Artifacts

The Minors left very few documents and personal possessions behind, at least that are currently available to the public. (If anyone has any private collections, please let us know.)

St. Louis

• Virginia, Francis and Francis Gilmer are all buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.
  • The cemetery also has copies of their death certificates.
• The Missouri History Museum Library contains nine volumes of war claims books Francis created during the Civil War. These books contain his personal notes, newspaper clippings and relevant documents to his work.
• The Missouri State Archives (offices in St. Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri) have:
  • Records containing Francis’ signature in the registries for the court of common please and the criminal court.
  • Files on all the court cases Francis tried that have been processed.
  • The probate files of both Virginia and Francis Minor.
  • All records related to Minor v. Happersett, from the St. Louis Circuit Court, Missouri Supreme Court and Supreme Court of the United States.
  • Virginia’s letter to her nephew in the papers of Charles Henry Hardin.
• Washington University Library in St. Louis holds copies of the two Free Negro Bonds signed by Francis.
  • William Gaseway
  • John Cater Brown

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Virginia)

• The papers of the Minor family include:
  • Warner Washington Minor’s letters to officials at the University of Virginia
  • The Minor Family Bible
• “Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the University of Virginia Session 1842-1843.” Richmond, Virginia: Shepherd and Colin, 1843. University of Virginia Law Library.

Other

• Princeton University has Francis’ student file.