John Lutz Papers, 1893-1908
Ms. Collection No. 420
Biography
John Joseph Lutz was born in Smithville, Ohio, on January 28, 1855. He attended public schools, Wooster University (now College of Wooster) (Wooster, Ohio) and Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, Ohio) (a posthumous biographical sketch [Biennial Report of the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Historical Society, v. 17, p. 96] stated that that he attended Mount Union College [Alliance, Ohio] instead of Ohio Wesleyan). Lutz came to Kansas in 1882 after teaching in Ohio. He continued his teaching career until 1890. He was also principal of the Hamlin public schools. In 1891 he was ordained a Methodist minister. Until 1894 he served in Manhattan and Pottawatomie County. In 1894 he moved to Minnesota, serving congregations in Fairfax and Stanton. He died October 29, 1909, at Geneva, Minnesota.
In addition to his ministerial duties, Reverend Lutz wrote articles on a number of historical subjects for various periodicals, including the Kansas State Historical Society Collections and the Midland Monthly, for whom he wrote an article, published in June 1897, on the 1860 abolitionist raid on the Morgan Walker farm in Missouri. The raid was led by William Clark Quantrill, who betrayed the abolitionists to the slave - owning Walkers. Quantrill is best known for leading the 1863 raid on Lawrence.
Lutz also researched the infamous 1846 Reed - Donner party, half of whom died on the overland trail to California. He located the grave of Sarah Keyes, who died en route along the banks of the Blue River in Kansas. Methodist missions in Kansas was also a topic researched by Reverend Lutz.
Scope and Content
The Lutz collection consists of 57 letters and pieces of manuscript material. Most of the correspondence is from relatives and descendents of the participants in the historical events written about by Lutz. An annotated chronological list to the correspondence follows.
Contents List
Chronological List of Documents
ALS = autograph letter, signed. ANS = autograph note, signed. TLS = typewritten letter, signed.
Murphy, Virginia [Reed]. ALS to Lutz. 4 August 1893. 4 p.
Discusses 1846 overland crossing to California (Reed - Donner party) and the location of her grandmother’s (Sarah Keyes) grave along the Blue River in Kansas.
Lewis, Mrs. Frank [Patty Reed]. ALS to Lutz. 3 May 1894. 2 p.
Regarding the grave of Sarah Keyes.
Murphy, Virginia [Reed]. ALS to Lutz. 2 August 1894. 5 p.
Regarding the 1846 Reed - Donner party and the grave of Sarah Keyes.
Hinton, R. J. ALS to Lutz. 12 June 1895. 3 p.
Regarding John Brown and Kansas free - state history.
Sanborn, General John B. TLS to Jutz. 12 July 1895. 7 p.
Regarding Price’s raid into Kansas and action during the Civil War along the Kansas - Missouri border.
[Greene], A. R. ALS to Lutz. 13 July 1895. 1 p.
Regarding Civil War campaigns on the Kansas - Missouri border.
Ware, E. F. ALS to Lutz. 18 July 1895. 1 p.
Regarding publications concerning border battles during the Civil War.
Brice, E. M. ALS to Lutz. 9 August 1895. 1 p.
Regarding the grave of Sarah Keyes.
Scott, W. W. ALS to Lutz. 24 February 1896. 2 p.
Regarding William Clark Quantrill and the Civil War.
Hinton, R. J. ALS to Lutz. 13 December 1896. 2 p.
Regarding Kansas history, John Brown, and poems by Richard Realf.
Hinton, R. J. ALS to Lutz. 11 January 1897. 1 p.
Regarding Realf poems and memoirs.
Hinton, R. J. ALS to Lutz. 16 February 1897. 3 p.
Regarding Realf poems.
Lutz, Rev. J. J. ALS to Miss Lizzie Lutz. 22 February 1897. 3 p.
Personal.
Scott, W. W. ALS to Lutz. 22 February 1897. 2 p.
Regarding William C. Quantrill.
Scott, W. W. ALS to Lutz. 1 March 1897. 3 p.
Regarding William C. Quantrill.
[Coppore], J. L. ALS to Lutz. 18 March 1897. 2 p.
Regarding Charles Ball, a participant in the Morgan Walker raid of 1860. Lutz wrote an article on the raid for the Midland Monthly of June 1897 (available in the KSHS Library).
Brown, Rebecca. ALS to Lutz. 25 March 1897. 2 p.
Regarding Edwin Brown’s murder during the border troubles.
Negus, Martha. “Short Biographical Sketch of Charles Ball and his Sister Martha Negus.” 25 March 1897. 18 p.
Regarding the Morgan Walker raid, William C. Quantrill, and abolitionist activity along the Kansas - Missouri border during the 1850s and 1860s.
Harris, Ransom L. ALS to Lutz. 10 April 1897. 4 p.
Mr. Harris was a participant in the Morgan Walker raid of 1860 with Charles Ball, Albert Southwick, Charles T. Lipsey, and William C. Quantrill.
Brigham, Johnson. TLS to Lutz. 23 April 1897. 1 p.
