughes, a Mankato, Minnesota lawyer, civic leader and early southern Minnesota historian. Some of the material is in the Welsh language.
	Quantity:	5.0 cubic feet (5 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Thomas Hughes (1854-1934), the son of Henry Hughes (1833-1912) and Eliza Davies (1831-1915), was born in Minersville, Ohio on September 23, 1854. After emigrating from Tredegar, Wales in 1851, the family moved from Ohio to a Welsh settlement in Cambria, Blue Earth County, Minnesota in 1855 with Eliza's mother and brothers.

Thomas Hughes graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1880 and was admitted to the bar two years later. He married Alice Orianna Hills (1856-1927) in 1885, also a graduate of Carleton College and the daughter of a New England Yankee farming family who had settled in Minnesota after spending five years in the 1850s in Jamaica as Congregational missionaries. Thomas and Alice had two sons, Burton Edward and Evan Raymond. Burton E. Hughes (1888-1967) also studied at Carleton College, received a degree from Harvard Law School, and practiced in Austin, Minnesota where he and his wife and son Edward Sterling (Ned) lived. Evan Raymond Hughes (1892-1954) also studied at Carleton and Harvard and married Alice Lowe in 1921. He practiced law in Mankato with his father (1920-1934) and alone until 1954 and was an active civic leader. Evan Raymond and Alice had two children, Thomas Lowe Hughes and Marianne (Ann) Hughes.

A lawyer in Mankato for fifty-two years, Thomas Hughes also held many civic offices, served on the board of governors and was a life member of the Minnesota Historical Society. He was an avid historian throughout his life, writing pamphlets, articles and books on many Minnesota topics including: The History of the Welsh in Minnesota (1895), The Semi-Centennial of Mankato (1903), The History of Blue Earth County (1909), Indian Chiefs of Southern Minnesota (1927), and Old Traverse des Sioux (1929).

Foundation executive Thomas Lowe Hughes was born in Mankato, Minnesota, December 11, 1925, and married Jean Hurlburt Reiman on May 7, 1955. He earned a bachelor's degree at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota (1947) and a law degree at Yale University (1952). Hughes was a college professor in California, in Texas, and at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; counsel to Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey (1955-1958); and held various positions in the State Department (1961-1971). For many years he was associated with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Thomas Hughes and Family papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 16,181; 16,299

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 007313104

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

GENEALOGY

Location

129.I.5.3B

Hughes, Thomas, (1854-1934):

Welsh Ancestry.

Includes Hughes, Williams, Jones, Davies and Evans research. Written by Thomas L. Hughes.

Letters to Wales by Thomas Hughes, circa 1930s.

Welsh ancestry notes. 66 pages.

Hughes ancestry in Wales, original manuscript, circa 1900.

Paternal ancestry.

Includes manuscripts, Welsh marriage and death records, maps, coats of arms, news clippings, letters and baptismal notes.

Relationship to Charles Evans Hughes.

Includes family chart, biography, and news clippings.

Hughes, Thomas, M. P., circa 1857.

Tredegar ancestry and relatives:

Includes correspondence between Henry and Thomas Hughes and their Welsh relatives, letters from Ann Hughes Griffiths to Henry Hughes (1854-1898), photographs, and the diary of Thomas L. Hughes from his visit to Tredegar in 1947-1948.

Griffiths, Ann Hughes (1836-1901) family, circa 1930s and 1947-1951.

Includes 12 letters from Humphrey Evans, a nephew of Thomas Hughes, and responses from his son Evan Raymond, photographs, news clippings and research.

Hughes, Elizabeth Evans: Emigration to Minersville, Ohio.

Elizabeth Evans Hughes was the second wife of Thomas Hughes (1799-1841), and the step-mother of Henry Hughes (1833-1912).

Williams ancestry.

Williams data, notes, death records.

Includes 3 letters from W. E. Williams.

