Papers and photographs of Reverend Samuel E. Snider related to
his missionary work at Fort Defiance, Arizona during the period ca. 1894-1896
Collection number
AHS-ND 850
Language
English
Repository
Arizona Historical Society/Flagstaff Archives
PO Box 6022
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
Phone: 928 523 5551
Fax: 928 774 1596
Email: ahsnad@infomagica.net
Biographical Note
Reverend Samuel E. ("S.E.") Snider was born June 8, 1847 in Preston County, West
Virginia. He was a civil war veteran who served in the Fourth West Virginia Cavalry
along with his father, Colonel Samuel Wesley Snider, and his brother, Captain Snider.
Following the Civil War, Snider moved to Pawschiek County, Iowa. By 1871 he was licensed
to preach by the Methodist Episcopal Church. The following year he was admitted on trial
in the Upper Iowa Conference. He was married to Maggie Hickman in 1873, and ordained an
Elder in 1877. Snider spent over eight years as an evangelist in Iowa.
His missionary career among the Indians began in 1881 when the Methodist Episcopal
Missionary Society appointed Snider to the position of Missionary for the Sioux. Snider
established the boarding school at Fort Peck, Montana, apparently against the wishes of
local white settlers. From 1885 to 1894, Snider served as Missionary and Elder for the
Montana district. In 1894 he was given the missionary position at Fort Defiance,
Arizona. The exact circumstance under which he left this position, first in August of
1895, and finally in 1896, are not known. One account states that he was removed for
medical reasons; another because he was caught embezzling funds. In any case, he moved
back to Montana (briefly) in 1896 before returning east.
He died July 18, 1921 at The Southern Branch Soldiers' Home, Hampton, Virginia.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains approximately (1) linear foot of materials including
photographs, correspondence and publications. The majority of the materials are from
Snider's tenure as missionary at Ft. Defiance, Arizona, during the period ca. 1894-1896.
Of primary interest are the photographic materials of Hopi and Navajo Indians, as well
as Samuel Snider's letter book which contains intra-agency correspondence with the
Methodist Episcopal Church and with United States Indian agency officials. Other
materials include an 1891 bible; a small ledger, ca. 1895; an Odd-Fellows manual, 1904;
a brochure from the Central Branch National Military Home, Montgomery County, Ohio, ca.
1915; news clippings and biographical information and obituary regarding S.E. Snider,
ca. 1921; and Snider family photographs and ephemera, ca. 1850-1920. The original
photographic materials include tintypes, lantern slides and silver gelatin (black and
white) processes. For preservation purposes, the photographs have been digitized and the
letter book has been photocopied.
Organization
3 Series: I. Correspondence; II. Publications; III. Photographs
Original photographic images and letter book are deteriorating; requests to view
these materials should be directed to the Arizona Historical Society/Flagstaff,
archivist.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner
of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her
transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Department of Administration, Arizona Historical Society, Northern
Division, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any
person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
3 folders. A photocopy of Samuel Snider's letter book which contains intra-agency
correspondence with the Methodist Episcopal Church and with United States Indian
agency officials. Also includes biographical notes, obituary of Samuel E.
Snider, and a small financial ledger.
Box-folder
1.1
Biographical notes and obituary of Samuel E. Snider,
ca. 1921
Box-folder
1.2
A photocopy of Samuel Snider's letter book which contains intra-agency
correspondence with the Methodist Episcopal Church and with United States
Indian agency officials,
1894-1895
Box-folder
1.3
A small financial ledger, not well organized, also includes what
appears to be school grades from Missoula, MT.,
ca. 1895
89 photocopied images. Pueblo, Hopi and Navajo Indian photographs and lantern
slides of the Fort Defiance, Arizona area; Snider family photographs. The original
photographic materials include tintypes, lantern slides and silver gelatin (black
and white) processes. The most predominant images are those from Sniders
missionary position at Fort Defiance, Arizona.
For preservation purposes, the photographic images, including lantern slides, have
been digitized and photocopied. For permission to view originals, see
AHS/Flagstaff Series 1. Hopi Indians--Social life and customs archivist.
