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Roy F. McNabney collection

 Collection
Identifier: L479

Scope and Contents

This collection contain correspondence, papers, notes, clippings, articles, photographs, and other materials from Roy F. McNabney in the United States, ranging from 1820 to 1973, largely regarding the history of the United States Postal Service, as well as some materials related to McNabney's life in Davenport, Iowa.

There is also an oversize folder containing stage coach advertisement photostats and newspaper articles, ranging from 1833 to 1972.

Dates

  • 1820-1973, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Roy Francis McNabney was born on March 31, 1879, to Ettie May (Underwood) (1862-1949) and George Francis McNabney (1855-1945) in Hampton, Illinois. He grew up in Hampton and lived in Moline by 1884. His first job was working for a wholesale drug firm. McNabney also served during the Spanish-American War. He then moved to Chicago briefly, before returning to the Quad Cities area where he worked as a salesman, first in Hampton, before eventually setting on the Iowa side in Davenport. McNabney married A. Marie Heinz (1884-1948) in 1904 in Scott County, I. In 1915, McNabney became chief of the records department at Palmer School (later the Palmer College of Chiropractic). During the 1930s, he worked as a federal writer and coordinator under the Works Progress Administration, collecting and writing historical items throughout eastern Iowa. He also worked as a historian for the Davenport Public Museum in Davenport, Iowa. For 35 years, McNabney researched the United States Postal Service, gathering information on mail and stage routes for a book on the history of the American postal service. Roy F. McNabney died on August 29, 1974, and was buried in Hampton, Illinois.

Sources:

Items in the collection.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1880 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1900 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Anna Marie McNabney." Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1880-1968. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Ancestry.com. "Roy F. McNabney." Iowa, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996. Accessed February 12, 2026. http://www.ancestryinstitution.com.

Arpy, Jim. "Davenport's Living History Book." Davenport Times-Democrat, April 13, 1972.

Findagrave.com. "Roy Francis McNabney." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed February 12, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91469260/roy-francis-mcnabney.

Extent

1.86 Cubic Feet (4 manuscript boxes, 2 index card boxes, 1 large oversize folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject and chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing and finding aid completed 2015/09/24 by Nikki Stoddard Schofield. Collection reprocessing completed 2026/02/12 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2022/04/20; 2024/03/20; 2026/02/12 by Brittany Kropf.

Subjects

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Roy F. McNabney collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

http://www.in.gov/library/manuscripts.htm
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