Jones ancestry.

Brecon literature and history.

Includes postcards.

Davies ancestry: Notes, correspondence and maps. 3 folders.

Davies family correspondence, undated and 1868-1947.

Includes 30 photographs.

New Quay, Cardigan shire.

Includes pamphlet and articles by E. Beynon Davies.

Davies, Ann Beynon and her sons: Correspondence, 1900-1930.

In Welsh.

Evans, D. Beynon: Correspondence, 1938-1947.

Wales diary of Thomas L. Hughes, 1947-1949.

Evans, Cyril: Correspondence. 1950-2000.

Includes account of Leland Hughes visit.

Evans, Gareth and Sheila: Correspondence, 1947-1990.

Written to Thomas L. Hughes.

Davies correspondence, 1918-1974. 5 folders.

Evans ancestry.

Jones, Hannah Evans: Correspondence, 1860-1930.

Wales travel information. 2 folders.

Includes maps.

Wales genealogical information and news clippings.

Location

129.I.5.4F

Hughes, Henry, (1833-1912):

Pomeroy, Ohio, 1945-1954.

Includes 1845 almanac, 1857 letter, description of house on Ohio River where the family lived.

Letters from congressmen, Minnesota governor and officials, 1861-1975.

Letters and sermon notes in Welsh, 1850-1890.

Tax receipts. 60 items.

Family correspondence, 1864-1894. 210 letters in 2 folders.

Includes Welsh correspondence.

Invoices and receipts.

Hughes, Henry and Eliza. 42 photographs and 2 postcards.

Agriculture: Grange, almanacs, patrons of husbandry letters.

School matters: Cambria, 1865-1894.

Church items, 1856-1904.

Hughes, Henry: Letters to family, 1881-1896. 60 letters.

In Welsh.

Hughes, Henry and Eliza: Legal documents, correspondence, and obituaries.

Notebook of Henry Hughes.

In Welsh.

Copied diary of Thomas Hughes, 1854-1860.

Includes family notes about arrival in Minnesota.

Uncles of Thomas Hughes:

Davies, Evan J.

Includes Civil War papers, land title and deed, photographs, biography, death certificate, articles and news clippings.

Davies, John: Pennsylvania.

Davies, Thomas Y.

Includes photographs, letters and news clippings.

Davies, David Y.

Includes photographs, pension papers, letters, financial documents and Civil War accounts.

Hughes relatives in Cambria.

Includes letters and photographs.

Hughes, Alice and Lizzie.

Includes letters from daughters Alice and Lizzie living in Pasadena, California.

Hughes, Alice and Lizzie: Photographs and postcards.

Hughes, Alice: Letters to Thomas L. Hughes, 1945-1946.

Hughes, Alice: Pasadena estate. 1952.

Hughes, Hannah Jane and Price, Evan: Papers, letters, documents, photographs and obituaries.

Hughes, Mary Ann and Bowen, David: Letters, clippings, biography, financial documents, circa 1885.

Hughes, Henry John: Letters and photographs.

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MINNESOTA RESEARCH

Location

129.I.5.5B

Letters from political figures, 1895-1934. 50 letters.

Correspondence and index regarding the Thomas Hughes collection at the Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Detailed description of materials donated to the Minnesota State University, Mankato and the Blue Earth County Historical Museum, circa 1977.

Mankato semi-centennial celebration correspondence, 1902.

Speeches and articles by Thomas Hughes.

Indian Chiefs news clippings, circa 1920s.

Articles about Thomas Hughes.

Minnesota Historical Society, 1900-1934.

Includes correspondence, speeches, reviews and news clippings.

Minneopa State Park.

Steam boating on the Minnesota River.

History of Blue Earth County research materials and notes.

Blue Earth County history correspondence. 27 letters.

Blue Earth County research and articles.

History of the Welsh in Minnesota articles, undated and 1885, 1895.

Welsh history correspondence.

