Maps of the Shaker West Draft with Comments, 1990-1997

This collection contains various documents, photographs, maps, correspondences, books, and audio-visual materials pertaining to Shaker religious communities in the Midwest. All materials in this collection were either used or produced by Rose Mary Lawson or Martha Boice during their research of Shaker communities. These collection materials span in date from roughly 1990-2001, though there are some photocopies in the collection that date back as far as 1895. This collection would be useful for those researching Shaker religious communities in Ohio and Kentucky, and even the doctrines, protocol, and history of the Shaker religion as a whole. Additionally, this collection might be of use to those studying the geography or history of rural communities in Ohio and Kentucky in which Shakers resided, as it includes a sizable collection of maps and land deeds depicting Shaker communities and surrounding towns.

Series I, Research Materials, includes various research materials used and produced by Rose Mary Lawson and Martha Boice in their studying of the Shaker communities. This series includes notes, citations, and photo copies of materials that Lawson and Boice used in Shaker Research. This series also includes various maps (including oversize maps) of Shaker communities that were predominantly used by Boice to write Maps of the Shaker West. Finally, this series includes a small number of photographs, microfilm, and scrapbooks of Shaker communities. Items in this series are dated from 1980 to 2001.

Series II, Publication and Related Materials, includes books, drafts, essays, and speeches produced by Lawson and Boice and all materials related to the publication of these works. This series is divided into two subseries. The first encapsulates the various written works on Shakers written by Lawson and Boice from 1980 to 1997. The second sub-series includes drafts of speeches given by Boice to promote Maps of the Shaker West, and various reviews of Lawson and Boice’s works, dating from 1997-2000.

Series III, Correspondence, includes the correspondence between Martha Boice and various others (Shaker researchers, cartographers, illustrators, historians, and publishers) dated from 1995-2000. This series includes correspondence written prior to the publication of Boice’s Maps of the Shaker West and after.