Size: Less than one linear foot (about 400 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: Taylor Atha has donated to the U.S. government his copyright interest in all writings in this collection. Documents created by U.S. government employees in the course of their official duties are also in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Elizabeth Carrington (2005) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.

Taylor Atha, a document collector from the Kansas City, Missouri area, accumulated these documents and donated them to the Harry S. Truman Library in 1997. It appears the papers originally belonged to Rufus Burrus, a longtime friend and attorney of Harry S. Truman who served as Assistant County Counselor in Jackson County from 1927 to 1941.

The Taylor Atha papers are comprised largely of legal documents signed by Harry S. Truman and personal correspondence between Truman, Rufus Burrus, and others. About half of the collection dates from Truman’s service as Presiding Judge of the Jackson County, Missouri Court (1927-1935). In addition to legal documents, the collection also contains letters, telegrams, newspaper clippings, checks, and other items dating from 1927 to 1980. Only a few items are dated later than 1963. The collection is comprised of one series, a Chronological File, arranged chronologically with the exception of the last four folders which contain undated letters from members of the Truman family to friends such as Mr. and Mrs. Burrus.

Harry S. Truman became the Presiding Judge of the Jackson County Court in 1927, serving two terms before pursuing other political aspirations. One of Truman’s main accomplishments as County Judge was the improvement of Jackson County roads. As such, much of the collection consists of various land declarations as well as numerous road surveys and orders for improvements. Another item included is a set of blueprints for a foot bridge over a set of Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks. By the time Truman left office, Jackson County had more than 200 miles of new concrete roads.

In the 1920s, Truman was a partner in the Truman-Barr Insurance Agency. Among the legal documents are depositions from a lawsuit brought by Truman and his partner Robert W. Barr against a previous manager of the insurance company named Emir C. Henthorn.

The latter half of the collection includes personal correspondence between Burrus, Truman, family members and friends, and a few prominent people such as Vice President Walter Mondale. Among the documents are letters from acquaintances, newspaper clippings, telegrams, invitations to government functions, thank-you notes from Margaret Truman, and holiday greetings from Bess Truman to Burrus and his wife Ila.

CHRONOLOGICAL FILE, 1927-1980

Box 1

• 1927, January 7 - Harry S. Truman Court Correspondence
• 1927, October 26 - Bridge Blueprints
• 1928, April 9 - Court Depositions
• 1928, October 25 - Harry S. Truman Court Release
• 1929, May 8 - Order
• 1929, September 16 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1929, November 4 - Order
• 1929, November 4 - Order
• 1929, December 2 - Court Agreement
• 1929, December 10 - Order
• 1930, March 6 - Order
• 1930, March 26 - Order
• 1930, March 28 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1930, March 28 - Notice of Condemnation
• 1930, March 28 - Order
• 1930, March 28 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1930, April 14 - Order
• 1930, April 15 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1930, August 25 - Order
• 1931, January 26 through December 28 - Checks Paid to J. M. Steinhauser
• 1931, May 11 - Order
• 1931, May 29 - Court Agreement
• 1931, May 29 - Court Agreement
• 1931, November 25 - Notice of Condemnation
• 1931, December 28 - Order
• 1931, December 29 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1932, January 18 - Order
• 1932, January 20 through 1933, January 11 - Checks Paid to John Steinhauser
• 1932, March 4 - Order
• 1932, March 4 - Order
• 1932, March 15 - Order
• 1932, March 16 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1932, March 16 - Order
• 1932, March 16 - Order
• 1932, June 3 - Order
• 1932, August 8 - Order
• 1932, August 11 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1932, September 15 - Order
• 1932, October 17 - Order
• 1932, December 21 and 24 - Harry S. Truman and Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1933, January 23 - Court Agreement
• 1933, January 23 - Court Agreement
• 1933, January 23 - Order
• 1933, January 26 through April 24 - Checks Paid to J. M. Steinhauser
• 1933, March 22 - Notice of Condemnation
• 1933, March 22 - Notice of Condemnation
• 1933, April 26 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1934, May 14 - Order
• 1934, September 5 - Order and Notice of Condemnation
• 1934, September 5 - Order
• 1934, September 5 - Order
• 1934, September 5 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1934, November 30 - Report of County Surveyor
• 1935, May 31 - Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1935, December 2 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1935, December 17 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1936, September 15 and 16 - Rufus Burrus Correspondence with Paul Dillon
• 1938, March 9 and 10 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1939, February 10 and 19 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1940, October 29 and 30 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1941, January 4 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1941, February 27 - Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1941, March 14 - Telegram
• 1941, March 18 - Telegram
• 1941, September 27 - Telegram
• 1943, June 29 - Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1947, August 25 – Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1947, August 27 through December 30 – Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1948, February 26 and 27 – Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1948, December 11, 14, and 18 – Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1948, December 21 – Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1950, June 20 – Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1951, October 20 – Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1955, March 24 – Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• 1962, January 10 and 15 – Rufus Burrus Correspondence
• 1963 – Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1973, February 20 – Margaret Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1977, July 5 – Walter Mondale Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1979, February 28 – Bess Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1979, November – Bess Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1980, February 8 – Margaret Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• 1980 – Bess Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• Undated – Bess Truman Correspondence with Rufus Burrus
• Undated – Harry S. Truman Correspondence
• Undated – Harry S. Truman Correspondence with Dexter Perry
• Undated – Ila and Rufus Burrus, Cards from Truman Family

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