Kenneth M. Hammer, 95, passed away on Oct. 18, 2013. Hammer was a professor of economics at UW-Whitewater from 1966-1983, but it may surprise you to know that he also gave to Andersen Library a special collection of materials related to the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Native Americans who fought there, George Armstrong Custer, and the Seventh Cavalry. And the Library has been acquiring additional materials since.
From the web page describing the collection:
Born in South Dakota in 1918, Dr. Hammer grew up listening to stories about the settlement of the Dakotas and Montana. His particular interest in Custer grew from a visit to Fort Abraham Lincoln as a child with his father. Over the years, he collected many materials related to the Custer fight and wrote several volumes about it. In 1977, Dr. Hammer was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in History for his book, Custer in ’76: Walter Camp’s notes on the Custer Fight. His most recent work is Men with Custer: Biographies of the 7th Cavalry, June 25, 1876, Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association, 1995.
Andersen Library’s Special Collections (1st floor, open 9am-4:30pm Mondays-Fridays) has the collection for anyone who is intrigued, including the Custer in ’76 book that Hammer edited, his book Men with Custer: Biographies of the 7th Calvary, artwork, and more. There is a bibliography online, and seven items have been digitized.
You also can find materials that are not in Special Collections–circulating books and journal articles–by searching HALCat and article databases (such as America: History and Life and ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Chicago Tribune). There also are web sites, such as the National Park Service’s web page for the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (MT).
Please ask a librarian if you would appreciate assistance with finding materials.
Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in various formats (print, DVD/CD-ROM, online). Check out your government at Andersen Library!
