Finding Aids
The National Willa Cather Center houses one of the nation’s largest collections of materials related to the life and works of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather. Our museum and archival collections, housed in Cather's home town of Red Cloud, Nebraska, contain memorabilia, artifacts, historic photographs, art and decorative arts, journals, and rare book collections, as well as items belonging to Willa Cather like letters, clothing, jewelry, artwork, manuscripts, address books, journals, and sales ledgers for her novels, as well as hundreds of objects that belonged to the Cather family. Click here to explore individual objects in the collection!
For a broad view of the collections, finding aids are available for the collections below. A PDF file is available for download.
Betty Kort Collection
Date range: 1762-1973
Bulk dates: 1918-1943
Finding Aid created by Tracy Sanford Tucker, 2015
Copyright: National Willa Cather Center
Extent: Two boxes
Abstract: The Betty Kort Collection was donated by Willa Cather descendants James and Angela Southwick and contains documents and personal effects belonging to Charles and Virginia Cather, Willa Cather, and family members..
Language: The material is in English
Access and Use: No restrictions on access; users should acquaint themselves with copyright restrictions for later publications.
Acquisition Information: This collection came to the WCF in 2008, deposited by James and Angela Southwick.
Access Restrictions: The record group is open to research.
Cite as: [item #], Betty Kort Collection. Willa Cather Foundation Collections & Archives at the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska.
Subjects:
- short stories
- Cather genealogy
- Willa Cather personal effects
Related Materials:
- Southwick Rare Book Collection
- Southwick Family Collections
Copyright: Copyright remains with the National Willa Cather Center unless it has been retained by the original creators or publishers; publication may be restricted in those cases, and those seeking publication of copyrighted materials should consult a copyright database or consult their institution or publisher for assistance.
| Object Type | Inventory No. | Title | Author | Obj. Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document | TX-50-1000-001 | Property Deed to J. Smith | Lord Fairfax |
1762 |
| Document | TX-50-1000-002 | Property Deed Adjacent to Jeremiah Smith | Light Horse Henry Lee | 1792 |
| Document | TX-50-1000-003 | Framed transcript of TX-50-1000-002 | ||
| Notebook | OBJ-50-1000-004 | Notebook | Douglass Cather | |
| Journal | OBJ-50-1000-005 | Journal | Charles F. Cather | |
| Journal | OBJ-50-1000-006 | Journal | Charles F. Cather | |
| Document | OBJ-50-1000-007 | Property Deed to Jeremiah Smith | 1793 | |
| Ephemera | OBJ-50-1000-008 | "The Truth About Horace" Poem Written Inside Book Cover | Eugene Field | |
| Financial Document | OBJ-50-1000-009 | Money order to Willa Cather | ||
| Document | OBJ-50-1000-010 | Legal document | James Cather | 1875 |
| Ledger | OBJ-50-1000-011 | Estate of James Cather | ||
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-012 | Letter from Virginia Relatives to Charles Cather | ||
| Financial Document | TX-50-1000-013-1 | James Cather Treasurer Notes | 1875-1876 | |
| Financial Document | TX-50-1000-13-2 | Loan Documents | 1874, 1869 | |
| Financial Document | TX-50-1000-13-3 | Checks from City National Bank, Lincoln | 1900 | |
| Newspaper | TX-50-1000-014 | Newspaper Clippings About Princeton Honorary Degree | ||
| Watercolor sketch | TX-50-1000-015 | Grand Manan Watercolor | Edith Lewis | |
| Photograph | OBJ-50-1000-016 | Willa Cather | ||
| Document | Tx-50-1000-017 | Articles of Indenture | ||
| Document | TX-50-1000-018 | Jeremiah Smith's Will | ||
| Document | TX-50-1000-019 | Grand Lodge Application | Douglass Cather | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-020 | Boak Birth and Death Records | ||
| Document | TX-50-1000-021 | Receipt | James Cather | 1870 |
| Financial Document | TX-50-1000-022 | |||
| Currency | TX-50-1000-023 | Collection of Confederate Money | 1860s | |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-024 | Photocopy of Letter to Helen Cather Southwick | Willa Cather | 1943 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-025 | Photocopy of Letter to Helen Cather Southwick | Willa Cather | 1943 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-026 | Photocopy of Letter to Helen Cather Southwick | Willa Cather | 1946 |
| Document | TX-50-1000-027 | "Seats of the Mighty" by Gilbert Parker, inscribed | Willa Cather | |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-028 | Letters to Charles F. Cather | Mary Virginia Cather | n/d |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-029 | Letters to Mary Virginia Cather | Charles F. Cather | n/d |
| Photograph | PHO-50-1000-030 | Grosvenor P. Cather's Grave in France | unknown | circa 1920 |
| Photograph | PHO-50-1000-031 | Woman at Grand Manan | unknown | |
