Summary Information
Merton E. Krug Papers
1831-1956 (bulk 1928-1956)
- Krug, Merton E., 1907-1958
Mss 598; PH 3773
0.8 c.f. (3 archives boxes) and 39 photographs
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers, mainly 1928-1956, of Merton E. Krug, a Wisconsin historian primarily known for his work on the Upper Baraboo Valley and the trader, John Baptiste DuBay. Included are genealogical materials for the Fish family to which he was related, autobiographical documents, college term papers containing personal information and information on Wisconsin history, research material, and assorted writings including newspaper articles, poems, an address, and an incomplete manuscript and proofs for his research on General William Hull. Of special note is an account book, 1831-1866, detailing the financial activities of farmer-entrepreneur Henry Darrow, a relative who was an early settler of Walworth and Sauk counties, Wisconsin.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00598 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Merton E. Krug, historical writer and educator, was born on May 14, 1907 to William H. Krug and Mary Fish Krug in Winfield, Wisconsin, a rural community near Reedsburg. Due to his family's financial difficulties during the early 1920s, Krug did not attend high school, but instead graduated from Hay Creek Valley School after passing an exam to exempt him from 8th grade classes. He continued to live and work on his parents' farm and in an effort to further educate himself, read and wrote poetry and fiction, some of which was printed in local newspapers and farm magazines. In 1927 Krug was stricken with polio that briefly left him without the use of his arms and back. After recovering, he concentrated his writing effort on historical narratives and a fact column in several Wisconsin newspapers. Krug's first book, The History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, a collection of these written narratives and the fact columns, was published in 1929.
In early 1931 a skin ailment forced Krug to migrate to a relative's wheat farm near Enid, Oklahoma in search of a drier climate. His condition improved, but he stayed until 1936 due to a scarcity of jobs in Wisconsin. In 1936 Krug returned to Wisconsin and worked with the Madison branch of the Federal Writers Project on the Wisconsin Guide (a part of the American Guide Series) and The Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography. As part of his employment, from 1936 to 1941 Krug researched and wrote about John Baptiste DuBay. Later he published his research as DuBay: Son-in-Law of Oshkosh. The book received good reviews and sold over 4,000 copies, earning Krug mention in the November 1946 Who's Who.
Continuing his interest in historical research and writing, Krug traveled widely in the eastern part of the country from 1947 to 1951, researching his third major work, “Detroit Storm,” which was never published. While searching for a publisher in 1951, Krug met Dr. Allen Nevins of Columbia University, who recommended that he obtain a college degree. Krug heeded Nevins' advice and in June 1954, after only a three-year enrollment, graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Following a new interest in teaching, Krug stayed at the university to take education courses as part of a master's degree program. He revised his book, “Detroit Storm,” and retitled it The Proscription of Brigadier General William Hull, War of 1812 and it was accepted as a master's thesis in 1956.
From 1956 through the school year 1958, Krug was an instructor in the small town of Aztec, New Mexico. On Christmas day 1958, Krug died in a bus crash while on vacation in Mexico.
Scope and Content Note
The Merton E. Krug Papers, although not extensive, are a collection of papers mainly documenting his historical writing career. There is virtually no personal information in the papers. Coverage ranges from Sauk County history and family documentation to relevant research material and an incomplete manuscript for his work on General William Hull. The papers have been arranged into three series: family and personal history; college papers; and other writings.
The assorted FAMILY AND PERSONAL HISTORY section contains information on a Silas Fish Genealogical Chart, which Merton compiled while secretary of the Fish Family Association of Wisconsin, a charter of this association, a photographic chart and incomplete written history of the Fish family's third generation, and various family legal documents dating from 1839 to 1866. Of special note among the family documentation is an account book, 1831-1863, of Henry Darrow, one of Krug's ancestors, with entries for his agricultural/entrepreneurial activities as an early settler in Walworth County and Sauk County, Wisconsin. Krug's autobiographical material is made up of a few pieces of correspondence, post cards, a copy of his birth certificate, an autobiographical statement, and other miscellany.
The COLLEGE PAPERS series in the collection is an assortment of compositions written for education, English, and history courses while a student at the University. Retained in the collection from a larger body of material received by the Historical Society were only papers containing autobiographical information or evidence of original historical research.
The series of OTHER WRITINGS is quite varied in content and follows a chronological format. Newspaper articles about Sauk County history and a drummer boy of the Civil War (1928-1929) begin the series. DuBay: Son-in-Law of Oshkosh, part of Krug's contribution to the Federal Writer's Project, and its accompanying research material and critical reviews follow. Also included is an address, “John Lawe and His Times,” which Krug presented to the Outagamie Pioneer and Historical Society. The “Detroit Storm” files contain an incomplete manuscript, complementary galley proofs, and relevant research material, all of which was compiled between 1947 and 1951. Due to the fact that his master's thesis was a revised version of “Detroit Storm,” research material for the former is quite limited. The thesis itself can be found at Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fragmentary miscellaneous research documents round out the series.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Lynn Krug, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, September 19, 1963. Accession Number: M63-199
Processed by Eric Hytnen (archives student) and Bill Beaudreau, 1988.
Contents List
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Mss 598
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Series: Family and Personal History
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Silas Fish Family genealogical chart and Fish Family Association, 1950-1951
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Fish Family third generation history and photocopied chart, undated
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Family documents, 1839, 1855, 1866
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Henry Darrow account book, 1831-1863
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Autobiographical material, 1907-1956
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PH 3773
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Original family photo chart and Krug portraits
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Mss 598
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Series: College Papers
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Education, 1954
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Box
2
Folder
1
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English 5B, 1953
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Wisconsin History
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Box
2
Folder
3
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History book reviews
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Assorted miscellany, 1953
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Series: Writings
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Box
2
Folder
5
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The Story of a Drummer Boy, 1928
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Newspaper articles on Sauk County, 1928, 1929
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Assorted poems, lyrics, and fiction, 1943, 1954
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Box
2
Folder
8
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“John Lawe and His Times,” address, 1946
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DuBay: Son-in-Law of Oshkosh
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Research material, undated
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Box
2
Folder
10
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Reviews and related material, 1945, 1946
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“Detroit Storm,” circa 1947-1951
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Box
2
Folder
11
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Manuscript (incomplete)
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Box
2
Folder
12
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Research material
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Galley proofs # 1-8
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Promotional material
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Box
3
Folder
3-4
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The Proscription of Brigadier General William Hull, War of 1812, Research material, undated
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Miscellany, fragment of manuscript, unidentified documents
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