A personal reminiscence by Jennie Hammer and history, 1852-1949, of her Norwegian American family (Twetten and Rude), who settled in Polk County, Wisconsin, circa 1865. Included are family anecdotes, genealogical information, descriptions of family events and general conditions (especially for the period 1880-1949), and information about Hammer's training and experiences as a teacher.

Genealogies of two families: Reimes, 1816-1977, and the descendants of John and Alltje (Topp) Holtman, 1816-1977, both compiled by Elfrieda A. Kraege. The Holtman account contains information regarding the Topp and Ten Haken families. The Reimes genealogy treats several names including Rymes, Holtman, and Leenhouts.

Subject files of the Registrar's Office include incoming correspondence, reports, enrollment statistics, exam schedules, and subject files. Also contains UWRF and UW System promotional material as well as information regarding Go to College Day on campus.
The subject files include incoming correspondence regarding class credits and licensure; outgoing memorandums to faculty regarding final exams, honor roll, and registration; enrollment statistics; exam schedules; degrees conferred reports, and other reports.

Documents left at the Register of Deeds' office for recording, including federal land patents, 1854-1886 (recorded 1875-1886); land records including warranty deeds, land contracts, and indentures, 1871-1875; Willow River Cemetery lot deed, 1883; plat and survey of the New Richmond Cemetery, 1884; wills, 1876-1878; incorporation papers for the St. Croix Valley Agriculture Assoc. (amendment) and the Namekagon Improvement Company, 1884.

The Regional Development Institute, formerly the Rural Development Institute houses the Survey Research Center. The RDI Building was originally used as a UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine satellite facility. In 1986, work began on gaining funding to establish a Center for Rural Development and Education in Western Wisconsin. Funding was from the Otto Bremer Foundation of St. Paul Minnesota.

This series contains evaluations of student teachers at the River Falls Normal School (predecessor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls).

Blanche Alice Reardon (1901-1957) and Nellyebelle Reardon (1908-1989) were born on a 20-acre family farm in Kinnickinnic Township in St. Croix County Wisconsin. The youngest of eight children, the girls moved with two siblings and their mother into the Town of River Falls by 1920, where Blanche completed teacher training at the State Normal School at River Falls (now University of Wisconsin- River Falls). The sisters followed a brother to Chicago and utilized their musical and performance training to start the Reardon Sisters act. They toured Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan for a variety of audiences throughout the 1920's-early 1930s. Blanche Reardon married Charles Cannon, an intellectual property lawyer from Superior, Wisconsin in 1935 and the Reardon Sisters discontinued performances shortly thereafter. Nellyebelle married George D. Tolpo in 1942. (biographical information taken from collection)

Papers of Anderson, professor of political science at River Falls State University, River Falls, Wis., leader of the Pierce County Democratic Party, and Secretary of the Third Congressional District Democratic Party. Included is some correspondence and much printed matter concerning the Wisconsin and Pierce County parties. A few items concern post office vacancies and military academy appointments.

Papers of Humphries, president of the St. Croix River Association (Minn. and Wis.); consisting of a subject file concerning federal wild rivers legislation, proposals for a flood dam and a sewage treatment plant, a pedestrian walkway on the Interstate 94 bridge, construction of a Northern States Power Co. plant, and establishment of Minnesota's Afton State Park.
Correspondents include conservationist Chester Wilson.

Genealogical charts tracing the descendants of Ralph Shepard, compiled by Lani (Mrs. Donald) Doty.
There are additional accessions to this collection consisting of charts on the Ring, Doty, and Markham families.

Letter from Dr. R.A. Jensen, St. Cloud, Minnesota, to Walker D. Wyman in which Jensen reminisces about his experiences as a student at River Falls (Wis.) Normal School, 1922-1924.

The Quarter Abroad program began in 1963 by Dr. Robert B. Bailey, III. The program was conceived as a special opportunity for students of the university to engage in experiential learning projects and independent travel in Europe. The duration of the program was initially a quarter of the academic year and switched to semesters after 1971. With few exceptions, the program focuses on studying in Europe. In 2004, the program name was changed to Study Abroad: Europe to emphasize this.

This collection includes newspaper clippings from local newspapers that cover various subjects related to the River Falls Teachers College, including but not limited to, student activities, campus happenings, programs, faculty, and graduates. The Scrapbooks are arranged chronologically by year. Clipping within the books are arranged alphabetically by a paper published. These scrapbooks were compiled by Al Boeck, Director of the Public Relations Department and Journalism Instructor.

Copies of ordinances and resolutions passed by the common council. Includes date, reference to the Council's minute book, and date of publication.
Index in the back of each volume.

Minutes of the annual meetings of the Town Board of Supervisors and annual town meetings, noting the names of supervisors and town officers elected each year.
Prior to the 1853 establishment of Pierce County, the area was the Town of Elizabeth in St. Croix County. The Town of Prescott was split into the towns of Clifton and Oak Grove in 1857.

Student registers, 1899-1929, indicating pupil's name, grades in various subjects, date of graduation, names of teachers, and the textbooks used. There is a listing of early graduates from Prescott High School in volume 1. The school registers, 1929-1930, show the student's name and attendance record.

Records of a company formed to construct and operate a public toll bridge over Lake St. Croix between Prescott, Wisconsin and Point Douglas, Minnesota. Included are articles of incorporation, minutes of the board, financial records, stockholder lists, contracts, and deeds.

