Daniel Burns Dyer (1849-1912) Papers (KC0168)

At the age of 15, Daniel Dyer entered the United States Army and saw action in Arkansas and Missouri before the end of the Civil War. Shortly after the War, he married the daughter of ex-Governor Casey of Illinois and returned to his home in Baxter Springs, Kansas, where he operated a hardware business with a branch in Joplin, Missouri. In 1880, Dyer was appointed Indian Agent to the Quapaw Agency, just south of Baxter Springs. Four years later, he became the Agent for the Cheyenne-Arapaho Agency at Darlington, Indian Territory. While at the Agencies, Dyer became friends with W.F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

In 1885, Dyer resigned and moved to Kansas City where he worked with his brother-in-law, A.A. Whiting, in the real estate business. At the opening of Oklahoma in 1889, Dyer went to Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he was elected its first mayor. However, he retired the position after only a few months to return Kansas City. Early in 1890, Dyer went to Augusta, Georgia, where, with the Kansas City financial firm of Jarvis and Conkling, he purchased the Augusta Street Railway Company. Dyer is also credited with building in 1891, the first modern office building and with the establishment of two urban parks in Augusta. He invested in the Augusta Chronicle and served as president of its publishing company until 1911.

In October, 1904, Dyer gave his excellent collection of Indian, Filipino, and Mexican artifacts to the City of Kansas City. These materials had been displayed at the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago and later in Atlanta, Georgia, where it drew much attention. The collection, which consisted of over 60,000 items, was housed at the Kansas City Public Library until about 1940 when it was transferred to the Kansas City Museum.

The papers contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets, some correspondence and memorabilia, and three scrapbooks of similar materials. The documents deal primarily with Dyer's life and interest in primitive cultures. There are indications that the papers were kept and maintained by Dyer's niece, Mabel Greene, after his death in 1912. 1866-1941.

24 folders and 3 volumes (MICROFORM).

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