''The Chariton Collector'' was a
local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small bu ...
and
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
magazine published biannually between 1980 and 1989 by students at
Kirksville High School,
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri. Located in Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 census. Kirksville is home to two colleges: Truman State University and A.T. Still University.
...
. The magazine took its name from the
Chariton River
The Chariton River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 26, 2011 tributary to the Missouri River in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri. The river forms in southe ...
, which flows through northeast Missouri.
The beginnings
In Fall of 1979 a new class, Local History, was offered as an elective at Kirksville High School under the direction of Mrs. Carol Trowbridge. Instead of standard textbook instruction Mrs. Trowbridge envisioned an interactive learning experience where students would collect oral histories from the people of
Adair County and the larger northeast Missouri area. This was inspired by the success of the ''
Foxfire
Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with ...
'' books and magazines along with an increased interest in local history brought about by the
U.S. Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
. In the summer of 1980, realizing that the stories written and interviews conducted during the class year should be preserved and published for the general public to enjoy, Mrs. Trowbridge and student volunteers compiled and edited the first issue of ''The Chariton Collector'', which was released in Fall, 1980.
A decade of success
From the first issue the general public greeted ''The Chariton Collector'' with eagerness, all of the initial printing of 1,250 magazines selling out within a few weeks time. A change in leadership took place in Fall, 1982 as Mrs. Mary Grossnickle took over the renamed "Local and State History" class from the departing Mrs. Trowbridge. Operated on a non-profit basis, any proceeds from sales of ''Collector'' issues were used to fund the next issues printing as well as purchase supplies needed to fulfill the classes primary mission of recording and cataloging oral histories. Over a ten-year period a total of eighteen issues, comprising over 150 stories were published. Little-known or forgotten tales from the whimsical to the gruesome found their way into the pages of the ''Collector''.
A typical issue might include the famous, like author
Lester Dent
Lester Dent (October 12, 1904 – March 11, 1959) was an American pulp-fiction writer, best known as the creator and main writer of the series of novels about the scientist and adventurer Doc Savage. The 159 Doc Savage novels that Dent wrote over ...
and circus impresario
William Preston Hall
William Preston Hall (1864–1932) aka "The Colonel", "Diamond Billy", and "Horse King of the World" was an American showman, businessman, and circus impresario. The William P. Hall House in Lancaster, Missouri, is listed on the National Register ...
, or the unknown like local basket weavers and former residents of a coal mining camp.
Premature demise
In the late 1980s the Kirksville R-III school district was facing substantial budget shortfalls, necessitating cutbacks in various classes, programs, and extracurricular activities. Despite the fact that ''The Chariton Collector'' was largely self-funded, the class responsible for its publication, now named "Missouri History", was removed from the elective offerings and the final issue of the ''Collector'' published in Spring, 1989. Thanks to the internet and the work of Ms. Katherine Goodwin, a student at
Truman State University
Truman State University (TSU or Truman) is a public university in Kirksville, Missouri. It had 4,225 enrolled students in the fall of 2021 pursuing degrees in 52 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs.
The university is named for U.S. Presiden ...
, ''The Chariton Collector'' experienced a rebirth of sorts in 2006. All stories and photographs from each of the eighteen issues were scanned and placed online for free use by the general public via the website of Truman State's Pickler Memorial Library. Additionally, Kirksville High School donated interview tapes, transcripts, and photographs associated with ''The Chariton Collector'' to Pickler Libraries' Special Collections department. Rare copies of the ''Collector'' can sometimes be found for sale online or at public auctions, but always for many times the original cover price.
External links
* http://library.truman.edu/scpublications/Chariton%20Collector/main.asp ''The Chariton Collector'' online.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chariton Collector
1980 establishments in Missouri
1989 disestablishments in Missouri
Biannual magazines published in the United States
Defunct magazines published in the United States
Folklore magazines
History magazines published in the United States
Local interest magazines published in the United States
Magazines disestablished in 1989
Magazines established in 1980
Magazines published in Missouri
Oral history
Procedural knowledge
Simple living
Student magazines published in the United States
Traditions