Editor and publisher of the Midland Monthly. Letter regards photographs to be included in article on Morgan Walker raid.
Trueblood, Mrs. A. E. ALS to Lutz. 27 April 1897. 1 p.
Sister of Charles Lipsey, a participant in the Morgan Walker raid. Letter regards photograph of Lipsey for article in the Midland Monthly.
Harris, Ransom L. ALS to Lutz. 28 April 1897. 1 p.
Regarding the Morgan Walker raid.
Scott, W. W. ALS to Lutz. 3 may 1897. 1 p.
Scott was the liaison between Lutz and William Clark Quantrill’s mother, who lived in Canal Dover, Ohio. Letter concerns Mrs. Quantrill’s contributions to the article Lutz was preparing for the Midland Monthly.
Brigham, Johnson. TLS to Lutz. 6 May 1897. 1 p.
Regarding article for Midland Monthly on Morgan Walker raid.
Brigham, Johnson. ALS to Lutz. 20 September 1898. 1 p.
Regarding Quantrill letter in Lutz’s possession.
Brigham, Johnson. ALS to Lutz. 11 November 1898. 1 p.
General.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 21 August 1899. 2 p.
Regarding Governor William Walker of Nebraska and Methodist missions in Kansas.
Connelley, William E. ALS to Lutz. 23 August 1899. 3 p.
Regarding Methodist missions and general Kansas history.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 2 November 1899. 1 p.
Regarding Methodist missions and general Kansas history.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 19 November 1899. 2 p.
Regarding Russel Bigelow and Methodist missions in Kansas.
Brown, G. W. ALS to Lutz. 5 April 1900. 6 p.
Regarding John Brown and William C. Quantrill.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 18 August 1900. 3 p.
Regarding publishing efforts and various historical topics.
Hinton, R. J. ALS to Lutz. 1 Ocotber 1900. 2 p.
Personal.
Cone, W. W. ALS to Lutz. 3 January 1905. 4 p.
Regarding early Kansas history and Methodist missions.
Green, Charles R. ALS to Lutz. 6 February 1905. 5 p.
Regarding the Delaware Indians.
Morehouse, George P. TLS to Lutz. 23 April 1905. 2 p.
Regarding Methodist missions in Kansas.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 1 May 1905. 1 p.
Regarding Methodist missions in Kansas.
Huffaker, T. S. ALS to Lutz. 17 May 1905. 3 p.
Regarding Indian mission at Council Grove.
[ ]. ANS to Lutz. 5 August 1905. 1 p.
Regarding the Grinters and missions in Kansas.
Chick, J. S. ALS to Lutz. 8 August 1905. 1 p.
Regarding Shawnee mission.
Griffing, W. J. ALS to Lutz. 24 August 1905. 2 p.
Regarding Methodist missions in Kansas.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 15 February 1906. 1 p.
Regarding Lutz’s article on Quantrill and the Morgan Walker raid for the Midland Monthly.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 6 April 1906. 1 p.
Regarding Quantrill and Midland Monthly article.
Green, C. [K]. ALS to Lutz. 14 April 1906. 1 p.
Regarding Methodist missions in Kansas.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 15 April 1906. 2 p.
Regarding Quantrill and Midland Monthly article.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 18 February 1907. 1 p.
Regarding articles on Quantrill.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 28 February 1907. 1 p.
Regarding Quantrill, Midland Monthly article, and Mormon wars in Missouri.
Armstrong, Estelle. ALS to Lutz. 3 March 1907. 4 p.
Regarding Silas Armstrong, a leader of the Wyandots in Kansas.
Stanley, E. J. ALS to Lutz. 3 December 1907. 8 p.
Regarding Methodist missions in Kansas.
Connelley, William E. TLS to Lutz. 24 March 1908. 1 p.
Regarding general Kansas history.
Hamblin, H. M. ALS to Lutz. 27 July 1908. 1 p.
Author is looking for the original letters quoted in an article by Lutz published in the Kansas State Historical Society Collections, volume 9.
Spencer, J. ALS to Lutz. 11 December 1908. 3 p.
Regarding “Morehouse monument”.
Scott, W. W. ALS to Lutz. Undated. 3 p.
Regarding William C. Quantrill and the Morgan Walker raid.
Cook, E. Poem. Undated. 3 p.
In remembrance of Charles Lipsey, killed in the Morgan Walker raid of 1860.
Rich, Anna B. ANS to Lutz. 2 April [ ]. 1 p.
(Sister of Charles Ball.) Regarding Charles Ball.
Bryant, J. ANS to Lutz. Undated. 1 p.
Regarding Quantrill letters used by Lutz for article in the Midland Monthly.
Unidentified. Undated. 1 p.
List of questions regarding Methodist missions in Kansas. Some answered by unknown writer.
Additional Information for Researchers
Acquisition
The John Lutz collection was donated to the Kansas State Historical Society in 1939 by Anna B. Yoder.
Restrictions
There are no restrictions on use of the collection.