History of the Welsh in Minnesota, 1967.

Indian research: Correspondence, articles, photographs and related materials, undated and 1895-1987. 2 folders.

Publishers correspondence of second edition of Indian Chiefs, 1969.

Traverse des Sioux, 1905-2002.

Minnesota Dakota Indian news clippings, undated and 1987-2007.

Indian Chiefs correspondence, 1921-1934.

Spanish American War.

Politics.

Early law practice, 1858-1889.

Law practice miscellany, 1883-1910.

Defense of local German-Americans in World War II.

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PERSONAL PAPERS

Location

129.I.5.5B

Obituaries, news clippings, memorials and correspondence on the death of Thomas Hughes, 1934.

Location

129.I.5.6F

Diaries, 1897-1934. 37 volumes.

Diary excerpts and index created by grandson Thomas L. Hughes.

Carleton College, 1874-1967.

Includes copies of materials previously donated to the alma mater of both Thomas Hughes and his wife Alice Orianna Hills Hughes.

Descendants of Thomas Hughes.

Family items, 1882-1934.

Includes photographs, correspondence, news clippings, receipts, personal cards and invitations.

Stamped documents, undated and 1865-1902.

Church items, 1887-1934.

Letters from Carleton College, 1874-1880.

Originals housed at Carleton College.

Correspondence of Thomas Hughes and Alice Orianna Hills Hughes, 1879-1885. 2 folders.

Originals at Carleton College.

Thomas L. Hughes researched themes concerning the correspondence of Thomas and Alice Hughes, 1870s and 1880s.

Morris, Owen and Mary letters to Thomas Hughes, 1874-1888.

Includes both copies and originals. Other originals housed at Carleton College.

Correspondence of Thomas and Alice Hughes to their sons from California, 1911.

All originals.

Hughes, Alice: Essays on European tours and persons, maps and drawings, 1900-1915.

Hughes, Alice: Essays on the Vikings, Chile and Peru.

Hughes, Thomas and Alice, 1880-1934. 14 photographs.

Minnesota scenes, 30 photographs.

Taken by Alice Hughes. Includes two typed descriptions.

Hughes, Alice: Essays on artists.

Includes an inventory of her library.

Correspondence of Thomas and Alice Hughes, 1900-1921.

Obituary and correspondence on Alice Hughes death, 1927.

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LEGAL PAPERS AND MEMORABILIA

Location

129.I.5.6F

State centennial newspapers, 1949.

Transcripts and news clippings of important cases.

Beginning study of law, 1881-1882.

Includes pamphlets on legal sources, notes, and summaries.

Location

Box

129.I.5.7B

Autographed documents, 1858-1902.

Includes 16 documents signed by prominent Minnesotans.

Civil War correspondence: Cramer Burt, 1860-1903.

Wilkinson, Senator Morton: Correspondence and biography, 1858-1862.

Waite, Judge Franklin H.: Correspondence, 1858-1882. 2 folders.

Burt and Wilkinson correspondence, 1855-1862.

Nineteenth century Minnesota memorabilia.

Includes plat extracts, legal documents, historical accounts and materials, tickets, promissory notes, petitions, letters and other related items.

Twentieth century Minnesota memorabilia.

Includes political materials, cards and Mankato city charter and publications.

Minnesota historical scrapbook, circa 1900.

Commercial invoices and letterheads, 1850-1880.

Minnesota land grants, 1856-1906.

Legal documents, circa 1850s-1860s.

Includes over 400 handwritten and printed documents, mainly from Blue Earth County.

Hughes family photographs, 1890-1910.

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CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Welsh Americans -- Minnesota.

Persons:: Davis family.; Hughes, Henry, 1833- .; Hughes, Thomas, 1854-1934.; Hughes family.

Places:: Blue Earth County (Minn.) -- History.; Mankato (Minn.)

Document Types:: Diaries.; Genealogies.; Photographs.

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