Box-folder
1.8
Eighty-nine photocopies of photographic images [see restrictions
regarding original images],
ca. 1850-1920
Images include: 850.1 Group of (12) Pueblo Indians with two burros in front of
adobe building; 850.2 Pueblo Indian standing in front of pueblo village; 850.3
Pueblo Indian woman carrying child; 850.4 Pueblo Indian woman, daughter and
infant; 850.5 Pueblo Indian village scene; 850.6 Pueblo Indian village with
people poised on second floor; 850.7; Hopi Indian woman holding child; 850.8
Canyon De Chelly; 850.9 Pueblo Indian village children next to ladder; 850.10
Possibly grave site of Pueblo Indian; 850.11 Pueblo Indian woman with squash
blossom hair style; 850.12 Pueblo Indian woman with infant if cradle board;
850.13 Pueblo Indian men seated near horses; 850.14 Pueblo Indian child
standing next to weavers loom; 850.15 Pueblo Indian children in village
courtyard; 850.16 Man in bowler hat next to Hopi Indian woman displaying shawl;
850.17 Pueblo Indian woman on burro; 850.18 Hopi Indian woman next to child,
1st mesa; 850.19 Pueblo Indian children in front of stone wall; 850.20 Pueblo
Indian children standing next to woman combing hair with straw brush; 850.21
Rock formations; 850.22 Skull and bottle on chair with warning, "Young man take
warning"; 850.23 Pueblo Indian village lane view; 850.24 Pueblo Indian children
in group; 850.25 Burros standing on mesa; 850.26 Rock formation in Chuska
Mountains; 850.27 Indians running in open area; 850.28 Two Pueblo Indian women,
hair brushing; 850.29 Pueblo Indian woman with child and decorated bowl; 850.30
Pueblo Indian children in village courtyard of stone buildings; 850.31 Pueblo
Indian man wrapped in blanket; 850.32 Pueblo Indian man wrapped in blanket
(copy 2); 850.33 Canyon with river; 850.34 Weavers loom and corn plants; 850.35
Corn drying on village buildings (See image database #AHS.0850.00035); 850.36
Three smiling Hopi Indian woman; 850.37 Navajo Indian woman shearing sheep;
850.38 Two Hopi Indian woman seated with young boy; 850.39 White House ruin,
Canyon De Chelly; 850.40 Mesa top view of Pueblo Indian village; 850.41 Pueblo
Indian man in ceremonial body paint; 850.42 Hopi Indian women making baskets;
850.43 Hopi Indian woman next to blankets and clay ware; 850.44 Pueblo Indian
woman with child in cradle board; 850.45 Pueblo Indian with child and hanging
blankets; 850.46 Pueblo Indian woman gathering; 850.47 Pueblo Indian man
holding bow and arrow; 850.49 Pueblo Indians, close shot of two women in
blankets and infant; 850.50 Man in necktie riding donkey; 850.51 Pueblo Indian
woman and child at short doorway; 850.52 Pueblo Indian woman holding umbrella;
850.53 Euro American man seated with three Pueblo Indians; 850.54 Pueblo Indian
children seated on building; 850.55 Smiling Hopi woman leaning on wall next to
clay ware; 850.56 Pueblo Indian dance; 850.57 Pueblo Indian dance (Hopi Snake
Dance?) with spectators seated on buildings; 850.58 Fort Defiance compound;
850.59 Portrait of soldier in formal uniform; 850.60 Two men seated and smoking
cigars; 850.61 Reverend Sniders mother; 850.62 Collage of (17) Methodist
Episcopal Church Bishops; 850.63 Pueblo Indian woman standing at grave site;
850.64 Parade, possible Methodist Episcopal Church Bishops; 850.65 Pueblo
Indian women walking in open area (blurred image); 850.66 "Preacher Pete
grandfather", three men seated in chairs; 850.67 (same as 850.54); 850.68
Pueblo Indian cultivated area on edge of forest; 850.69 Canyon De Chelly viewed
from canyon floor; 850.71 Rock Formation; 850.72 Slip rock formation; 850.73
Rock canyon view; 850.74 Men standing at forest edge; 850.75 Group of men and
boys dressed in euro American clothing; 850.76 Three Pueblo Indian woman
walking along fence (same as 850.70); 850.77 Pueblo Indians standing with euro
Americans along fence near wagon; 850.78 Smiling Pueblo Indian woman in blanket
seated in front of adobe building; 850.79 Group portrait of four men and women;
850.80 Scenic canyon image; 850.81 Scenic canyon, desert image; 850.82 Pueblo
Indian village; 850.83 unknown; 850.84 Navajo Indians shearing sheep, flock in
background; 850.85 Navajo Indians shearing sheep, flock in background; 850.86
[same as 850.84]; 850.87 Woman seated on city park bench; 850.88 Portrait of
two boys; 850.89 Collage of six men.