Creator: State Auditor (RG 29).

Collection Summary: Receipt warrants for the office of the state geologist during the 1850s and 1860s. Enacted by the legislature in 1850, the purpose of the Geological Survey was to create a survey of the geologic resources of the state. Most of these receipts relate to the creation of a geological laboratory, for supplies needed in field investigations, and for the actual printing of the survey itself. Notable geologists, B.L.C. (Benjamin Leonard Covington) Wailes, Lewis Harper, and Eugene Hilgard are featured in the series. Items are arranged chronologically.

Access Restrictions: None.

Date(s): 1852-1869.

Volume: .5 cubic feet.

Finding Aid Created By: Shaun Stalzer in August 2024

Related Materials: TBD

Record Group History:  The position of Mississippi State Auditor was created by the 1817 Mississippi Constitution. The State Auditor was originally selected by the state legislature until the 1832 Constitution made it an elected position with a two-year term that was eventually expanded to a four-year term by the 1868 Constitution. The State Auditor was not allowed to serve consecutive terms, but a constitutional amendment was passed in 1966 which removed this restriction. The State Auditor is the head of the Department of Audit which works to monitor the finances of state and local government agencies. The Department regularly reviews the finances of government agencies to ensure that public funds are being used appropriately and that no financial impropriety is occurring. The State Auditor and Department of Audit additionally serve as advisors on financial matters for local governments. 

Collection Inventory
Box Content 

Box Number

1852-1869

3443