| Photograph | PHO-50-1000-032 | Cather Nieces and Jessica Cather Auld and Mary Virginia Cather | unknown | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-033 | Agreement, C.W. Cather & Heirs | ||
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-034 | Letter to Cather Family | S.A. Smith | 1907 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-035 | Charles Cather Business Christmas Card | ||
| Document | TX-50-1000-036 | Barnum documents | 1856 | |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-037 | Letter to Charles F. Cather | Douglass Cather | |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-038 | Two letters to Helen Cather Southwick | Fanny Butcher | 1971, 1973 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-039 | Envelope with Willa Cather handwriting | Charles F. Cather | 1927 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-040 | Envelopes from Gore, Virginia, to C.F. Cather | 1907 | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-041 | Photocopies of 28 and 29 | ||
| Newspaper | TX-50-1000-043 | Charles F. Cather Obituary | Commercial Advertiser | 1928 |
| Document | TX-50-1000-044 | Charles F. Cather Death Certificate | 1928 | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-045 | Platt & Frees Legal Agreement | Charles F. Cather | 1891 |
| Document | TX-50-1000-046 | George Hutchison Probate | ||
| OBJ-50-1000-047 | Dos Banderos Oil | |||
| Document | TX-50-1000-048 | Indenture | Sidney Cather Gore | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-049 | George Cather Lease | George Smith | |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-050 | "The Diamond Mine," McClure's | Willa Cather | 1916 |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-051 | Willa Cather Centennial Concert | ||
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-052 | Princeton degree | New York Herald Tribune | 1931 |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-053 | Dorothy Canfield Fisher | New York Herald Tribune | 1933 |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-054 | Review of April Twilights | Pittsburg Gazette | 1903 |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-055 | "The Conversion of Sum Loo" | The Library | |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-056 | Review of Shadows on the Rock | New York Time Book Review | 1931 |
| Clipping | TX-50-1000-057 | Cather article | The Nation | 1923 |
| Cosmetics | OBJ-50-1000-058 | Lipstick case | ||
| Writing equipment | OBJ-50-1000-059 | Pen holder | ||
| Personal objects | OBJ-50-1000-060-1 | Small metal purse | ||
| Personal objects | OBJ-50-1000-060-2 | Small metal purse | ||
| Jewelry | OBJ-50-1000-061 | Gold snake ring | ||
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-062 | Letter to C. F. Cather | Charles Moore | 1921 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-063 | Letter to Helen Cather Southwick | Willa Cather | 1939 |
| Camera | OBJ-50-1000-064 | Edith Lewis's camera with cable release | ||
| Ledger | OBJ-50-1000-065 | Log of sales accounts for novels | Willa Cather, Edith Lewis | |
| Document | OBJ-50-1000-066 | C.F. Cather shares in Big Chief Oil | ||
| Map | TX-50-1000-067 | Plot map of George Smith land | 1793 | |
| Docume9t | TX-50-1000-068 | Rental agreement | 1840 | |
| Document | TX-50-1000-069 | Charles F. Cather biography | ||
| Stationery | OBJ-50-1000-070 | Willa Cather's Address Book | Willa Cather | |
| Journal | OBJ-50-1000-071 | C. F. Cather journal of trip to Colorado and New Mexico | Charles Cather | 1872 |
| Correspondence | TX-50-1000-072 | Photocopy of letter to H. C. Southwick | Willa Cather | 1939 |
NWCC Microfilm Collection
Date range: 1871–1963
Bulk dates: 1880–1923
Finding Aid created by Tracy Sanford Tucker, 2019
Copyright: National Willa Cather Center
Extent: Thirteen publications of varying dates ranging from 1871-1963, focused around Willa Cather’s location and/or writing and career, plus microfilm of Willa Cather’s scrapbooks and microfilm of Willa Cather and Cather family correspondence.
Abstract: The NWCC Microfilm Collection contains several Red Cloud newspapers, including The Nation, The Golden Belt, Red Cloud Republican, Webster County Argus, the Commercial Advertiser, and Red Cloud Chief. Additionally, the following publications from the times of Cather’s association with them are available on microfilm: The Index of Pittsburg Life, The Library, The Home Monthly, The People’s Monthly, Willa Cather articles from The Nebraska State Journal, and the Pittsburg Leader. Also within the collection are The History of Webster County by Edyth Beezley and two rolls of Cather family correspondence dated 1870–1979.
Language: The material is in English
Access and Use: No restrictions on access; users should acquaint themselves with copyright restrictions for later publications.
Acquisition Information: This collection was digitized in the 1980s by the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Access Restrictions: The record group is open to research.
