The Norman E. Thomas Collection contains materials created during research for Thomas’ article “The Hutterite Brethren” that was eventually published in South Dakota Historical Collections v. 25. The collection is comprised of five series: Correspondence, Maps, Printed Materials, Typescripts and Ephemera.
The Correspondence series contains one letter from Will G. Robinson, Secretary of the South Dakota State Historical Society, concerning Thomas’ manuscript.
The Map series contain maps of Beadle and Hanson Counties and South Dakota that have holographic notes that highlight the locations of the Hutterite colonies in South Dakota.
The Printed Materials series contains a photocopy of Thomas’ article and two newspaper clippings commenting on Hutterite life.
The Typescripts series contains a flow chart for the Hutterite Colonies that shows the origins of each colony. Also included is a rough draft of Thomas’s article “The Hutterian Brethren” and information sheets giving statistical data on each of the South Dakota Colonies. All material in this series has holographic notes.
The Ephemera series contains an unused Crushed Wheat sack from the Roller Mills. The mill was run by the Rockport colony located near Alexandria, South Dakota. The mill was closed in 1947.