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Black Hawk Hiking Club records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 303

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

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.

Related Materials

MSS 61 Ken Brink collection of Black Hawk Hiking Club slides, 1962-1995 and undated; MSS 27 John Henry Hauberg papers, 1773-1998 and undated (bulk 1857-1955)

Processing Information

Ariana Solis, April 2018.

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

Contact:
639 38th Street
Thomas Tredway Library
Rock Island Illinois 61201 United States