Cite as: [item], date, reel (if numbered), NWCC Microfilm Collection. Willa Cather Foundation Special Collections & Archives at the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska
Subjects:
- settlement
- Willa Cather
- Silas Garber
- agriculture
- Webster County history
- Pittsburg history
- literature and criticism
- arts & culture
- domestic life
| The Nation (Red Cloud) | 7/13/1892 to 3/12/1908 |
| The Golden Belt (Red Cloud) | 5/5/1893 to 10/13/1896 |
| Red Cloud Republican | 9/13/1889 to 8/22/1890 |
| Webster County Argus | 3/10/1891 to 8/21/1930 |
| The Commercial Advertiser | 5/1/1908 to 10/3/1968 |
| The Red Cloud Chief | 10/1/1873 to 11/22/1923 |
| The Index of Pittsburg Life | 10/6/1900 to 1/4/1902 |
| The Library | 3/10/1900 to 9/1/1900 |
| The Home Monthly | 8/1/1896 to 10/1/1900 |
| The People's Monthly | 6/1/1871 to 3/1/1875 |
| Pittsburg Leader | 12/29/1896 to 1/11/1904 |
Related Materials: The NWCC also holds a number of bound volumes of McClure’s Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and other serial publications that include the works of Willa Cather.
Copyright: Copyright remains with the National Willa Cather Center unless it has been retained by the original creators or publishers; publication may be restricted in those cases, and those seeking publication of copyrighted materials should consult a copyright database or consult their institution or publisher for assistance.
Mildred Bennett Collection
Date range: 1932-1989
Bulk dates: 1949-1989
Finding Aid created by Tracy Sanford Tucker, 2020
Copyright: National Willa Cather Center
Extent: Approximately 50 linear feet of Mildred Bennett's book collection and 50 document boxes.
Abstract: The Mildred Bennett Collection documents the organizational and scholarly work of the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial’s founder, Mildred Rhoads Bennett. The collection contains correspondence and organizational history related to the creation of the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial, early Cather scholarship and publications, and the life and writings of Mildred Rhoads Bennett. The collection also contains numerous volumes of books, written by Cather and her associates, Nebraska authors, and authors mentioned by Cather by name. Photographs in the collection document 1950s Webster County land and historic buildings, as well as the early activities of the WCPM. Research materials in the collection include notes from oral histories collected by Bennett and John March, transcripts of Cather letters, genealogy, and more.
Language: The material is in English.
Acquisition Information: This collection came to the WCF in 2008, deposited by James and Angela Southwick.
Access Restrictions: This collection is open to research and publication uses, except as prohibited by donor restrictions and the NWCC Access Policy.
Cite as: [item or box name or #], Mildred Bennett Collection. Willa Cather Foundation Collections & Archives at the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska.
Subjects:
- Willa Cather
- Edith Lewis
- Cather family
- Webster County history
- Cather scholarship and research notes
- Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial organizational history
- Mildred Rhoads Bennett biographical material and manuscripts
- Correspondence files, both personal and WCPM
- Photographs of mid-century Webster County
Related Materials:
- Don Connors Collection
- John March Collection
Copyright: Copyright remains with the National Willa Cather Center unless it has been retained by the original creators or publishers; publication may be restricted in those cases, and those seeking publication of copyrighted materials should consult a copyright database or consult their institution or publisher for assistance.
| Box 1 | Folder Name |
Object Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fan Letters 1951-1953 | Correspondence | |
| Dorothy Minchin-Comm | Obituary and clippings | |
| Humor | Clippings | |
| Letters to Mildred Bennett | Correspondence | |
| Letters from Cather Family | Correspondence | |
| Miscellaneous Letters From Mildred and Wilbur Bennett | Correspondence | |
| restricted | 2 Folders | Correspondence and Legal Documents |
| Ron Butler 1980s | Correspondence | |
| Vickie Corey, 1981 | Correspondence | |
| L.C. Chang |
Correspondence |
|
| Don Connors | Correspondence | |
| Charles Crowley | Correspondence | |
| Debbie Leonard | Correspondence | |
| Virginia Faulkner | Correspondence | |
| John March | Correspondence | |
| Marianne Martin | Correspondence | |
| Michael | Correspondence | |
| Bernice Slote | Correspondence | |
| Stanley Smith | Correspondence | |
| Jessie Sherman Smith | Correspondence | |
| Haru Tarawada | Correspondence | |
| Jean Tsien | Correspondence |
Box 2–5 Rehoused—see Bennett Book Inventory
| Box 6 - WCPM Documents | Folder Name | Object Type |
|---|---|---|
| Typescript "In Search of Willa Cather" copy | Manuscript | |
| Clippings | Clippings and ephemera | |
| Conference Photos | Photographs | |
| Exhibition Catalog | Printed Material | |
| Miscellaneous papers | Documents | |
| Pat Phillips Materials | Board minutes, conference notes | |
| WCPM Ashtray | ||
| Playing Cards | ||
| Keys | ||
| NSHS Documents | Correspondence | |
| 1987 board materials | Documents | |
| Letters to Mildred Bennett from Board Members | Correspondence |
Box 7–10 Rehoused—see Bennett Book Inventory
Box 11 Research Materials
Full box of index cards and notes for Mildred Bennett's book, The World of Willa Cather. See note for Box 27.
Box 12–16 Rehoused—see Bennett Book Inventory