Record books of the cemetery in Rock Elm township, including minutes, 1874-1933, treasurer's records, 1879-1938, and lot ownership records.

Certificates of non-occupancy of lands bought at tax sales which the buyer of the tax certificate is petitioning for a tax deed. Included are the tax certificates issued to the buyer at the time of sale; and notice to occupants of land sold at tax sales that the owner of the tax certificate intends to apply for a tax deed.

Paper photocopy of an index of cases heard in probate court; listing name, residence, type of case, case file number, and volume and page location within the Probate Court Record (not in Archives custody).

Records of naturalization cases in the Circuit Court of Polk County. Records include Declarations of Intention (1859-1952), Certificates of Naturalization (1859-1906), Petitions (1859-1954), indexes to these records (1855-1954), Repatriations (1941-1944), Orders Granting and Denying Petitions (1929-1954), and Certificate of Naturalization Stub Books (1907-1929).

Records filed with the Clerk of Courts under section 220.08 (17), Wisconsin Statutes, including the Peoples Bank of Clear Lake minutes, by-laws, and financial statements, 1907-1932; Bank of Osceola segregated trust minute book, 1933-1948; and Bank of St. Croix Falls minutes, by-laws, and financial statements, 1888-1935.

Records indicate name of deceased and cause of death. Also included are coroner's inquests, histories of individual cases, summons, and subpoenas.

Record of first entry of sale of lands to pay county taxes. Includes description of lands sold, buyer, amount paid, and a listing of the various taxes owed.

Real and personal property rolls showing assessed valuation of property, taxes levied against property, and taxes paid. Holdings are not complete. Beginning in 1945, records are retained only for every fifth year.
The pre-1945 tax rolls are available only on microfilm.

Record of payment of county real estate taxes; volumes also record sale of land for taxes and includes tax certificate number, description of land, date sold, and owner. There are fragmentary accounts of town and villages in the county.

Tax rolls (1928, 1931, and 1932) indicate the taxable income for individuals and corporations, the amount of the tax, and whether it was paid; the 1931 volume also contains the delinquent income tax roll for that year. There are 7 volumes of income tax collection reports for individuals and corporations (1928-1933) that list the taxpayer's name and amount paid. There are one box and one volume of assessments for income taxation (1911-1926) which list the taxable income and tax for individuals and corporations.

Miscellaneous correspondence relating to taxation and assessments in Polk County among the State Tax Commission, town and village officers, and the County Treasurer.

Record of bounties including date, place, number, and kind of animal killed, name of claimant, and amount of money paid. There also are a few pages of assessment rolls from the Village of St. Croix Falls for 1862.

Records of debits and credits to the accounts of the towns and villages in the county and accounts for county agencies such as poor relief, schools, and roads. ?b Shows date, amount credited or debited, who paid or received the money, and in some cases the purpose for payment. Some volumes credit individual towns for money received from tax sales.

Records, primarily financial, of the County Home, also called the Poor Farm. There are 4 volumes of day books, 1882-1920, listing the day-to-day expenditures and receipts of the home; 13 volumes of ledgers, 1876-1934, of the home's accounts with firms and individuals it did business with as well as expenditures on its inmates; 2 volumes of ledgers listing expenditures on Outdoor Relief, 1885-1888; and one volume of minutes of the county committee on the County Home, 1919-1934.

Sheriff's journal of operating expenses for the county jail, 1911-1928; ledger of fines collected and payments to the dependents of prisoners, 1911, 1925-1926; sheriff's civil docket, 1895-1912, recording services performed and fees charged; and jail register, 1882-1895, showing name and residence of prisoner, date and cause of commitment, committing authority, sentence, date and authority for release, and personal description.

One plat map for Polk County, 1938, and related surveyors' drafts and sketches. Included is one folder of technical notes which include descriptions of the exact legal boundaries of villages in Polk County; and lists of cemeteries and of property owned by railroads and schools in the county.

Scattered minutes and correspondence, December 1942-July 1943, of the Polk County Council of Defense at Balsam Lake.

Twenty volumes of records of land sold for unpaid taxes, 1857-1933, listing purchaser's name , description of land, purchase price, tax certificate number, date of redemption, redeemer, and remarks; 11 volumes, 1859-1954, recording the assignment and redemption of the tax sale lands; and one volume of accounts of tax certificates, 1885-1913.

Supervisor of Assessments' annual reports to the County Board, printed by the County Clerk under Wis. Laws of 1905, Ch. 523, Sect. 4. Each report contains a table of amount of state, county, school, and local tax revenue, classified by type of tax; a table of total assessed valuation of each county; tables for each town of acreage and assessed valuation of lands and improvements, classified by use; tables showing assessed and recommended full value of real estate (classified by use) and personal property (classified by type) in each assessment district; and general advisory remarks.
County Supervisor of Assessment's annual address to the assessors, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1910.
Reports are present for these years: 1904, 1906, 1908-1910, 1912-1917, 1920-1937, and 1939-1979. Additional reports may have been added since this cataloging.

Statements of taxes and indebtedness filed by towns and villages with the county clerk showing date, local unit, assessed valuation, all taxes levied, and all bonded and other indebtedness incurred and outstanding.
There also are a few Certified Abstracts of Taxes, Statements of Taxes, and Certified Abstract of Indebtedness and Assessed Valuation between 1907 and 1918.

Reports of money paid by the State Treasurer to the County Treasurer; includes date of payment, account credited, and amount paid.