Black Hawk Hiking Club records
Scope and Contents
The Black Hawk Hiking Club records, 1918-2004 and undated, is organized into four series.
Official club documents, 1920-2004, contains meeting minutes, membership records, hiking records, and yearly bulletins.
Scrapbooks, 1918-1981, contains yearly scrapbooks with photographs and memorabilia from the annual Big Hike and the Black Hawk Hiking Club’s participation in local hikes and events. The series is organized into two subseries: Big Hikes and Local hikes.
The Big Hikes subseries, 1920-1978, contains a scrapbook for every
Big Hike from the first one in 1920 to the 1978 Big Hike. These
scrapbooks are mostly made up of photographs, in addition to
pamphlets from the locations visited on the Big Hikes. During this
time, the Black Hawk Hiking Club traveled to national parks, lakes,
and mountains across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Local hikes and events subseries, 1918-1981, contains
photographs and newspaper clippings about local hikes and community
events in which the Black Hawk Hiking Club participated.
Slides, 1939-1993 and undated, is made up of many slide photographs taken by members of the Black Hawk Hiking Club during hikes and trips. The series is organized into three subseries: Big Hikes, Local hikes, and Miscellaneous.
The Big Hikes subseries, 1939-1993 and undated, contains
photographs taken primarily by Agnes Koerber, as well as Oliver
Burkhart and Virginia and Robert Morton.
The Local hikes subseries, 1941-1981 and undated, contains
photographs of events and activities around the Quad Cities in
which the Black Hawk Hiking Club participated.
The Miscellaneous slides subseries, 1942-1980, contains slideshow
compilations of various trips, hikes, and events.
Miscellaneous, 1985, 1993, and undated, includes John H. Hauberg’s Christmas card list, an essay titled “Our Heritage on Wheels”, binder pages with the receipts and pamphlets for the 1985 and 1993 Big Hikes, unlabeled photographs, songs, and newspaper clippings about the Black Hawk Hiking Club.
The Big Hike binder subseries, 1985 and 1993, contains binder pages
with letters, pamphlets, and receipts for the 1985 and 1993 Big
Hikes.
The Agnes Koerber subseries, 1952-1963 and undated, contains a
scrapbook, newspaper clippings, letters, and photographs from Agnes
Koerber’s time as a member of the Black Hawk Hiking Club.
Dates
- Creation: 1918-2004 and undated
Creator
- Black Hawk Hiking Club (Organization)
- Hauberg, John H. (John Henry), 1869-1955 (Person)
- Morton, Virginia, 1919-2015 (Person)
- Morton, Robert, 1919-1989 (Person)
- Burkhart, Oliver M., 1896-1990 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from Augustana College Special Collections and the copyright holder.
Historical Note
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hauberg, Miss Mary Adkins, and five others hiked down the Mississippi River for the first time on 2 January 1920. On the 17th of January, thirty-four hikers participated in the second hike. After embarking on four more hikes in the months that followed, the hikers officially organized on May 8, 1920. They adopted a constitution and chose the name Black Hawk Prairie Club, which they changed to Black Hawk Hiking Club in 1923. They also chose John H. Hauberg as president of the Club, an office he held until his death in 1955. The Club went on its first overnight hike in June 1920, and it was such an overwhelming success that they planned a ten day trip for July--the first “Big Hike”. Since then, the Club has gone on a Big Hike every summer, and they have continued to take local hikes every Saturday. The Club has maintained several other traditions over the years, including never cancelling a hike, regardless of the weather; forbidding the picking of wildflowers, nuts, or berries on a hike; and building a campfire at the end of each hike. Despite Hauberg’s death in 1955, the club still exists today and continues to go on its weekly Saturday hikes and annual Big Hikes.
Extent
21.1 Cubic Feet (/ 50 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, and 1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Black Hawk Hiking Club Records, 1918-2004 and undated, contain meeting minutes, membership records, bulletins, scrapbooks, slides, and miscellaneous newspaper clippings and photographs. The Black Hawk Hiking Club was formed in 1920 as the Black Hawk Prairie Club, whose purpose was to promote outdoor recreation in the form of walks, outings, camping, and canoeing. With the election of John H. Hauberg as the club’s first president, the name was changed to the Black Hawk Hiking Club in 1923 at the first annual meeting. The records include scrapbooks made up of photographs, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia of the Annual Big Hike from 1921 until 1978, excluding the year 1973. Additional scrapbooks and slides include photographs and materials from local hikes and community events. Despite Hauberg’s death in 1955, the club still exists today and continues to go on its weekly local hikes and annual Big Hikes.
Arrangement
Materials arranged chronologically.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Miss Agnes J. Koerber donated the 1921-1972 and 1974-1978 scrapbooks on December 20, 1978. Dr. Mel Peterson donated the 1920-1965 minutes, membership records, and hiking records on March 30, 1979. Fay Hauberg Page, granddaughter of John H. Hauberg, donated prints and negatives from Big Hike 1942 on May 20, 2004. Binders of information for the 1985 and 1993 Big Hikes were donated by Laelina Dewitt on behalf of Virginia and Robert Morton on February 24, 2009.
Processing Information
Ariana Solis, April 2018.
Source
- Page, Fay Hauberg (Person)
- Peterson, Melbert (Person)
- Koerber, Agnes J. (Person)
- Dewitt, Laelina (Person)
- Title
- Black Hawk Hiking Club records, 1918-2004 and undated.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ariana Solis
- Date
- April 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Augustana College Special Collections Repository
639 38th Street
Thomas Tredway Library
Rock Island Illinois 61201 United States
specialcollections@augustana.edu